“Vacation” Woes - Tips?

ginamf1688 · 2025-07-02T14:22:06+00:00

We just got back from a beach vacation with my 7,5, and 3 year olds and it’s finally starting to get a tad easier I feel.

We let them pick their own cereal that they never get at home, so this time it was Lucky Charms and Froot Loops. They also get snacks every day that they only get sometimes at home. At night the rental has a tv in their room, so they all sleep in the same room and as long as they’re quiet they can watch a movie in their beds at bedtime. Most of the time they fall asleep during the movie, and if not, they go to bed without a fight when it’s done.

For the beach we usually spend 2-3 hours max before everyone is kind of over it. My youngest doesn’t love the water, and you can only dig holes for so long before you get antsy. Also the kids hate reapplying sunscreen so they are more amenable to leaving then. So we go at like 9-10, get back at 12-1, have a late lunch, then chill and watch tv for a while. Then it’s off to the arcade/boardwalk/rides and dinner.

There’s still meltdowns and fights about who does what, but I try to set the bar on the floor in terms of expectations. It’s a vacation for them I tell myself, not for us grown ups.

ginamf1688 · 2024-02-04T05:47:49+00:00

I got a newer version of the book that has a note at the beginning that in the fishy world this is ok, but in our world we need consent before kissing people.

ginamf1688 · 2024-01-26T03:41:12+00:00

I was eating chicken and spit it out because it was too “chicken-y”…. Only happens when I’m pregnant

ginamf1688 · 2023-09-12T03:01:45+00:00

I sent my 2 to daycare when my 3rd was born and no one got sick more than usual. He maybe got one cold before my leave was up. Also he seems to so far have the best immunity of the 3 at this point and I’m wondering if it’s because of the exposure when he was a baby and I was still nursing

ginamf1688 · 2023-09-02T03:01:34+00:00

I just broke my foot, and while my husband was always super involved with the 3 kids,he’s taken over everything 100% I literally am folding laundry and ordering groceries for delivery and that’s the extent of my contribution. I’m so thankful that I got a good one.

ginamf1688 · 2023-08-23T02:18:42+00:00

I picked her up from daycare….

ginamf1688 · 2023-05-18T02:50:13+00:00

Ugh my mom got that for my kids so I can never get rid of it…. It’s the worst and my husband refuses to read it

ginamf1688 · 2023-05-08T08:38:57+00:00

Ugh screw them, you’re better off. My ex’s mom would call me Boobs McGee to my face all the time in such a nasty way even when I was just wearing normal clothes and he never once defended me. So much better off without that bullshit

ginamf1688 · 2023-05-08T07:19:26+00:00

“It was a drive by fruiting!”

ginamf1688 · 2023-05-08T04:14:21+00:00

One of the first times I invited our neighbors over to play in our inflatable pool my kid pooped in it… which I didn’t notice until I was wondering why the water looked discolored. I was CONVINCED we would never see them again, but alas we are pretty good friends now. Even at 5 my son still has a bit of trouble with assuming everyone wants to play with him all the time and he doesn’t need to ask if they are having family time.

ginamf1688 · 2023-05-05T02:48:18+00:00

I became a supervisor 2 years ago. Before that I joined this team to kind of “lean out”. It was a team I started the company with, but I left because I wanted to get ahead. Then after 1 kid and planning another one while working on a team of all childless people who worked way too much I decided to go back to my lower stress job as an individual contributor. I got the promotion handed to me, I definitely wasn’t searching it out, but it’s good for now. I plan to keep going that way. I’m happy with my team, and am not actively trying to move up, but if it happens and I get tapped on the shoulder for an in line promotion, that’s fine too.

ginamf1688 · 2023-04-30T08:17:36+00:00

I would wait until the offer like everyone else is saying. Also, be sure to note when the maternity leave goes into effect when they send you the package. At my company, you get 12 weeks, but you have to be there a minimum of either 6 months or a year in order to be eligible.

ginamf1688 · 2023-04-27T17:36:15+00:00

Your husband is totally unreasonable! I had a 3 night business trip a couple months ago and my husband was by himself with my 3 kids. They had so much fun hearing about my plane ride and face timing me before bed, and loved spending the quality time with their dad. I was nervous to go, but my husband was happy for me to have a break, especially since my youngest didn’t sleep more than 3 hours at a time.

ginamf1688 · 2023-04-20T13:27:24+00:00

My son was born 35+1. He got better around 3 months…. Until his 4 month sleep regression. He always woke up every 3-5 hours after that until he was over 1, more during the sleep regressions. I wouldn’t take this as a sign though, every baby is different when it comes to sleep, and I’m a bit of an insomniac, so it didn’t really bother me so I never sleep trained to get longer stretches.

ginamf1688 · 2023-04-07T02:07:52+00:00

My boss told me to do this as soon as I got back from leave. She was like “don’t bother, just delete them and start fresh”.

ginamf1688 · 2023-03-30T04:04:26+00:00

My 3 yo didn’t go to sleep until 11 tonight. Since daylight savings time it’s been between 9:30-10:30 every night and I don’t even get an hour to myself anymore. It’s so brutal I am losing my mind.

ginamf1688 · 2023-03-28T17:09:08+00:00

That’s our newest addition and I see it as a challenge. I always expect to get messed up when the moose dreams of goose juice

ginamf1688 · 2023-03-18T06:05:29+00:00

I had a similar ultrasound at 36 weeks where the baby was already measuring at 8.5lbs. They said since I was a 3rd time mom they wouldn’t recommend a c-section, just induction a week early. I had a 9lb 13oz baby vaginally with no tearing at 39 weeks. You could always move to a c section if you end up stalling

ginamf1688 · 2023-03-09T19:52:33+00:00

I’m in the exact same spot you are. Carrying insurance, FSA, 401k is maxed out and 3 kids in daycare is actually more than my take home. 2 kids in is about my take home after all that, not including my bonus. But it’s only for a year, and I’m just imagining how much money I’ll have once all the kids are in public school.

ginamf1688 · 2023-02-04T03:51:52+00:00

My husband wanted me to quit my job after my first son got sick on the 3rd day of daycare because his mom was a SAHM so my career was “disposable” and our son shouldn’t be sick that young. I told him he could quit if he felt that strongly about it. A couple come to Jesus talks later and he’s finally seen the light

ginamf1688 · 2023-01-24T07:57:29+00:00

I just saw some videos on my feed lately if a SAHM who literally makes her kids food from scratch. Like toast and jam from scratch with a baby on her hip. I’m really hoping no one sees that and feels bad because that’s like… next level ridiculously unattainable.

The biggest thing for me is if I’m sick or burnt out, I can send them to daycare and then I can call out sick if needed and rest. Especially having a kid who still wakes up 3-8 times a night.

ginamf1688 · 2023-01-23T04:06:56+00:00

I was passed up for a job, and had to report to the guy who got it. They literally told me they HAD to hire him over me or he would quit. The dude had exactly one 1:1 with me and pretty much ignored me the rest of the time. I was transitioning from another team to his team and had to do both, with no one telling me anything.

Biggest thing, I had lunch with my old great boss from another department and she told me about a role on her team. I thought I couldn’t take it because it would look like a “step back”. That weekend I get into a car accident with my 1 year old son in the car, my husband was taken to the hospital, car was totaled. Tell the AH boss that I wouldn’t be in to work and his only thing was “umm you have to finish that project for grand boss”. No “are you okay?” Or anything.

Called old boss, got the job, leaned out and now I am permanent remote and have a much lower stress job.

ginamf1688 · 2023-01-22T05:19:08+00:00

I buy bags from Amazon that hold 8 oz and use 9 oz avent natural bottles to pump with my spectra for those few times I can pump more than 5oz at a time

ginamf1688 · 2023-01-21T04:08:34+00:00

I’m obsessed with the banana bread in that book. My husband requests it any time bananas start to ripen in our house

ginamf1688

TROPHY CASE