I Shouldn't Have Had Kids Bonnie and Ellen

The Martini Shot
It's the last episode of I Shouldn't Have Had Kids and we're taking a minute to look back at how things started and how they're going now—with parenting, pandemicing, and podcasting!
How it started and how it's going with kids: From baby blowouts to graduating seniors who remind us how incredible the journey of parenting really is.How it started and how it's going with the pandemic: From total lockdown to kids at home 24/7 trying to make remote learning palatable in any way shape or form. How it started and how it's going with podcasting: From pillow talk with each other to our weekly rendezvous with each of you.It's somehow fitting that we are toasting our last episode AND our one-year podcasting anniversary on the same night! We do it with oodles of affection and gratitude for all of you. You made this happen and are the real fiber of I Shouldn't Have Had Kids. Thank you.

We may be closing the first chapter in the podcast story we're writing, but know this. After a short hiatus—and once the kids are back to in-person school—we'll begin working on Chapter 2 of the Bombcast Studio story. So, don't go too far because we'll be back soon enough, and we want you by our side when it happens. We think you're going to like what we have planned.

Now, about that martini...

Cheers and all the love!
Bonnie and Ellen
Tigger, Lola and Shy Guy

If you miss us, email! We'd love to hear from you.  :)
ishouldnthavehadkids@gmail.com

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Trying to make magic and create memorable holiday traditions—especially for a newly blended family—is a pretty tall order. It takes intention, patience, and a willingness by everyone to embrace the idea that families come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes, it also takes a lot of wine.

This week we'll take you behind the scenes of our first Thanksgiving celebration as a new blended family — complete with exes, in-laws, and a raw turkey. The fun just keeps coming through the holidays and the years, however, with memories that are woven into the fabric of our blended family's story. Exploding pipes, speeding tickets, and a last-minute wedding ceremony on the steps of the county courthouse punctuate our holidays throughout the years. So get comfortable, press "play," and let us tell you the stories of who we are.

PS
In the links below, you'll find a website with the best sweet potato dish you'll ever taste. It's a 1971 Sunset Magazine recipe that has been a part of our Thanksgiving table for years. Go ahead. Try it. Guaranteed to blow your mind.

Links
Shutterbean Blog: Pecan-Topped Sweet Potato Recipe
YouTube: Baby, It's Cold Outside
YouTube: Miracle on 34th Street—Santa in the Parade!
Wikipedia: What's a Martini Shot?

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This week's episode is inspired by a POTUS unwilling or unable to accept the facts. Indeed, you can probably currently find him prone on the floor of the Oval Office, pounding his feet and fists, screaming, "I won't go! I won't! I won't go, and you can't make me!!"

If you've ever parented a 2- or 3-year-old, you know exactly what's happening. It's a temper tantrum, and they are the bane of every parent's experience. Full-body sweats, tears, pleading, and begging are the hallmark signs of a temper tantrum—and that's just the parental response!

The pre-schooler, however, is awash in unrequited desires: staying up longer, buying a toy at the store or being picked up and carried 24/7. Then there are the crazier things that make kids crack: imagined slights, wanting the impossible, or preventing a sibling from existing in the world as we know it.

This week we jump into the temper tantrum mire and find out how to stop the little demons from hurting themselves or our sanity. As far as Donald J. Trump is concerned, however, we're out of ideas. Maybe a nice, long time out is in order.

Links
The President Show on YouTube: Donny Goes to School (temper tantrum at 4:04!)
Parenting Power Up on YouTube: What To Do When Your Child Throws a Temper Tantrum

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Millennials are so... special. Believe us. We have one. In the Millennial generation, everybody gets a ribbon and everything gets a sticker. They even have a word for growing up. It's called "adulting." In fact, there's a book and about a million articles all about the subject.  

There's really nothing new about growing up or adulting, but there is certainly enough to talk about! Especially since we have one "adult-ish" son, another who is in full-fledge adulting mode, and a third boy on the precipice of the whole thing. 

What does adulting entail, you ask? Well, if you want to know whether or not your teen is adulting, here are a few questions to ask:
Do you regularly have the oil in your car changed?Can you neatly wrap a gift?Do you know how to write a cover letter?Do you know how to sew a button back on?Do you make your own doctor's appointments?That's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. It is possible that you read that list of questions and admitted to yourself that perhaps — at 35, 45 or 55 —  you're not adulting so well yourself. Uh-huh. That's right. It's not EASY growing up, so cut your burgeoning adult some slack.

If you want to take some of the pain out of nudging your teen toward independence, and realize you're not alone in the struggle, this week's episode of I Shouldn't Have Had Kids should help. Well, at least it will make you laugh. That's because our boys have faced or are facing all of the adulting challenges and they've made plenty of mistakes along the way. And believe us, so have we. The silver lining is that it makes for some damn funny stories, and we're bringing them to you on the show this week.

So pour yourself a glass of wine, put in your earbuds, and take a break with us as we podcast for parental sanity—ours and yours.

Links
YouTube: Trailer of the 2019 movie, Judy
Q13 News Website: Story and Video  About the Capture of Asian Murder Hornets
UK's Metro News Website: 10 Tips You Need to Learn About Being A Grown-Up from the Adulting Manual

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Imaginary friends and freaky role in the family

Uh, honey? Who are you talking to? Cue Twilight Zone music as your son or daughter turns around slowly, looks at you, cocks their head and asks, "Can't you see him, mommy?"

What does it mean when a child has an imaginary friend? One with whom they spend the bulk of their time. One that plays the role of confident, family member, and trouble maker all at once. "But Mommy, Wiggy doesn't WANT to nap, so I have to stay awake with him.."

Is it a sign of brilliance? Mental instability? Creative genius? Is it freaking you out just a wee bit?

Truth is, you don't have anything to worry about. In fact, some studies have found that nearly 65% of kids have an imaginary friend at one time or another. It looks like the experience is nearly as common as finding a Trump supporter in the state of Idaho. Poor Idaho. Good potatoes, though.

Anyway, back to the invisible. We look at imaginary friends through the filter of Tigger's experience with his own BFF, Wiggy. And until this show, neither of us ever asked Tigger about that invisible friend. His answers blew our collective minds!

Join us for the story, and as an added bonus, Bonnie is bringing a handful of stories about supernatural invisible friends kids have claimed they saw. By the time we're done with you, the hair on the back of your neck will be standing straight up—and that somehow seems totally appropriate for election week 2020!

Show Links
YouTube video: Can I pet that dog?
The Washington Post opinion piere: Kavanaugh has wild ideas about voting
Bored Panda Website: 50 of the Creepiest Things Kids Have Ever Said to Their Parents

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A woman runs down a dark street screaming in terror.  She races up the steps to her best friend's house and pounds on the door. As the door creaks opens, the woman pulls out her (hot glue) gun and trains it on her friend.

"Hot toddy. Stat!" she pants. "Oh, and I need to borrow some orange felt. I just ran out."

The joy that many parents get in the planning, buying, cutting, and placating that goes into one night of tricks and treats has always been a head–scratcher to us. Halloween gives our kids two hours of joy, sure, but by the time it's all said and done, we're exhausted and they have cavities. Don't get us wrong. We know that some people literally L-I-V-E for Halloween. We just would not be those people.

We played along for years, however, all in the name of good parenting. And we've got the stories to prove it. We cover it all on this week's Halloween edition of I Shouldn't Have Had Kids, along with a little Halloween trivia and a whole host of characters. They include:
Steve JobsKing Boo Giant Dinos Holly HobbieThe Blues BrothersAnd, a Freudian slipSo, grab a handful of your favorite Halloween candy and let us get you in the mood for Halloween 2020. Let's face it; between the pandemic, the Republicans, and the addition of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, 2020 is about to go down as the most terrifying Halloween on record. No costume needed.

Show Links
YouTube Video: Movie Clip from Nightmare Before Christmas
YouTube Video: Dave Niehaus, Voice of the Mariners—Get Out the Rye Bread Grandma!

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