Tag Archives: kids

Drawing Challenge 2: The Duck

24 Saturday Dec 2022

Posted by in Arts & Crafts, Non-Fiction

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Things I’ve learned and will hopefully remember next time.

  • How to add in an image or video Picture-in-picture style: I use VideoLeap to edit my videos, and there’s an option called overlay. I used it to add reference images I used, as well as a TikTok video I “borrowed without permission” because I like the sound of duck feet slapping around.
  • Edit your actual video completely to your preference FIRST, and add in extras later: editing piece by piece and adding in your features, like Overlay, graphics, sounds, voice over etc, and then having to go back in and rearrange and scale extras to fit and sit where you want will increase edit time.
  • When using screen record as your primary source of content, you probably don’t need everything. Just snippets: the unholy amount of footage I have of doing the same thing over and over again, that I had to cut, is astronomical.
  • DON’T MARATHON EDIT: trying to get all the work done in one session is going to exhaust you, and lead to poorer work. Take your time, over multiple sessions, and step by step.
  • Remember why you are doing it: if my niece hadn’t been so excited about the whole thing, I don’t think I would have done it. It’s hard to quit when a kid has expectations.
  • SPEEDING THINGS UP IS YOUR FRIEND: this is not an instructional video. You can go at ludicrous speed if you want too, or need too. And it cuts down in final runtime.

In the end

My niece, who seems to be the only one who cares about it, actually watched the whole video this time, at least once. And she chose the next drawing. A dragon. I’m gonna start by doing some research tomorrow.

Until then, Merry Christmas.

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My Child is currently obsessed with going to Build-A-Bear.

23 Thursday Jun 2022

Posted by in Family, The Kid

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(Image stolen from internet)

I blame YouTube Kids TBH.

She sees a thing and wants said thing. She’s had it in her head before, but it’s been a while. I’ve had to explain to her multiple times in the last 48 hours that it costs money we don’t have.

It goes without saying that she has, at least once, said, “But were RICH!”

I wish kid. I wish.

I understand that kids her age don’t really understand how hard money is to come by, or inflation and gas prices. But she’s just repeatedly reminding me how broke I am.

Even though she’s had some trouble the last year or so, she is an amazing kid, and she deserves all the things she wants in life. I just don’t have the means with which to give them to her.

But here’s how silly my child can be. She asked, when we were supposed to be going to sleep, if they (Build-a-Bear) has unicorns. Unicorns are the be all end all for her. I said I don’t know, probably. I told her if I were going to Build-a-Bear, of course I’d want to make one, I wonder if they have T-rex’s. She said, but what’s your favorite animal? BESIDES a TRex. I said, I dunno, a bird probably?

So we insisted that we look at their offerings. We saw a lot of animals, including a TRex and a velociraptor. We had to search for it, but we found a unicorn, and she loved it.

My hope and goal is to save up enough to take her to Build-a-Bear for her birthday. It’s toward the end of the year, so maybe about six months is enough time. The closest location to me, I believe is in Charleston. it would be an amazing thing to be able to give her.

Thanks for reading!

-c

Children Are Too Forgiving.

31 Tuesday May 2022

Posted by in Family, Motherhood, The Kid

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Tonight my child didn’t want to take a bath.

This is not unusual she “hates” it. “I don’t want too!” She says.

So I gave her a warning. “You have until I get this bath run…”

So dad decides to walk in the room. I know full well he ain’t gonna be able to get her to do anything. And then I hear her crying over the sound of water running into the tub.

I go in there and cannot keep a straight face. The Hubs is just sitting in the chair and The Kid is crying in the loveseat. But I can tell (you just can as a parent) that these are not true tears. These are crocodile tears. She’s faking it. She’s getting really good at faking it.

So I straighten my face up, ask her if she’s done. She stops the fake tears, and I have to raise my voice. Not yelling or screaming. But clearly showing her I am the boss, not her.

Eventually she reluctantly comes to the bathroom for the bath. And no time later, she’s back to telling me, “you’re the meat mommy in the whole world.” And “guess whose my favorite in the whole world?” And the ever amazing, “you’re my favorite mommy.”

Kid I’m your only mommy. But I ain’t mad.

She is young yet. Less than ten. She has not been jaded or broken or wounded by the world, or worst of all, a parent. She’s not had her heart truly broken by someone she can trust, someone she loves.

It’ll happen one day. If it is by lort, punish me for eternity because I would never harm that child if I can help it. But if someone else does it they have me to deal with. And my wrath will be mighty.

But seeking vengeance for my baby’s broken heart will not heal it. And one day she will be hurt and she’ll see she cannot be so quick to forgive. Though I wish I could keep her pure and loving and happy for ever.

Love your babies, friends.

And beware the almighty wrath of the momma.

Thanks for reading!

-c

The Kid Asks, I Answer

30 Wednesday Mar 2022

Posted by in Question and Answer, The Kid

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In which I share a question The Kid asks and the answer I give her.

I make it a point to not outright lie to her about stuff. I think at her age it’s a good idea to just tell her the truth. Unless it’s something traumatizing, she gets a reasonably straightforward answer.

Mom, how are nuggets made?

How are nuggets made? Well, let’s see. They’re made from chickens. And as you know they have to kill the chickens to make things out of them. So they kill the chicken and cut them up. They get all the best stuff off them like the breasts and the wings and legs, and they use all that to make that stuff.

Now, the stuff the that isn’t the best stuff, like the fingers, they put into a blender and mush it all up. Then they take that mush and they make shapes they want out of them. You know like how you can make shapes out of slime and Playdoh? Like that.

Then I think they take and they freeze the shapes. And when they’re frozen they take and they bread them. They take eggs and bread crumbs and they dip them. Then they fry them up, and then freeze them so they can put them in bags and send them to stores so we can buy them!

Her response?

Oh okay.

*walks away*

Thanks for reading!

-c