Oh, Mama! 2012

Here is where I kibitz about becoming a mom in the year 2012.

[ohmama2012]

"That's a survival strategy! They want people to think 'how could I pull out these beautiful purple flowers?' and then the next thing you know they take over your whole lawn."

- Maddy on Creeping Charlie and weeds in general.

[ohmama2012]

OK so we just watched Us by Jordan Peele last night and before I dive into all the interviews and articles here are the references, symbols & meanings I saw.

- Mass incarceration

- "Build the Wall" vs. "Hands across America" as a border wall made of humans.

Hands Across America in the 80s was kind of a corny "see, we all get along!" thing. The paper dolls imagery was like "we are all the same!" Whereas in reality that's not what was happening at all.

- Nature vs. Nurture in terms of how we turn out

- Parasite (maybe coincidental not sure when it was written)

- The escalator -- Trump reference?

- Thriller -- on the T shirt and absolutely referenced in the zombie family moves and the reveal of a dark side.

- Jaws tee on the Jason -- fun nod to mom's fear of beaches?

- The bunnies are like experimental / clones. Something went awry and every human got a clone?

- I had to Google the bible verse itself --

What is Jeremiah 11:11 exactly? From the King James Bible, it reads: “Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.”

So basically, yeah, there is an underground of downtrodden and it's Us.

The switcheroo reveal at the end is so so perfect. Maybe the best horror movie twist since 6th Sense. Because of course, only a person who knew what the upstairs world looked like could grow up to lead a rebellion against it. And it shows that Red was in fact the rightful heir of everything that was Adelaide's. So Adelaide becomes the monster at the end.

It also shows why Adelaide has such an extra hard time killing the monster versions of her own kids. Not just because they looked like hers but because they were literally hers in a sense.

At the end, Jason definitely sees something in his mother after having heard & maybe seen her murder. What's happening is she is returning to her subterranean self and saying you will stay cuffed to this bed.

The scissors and the paper dolls -- Red, the "normal" girl trapped downstairs would have these skills as a little girl, maybe inspired by the tee shirt she was last wearing. The golden scissors as the weapon of choice are like -- we make a hands across America chain using our scissors to kill all the people above ground.

I loved the ambulance as the zombie apocalypse escape vehicle of choice. Aptly foreshadowed as the object that helps Jason get out of his hiding place.

What's weird is my son just walked in and said "I'm gonna build a blanket fort with a tower where I can hide and see if it's safe to come out."

Kids love hide and seek and masks. Nothing to see here...

Other odds & ends -- definitely noticed the Goonies VHS by the TV in the opening scene. Probably all stuff the little girl who would become Red was watching.

Mainly though it was just such a well made horror movie, and it didn't do too much to explain things -- just enough. I normally don't want sequels but I can't help wanting one here.

Ok. Now I can Google interviews and see what I missed.

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Not lost on me.

[ohmama2012]

We've just discovered our children are running the nation. Sorry for everything!! 🤷‍♀️😬 https://www.instagram.com/p/CB3HFBpJli6/?igshid=13008ey1e099h

[ohmama2012]

So this just happened for absolutely no reason. #bakingtherapy #sugarsnaps https://www.instagram.com/p/CAoa0zLJSaj/?igshid=1kry080qyvdxz

[ohmama2012]

Our first outdoor dining of the year. #quarantinelife https://www.instagram.com/p/B_rNuQBpDoM/?igshid=1w3bxr740rdug

[ohmama2012]

The #scholasticbookfair package arrived and something magical has been happening for a good 20 minutes straight... We are usually library people but there's nothing like a new set of books. 🤞🙏📚🥰 https://www.instagram.com/p/B_isn2Vpxbr/?igshid=m952ao2o884n

[ohmama2012]

A run on hair elastics to make mask ear loops. #covid #masks #latergram📷 https://www.instagram.com/p/B_fct7vJsTb/?igshid=lbqq2p2ex854

[ohmama2012]

Instagram (and that face) makes any #quarantinehaircut beautiful. 😬👍 https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Q9MwDJp-N/?igshid=14rtqacofkqfi

[ohmama2012]

There's some building happening out back... a surprise for our April birthday kiddos! 🔧🔨📐 #swingset #quarantinelife #snowyspring #hothusbandsofinstagram 😁 https://www.instagram.com/p/B-x65-uJKsX/?igshid=162njn1xnea6c

[ohmama2012]

Sour dough starter corona craze? Goyish. Challah with a pantry stash of Fleischmans cause it's Friday? Say it with me. ♥️ #shabbatshalom #latergram📷 @mattek12 https://www.instagram.com/p/B-iqw0aJZz7/?igshid=ddtb9dupk3pa

[ohmama2012]

View this post on Instagram

Same, E-Sauce. Same. #beastieboys #monsterdance #hellonasty #homeschoollife #goodmorning #musicclass #hiphophistory #ripmca #kindergartenart https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ezc8kJXzG/?igshid=zn35amx0788g

[ohmama2012]

Tomorrow will be one year. No words just gratitude you are spared from all of this and that we could be at your side. https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ddW2JJX5n/?igshid=1k56x99wcnhg9

[ohmama2012]

Making Levels. https://www.instagram.com/p/B-VsRjcJO4d/?igshid=5ka90xg5wxfc

[ohmama2012]

I love the NY Times "I Refuse to Run a Coronavirus Homeschool" article so much. No need to lesson plan. But she does admit to doing one super important thing: Scheduling.

As it happens, today was the day I finally broke down and made a school-like schedule for my kids. We'd spent all week winging it with screen time to keep them occupied while we work our butts off and quietly freak out.

The problem, though, was we hit that stage of TV and video games where it's diminishing returns. They get so moody and start bickering and then they BOTHER ME.

So I made this FAKE SCHOOL schedule, with cards on command hook clips for each hour of the day listing familiar school-like terms.

The time when I want them to feel loved and cozy and motivated so they will leave me alone and let me work all morning? I now call that Morning Meeting. It's adorable.

The time Matt wants to drink his coffee? That's story time. Then it's 10am.

The two hours they are to work independently on their school iPads or school packets? I called that centers.

THANK GOD FOR THE SCHOOL IPADS. They are preloaded with everything they need and do not contain the youtube kids trap that makes my kids fight over their home Kindles. They came to me only to report on what levels they were on. I have no idea what they are talking about. I just know the school hasn't allowed those iPads to be loaded with Mario game play. I was able to focus on work and nobody fought over what show to watch or who was touching who. Matt was able to work uninterrupted in the wood shop working on his web series.

That's right, 2 hours on the iPads is called Centers. Why? Because if they come to me bored of school iPad, I say "pick another center." Like your bookshelf. Or your art table. Or the laundry folding center. These kids friggin love the notion of centers!!

I ate lunch with them at noon. And it seemed, maybe because they were and because years of schooling has indoctrinated in them a craving for something called "centers" as a treat -- they were in the best moods and on the best behavior I had seen all week. Lunch HOUR includes built-in chore time. So they have to pick up toys and out stuff away while I clean up the kitchen.

After lunch I told them to run around outside (recess) and then we went for a walk with some sprint racing that just happened organically (phys Ed).

The afternoon is "Specials" you guys. Another buzz word! Between 2 and 4, they have Art, Music and HOME FRIKKIN ECONOMICS. Today this meant Maddy finished a book she has been making for her grandma, and Elliott drew some pictures and beat on some drums. He brought the ukele to me and I showed him how to tune it and played him stand by me and C/F/A Minor/G song. That was a welcome 10 min break and I didn't have to plan it. I worked for most of this. Then it was 3pm, and Matt took over for "home ec" -- they helped him fold laundry. Then it was 4, when they would normally get off the bus. Snack and play time. Enter Nintendo, finally!

My schedule made them happy as hell and made Matt and I clear as day on who was doing what and when. I led a "morning meeting" (10 min) and and afternoon meeting (3 min) and I took them for a walk mid day. I also cooked their meals and made sure they did chores. ALL the other activities they did today were self-led. No planning, no pressure, no bragging on social media. Until now! ;) I'm bragging because I feel I have found the old adage to be true: kids crave structure. Give them a schedule and a goal. Let them know what is next and when. And then GET OUT OF THEIR WAY.

This wouldn't work forever, I know. And I owe it 💯 to their professional teachers that all these buzzwords and structure really work and that they read well enough to understand worksheet or iPad instructions. I'm not saying it's easy. But it was amazing to see how the schedule made them happy.

[ohmama2012]

Don't Let The Pigeon Drink The Wine!* 🤣😳 * Pigeon should also avoid deli meats, saunas and fish high in mercury. @mo.willems.studio #lunchdoodles #arteducation #doodling #lunchdoodleswithmowillems #shelteringinplace (at Des Plaines, Illinois) https://www.instagram.com/p/B94ZgPqpcTu/?igshid=5tehbu16egw4

[ohmama2012]

Happy #stpatricksday! Lunch break included a walk in the neighborhood, leaving chalk notes for friends we didn't see and keeping a safe, pool-noodle distance from those we did!!! #covid #noschool #wahmlife (at Des Plaines, Illinois) https://www.instagram.com/p/B92mT-ep4dv/?igshid=17tk09lgzr6vr

[ohmama2012]

Next day...flu for the buddy. 😭 Went from healthy to this overnight and we wouldn't even know it was flu a except when I saw his temp was 101.7 and he curled up and said his brain hurts, I raced him to immediate care. PSA/FYI: THEY WILL RULE OUT FLU BEFORE GIVING A #covid_19 TEST. Apparently they have not been co-morbid. So if flu is positive, no COVID test. You can't just request it, and people who come in asking for it without meeting the risk factors get questioned and turned away (I watched this happen). I hope/trust that's the right approach. "Anyone who wants a test can have a test, it's a perfect test" was not true, but at least this approach prevents waste of a scarce supply. Just grateful it's "only" flu. 🙏🙏 (And yes he had a flu shot ... It's 33% effective this year, still worth it to lessen duration). Send snuggles. 🤒😷 (at Des Plaines, Illinois) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9vgDGIpzps/?igshid=1xyv2wy4u5l4m