I started my Gift Card Plan today! One down, twelve more to go! I got the same pretty butterfly as last year, because they don’t have the Generic Holiday ones out yet. I’ll switch to snowmen or something at that point.
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You know what’s kind of challenging? Maintaining the parental philosophy of “The two of us are a united front” when a teenager is confiding agreement with me, against his dad, on something I disagree with his dad about. STRENGTH OF CHARACTER NEEDED, PLZ PROVIDE KTHANX.
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The rock tumbler is going to have to come to a Negotiation Stage soon, if the fad doesn’t pass off on its own. Here is exactly what it sounds like at 2:00 a.m.: “*someone sawing through a screen* *someone creaking up the stairs*”
THIS CANNOT CONTINUE.
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I watched The Lives of Others (Netflix link) last night, and may I not-recommend it to you? Except that it’s a really GOOD movie if it’s your style. This would be your style, if this movie was for you: Depressing and scary movies that show how bad things can get with a government and with the actions of the citizens under that kind of government—and it makes you believe it could easily happen in your own country, and that you wouldn’t be able to do anything to prevent it from happening. To YOU PERSONALLY in REAL LIFE. But it’s really well-cast and well-acted and probably gives a really good view of what that kind of life is like, because you really understand why all the characters behave the way they do. But OH GOD, SUICIDE SOUNDS LIKE SUCH A GOOD OPTION RIGHT NOW.
If that’s your movie style, I recommend it to you heartily! It was very…thought-provoking! (The thoughts were of despair and suicide.)
Where is the rock tumbler currently located? Perhaps if you relocate it to say, the basement or garage (in the furthest corner away from the rest of the house) perhaps it would muffle the noise a bit. And try surrounding it with things like heavy blankets and pillows to further muffle the noise.
Bratling- It’s currently in the farthest corner away from the rest of the house! It has a folded blanket under it, but not on top of it—maybe that would help!
My brother had a rock tumbler when we were kids. It was outside at all times sitting on a blanket with a large Tupperware bowl over the top of it. Thankfully the love of the rock tumbler ended pretty quickly.
We keep the rock tumbler outside. But we recently rehomed a the barkiest dog that ever did live. So I imagine our neighbors think they’ve won the lottery with the tumbler versus INCESSANT BARKING.
So informal survey…how much do you all put on each gift card? I have about 7 I’ll need to do this year…
Heather- I do $10 per gift card.
I will watch anything set in Berlin, ESPECIALLY if it’s during WWII or in East Berlin. Yeah, I pretty much love feeling despair. And also I really liked the main dude’s jacket.
Oh dear. I have purchased a rock tumbler for Jack’s birthday. But he really wants one! I’m hoping that keeping it in the basement while we are still sleeping on the second floor will do the trick until he gets tired of it.
The good news is that I got it for $15 off of craigslist.
“It was very…thought-provoking! (The thoughts were of despair and suicide.)”
Ha! I love it. (Not the thoughts, obviously, but the way you said it.)
We put the rock tumbler in the garage (no basement) and wrapped it in a few comforters. It worked pretty well, other than wondering what the eff was happening every time we went to the garage.
You’ve inspired me….maybe. I used to get started on all my Christmas stuff early – to spread out the cost – but then life became frantic and crazy and I haven’t been so organized these past few years. Maybe this will be the year that I get back on track.
My Dad has a rock tumbler but then he’s also got a workshop in the garden to keep it in :) They do take a long time to tumble.
I’ve started on Christmas stuff but mostly because handmaking things takes time especially with a baby in the house.
I started my gift card plan last week. I need them for nieces and nephews in far off places so I jumped to $25 this year and BONUS! found a $10 one in a drawer from last year so I’m up 2. I suppose I should count out the teachers and support staff I need the smaller ones for as well. It’s so easy to tuck those into regular purchases and not even notice.
Maybe you could buy them on each trip as you are doing now, and then – when the Christmas ones are finally out – USE them for your purchases and buy a Christmas one. You’ll pay the same, and then you get the pretty Christmas designs. Or maybe that’s too much work.
United front advice: Worth the effort to discuss the issue in private with the father involved rather than disagreeing in front of the offspring. I got very good at hiding the “sproing” sound my eyeballs made when Husband occasionally made a parental pronouncement I thought was RIDICULOUS. He was amazingly open to discussion of the topic in private, but no one wants to be contradicted in public, and he’s wonderful about going back and saying, “You know, after thinking about this and discussing it with your mom, we’ve decided that…”
Forgive me if this makes me a ass, since I am not a parent, re: the United Front –
I think, as the children grow up, seeing the two of you disagree from time to time is healthy. Seeing how disagreement can be present and not threatening to your relationship can be a real, wonderful kind of knowledge for a kid to have. He can start to see you for the people you are, and not just Parents.
Of course, some disagreements would be inappropriate, but maybe not all.
I am having trouble with words today. Please forgive me for my incoherence.
I tried to watch “The Lives of Others” and couldn’t get through it. But! The actress, Martina Gedeck, is in a GREAT movie called “Bella Martha” or “Mostly Martha” and she’s awesome. Seriously one of the best actors today. “No Reservations” (Catherine Zeta Jones, Abigail Breslin) was based on “Bella Martha” so some of the lines and jokes are exactly the same but there are a few differences.
Anyway! I highly, HIGHLY recommend “Bella Martha.”
artemisia- Ha, no, that doesn’t sound assy! I agree: it’s good for them to see us disagree. I only mean how tempting (and wrong) it would be for me to allow a child to bitch to me about his father about some normal human failing, and then me to agree with the child privately—as if I would take his side behind his father’s back, me and him united against his dad.
ericadouglas- I knew she looked familiar!! I loved Bella Martha!
That sounds like a movie my parents would like except they would probably take it as a sign that all those things were TRUE and ABOUT TO HAPPEN. I do not think I’ll recommend it to them.
I thought of you this weekend, I bought movie tickets (2 for $16) and five $10 Einstein Bros. Bagels gift cards ($40) at Costco! I’m going to buy some more in November and December and then be ready. I can’t wait to be relieved at spreading it out, I really hope I can remember to do it in November.
I originally read that as the “Life of Otters” and couldn’t figure out… quite what you were talking about. None of the otters I’ve ever met have shown any interest in anything but fish and shiny things, and are generally not what comes to mind when one thinks of stalinist governments.