Moms, Memories & Complete Chaos | A Mother’s Day Episode

In this week’s episode of No Filter, No Apologies™, we’re taking a step away from our usual career and workplace conversations for something a little lighter, more personal, and honestly… a little chaotic. 

With Mother’s Day just behind us, we wanted to reflect on the women who raised us, the traditions we remember, the realities of motherhood, and all the unexpected moments in between.

From Race for the Cure memories and fruit tarts at family holidays to fur moms, blended families, single motherhood, sunscreen-stick school projects, and moms who somehow hold everything together, this episode became a very real, very unfiltered conversation about what motherhood looks like in all its forms. 

We talk about:

•  family traditions and Mother’s Day memories 
•  losing parents and becoming the “grown-up” 
•  caring for aging parents 
•  single moms, bonus moms, aunties, and fur moms 
•  motherhood burnout and emotional labor 
•  childhood nostalgia and parenting differences across generations 
•  the chaos of raising kids and somehow surviving it 

This episode is less structured than usual, more conversational, and full of laughs, stories, and reflections that we think a lot of people will relate to.

So whether you’re a mom, love a mom, miss a mom, help raise others, or just need a lighter episode this week, this one’s for you.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Welcome to the No Filter No Apologies Podcast with Rebecca Sachs and Katie Shapiro.

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Welcome back to another episode of No Filter No Apologies Podcast. And with Mother's Day just passing this past Sunday, we want to honor all the mothers out there. So whether you're raising children, loving your fur babies, or helping care for aging parents or anybody else in your family, we want to take a moment, thank you, and honor you for everything that you do. I think about all the times every Mother's Day growing up and all of the traditions we used to have, right? So it would be my family. We'd take both sets of grandparents. So both my grandmothers would be there and we'd always go to brunch. And I always remember eating everybody's chocolate-covered strawberries. What was your tradition as a kid?

SPEAKER_02 0:50

We were younger. My mom was a breast cancer survivor. So we would do the race for the cure every Mother's Day morning in Philly. And then we'd have brunch in the city, and then we would go back to the house, and the whole day was about her. We would do things like that. And also, my cousins unfortunately lost their mom very young. And so my mom would do a lot of things with them, like mother-daughter dances and stuff. And so a lot of times they would come as well, which was really special. So we were all together. And then as we got later in life when we moved here, we still do brunch. My mom would come to my house and we would have those fruit tarts from Publix. If I could not have a holiday without my mom would be so upset if I did not have her fruit tarts. And you know, she passed away, but we still have fruit tarts at every holiday because I'm like, I have to have them.

SPEAKER_01 1:38

It's just the thing. And they're delicious.

SPEAKER_02 1:42

Yeah, they're really good. But it's like sometimes we don't even want them. But I'm like, I have to get them because my mom would have wanted them here.

SPEAKER_00 1:49

Yeah. Yeah. One of the things when I first moved to Florida that I started doing, my mom would come and visit me every year. And so I want to say she visited me when I lived in Texas. Uh, and then also once I moved to Florida, she would come down and visit every Mother's Day weekend. And so we would always go to brunch or something. And then I would run on Saturday before Mother's Day, they would have the Women for Women's run in Lake Worth. And so the majority of people running were women. So that was cool. There were some guys that ran too, but they always had really cool, empowering women forward shirts that we would get. The last one I had had Rosie the River on it. That was the thing. Yeah. We actually took Millie to that one.

SPEAKER_02 2:32

At least my age myself here, but when we used to do the race for the cure, my son, who's now 21, was in a baby carrier on your chest. I forget what they're called. Yeah. And he was a chunky monkey. And I would be like, Oh, thank God my sister and my cousin was there. We would take turns carrying them after a while because until he could once he could walk, we had the stroller and then he'd walk for a little bit. But that first year was wild. I was earning my motherhood stripes in the race for the cure with my eight-month-old strapped to the to my chest. And he was always in the 90th percentile for everything. So height, weight, everything. So it was just, you know, this is what we do.

SPEAKER_00 3:13

Easy way to throw your back out.

SPEAKER_02 3:16

I was like doing a 5k. I'm just like, all right, this kid weighs a lot.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

Absolutely. So your mother was in her mid-70s before she passed, right? And did you find that you were turning into the parent, in a sense, the last couple years of your mother's life? No, I tried. Tried.

SPEAKER_02 3:39

Tried. And my mom was not having it. She so my dad died now, it'll be 12 years ago this year. But so my dad had died like 10 years before my mom. And she she lived independently. She was still driving. She took a multivitamin. I mean, she was on no medicine. She was she was great. The worst thing she had was eye surgery for her glaucoma or something like that. And so we would, I would call her and she would be out of breath. And I'm like, what are you doing? She's like, I'm doing my floor, so I'm moving the furniture. And I'm like, can you not move the furniture? We'll come over. I'll come do it. And she's like, no. I can't rely on it. My husband would go over all the time. I can't rely on Dave to do everything for me. And before that, my brother-in-law would try to do stuff because they lived close and she just was not having that. My mom was like that, like, I'm gonna do what I want to do, and nobody's gonna tell me anything. But then my my dad's mom, she lived with us for most of our my young life, my teens and everything. And then she moved to Florida to live with my aunt. So there was this caretaking that took place that I watched my my dad and mom take care of my other grandmom and then watched my aunt take care of my grandma. So it's just I had two very different examples, and then my mom obviously was not gonna allow that to happen. She was never gonna be taken care of. So no, I was not allowed to parent my mom in any way, shape, or form.

SPEAKER_00 5:06

I have found that more recently, I between both of my parents, that I'm having to kind of try to course correct and parent them. My mother's had some this health issues over the last year and a half. She had her knee replaced, actually, two years ago, she had her knee replaced in February of 2024. And I personally feel like after that, and you know, it was only like a 30-minute procedure, but even she was over 70, being under anesthesia for 20 to 30 minutes, uh, I think it impacted her. And there was some slow decline in cognitive things happening. But she's she seems to be good now. She still has her moments, but I find that I'm trying to parent her and my father a lot more than I ever wanted to, to be honest.

SPEAKER_02 5:55

I love these memes and everything that's like anybody else who's not here raining their parents, they don't listen.

SPEAKER_00 6:03

But also nobody prepares you for that, right? I I never man, I feel like my my cousins, somebody could have prepared me for this, right? So you older, wiser folks, let me know, right? But nobody really prepares you for that. And then when I start having I started having conversations with my peers around me who are in the same age range, they all were like, Oh yeah, we're constantly having to parent our parents. And I'm like, What? How come nobody nobody told me this? Nobody prepares you for that part of life, right? So I feel like I gotta prepare my nieces, you know, once they get in their 20s, be like, all right, don't freak out. But in the next 20 years or so, you're probably gonna have to parent your parents. So if you need some support now, I'll help you, right? Yeah, so when my dad's mom turned 80 for her 80th birthday, we got our trip to Disney. My parents had a timeshare you can change wherever, and it was before I think it was before my brother and my sister-in-law got married. I think they were either just dating or engaged. It was me, my parents, and my grandmother. And we walked all over and she never gone to Disney, and like that was one of the places she always wanted to go with my grandfather. My grandfather had passed away a couple years before, and we ended up taking her for 80th, and that was fun. And we went on the Mount Everest. I have a picture of her on the roller coaster on Everest Hands Up. Yeah, I love it, right?

SPEAKER_02 7:26

Maybe we all be with it in our 70s to be able to live like that.

SPEAKER_00 7:32

And I'll tell you with my my dad's mom, I look like her, but she also she was such a spitfire. You know, when I when I first graduated college, my grandfather passed away like six months after I graduated. So I ended up moving home for a little bit just to like be with her because they were always together. She'd never really been alone. And so she and I would go out on Friday nights and drink martinis and smoke cigarettes at the bar together, and then she would try to pick up guys for me the whole time. Like hilarious.

SPEAKER_01 8:04

It was hilarious. She was funny. Yeah, very funny.

SPEAKER_02 8:10

I was just talking not to be a Debbie Downer, but when my mom died, you know, it was very unexpected. Like I said, she was completely living together, completely healthy, just nothing wrong, and then boom. And so for me, and I think my sister too, and I don't think she'd mind me sharing this. I think Mother's Day is very hard for my sister. Yeah, it's a little less hard for me. I'm very intentional about on Saturdays, the Saturday before I'll go to the cemetery to honor my mom. But I'm still a little bitter at my mom. Like, I'm like, here's your flowers. I shouldn't be here. Like, you're rude for that. But on the other side, my my entire dream, even since I was a little kid, was to be a mom. And so Mother's Day for me is so positive in spite of the loss of my mom. I'm sad that she's not here, but I'm so grateful to be a mom that I really sit and enjoy Mother's Day with my kids. And now my kids are older, you know what I mean? I my son is 21 and my youngest is 17. So it's like I sleep in and they cook me breakfast, and my son makes me a bloody merry. Because my husband works on Mother's Day, he comes home in the afternoon, but then he takes care of me later in the day. But it's so funny to have to get to enjoy that time with your kids and not, you know, their sadness when you lose your mom. But but being a mom, I think is that counterbalance for me.

SPEAKER_00 9:35

Yeah, yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, I feel like kind of in my house a little bit that more recently, but I feel like every day is a little bit of Mother's Day because I'm spoiled with my fur babies. First mom. Because I'm home with them. But when Christian comes home, it's more like mommy, mommy, we love well, mommy. They get excited when daddy's home and he gets them all riled up. But like when it's time to go potty or they want to play or whatever, it's always me, you know. But if I'm gone for a weekend, then they'll be attached to their dad again.

SPEAKER_02 10:04

What's really funny about you is I have a ton of friends who love animals, love animals. I'm the same way. But you are my first, and have continued to be like when you give the definition of fur mom, it's like your face should just pop up. And the way that your dogs are with you are like little kids. And I know I don't talk about your cats much because I'm allergic and I avoid them. Yeah, but I continuously see like your dog has an Instagram, and it's so it's just the whole thing is so cute to me, and it just gives you a different insight into motherhood looking a little different, you know?

SPEAKER_00 10:40

Yeah, yeah, because they really are my babies as I look at the ones sleeping on my desk.

SPEAKER_02 10:48

So happy mothers and all of our fur mom friends and listeners out there too. Yes, absolutely. I also think about I say bonus mom. I know you and I talked about this, not step mom, but I also want to acknowledge those women who are acting as stepmoms, bonus moms, however you call yourself, because it's also an interesting role to be in because there's a very fine line, right, between loving your bonus baby, but not overstepping and not trying to replace anyone or anything like that, and just walking that line. It's a very difficult thing when you love someone so much and yet you have boundaries that that life just infringes on you, and you finding that way to love and be loved and celebrate Mother's Day in that way. So I think it's important to acknowledge stepmoms too.

SPEAKER_00 11:38

Absolutely. I don't think I've never dated anyone that had kids where I was in that situation. Like all the kids in my life have been my friend's kids, so I still parent them.

SPEAKER_02 11:51

That comes into play too. When you when you start a life with someone and you have kids, if you stay together, typically you have agreements on how you're going to raise your kids. When you're a blended family, like we are, you now have a third-party influence on how your kids are raised or the behaviors, or if you have a child that comes and goes, you know, the behavior switch and differentiating rules between houses. And if you have a great co-parenting relationship, awesome. If you don't, it makes it very challenging. And I think it's just finding that sweet spot to navigate. And I don't think any two homes are the same. And that no, we were talking earlier about, oh, why didn't somebody prepare me to care for my parents? I feel like it's the same thing. You have a vision of what parenthood will be, and then life changes it, and you're like, okay, how do I adapt to this? And there are all kinds of moms out there that that deserve a little credit, you know. Absolutely. And and can be really sad sometimes when you want something different, but the other party won't meet you there, you know. Yeah. Um, it's it's just again that fine line that I think step step mom. I mean, we're talking about Mother's Day, so like step moms and also step parents have to navigate, you know? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then also a shout out to all of our single mom listeners who are who are doing it all out there. I think single moms are a tremendous backbone to society. I've seen it so many times, raising young men and women on their own and providing for them without really the support and just making it happen every day. And so I started my life as a single mom before I met my husband, and we have a blended family, but I was fortunate to have a really supportive family around me. Yeah. And yeah, I love that saying it takes a village because it's so true. And I'm my heart breaks for moms who don't have a village. Yeah. That's really hard for me to watch.

SPEAKER_00 13:47

Yeah. I think it's unfortunate, but it's some of the realities of this wonderful world that we're living in. Um, but I feel like uh, you know, there's again, sorry, Debbie Downer. Here we go.

SPEAKER_02 14:00

But it's the reality that so many of us face. And I think when you're a single mom, everything is on you. You don't get to have a weak moment, you know?

SPEAKER_03 14:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:10

I was just talking to my husband about this. I said, before I met him, I went through something a little bit tragic. And because I was a single mom and I was also a manager and I worked in a children's museum, it was getting up at five in the morning, getting my son ready, driving. I only wanted him with family at that time. I was fortunate enough to have a cousin that would watch him with her baby. And I was driving 35 minutes to Northeast Philly, then back to Center City. I would work 12 to 14 hours sometimes, then go back and get him, then back home. It's bathtime, it's dinner time, it's all it never ever stops. And there was only one time during it was like an hour where I had to close out and you had this private room to count money and stuff like that. And you were alone. And I would just ball my eyes out alone for that while I was going through that. And then I'd be like, okay, wipe my eyes, walk out, go get my kid. And just I think, like I said, I was fortunate enough to have a family that really rallied around me and took some of the pressure off and helped me. But I know so many women who don't. And I yeah, I always wanted to give back too. So I really respect your friend for doing that because when I would think about wow, how could I get through this if I didn't have so much family? You know, I work Tuesday through Saturday. So watching him on a Saturday for me when I didn't have to worry about where he was and if he was being taken care of and he was being spoiled. My right, I walked in one time, my brother-in-law had him on his lap with just a thing, a tub of cool whip and a spoon. And I was like, what are you doing? But that's what uncles do, right? And I and my parents, and just I was so blessed to have that that I always wanted to give back to single moms who maybe didn't have family that could support them like that, even if they wanted to, or sometimes women who didn't have a family that did support them. So shout out. Yeah, happy belated Mother's Day to single moms, also.

SPEAKER_00 16:08

Yeah. You're right, it does take a village. I feel like, and even not having children, I feel like it takes a village sometimes, right? Yeah, especially like for me, I moved from I started in college in Rhode Island, then I moved to Texas, not knowing anyone, just my cat, gained another cat while I was there, and then moved to Florida, gained a couple more cats too in Florida. But you know, like being able to navigate and identify a good village or good group of people to surround yourself with is really important because in Texas I didn't really do that. The people I surrounded myself with weren't the best. Yeah, so moving to Florida was the best thing I could have ever done for myself. Uh and then, and now the people that I have in my life have been in my life for a significant amount of time here and have really, especially over the last year, helped me through the crazy hurdles of this thing we call life.

SPEAKER_02 17:00

Yeah, you definitely have to find your tribe and recognize when the people around you aren't they're not lifting you up, you know, and they're not or holding you down, you know what I mean, in the best way. I mean, and then you just have to be willing to cut people out and sell on something different, just like yeah, you know, and then I think I don't know if you feel like growing up in the city, your awareness is on point all the time, right? Just so I notice things constantly, and I'll be telling my husband, he was like, You're so fish town, you're always in the business. You know, I was like, I know which neighbors come and go, what cars they drive. I know when some suspicious shit is going on. I know if there's a kid that walks themselves home every day. I'm like, okay, just making sure they get in the door okay. They're not my kid, I don't even know this kid, but I'm like, I just want to make sure, God forbid anybody sees me and be like, this lady's a creeper, she's always watching, make sure this girl gets in. I'm like, yeah, but I just want to make sure nothing happens to her. Like you know what I've seen so many times now. People will say, if you're ever in danger, just scream mom or run up to a random woman, and chances are they'll help you and they'll pretend, oh yeah. And I was like, that's the best idea ever. I would totally do that. And like, oh, this is my baby now. So what are you doing? Right. Huh.

unknown 18:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:19

I haven't heard that.

SPEAKER_00 18:20

That's a good one.

SPEAKER_02 18:21

You haven't? Oh my goodness. I see it all the time. If you're if you're ever in danger, if somebody creepy is coming around you, then yell mom, or find a random woman and be like, mom, this guy's bothering me, or mom. Look what I found in the store, just whatever you're comfortable with. Because nine times out of ten, women are gonna be like, Oh, okay, come on, baby, let's go. You know? Yeah, that's good. Interesting.

SPEAKER_00 18:43

Now I know. Be like, I'm not your mother. I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_02 18:46

No, but think about it. If you're in trouble and you yell, mom, how many women are gonna turn their head and be like, what? Who was it? You know, or think about how many times you're in a store. Speaking of parenting your parents when your mom would disappear. And my my son tells me all the time, he's like, There'd be times I'd turn around, you'd be gone in the store, and I'd be like, mom, mom! And when you think about that, how many women, how many moms are turning around and looking? You're drawing attention. So it's a good safety thing, also.

SPEAKER_00 19:12

It is. Well, that's why I always scream my mother's name when I'm in the stores now. Because if I can't buy them, like, Donna, where are you? Donna, Donna.

SPEAKER_02 19:20

It's too funny. I can't. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 19:24

So we used to go to brunch in Philly to Hershey Hotel. To the Hershey Hotel is where we would go. Where was that? I don't know. But I knew we would always have brunch at Hershey. I knew it wasn't Hershey Park because that's further, but I I think it was owned by Hershey. But I just remember chocolate cover starberries.

SPEAKER_02 19:46

I don't remember the restaurant we went we went to. I think it was called Joe's, and I'm pretty sure it closed during the pandemic, but it was right in Center City, Philly, because we'd walk over there after the race for the cure.

SPEAKER_00 19:57

Yeah, I remember one year we went and then it was right after Dave and Buster's had opened and went to David Buster's, but it was just the four of us, well no, I think it was all the grandparents too, but just the four of us ended up going to David Buster's and the grandparents went home. And I think I was 17 and the guy, my brother had a full beard, so no one was ever gonna question his age. But in Daven Buster's, if you're under 21, you're not supposed to be by yourself because all the drinking or easily accessible drinking. And I just remember one of the security guards was like, How old are you? Where are your parents? You need to go back to them. I was like, so I never wanted to go into a David Buster's ever again after that.

SPEAKER_02 20:34

I totally forgot when my family is we all lived near each other within 15 minutes of each other for a very long time when all of our kids were little and all. And I forgot that one of our traditions was on Mother's Day, we would all go to my sister's house, and all of the husbands or significant others would cook and kind of cater to us for the day. And then on Father's Day, these guys they wanted a camping trip. The one time I left, I went and then I was like, all right, I'm going home. This was a nightmare. Camping in Florida in June is like Jurassic Park with insects and alligators everywhere. And I was like, I love you. I'm going home to prepare everything for when you're like, this is too much.

SPEAKER_00 21:13

Oh. I didn't Mother's Day. The moms always want to spend time with the children. Father's Day, the fathers want to go out and do something by themselves. My dad used to just go. That's all he wanted to do. Be left alone. I mean, he did it every weekend anyway. But yeah, he just wanted to be left alone. So that's funny. But the moms usually want to be with their children. That's what I've noticed.

SPEAKER_02 21:35

I'm lucky. My husband wants to be with the kids on Father's Day. He's like, no, let's do something. Let's, you know, he enjoys that because he works a lot when they're and then now with the kids being older and their schedules being crazy, it's like our time together gets a stretch and stretch and stretch. So I think on Father's Day and Mother's Day, we're always like, Yeah, let's do some stuff together.

SPEAKER_00 21:54

I I think my brother wants to be with his daughters on Father's Day. But it was just like my dad never wanted to be.

SPEAKER_01 22:01

We grew up at a different time, Rebecca. There was a commercial to ask our parents where we were at 10 o'clock at night.

SPEAKER_00 22:06

So wait, it's dark out. Do you know where your kids are?

SPEAKER_02 22:09

Do you know where your children are? But now and I'm like, that's insane. And then I also think about we used to leave when I think of summers, cousins, my three cousins, and me, my brother, and my sister. We stay with my mom, she was a teacher. She was off on summers. Yeah. And we would leave and ride our bikes. And my mom had rules. You had to be home for dinner. If you're not home for dinner, you're in trouble. And this is when we were younger. But we would leave in the morning and be gone on our bikes all day. Now this is Wildwood, New Jersey. So it would be, it was a small shore town, and we'd be up on the boardwalk. And but one time we went over the bridge to Anglesey, and then my cousin got a flat tire, and it took us forever to walk home. And we got in trouble by my mom because we weren't there. It was a nightmare. But I'm like, what a different time. I would never let my kids leave without checking in or stalking their location.

SPEAKER_00 22:54

You know, we didn't have phones then, right? Where the kids have phones and you can see where they are.

SPEAKER_02 23:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:02

Um, I know in the summers we would do camp and then after camp, just come home and play. Uh and my mother would always scream out the back door. She would never like come to find us, but she to get me to come inside, scream my name, my brother's name. But we would just be playing on our little monkey bar set or whatever. Yeah. Outside.

SPEAKER_02 23:23

I will say this. So my mom was a teacher. We were not allowed to have sleepovers as a kid. And both my sister and I have carried that on to our kids. And I tell my kids all the time, every time I see a horrific story, I'm like, see, this is why you were not allowed to sleep over. And I think my mom was on to that. So she'd be like, Well, someone can sleep over here, but you're not going to anybody's house or anything like that. It was, she was very strict on that. But we used to be out in the street, like you said, just playing till the streetlights came on, then you had to go back in, you know?

SPEAKER_03 23:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:52

Yeah. You know what we didn't talk about though in honoring moms today are working moms. And I was thinking about it. You know the person, I'm not going to mention her by name. I don't like to do that without permission, but she reminded me of what it was like when you have little kids and how much you do before the day even starts. And then when you were talking about caring for your parents, yeah, this person who reminded me of this, and I think there's so many other women out there who were doing this. She has two younger kids. They're both in elementary school at the time. One wasn't even in elementary school yet. And she was caring for her mother. So she would get up in the morning, she would prep dinner, cook their breakfast. And I was like, girl, put some ego waffles in the toaster and call it a day. She's like, no, I'm making fresh breakfast. And I'm up at 5 a.m. planning stuff for her mom, getting the kids dressed and ready, taking them to school, working a full day. And she was one of the hardest workers I know. She was just amazing. And then would leave to pick them up and dance class. And I mean, just everything. And she had a really supportive husband. Everything was good there. But I was like, wow, I'm reminded of when you talk about just doing things as a parent and what moms do and the extra mile that they go to. And often I think daughters end up caretaking their parents a little bit more, especially their moms. But when you think about all of the things that women get done and moms get done, especially with little kids, it's wild.

SPEAKER_00 25:15

Yeah. You have your typical, I'm gonna say nine to five, even though nobody really works nine to five anymore. And then all of that additional labor that you're doing at home that, yeah, and it doesn't go unnoticed, but I feel like it can feel like it goes unnoticed, right? Because how many times do people thank you on a regular basis? Because you probably aren't being thanked by the ones you're caring for. Now, when they're in their 20s, they'll probably thank you because that's typically what happens. You end up, as you get older, start realizing all the things that your parents did for you. So you become more grateful and less of a brat. I'm speaking about myself, but you don't, I don't think you ever realize it. And then until either you're going through it or you are friends with people who are going through it and witnessing what happens.

SPEAKER_02 26:03

Sends me self-worth. The jokes about when you tell your mom that you have a project due tomorrow and you need poster board and it's 10 p.m. I have extra poster board in my house now. I just said my kids are 21, 17. I have extra poster board in my house. If anybody needs it, just give me a call at 10 o'clock at night because I'm happy to give it to you. And then you talk about those moments. There was a time he had to create a board game for school and I was helping him. So you think about you help your kids do these projects after your full-time job. And I was getting so frustrated because nothing was sticking to the board. We were gluing with these glue sticks. Some of these glue sticks are trash, but it's late at night. And then I realized at 11 o'clock that we were trying to glue it with a sunscreen stick. It's one of my favorite memories the entire time we were trying to glue this project. So then I totally I'll just re-glue it. I'll stay up, you go to bed. And I stayed up and re-glued everything with actual glue. Oh my god, that's amazing. We spent hours doing it with sunscreen, and I was like, I don't even know how why is the sunscreen stick in with the glue stick. Oh my god, I'm dead. What are we gonna do? I'm telling you, shout out to moms and also honor Mother's Day. Shout out to all the aunties because aunties related and not related. Like you said, you parent your friends' kids sometimes. I think aunts are so special. It's a great honor of mine to be an aunt and a godmother to some of my nieces. And it's just it's a different relationship. Absolutely. Listen, I'm I'm setting shit on fire for my my nieces and nephews just as much as I am for my kids, but also I will be their confidant or give them candy when their mom isn't looking. You're afraid of your mom. I'm not afraid of your mom. Although that's a lie. I'm afraid of my sister. She's my big sister. She can be scary sometimes. Yeah, you can spoil them more than you spoil your own kids. But yeah, absolutely. Listen, we first moved down here. My sister took my son to, I don't know, they were Walmart or something. Now I need to say this as a disclaimer because my son was allergic to dairy and chocolate and stuff, like hives everywhere. She calls me from Walmart and she's like, I swear to God, I'm taking my nephew and you're never getting him back. I was like, why? He didn't know what a Reese's cup was. He didn't know what a Hershey bar was. And I was like, he's allergic to chocolate. This isn't me not ever letting him have sweets, but he couldn't have ice cream, so we would get him sherbet. So all he knew was sherbet. And my brother's like, Oh, why don't you go get your son some sherbet? And I'm like, he was allergic. He'd be like, I'm getting this kid every piece of chocolate that's here so he can taste candy for what?

SPEAKER_03 28:52

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 28:53

Wait, did he eat the candy? She didn't get him chocolate. I was like, do not get him any kind of chocolate. He's allergic. But my my son loves sour stuff. You know, he'll eat sour patch kids and all, he's not a big chocolate person anyway, but he still has some kind of allergy to that kind of stuff. And my daughter knows she loves chocolate. Give her some bunch of crunch.

SPEAKER_00 29:10

Oh, yeah. I've seen her drink chocolate out of a container with a straw.

SPEAKER_02 29:14

Speaking of aunties, who gave her the container of melted chocolate with the straw? You did.

SPEAKER_00 29:22

Maybe it wasn't Dave. Or did Dave give her the straw? He wasn't with us, it was just you.

SPEAKER_02 29:26

You're gonna have to own this one.

SPEAKER_00 29:27

No, Dave was with us. It was the four of us. He met us.

SPEAKER_02 29:30

I don't recall that.

SPEAKER_00 29:32

Because I think Dave took the picture.

SPEAKER_02 29:34

I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 29:38

I feel like Dave, he's in there to blame too.

SPEAKER_01 29:40

Just saying. I can't.

SPEAKER_02 29:42

I can't. But he's like that with me too. Like, I'll be like, just wish we had some sort of cake in the house and he'll be gone. He'll come back with a piece of cake. Actually, this is totally not related. Doesn't mean I eat it. I told you I don't keep unhealthy food in the house now. If it's here, we eat it, but if it's not here, we don't. And the one day I was just like, all I want is my birthday cake. Chocolate cake with vanilla icing. And he was like, I'm gonna grab you a slice. I'm like, okay, so I thought he was gonna come home with a slice of cake from Publix. This man baked me a cake. Aww. He baked me a whole cake. And I was like, what are you doing? I was mad at him for it. I'm such a jerk. I was mad at him for his wife saying, whole cake. I just wanted a little slice of something sweet. He was like, Oh, you said you wanted our birthday cakes. You have to take this into work with you and give it away because we cannot have this in the house. Get it out of here. We cannot. Okay, we definitely went off track right there. So back to moms. Sometimes moms need a piece of cake. Okay. So if you're out there and you're listening, get some cake for your partner when she wants a piece of cake. Moms do a lot.

SPEAKER_00 31:01

Absolutely. Don't always don't immediately say no to a mother. No. I'm just saying Christian always his first response is no. And then he thinks about the question and then rephrase it. And then he'll be like, all right, maybe, maybe. Let me think about it. But it's and then my dad's the same way. And first you ask him a question, always no. Really? Did you hear what I said? Or are you just saying no because you like to say no? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:28

You just made me think of when kids call their mom, mom, mom, mom, mom. I remember one time I came up with an alternate name. I don't remember what it was. It was like, you're gonna have to call me Lucy. Do not call me mom for the rest of the day. Just call me Lucy. I'm tired of hearing my own name.

SPEAKER_00 31:41

Yeah, I can't. I that's what I always joke with the dogs, right? Because the little ones like, mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, what are you doing? Mom, here, play with me with the ball, mom, mom, mom.

SPEAKER_01 31:52

Like a taller.

SPEAKER_00 31:54

Yeah, I'll be working. And she's at the side of the and she goes like this on the side of my chair with her paws, like I'm like, can you stop? It's not always playtime.

SPEAKER_02 32:08

I remember when I met my husband, like I said, we're a blended family, so our two kids were around the same age. They were a month apart. But my son was heavy, he was like 90th percent of the time. They were almost three.

SPEAKER_00 32:19

He was being fed cool with a spoon.

SPEAKER_02 32:21

So listen, this kid used to eat as a treat. I would get him the McDonald's big breakfast. He was potty training and would eat everything but the biscuit on that plate. And that was his special treat once a week. And everybody would be like, oh my God. Or my parents would take him to the diner, and my parents would order there was like a local diner they always went to, and they'd be like, Okay, he's gonna have the whatever soup, chicken noodle soup, and then he's gonna have whatever. And they'd be like, I can give him a kid's portion. And my mom would be like, no, the regular meatloaf. And she's like, but that comes with mashed potatoes and bread. She's like, the regular meatloaf. And then he would eat the whole thing, but he didn't eat a lot of snacks as a kid, but he would eat full weight. So I could not be carrying him everywhere, especially in the winter with heavy jackets and shoes. And when I met my husband and he had a daughter, and her feet never touched the ground. And I was like, Does she at one point? Because you know I have no filter, I was like, is she have an issue walking? Is she still working on that? Because they were young and he was like, No, why? And I was like, Oh, I was wondering, you carry her everywhere. Her feet don't touch the ground anywhere. And he was like, Well, she's just my like my little princess. I was like, Well, I can't carry his heavy ass everywhere, so he's walking, holding my hand. But I used to laugh about it. I thought maybe she was still learning how to walk properly.

SPEAKER_00 33:38

Sounds like Chris carries the dog everywhere all the time, and then you're forcing your son to walk at six months because he's so chunky.

SPEAKER_01 33:46

I'm like, you're so heavy.

SPEAKER_02 33:49

But I will carry any more kid. Get a more I think that's a good place to end. Lots of laughs, don't you? So again, happy belated Mother's Day to all of the moms out there by definition, moms out there by relation, fur moms, single moms, grandmoms, aunties, all of you. Happy belated Mother's Day. We hope you had a great day on Sunday and that your tribe continues to honor you.

SPEAKER_00 34:17

Listen, all your socials, NFNA Podcast.

SPEAKER_02 34:21

Until next time.