#parenthood is wild

[we-are-siphonophore]

I have had an experience.

So toddler is sick, but only enough to be contagious, not tired. We’re both going a bit stir crazy, so I go to the shops and grab something to entertain them before they decide to dismantle the household electronics as kids their age are wont to do. I was thinking maybe some paint or beads, what I found was the whale. Imagine a purple cetacean with bendystraws for a spout. Imagine my vision of a gentle spray of water while chaos toddler plays. Imagine the relief of not having to watch Bluey for the hundredth time this week. Then imagine my horror when I realize: 1. The bendy straws don’t spin 2. It becomes a water projectile when toddler helps me turn it on

Now Neighbor dog takes offense to the whale pelting his house with an unholy amount of water at a pressure I wish my shower head produced. Toddlers hears the normally friendly dog and immediately to pet the creature currently trying to eat through the fence to destroy the bedeviled whale, that has now upgraded from trying to drown one backyard to drowning all of the adjacent yards as well. I don’t trust the fence to hold the dog, so I run to collect toddler before they get their fingers bitten--and knock over the bin into the faucet that the damnable whale is attached to. I manage to wrangle toddler, get the whale down to tolerable levels of water spoutage when I realize that I’ve left the backdoor open for this process. Which means my house is now wet inside, but more importantly that my very skittish and very indoor cat might now be out in the neighborhood. I rush to find him watching us placidly through the window, somehow the only damn thing that isn’t wet within ten feet of my door.

Surely I threw the thing out, right? But I can’t. Somehow in between me trying to find the cat and closing the door the toddler bonded with the cursed cetacean. So the whale lives with us, for now.

[sotwk]

The increasing urge to shout "Dohaeris!!!" at my toddler, every time he refuses to get in the bath or go to bed or eat his dinner.

[estarsomnolienta]

No no no but like- from a human pov the world building has almost all the characteristics to be called a eco dystopia; the sea levels got crazy high, we have to live in very weather controlled spaces, there are centers specialized on growing food because it's not longer possible to do it on earth. Even the clothes of the few humans showed respond to the common futuristic vibe. But it doesn't feel dystopic in the way a world completely "destroyed" and over run by climatic changes should be. It's almost optimistic.

Yes, half the cities got destroyed. And the goose still migrated through continents.

Human life has to be 100% monitored because of how unsustainable it has become. And the life we create it just as capable of loving as we are.

The thought that even the best "ai" (although I do have a strong posture on the fact that Rozz was not ai, but that's for another post), created with the best technology and "all the information humankind has" (or something like that was said about Rozz's core) will still choose love and kindness and compassion.

And will have preferences. 'cause god how good it feels to see a pessimistic eco future in where people survive BECAUSE of, not despite of others. We are alive and we will live through the harshes winters and the solitary autumns and the scarce soil by being with other. Being in a community.

[flamingo--ing]

got bifocals. btw.

[diet-cokette]

you can just eat Mac n cheese out of the damn pot

And you can buy Kraft brand because you don't give a shit anymore about them supporting planned parenthood

And you can get the kind you like because nobody's gonna be bitching and moaning

[bestworstcase]

So I read some of your RWBY posts and I have a question:

You said that if Penny would be back it should be by her choice

I agree with that (it also fit with her character arc about freedom) but how would she choose? It's not like Penny would just pop out of the air and be like "salutation guys, I decided to come back"

Also I don't think they will wait until the end for her ressoraction unless is like "the gods will bring everyone who died because of their stupidity"

I'm not attacking or somthing it's just somthing that I want to ask

does the concept of reincarnation confuse you

like either she’s fully reborn as an infant or it’s directly analogous to the (alyx) -> little -> somewhat situation depending upon how closely what ambrosius did with her follows the pattern of afteran-style ascension. this is why i keep saying that if she returns in some form it won’t be as penny but rather as a new character who was penny in her previous life.

[fadeintoyou1993]

when freya was like You can't have a child if you're keeping your humanity switched off. that was so funny like girl none of these bitches procreating look at the people who raised them 😭😭😭

[romangoldendreams]

dealing with parenthood

[skinreflectsthesun]

I swear the next person to ask me why my son is cranky and whiny I’m just gonna turn to them and say “he must just not like you 🤷🏻‍♀️”

[themamabair]

The latest 1000 Hours Outside podcast featured an author and academic scholar who specifically studies empathy. It was one of the best podcast episodes I’ve ever heard.

For one thing, when both the podcast host and the guest can barely make it 15 minutes without tearing up due to the meaningfulness of the topic, you know it’s going to be powerful. And it truly was. Stories of children and adults learning strategies to cultivate empathy and the massive impact it had on their lives as well as the lives of those around them. It was really eye-opening. I think it was already mostly things I suspected in my mind but now it is expert confirmed.

In our most recent toy box, we got a new board book, “Max and Nana Go to the Park”. In the book, the little boy, Max, falls while running and hurts his knee. There’s a photo of Max crying in the book. The first time we read this to Bair, he saw the picture of Max crying and began to cry himself, immediately turning to me to seek comfort. It was the first time I had seen for myself the blueprints of a child’s capacity for empathy, and since that moment I’ve wanted nothing more than to cultivate it.

While reading books, I’ve been asking Bair things like, “How do you think they are feeling?” Of course he can’t answer me yet, but he understands a significant amount, and to continue planting those seeds of thinking about the feelings of others, I think is invaluable. Empathetic kids make empathetic adults, and empathetic adults make a happier, kinder world.

[jdetan]

Can We Have a Real Life? (Do We Even Know What it Means?)

Zelda and Link teach the children at the schoolhouse about modern history- specifically, the Calamity and the Upheaval.

“Hello, Missus Zelda!” The children of Hateno village all cheered and waved hello as Zelda walked into the schoolhouse, energized and ready to teach. “Hello, kids!” Zelda smiled brightly as she walked over to her desk. “Are we going to have a fun day today?” “Yeah!” The kids cheered as they sat down– at Symin’s insistence. “Alright! Good to hear!” Zelda turned to Symin. “What’s the lesson plan today, Sy?” “Modern history.” Symin replied, checking over the schedule. “Specifically, the Calamity and the Upheaval.” Zelda blanched for a moment. “Well, I’m a primary source on the Calamity…” She mumbled, thinking of a good way to give the fine details on the Upheaval without traumatizing the children. “But the Upheaval…” “Hey, yeah!” Narah said, suddenly. “You never DID tell us where you went during the Upheaval! Are you gonna tell us today?” “Nope! Because I am!” Link announced with a grin. “No one is a better source on the Upheaval than me! Except maybe Purah. And Robbie. And Josha. And…” Oh, thank the goddesses. Link will leave out all the horrifying details… Zelda suddenly snapped her head up. Wait, WILL he? I don’t need to traumatize the children! I’d best stick around, just to be safe… I might have to whack him upside the head if he starts getting too grim... “…and Mineru. And Rauru. And Sonia… Ok, I might not be the BEST source, but I’m still perfectly adequate!” Link announced proudly. “Thank you, Link. If you don’t mind, please tell the children what happened… leaving out the ‘unnecessary details’, if you will.” Zelda requested, shooting Link a look. “Gotcha. Nothing traumatizing. So, it started when Zelda and I–” Link began speaking. “And her chosen swordsman?” Narah asked, delighted. “I keep telling you, Narah, I AM the chosen swordsman! I have the Master Sword and everything!” Link protested. “Oh yeah? Then where is it?” Narah challenged him, a smirk on her face. “…I left her at home. ANYWAY, if I could continue…” Link cleared his throat. “Zelda and I went below the castle, where we found a withered mummy that suddenly sprung to life…”

Read the Rest on Ao3!

[void-galaxy-shenanigans]

I wanna share a trans/nonbinary tidbit about abortion protestors, Planned Parenthood, & starting to “pass” as a man, inspired by this. It was silly in real time, despite the wild (/neg) ideology behind it.

I went to Planned Parenthood for HRT because they do informed consent. We did all the paperwork stuff for insurance & whatnot & got approved. That was back in May of 2023.

I did not pass at the time, not by their standards. (That “body weight distribution” change from HRT is no joke.) But I did my check-in for HRT there, roughly once a month for the first 6 months (I bumped the dose up whenever allowed, which requires a one month check-in), then every 3 months from there. (¡I am now approaching year two! ☺)

For the first nine months (coincidental alignment with pregnancy “clock”), they were horrified/frantic every time they saw me, trying to wave me down & tell me that the Lady of Life* wanted My Baby™ to live.

(* very important to them; this is the most common denomination of xtian protestors at this particular clinic location)

Every time I just gave them a baffled smile & walked to the door.

Finally, after the 3-month gap to month nine, I began to “pass”. They saw me walk towards the doors, no longer identifiably trans / no longer perceived as a “woman” by their standards.

And they glitched—I watched them blink fast several times, tilt their head, look to eachother, etc. as I walk up to the door and ring the bell (clinic added it for covid).

I don’t know if they concluded I must be a trans woman, or couldn’t comprehend why a “man”* would be at this clinic. What I do know is they left before I came out, about 40 minutes later. This was a very new, very funny development.

(* I’m actually nonbinary/genderqueer)

But the shift was undeniable & ridiculous*.

(* using “ridiculous” with both its silly & judgemental connotations)

I still think its the funniest shit ever that when I used to volunteer at planned parenthood every week even though I walked past mostly the same protesters every single time they were begging me not to get an abortion theres other options yadda yadda. Like meemaw you see me here every week. They call me abortions georg because I get another one every Monday at 8am

[outofcontextai]

[leisure]

it is confirmed i am pregnant smh

[leahcee]

Had a dream I was pregnant last night…

[elvirusx]

YOOO kids will really say the most unintentionally mean & savage shit and just go on about their day.