I am halting Touring Tuesdays for two weeks. If you hadn't noticed, my boys' bedroom was not very popular. I like it, my boys like, [they don't know any better since I never take them anywhere, all they see is the filth and chaos of our apartment] it, but most of you all don't. I decided it might be fun to have a little contest. [I've decided to let you do the work for me, and to drive up the hits to my blog. That coconut post was a real flop]
I've been wanting to redecorate the boys room in a transportation theme (cars, trains, planes) for a while now, but the blog has sucked up most of my creativity[It's not your creativity it has sucked, you don't have any. It's sucked up your time, so much so that your child fell into a coma while you were busy deleting and approving comments]. I like redecorating and am open to new ideas, so I'm going to let you redesign my boys' room. [Notice my creative use of bolding and italics there? I am so creative!]
I am setting a $50 budget for the redesign.[We will just take it out of their Birthday and Christmast budget for the next year anda half until they have us paid back] I'm thinking most of what I get will be from Craigslist or homemade [Please stick to craigslist, most of your homemade stuff is dangerous, and all of it is unattractive], so how you use the budget will mostly be guesswork. You can look at online retailers, though, and see if there is anything there I might be interested in[because it is all about what I am interested in, not the boys, or Dna] . I am decently handy with a needle, paintbrush, and a hammer [Um, Emily, no, you really aren't], so I if you have some neat furniture or artwork ideas, submit them and I'll see what I can do.
The room is 6'x8'. The crib that is currently in there is 30"x56", but I'm strongly leaning towards scrapping it for an alternative, mattress-free sleeping arrangement[like a dog bed, or a pile of greige blankets that I will never wash], something like this, or this, or this. The window, which is behind the blue wall of rugs [Why in the world is there a pile of rugs in front of the window?], must be able to be opened, so there can't be shelves in front of it, but there could be a futon or something. It has rugs over it because 1) the window is a little drafty and 2) the view is into the hallway. [Get some window caulking draft stop and a thick curtain or blanket that you can wash instead of hanging dirty old rugs up that have never seen a vac, or any cleaning. Holy dust mites!]
What needs to be in the room?
A place to sleep [This can be very small, and does not need to include sheets. However it must be easy for me to wipe the pee off. It does not necessarily need to be washable. Oh, who am I kidding? It doesn't need to be washable at all, just wipeable]
A place for toys [Bonus points for using milk crates, swatches of dirty blak fabric and an extra bonus if it makes people gasp in horror at the hazards it poses]
A place for clothes [I have stacks of rubbermaid bins out in the hall full of boys and girls clothes, even though I don't have girls. I also need to find a way to hang a clothesline in here over the crib/within reach of the children]
Things to Keep in Mind
There are two little boys sleeping in there now. A baby will soon be added, but we have a pac-n-play that we could set up in our bedroom until he is ready to graduate to a big-boy bed. [Or if I wasn't such a selfish twit, I would let the boys have the big room and me Dna and I could move our filthy love nest into the small room. But that is not going to happen, so don't suggest it. This is what works for my family and we are happy with it this way. Happy Dammit!]
The toy collection expands and contracts. People give us stuff [They feel sorry for the boys when all they get is a tooth brush and an old used wallet while Dna and I get DVD's and Ipod stuff] and we give stuff away. Nothing is set in stone, so the arrangement needs to be flexible. Also, I have found a potential spot for the largest toys, currently on the wall, in our bedroom.
Next week, I will pick up to five of my favorite submissions and you all can vote.[You can vote but that doesn't mean I will actually implement any of your ideas, you all have been giving me ideas forever now and I haven't done anything about it other than delete comments] The winner will recieve a $25 Amazon.com giftcard, puchased with swagbucks. [Spend the money on your kids, not your readers] (I may make my own submission and if mine wins, [And I'll make sure it does] the runner-up will get the prize.) I will then resume Touring Tuesdays. When the tour is over, I will post pics of the new room. [Hopefully that will keep CPS off my doorstep]
You can either draw out your idea and email it to me me, or you can send me a written description, with product links if you want. Officials [Please follow the rules, rules are very important]entires must be sent via email (under1000permonth@yahoo.com). If people have suggestions but not a whole entry, put them in the comments and someone else might win thanks to your great idea. There were also some great suggestions in the comments of the original post of My Boys' Room. [Even though I dismissed each and every one of them. Now, if you are unwilling to redesign the whole room, don't bother emailing me, it is against the rules, you must do it in the comments. Please follow the rules, or I will dismiss your idea even if it is a good one]
Please, if you have an idea, make a submission. You might be the only one who submits anything and then you'll win! [Translation: Please get my clicks back up, I only have so many filthy pictures of the boys room and I think Iused them all in that one post. Maybe I can decorate the boys room in a tool theme and I can hang up the pegboard of death with the tools and take pictures? Yeah, that should work, can't wait for the comments on the next touring Tuesday.
Looks like this post was a flop too. Plumbob is offering suggestions that Emily is shooting down.
ReplyDeletePlumbob said...
I understand that your space limitations are probably a big reason for avoiding mattressed beds, but what about health and comfort? Surely growing spines need a little more support than the rubber camping mat or spongey kiddy couch.
What about bunk beds?
February 16, 2010 6:03 AM
Daisy said...
What a great idea to have your readers do the hard work for you. Redesigning that very small room to meet your needs is going to be very difficult and time consuming. I don't think it's worth $25 to me considering the time needed to plan, draw out, and conduct internet searchs for storage solutions and bedding arragements. Hopfully, you'll have some readers not too busy in their own lives that can help you out. Looking forward to seeing the new and improved room.
February 16, 2010 6:12 AM
Emily said...
Plumbob, my oldest is too young to be on a top bunk, and I want to avoid mattresses because the chemicals used in them can create a toxic mold that could be related to what happened to my son.
http://www.johnleemd.com/store/art_sids.html
Daisy, maybe you didn't notice, but when I wrote about the boys' room the first time, everyone was jumping to redesign the room for me.
Plumbob said...
Emily,
I had never heard that theory before, but the link you provided does not advise against mattresses altogether but suggests protective covers for mattresses. Surely that is a good compromise between the need to offer proper support while avoiding what you consider to be an undesirable risk (understandable considering your son's terrifying experience).
As for the danger of bunk beds, why not single beds? If two cannot fit in the boys room maybe it is time to switch rooms or move to a larger home. Kids may not need their own individual rooms, but I think every kid deserves a comfortable place to sleep.
February 16, 2010 6:33 AM
Emily said...
Plumbob, the covers are preventative. If the mattresses already have it, I'm not risking it. As far as switching rooms, 2 people sleep in the small room, 3 in the large room. There are less than 100 pounds of people in the small room and close to 300 pounds of people in the large room. Switching does not make sense. And comfortable cannot be defined, as everyone has their own standards.
February 16, 2010 6:52 AM
Here is a comment I posted, which I am sure will not be published. She makes me so mad!!!! Her kids don't need comfort as long and she and Dan have a comfy place to sleep themselves. And the mattress argument makes me sick... she KNOWS that is not what caused Daniel to fall into a coma, but now she is using it as an excuse for her kids to sleep on the cold floor.
ReplyDeleteEmily,
Your argument about mattresses is ridiculous. Do you realize that BILLIONS of people sleep on mattresses and are not falling into comas? COME ON. Even you have to know how dumb that argument sounds. Your sons problems were not caused by his mattress, unless it was the nasty diseases that are probably crawling all over that thing since it has no sheet, is laying on a floor, and is covered with pee. And as for comfort, you and Dan have a real bed and mattress... how about you let the boys sleep there and you and Dan sleep on a pile of blankets on the floor? Since comfort cannot be defined, why don't you give up your bed and give it to the kids?
PUT YOUR CHILDREN FIRST. Quit being selfish. Move you and Dan into the small room and get those babies a REAL bed(s) they can use. It isn't about you anymore... you have three children!!!!! THEY are first priority now and not you.
My kids are sleeping in their comfy, clean beds as we speak. Under nice, warm blankets. I am so sad for your kids it makes me want to cry.
Way too rational soccermom, she will never post it.
ReplyDeleteEmily and Dan would NOT fit in the small room because it is a CLOSET. They could, however, invest in a sofa bed/futon for the living room and have the adults sleep on that.
ReplyDeleteI love your post soccermom!
ReplyDeleteHer kitchen is pretty big. I vote she puts the livingrom stuff in there, switches her bedroom to the livingroom, puts the boys in the big bedroom and uses the small room as a nursery. Oh, and she should get rid of about 3/4 of her stuff. Even if she did all that, her apartment wouls still be way to small.
On second thought I vote she moves to a bigger apartment.
The article is talking about SIDS deaths, Emily. Are you trying to say that your oldest child fell into a SIDS coma? The article mentions used mattresses being used. Please provide more than just one article presenting a theory to back up your no mattress claim.
ReplyDeleteMy own 2 girls are 2 years apart and they shared a bed up until they were 3 and 5. We just got a nice full size bed for them to share.
Look, lots of us myself included have been broke and poor. Our family did the tube meat thing for a while, thinking it would save money. It doesn't. And yes there are numerous recalls on that kind of meat, you would be amazed at how unsafe the meat at WalMart really is.
Your "plan my kids room" seems just like a way for you to get out of doing any work, so you can deflect any kind of critism on to someone else.
At least she's asking for advice for a change, even if she probably won't take any of it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a surprise: she did not allow my comment. Of which I said: The boys need to have your and Dan's bedroom. You and Dan need to get a sleeper sofa. 6x8 is not big enough. What I failed to mention is that the 1,000 books in the parent's room could be divied up between the storage closet that is the boys' room and the living room. Maybe this made too much sense?
ReplyDeleteSeveral comments. First, what makes her think that those sponge matress things don't contain chemicals? Second, can you imagine how disgusting those things will be the first time they are peed on? It will soak all the way through! Third, she made over $1000 on her blog last month but will only spend $50 to redesign that death pit of a room? ACK!
ReplyDeleteHow is it okay that she and Dan sleep on a mattress and co-sleep with the babies, yet once they're on their own, the mattresses are SIDS monsters? Co-sleeping is a HUGE SIDS risk anyways. FFS. I don't need to get this riled up before noon.
ReplyDeleteI was hoping to send her links to discourage her from letting them sleep on camping rolls.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately it seems people don't write articles about common sense.
If she is turned off matresses by a single article we need to find MORE to convince her treating her babies like animals could also cause them to fucking die!
Oh, brother, the article she linked didn't suggest getting rid of mattresses anyways! Just to wrap them! And yeah, didn't he fall into a coma mostly sleeping on their mattress? (Eye roll)
ReplyDeleteAh...I just realized my suggestion (made before reading here) did not fit the rules, as per your post today! I am enlightened. Why let 3 people have the bigger room? How dense I have been. I am in woeful error.
ReplyDeleteEmily--
ReplyDeletePlease do not make your children sleep on a 3/8 inch thick camping pad. The other two options aren't much better either.
I'm in purging mode. I have the insane urge to send her a care package of nutritious food and free furniture that's safe and clean. I'm giving it away anyway.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that just burns my toast, is my husband and I have to go through a crazy application process where the minutia of our lives are scrutinized so we can adopt a child. But this dolt can just pop them out willy nilly and she's allowed to keep them. Really? I can tell you, that on my worst day, I'd feed, clothe and house those children better than she does in a week.
I wrote a crazy paper in college once that parents should be licensed. This woman would have been a case study for me.
Soccermom - To be fair, billions of kids just sleep on top of their mattresses. They aren't the filling in a crib mattress sandwich, covered in pee and jammed up against a baseboard heater.
ReplyDeleteThe Belle - They WISH they were eating Walmart meat. The crap they are eating is the stuff that Walmart rejected. If Dollar Tree rejected it, it would have been sold as dog food.
Emily is illiterate. How do you read her freaking link and get the idea that the chemicals are creating the mold. It clearly says INTERACT with household mold, and as she is purposely incubating all manner of molds in her home with her various fermenting processes, I don't know how she could possibly think whatever urine-soaked sleeping concoction she stuffs in a corner is going to be any different. Okay, there won't be a mattress, but you're okay with your kid sleeping on a pile of wet, pissy mold? Explain to me how that is healthier.
Since she will not take reasonable suggestions of them moving to a fution or sofa sleeper and letting the boys have their room.. her is what she should do:
ReplyDeleteGet a 2x10 board, have home depot cut 2 feet off for her. (they do it for free). $2.40 for board. Get 3 big hooks that you can screw into the board. $3.00 for hooks. Get small box of barn spikes. $5.00. Purchase 3 small belts at thrift store: $1.00
Nail board up in room. Screw hooks into board. PLace belts around boys pants in the loops. hang boys up when tired.
Somehow I predict her loving the hammock idea.
ReplyDeleteFacepalm.
Mattress-free? It's a bedroom, buy the kids beds with mattresses and sheets for crying out loud! Why is this concept so hard for her to understand? Emily, you and Dan get a bed, why should the kids have to sleep on a mats?
ReplyDelete50 dollars! What in the hell does she expect to purchase with 50 dollars? Even at Walmart comforter sets cost more than that, yet she plans to do an entire room redo?! Children need beds, isn't that one of the basic rules CPS mandates? A friend of my mothers had temporary custody of her grandkids, CPS was involved, and in order for her to be given custody, she had to go out and buy two new beds. I can't stand Emily, I truly am at my wits end, thanks so much for this site, I refuse to give her a click, it's not like she's using any of the $ for her kids anyway, revolting sow.
ReplyDeleteShe's holding fast to the idea of not giving up the big bedroom, but I think she needs to really ask herself why. How much time do they spend in that room? Mine, I only use it to sleep in and sometimes watch tv when my husband and I want to watch other things- which is rare anyway. I think the best use of their space would be to move the boys to the big room, use the small room as storage, and they should sleep on a futon in the living room. The small room could hold all their books, large toys, and clothes. The big room would become the kids' sleeping/play area, and the living room would be family living space. At night, pull out the futon to sleep on; in the morning, put it back into a couch.
ReplyDeleteI have an uncle who had three kids in a three bedroom house (2 boys, 1 girl) and he gave up the master bedroom just so that all the kids could have their own space. He slept on the couch- an actual couch, not a pullout or futon.
Because she'll never post it:
ReplyDeleteSo their room is 6' x 8' or 48 square feet. Once all three are in there that is 16 square feet per child....BEFORE beds, toys, clothes, etc. These kids need room to grow, room to stretch, room to play...they need to have their own space.
Please consider giving them the larger room, they need it more than you and Dan. If you really put your boys first like you suggest that you do, you won't hesitate to switch.
The article you linked to regarding the mattress is BS. It doesn't suggest throwing out or not using a mattress. If you are so concerned about SIDS and other such tragedies, then you wouldn't co-sleep with your youngest as that has and incredibly high risk of SIDS.
Funny, you mis-interpret an article to "support" your argument to the point where it is so asinine that you can't even see it. I guess the millions of us who don't agree are the ones who are wrong, that's what you're saying right??
Children need a good mattress to sleep on. If it's not comfortable or good enough for you, then it certainly isn't good enough for them. They need a good semi-firm mattress to sleep on. This is so their spines (from the lower lumbar through their neck and into their head) and pressure points can be properly supported. This allows their body to grow and develop properly. You absolutely cannot get that from a foam chair or camping pad. THOSE ARE NOT BEDS.
Love how you made over 1000 last month, yet you are only willing to spend 50 on your kids. How generous of you, really.
I truely believe that every "mean" commenter isn't coming on here to be a troll, it's because you are so rediculous and ignorant and it seems to be the only way to get your attention.
You are trying to prove a point (tho who, who knows...your mom, us...?) You are going about it thr wrong way. You are risking the health of your family and we are truely worried about your children.
You feed them crap food and think you know what their little bodies need. You are probably the type to google something and and soon as you find an article that supports your idea you run with it. You probably don't do the research behind it, like talking to a health professional about their diets. They have years of schooling and training yet you obviously know better because of the article from www.fullofbs.com.
Come on. Your entire diet and meat from Walmart? The place where their made-from-the-poorest-parts-of-the-animal-tube-meat gets recalled often? If this were so brilliant, why wouldn't the rest of us be following??
I think it's time for Emily to take a step back and look at her space in an all new way- the setup they have isn't going to work in any way shape or form once Thomas is ready to sleep with his brothers. Her justification in weight is absurd- of course two adults are going to weigh more than kids. That doesn't mean the kids need any less space to play and move around.
ReplyDeleteEmily is being an idiot about this whole thing. She has had more than enough suggestions as to how to make the boy's room safe and comfortable. She could care less about suggestions, she is ONLY doing this for the site traffic.
ReplyDeleteEMILY -- HERE IT IS SO THAT EVEN YOU CAN UNDERSTAND IT:
If you must put 2 boys in that room (soon to be 3):
Get rid of 80% of the crap in there. No children need that much stuff. You are a hoarder.
Securely hang 2 shelves up high for the 20% of the stuff you keep.
Paint the room a pleasing shade and stop it with your terrible wall art. It's just depressing. There's nothing fun about it.
Buy a kid-friendly fabric remnant and make an actual hemmed curtain and hang it securely.
If you still need the crib, finish painting it.
Buy a NEW twin sized mattress, mattress cover, sheets, and blankets. Unless the kids are sleeping on it, put the mattress up against the wall so that what little space there is in that room can be used.
Cut some fun pictures out of magazines and put them in $1 frames on the wall.
Simple. Even you can do it.
Also, PLEASE turn the friggin heat on in that apartment. You don't pay any extra for it and your children deserve to be warm and comfortable.
Anyone notice she's wanting to redo the room on a $50 budget, but the first link of "mattress-free solutions" she's looking at COSTS $50? The cheapest one is a fucking camping mat! We looked at those- they're pieces of shit. Worse than the kindgerarten nap mats you can buy for $5 around the time school starts.
ReplyDeleteIf I was absolutely in her position and needed a mattress free solution for cheap for at least 2 kiddos, I'd go out and buy a queen sized air mattress and have the kids share. At least give them some kind of comfort while they're sleeping. And I'm in no way saying this is what I think she should do- I think she should use her blogging money and buy those boys real mattresses- but we all know how Emily is. God forbid they sleep on a real mattress, but hey- that 6 inch thick foam stuff is A-okay!
She needs to get her head out of her ass.
Kiltie, cosleeping, done properly, does not result in an elevated risk of SIDS.
ReplyDeleteCosleeping done improperly does not really result in increased SIDS either--if the child smothers to death because of the covers or a parent rolling over them, then you *know* what the cause of death is, and it's not SIDS.
If the pictures we've seen are indicative of their cosleeping practice, then I think they've been doing it improperly.
I agree with your other comments, though.
Here's something I don't get: the window that is covered by a rug looks into the HALLWAY. How can that possibly be "drafty"?
ReplyDeleteIT'S INSIDE THE HOUSE!! IT SHOULDN'T GET DRAFTS!!
Anon - 10:39
ReplyDeleteI admit, I could be completely mis-informed about the co-sleeping as I have only done a small bit of research. I guess from what i have read (on both sides) I am still uncomfortable with the risks of co-sleeping as well as the connections it may or many not have with SIDS.
Either way I completely agree with you when you say: "If the pictures we've seen are indicative of their cosleeping practice, then I think they've been doing it improperly."
Cheers!
Emily, you're an idiot. First, you ask your blog readers to submit suggestions and you have vetoed each and every one. Secondly, you wrote that you'll have a bigger apartment before you have more children. I thought you had said before that you could conceivably fit bunkbeds all over the place, including the kitchen, so why all of a sudden do you need a bigger apartment? Are you finally realizing that chidren need space and are not can goods to fit inside Rubbermaid bins and stacked to the ceiling? If so, good. I'm glad. But for the love of God, get real beds for your children and USE SOME BIRTH CONTROL so you don't end up with fifteen children in a tuna can of an apartment.
ReplyDeleteYou're driving me nuts with your stupidity. Be a real mother and get real mattresses for your children. Who gives a good goddamn what people are doing in developing countries? Don't you want better for your children than a pile of moldy blankets from the tepid water of the Wonderwash? Don't you want them to have a nice, warm bed to sleep in? Why not? What the hell is wrong with you? You supposedly made $1000 last month on your blog and you can't simply buy a used trundle bed and shell out some money for mattresses and some real sheets and blankets?
Why do you insist on living in abject and filthy poverty and offer your children substandard living arrangements? I swear if you take away the beds and force your poor children to sleep on a pile of dusty, unwashed, urine soaked blankets I'll call CPS or DHHS or UPS or whoever the hell I need to call to get you some help.
Your husband has the dignity and humility to admit that he has some writing/reading comprehension problems but you can't see that you're neglectful? I thought that good Christians weren't supposed to let pride dictate their lives?
You're a fool and your children are really unlucky to have a wackadoodle for a mother. I feel for them. Grow the fuck up.
I wonder if anyone did call CPS about her yet?
ReplyDeleteIf they have made a visit? A bed is a must according to CPS and a sleeping mat does not count.
She posted that her own mattress is held together with DUCT TAPE to keep the springs in.
She just simply blows me away every time I read her blog.
Her mom must be having a shit fit every day. If I were her mother, I would be in the CPS office getting those boys.
She won't post my comment, so I'll do it here.
ReplyDeleteMy husband has serious back issues and the quality of his mattress is extremely important. If he sleeps on anything other than our mattress he literally cannot walk in the mornings.
I have noticed this too - when I sleep on an uncomfortable mattress, not only do I wake up in pain (hips, back, neck, etc.) but I do not get quality sleep. I don't feel well rested.
Emily spends so much time worrying about her children's health through the foods they eat, and also their spiritual health. Both of those things are wonderful and I think she is doing a great job of doing what she thinks is healthy for them.
But she is forgetting that sleep is just as important to a healthy child as a good diet. When children do not get good quality sleep they are more likely to get sick, to suffer from things like depression or agression, and many other problems.
For crying out loud, create an environment for your children to get quality sleep. Toxic mold is something to be worried about, of course. But millions of people sleep on mattresses without having mold problems, because they take proper care of the mattress by cleaning it as soon as accidents occur, using protective sheets, and not letting the mattress sit on the floor (or hanging wet clothing over it).
Buy these boys a mattress.
Seriously.
It's that simple.
Why don't you and Dan try sleeping on the floor and see how well rested you feel in the morning?
The fact that she is loving the idea of the home-made staw mattress made with sheets is making me seriously ill. Can you imagine what type of comfort that would be for those poor boys. How the heck could it be cleaned anyway?? EMILY! PLEASE SWITCH BEDROOMS!!!! Sleep in the living room and give your children the comfort they deserve! There really is no better option and $50 combined with minor sewing skills is not going to fix your problem.
ReplyDeleteEmily, these options for bedding are not very well thought out for the frugal person you claim to be. Being frugal is not just getting by with as little money spent as possible. That is called CHEAP! These bedding options are meant for occasional naps or camping, not for everyday sleeping. They will last maybe a year, tops, and then you will be back to square one.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for the pack & play being used for a full time bed, I do not recomment it. My son was miserable sleeping in that thing when we would go out of town. He would wake up covered in sweat because the sheets that are made to cover the thin pad (I'm assuming you will use sheets?) do not stay in place with a squirming toddler sleeping. The pack & play is also meant as a temporary bedding solution, not a full time bed.
Why do you refuse to listen to reason? Why do you think you are the expert in everything? It truely boggles the mind.
If you really think you will move into a bigger place before you have another child, then spend the $50 on a Freecycled futon or sleeper sofa for you and Dan. It will only be temporary, right? Give the kids the big bedroom and use the 6X8 room for the closet that it is. BTW, 6X6 is the size of my kitchen table. I measured off two more feet so I could have a visual of the space your boys sleep in. I don't think it's possbile for you to fit 3 boys in there along with all the other crap you have. You need to rethink your living arrangements.
I know you will completely ignore this, but for my own sanity, I had to say it.
I just left her a comment saying I will buy her boys a twin size mattress and have it delivered to her apartment.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if she'll take me up on it.
I think she found her angle to get over $1,000 in blog revenue this month...don't y'all?
ReplyDeleteGood heavens, if she gets rid of the children's mattresses she and the man had better be sleeping on the floor, too. Does she somehow think that all of those sleeping pads are immune to issues? How about lead contamination (I've read concerns recently over yoga mats), offgassing, etc.? Unless you buy an organic wool mattress, I don't see any way of escaping it, so how about if you choose the most comfortable option for your children and put a cover on it!? Geez...
ReplyDeleteNo, Anon 11:53am, she won't. Because you don't understand. Emily knows EVERYTHING. And we're just materialistic bitches who want to drive the disgusting consumeristic society in which we live that demands fresh food, clean houses, mattresses and the like. Don't you know that kids only need tube meat, a teaspoon of whey and a blanket? Besides, she can't be bothered to wash and change sheets on a real mattress; that would cut into her blogging time. Fucking idiot. Just beyond stupid.
ReplyDeleteI do not think in any way that she made over $1000 in ad revenue. It was nothing but a ploy to get everyone up in arms about it. And another blog post for her showing how much money she is making.
ReplyDeleteWonder if she knows that housing laws will not allow her to have many more people in that apartment. Even in the military housing, you were only allowed 2 kids per room.
i would love to see some of the comments she is allowing, but i don't want to give her anymore clicks.
With every post she just gets worse. Gone is the pastor's wife who used to staunchly defend her up until a few weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteIt's as if the maternal instinct has been shut down. Perhaps Dan slept in the linen closet as a child and knows no better, but I am not Team Dan, nor do I heart him. He is their father.
He can do more than nothing in the parenting department.
Emily,
ReplyDeleteI hope you realize your selfishness will cause you to lose your babies someday. Someday soon CPS may step in, and if not they will eventually grow up, go to other people's houses, and realize what a neglectful selfish person you are/were.
TOXIC MOLD?! Seriously? At least be honest and stop lying to others and yourself about your "reasoning" behind your neglect and abuse.
You are the most toxic thing in that house.
Guys, Emily is a fucking Genius.
ReplyDeleteEmily you are a FUCKING GENIUS!!!
Her blog is a fraud. She will absolutely spend more than 50 bucks to redo her kids rooms. The fact of the matter is that those kids probably end up in their bed every night, snuggled in and warm. Hell, for all we know, she set those pictures up, to get our fur raised.
She is playing on our "self righteous" need to tell her what to do. Lord knows that she is the same way. She knows that the more that she argues, the more that we fight back. She knows that the more that she posts in a manner that sounds as if she is starving her kids and making them sleep on the floor and neglecting them in all manner of ways, the more we will run to her site and leave our angry comments. Even those of us who post here are still going back to see what others are saying.
And she is laughing all the way to the bank.
I don't believe her blog is real. I think the anon who said that she set up this "redesign" to up her revenue for Feb hit the nail on the head. I think it's all fake, all well crafted to bring in clicks. I'm sure that the eat their lacto ferment crap now and then. But I bet little Tommys first word will be "Happy Meal".
Well played, Emily. but you still won't get my click. I'll stay here.
Let's say, Anon 12:36, you are correct. If so, her christianity is fraudulent as well. However, with the fact she mentioned the boys liking to nap in her bed (which is, actually...a bed) and then sticking them like animals under a crib to sleep... and carrying this fraud so far as to run a 'contest' of redesign: it makes sense she has no friends. Absolutely. "If", however...she is earnest, then she'd better realize that the way she is treating (loving) her children is directly reflected to how she is treating Christ. Shitty. She says the boys like the set up. Of course. They are 3 and under. What a tragic excuse for a human being. What a malevolent being to know the anguish and alarm caused already, to perpetuate that.
ReplyDeleteYou will reap what you are sowing, Emily...real or fraudulent. And girl: I am GLAD I am not you. So....glad.
Maybe you could go to the church Dan likes to walk to Wed. nights and get some counselling. I think it will be free. Just your price.
I know the name of the church. Dan posted it. Maybe I'll just give that place a call...? Y'all wouldn't mind a brother or sister in the Lord poppin' over, would you?
Couldn't take it. I sent the email to the pastor. If any y'all are prayin' folk: please send up!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe she's entertaining an air mattress as a long term solution. My poor husband had to sleep on an air mattress this Christmas at my mom's house (because like the loving father and husband he is, he gave the bed to his wife and child) and he was freezing. Maine is cold and mattresses insulate as well as heat. I hope someone calls their church and CPS. Even if she's full of shit, she needs to be stopped.
ReplyDeleteBecause I don't expect her to publish my comment:
ReplyDeleteEmily, I doubt you'll publish my comment, but I hope that since my sentiments reflect those of many of your other concerned readers, you'll consider them.
I find it appalling that you are strongly leaning toward having your kids sleep on nap mats. I realize that most of the world makes do without beds, but don't you want something better for your children? I also find it hypocritical that you let your kids sleep on nap mats on the floor, while you yourself sleep in a bed.
I know you have stressed that you want the boys' room to remain the boys' room and you will not consider an alternative, but wouldn't be the best bet be to use another layout for your apartment? Make your bedroom the boys' room, and let the boys sleep on your bed. You and Dan could sleep on a pull-out couch in the living room. The boys' current room could be used as storage, or a nursery for the baby.
Look. I don't want to out where they live. Here's the email and grab it. Areader can take it off in say...a few minutes? Address the emails to Rev. or Pastor Thistle. church@anchor-baptist.com is where Dan goes Wednesday nights. Please. If this clergy gets enough (be NICE)emails, these children may have a chance. Please.
ReplyDeleteOH.. Almost. I almost wanna spend half a day drawing up a sensible idea and submit it. But she isn't considering any ideas that she already isn't fixed on. It makes me angry she's blatantly doing it for clicks. What happened to, "It's my home, wasn't it nice of me to let you all in?"
ReplyDeleteShe needs a sleeper couch in her living room, move the kids to the only bedroom. Use the closet as a playroom or whatthefuckever room where she can nail her shit to the walls and there wouldn't be a crib underneath. May be line an entire wall with decent bookshelves and arrange all the shit there. Whatever doesn't fit on the Wall of Shit needs to get tossed.
Her whole bedroom is a giant pile of shit. Put bunk beds in there, and a crib. Take rags off the walls, it looks like a homeless shelter off the highway. Craigslist. You can even make offers to people, a lot of the times they just want their stuff gone, they'll make a deal. Especially if you show them pictures of what you go going, and a link to your blog. They will probably deliver their shit to you, and throw some fresh produce in on top of that.
And, please, please, take the $25 you were gonna spend on a Winning Entry, and take all your bed linens to a laundromat, wash it well, toss the disgusting things, and get some sheets at a thrift store. $25 goes a looooong way at Goodwill. Likewise, if someone actually wins and gets a $25 cert, please consider spending it on some bed sheets and sending it back to her. Hopefully she will use them as such, and not drape them over her milk crates of shoes, or whatever she's got going on in every corner of that house.
She's turning down offers from people willing to buy her brandnew mattresses for the boys, opting instead to seriously consider chigger-filled straw. Jeebus tap-dancing Christ.
ReplyDeleteEmily's blog is a joke. I now realize that she is writing this stupid ass stuff to get everyone riled up. She has a contest to redesign the boys room but then every suggestion is shot down, except for the straw mattress idea. Come on - no one would consider that idea at all so you know she is just creating controversy.
ReplyDeleteThe sad part is that they really are living in a crowded dirty apartment. The sad part is she sees no need to put sheets on a child's bed or sees no need for a child to even have a bed. But then she demands that she would never change rooms with the boys or give up her bed. She is a snot nosed pig.
True. But trust me. If flooded with enough concern, with their url's given...somebody's gonna say something. Because Dan and Emily count on the fact that none of their extended family can be contacted by anyone. Save the pastor. And I don't think Dan's post on going to Wed. night service was a joke. Get the emails out. The pastor will make mention. Even if they brush it aside, someone will know that "they" know.
ReplyDeleteABout an air mattress; I have slept on them before as well and they can be slightly comfortable, but in the winter they are freezing. I woke up shivering cold and couldn't get warm they are like a giant unheated waterbed. Besides they are a short term investment. Spend $20-$30 bucks on one and have it leak air or pop within the year, or spend $100 on a fairly cheap but decent mattress and it can last years. Penny wise and dollar dumb.
ReplyDeleteIt is my understanding that a room has to be a minimum of 70 square feet to be considered a "bedroom". What she is going to jam three kids into? That is a closet. The landlord is also at fault here, for not stopping this. Im pretty sure he can get trouble for this in some way.
ReplyDeleteThere's always the Baby Hammock! http://video.adultswim.com/squidbillies/the-baby-hammock.html
ReplyDeleteWhat about contacting Blogher? Surely they would not want to be associated with her.
ReplyDeleteNone of this seems real. I've known some crazy ass people in my life. But having your kids sleep on the floor or thinking about using a straw tick for them to sleep on is simply mind boggling!!
I live in Amish country and I know for a fact that they don't even use straw ticks anymore!
ReplyDeleteIs it really OK to stuff 3 children into 48 square feet in Maine? No fire codes? No city ordinances.. Nothing?
ReplyDeleteShe contradicts herself all the time. 300 lbs vs 100 lbs for room switching. According to HER, bedrooms are for sleeping only, so what does it matter if they take the smaller room, and let the kids have a bigger room. May be she and DNA can just sleep stacked on a twin bed, like they ought, so they can git a bunch of their other shit into the 'closet' and let the babies have proper beds.
I sent her an email detailing the use of dog beds for both the boys, purchasing a can of spray paint for the crib.
ReplyDeleteI asked her to take the cloth hung shelves down along with the milk clothes crates. Asked her to take the crates and place enough on the ground on their side (open end facing outward) so the dog beds could lay on them. She could then stick clothes in the crates while they were still on the floor. And the beds are stuffed with cedar which would suck up the urine.
She could use the left over money to properly launder their bedding.
I'm honestly seething mad over this. Those poor boys are just going to have a life that just gets harder and harder as their mother slowly decends into insanity. She's borderline insane now, really, with the obvious incapability she has for logic.
ReplyDeleteSomeone needs to help those kids. I wish to god that someone could find Emilys mothers information. I hope that the emails to the church will get something done, but I doubt it- churches like to hide their dirt, and Emily would still not learn anything.
This IS abuse. When you have 2, going on 3 kids sleeping in a storage closet and scheme to make them sleep on sheets filled with straw while you hoard all your extra money to pay for a midwives for MORE children- you are abusive and not sane.
Personally, I think the commenter's who have suggested going to BlogHer have the right idea. Start there. It is crazy that this fraud is getting paid to exploit the neglect of her children for money.
ReplyDeleteOh and Em, since you are reading this, stop acting like we are all assholes for jumping to this conclusion. We are basing our concerns on what you put out there. YOU are the one who put your life out to the world for money. YOU are the one who decided how to present things. Then YOU are the one who comes to sites like this and changes your tune to try to make yourself look nice and normal like the rest of us. Here;s the thing. WE have all seen frugal , green, Christian, small living, Lacto-fermenting people. Many of us ARE these people. And none of them look like you. So take your attitude elsewhere. If you don't like our judgmental attitude, then take your life private and quit putting it on the internet for us to look at. YOU made your life our business. Don't whine because we are interested.
Isn't a straw mattress a huge fire hazard? Not to mention tickly and itchy?
ReplyDeleteWTF?
ReplyDeleteShe can use a random article about mold to explain away the reasons she doesn't want to spend money on a mattress, but she can't use SEVERAL articles about the shit they put in tube meat as an excuse not to cook that crap for her family? It all comes down to money.
I honestly question whether or not she does this on purpose or she believes this stuff in her head.
The fact that at least 100 people told her making her kid sleep on a pissy mattress under the crib is abuse, then she creates this post and does a freaking giveaway for anyone who can redesign the kids room? I truly think she has mental issues.
1.) It's not a fucking room, it's a closet or something. I've lived in shitty places, and I have NEVER seen an apartment that offered a doorless bedroom, with a window to the hallway, with 6 x 8 dimensions.
Perhaps it's just me, but I don't think apartment itself looks all that bad. The walls seem to have nice paint, the trim looks nice, the bathroom and kitchen could use some updating, but it's still a pretty nice apartment.
The reason her apartment is so crappy is because she's stuffed so much shit in there, and tried to make a "bedroom" out of a storage/closet/laundry/whatever the hell that room is intended to be.
How much do you want to bet that her landlord has no idea three children live in that apartment?
Straw "mattress" shoved up against a baseboard heater in Maine? Nah, not a fire hazard at all!
ReplyDelete/sarcasm
That's it. I don't care. I'm looking into having a real mattress sent to her house whether the crazy bitch wants it or not. Does anyone have her address? I know it was plastered somewhere. But I just paid off my credit cards and have a bit of money. They're getting a mattress and a large box of good food. Either I sit here and snark all the time or I do something to combat the insanity. If something really happens to those children then I will feel responsible because I can recognize the crazy and I haven't done anything to really help. If anyone has her address, email me at dfkwr@aol.com. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWait...Emily made $1000 from her blog last month. $1000. Her boy's safety and comfort is worth $50. $950 dollars for mommy, $50 for the kids! And instead of giving away swagbucks, why doesn't she spend $75 on the kid's room?
ReplyDeleteHer brain doesn't work right.
Also? Why don't they sell futons in Maine?
Gizmola, I think they are in the phone book. Just look up their real names on whitepages.com
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't give her anything, myself. I believe what others are saying about a good chunk of this being a hoax. Either way, I also completely agree with contacting her advertisers. It would have to be a bunch of people, though. BlogHer, I think, is a bit shady.
Gizmola, save your money. She will just refuse delivery, or she will sell anything you send her on Craigslist. Remember when she thought Dan's present from Walmart was a toater oven and she was going to sell it?
ReplyDeleteIt's not about money with Emily, she made over $1000 last month from her blog. It's all about being as poor as she possibly can to get back at mommy.
Heres her latest commnet...
Emily said...
Comments:
I've read a bunch of comments and don't remember who asked what- oops!
The deadline is by next Tuesday. Next Tuesday is the vote.
I have explained why we won't switch rooms. If you don't like it, that is fine, but we won't switch rooms. This is our life, not yours.
I like having less stuff in the living room and kitchen as that is where we spend most of our time. I prefer to have it look less cluttered and keep it to a limited color scheme. We have some toys there, but storing most out there is out of the question.
Also, I'm not interested in offers of free mattresses. I'd like to do this within the budget and I am certain it can be done, but thank you.
February 16, 2010 12:41 PM
There are real baby hammocks. My husband used to do maintenance for an organization with a childcare center, and the teachers wanted him to install one. He refused..."I'm not accepting that kind of liability!"
ReplyDeleteI just can't see how she would refuse delivery if it were in front of her and already paid for. She can't be that crazy. I'm sending them a box of food with a box of Twinkies and a bag of chips for poor Dna. Okay, I checked mattresses - they are more expensive than I thought - I was going to buy it from Sam's and have it shipped. But I am sending food. And real laundry detergent.
ReplyDeleteShe'd probably sign for delivery and sell anything that she can get any money for. Hopefully she will let them have the food if you send it. Send it in Dna's name maybe?
ReplyDeleteWhat a bitch. Seriously, really nice people are offering her free stuff for her kids and she can't be bothered because she wants to do it a certain way? Fuck her and her forced poverty. She is an insult to all the hard working men and women who are losing their jobs and would be GRATEFUL and HUMBLE to receive these generous offers of free things for their children.
ReplyDeleteI was going to joke and say, "hey, I'll take the free mattress and food!" but I am doing fine and don't need it. I have a comfy cozy bed for my son in HIS OWN room and lots of food and good shelter. It occurred to me that if I wrote that, Gizmola, you probably would have offered me the bed. And there are hurting people who need your generosity who would be grateful for it, not snotty and to good for it.
I am seriously touched by the offers I see from internet strangers to help this bitch and angered by her craptastic snotty attitude. Gizmola, give that stuff to someone who will be grateful for it and use it for their kids, not that bitch who thinks it is better to exploit her children for money that she will never use on them than to see to it that they are comfortable and safe.
After all,hey ALL sleep on the ground in the 3rd world!!!
Definetely send it to Dan and the kids! She can't possibly throw it out as a "submissive wife"!
ReplyDelete(She will anyway, she royally sucks at submissive)
Definetly worth a try! Maybe Dan will see the light once he has some calories in him!!
I really despise her 3rd world arguments. People in developing nations often don't have clean drinking water either, so is she going to start scooping her kids water out of storm drains, because dammit, if it's good enough for those 3rd world kids, it's good enough for Emily's kids?
ReplyDeleteChildren in developing nations don't have tube meat and gloodles either.
I just couldn't stop myself from posting this...the first option she provided, the foldable sleeper? We had several of those growing up for watching tv. They don't last long. My brother used to call them a flip-n-f*ck lol. And Gizmola-Please send him food. Send it to him at Wal-Mart or just try to get it to him when Emily wouldn't be around..not sure how you could do that. I could seriously see him not telling her at all and devouring chips and cookies like his life depended on it.
ReplyDeleteYou could send it to him at his school maybe? Or the Church he goes to?
ReplyDeleteI'm going to round up some stuff for Dna and the boys too.
Emily will be monitoring his bowel habits now to make sure he's not eating anything on the sly, LOL
ReplyDeleteYou know how they all get bunged up when they go off the Gloodle and Tube meat diet.
My dog sleeps on a better "bed" than she's looking at for her kids. How incredibly sad.
ReplyDeleteI see what you're saying, Anon 3:15pm, and you're right - if you said "hey, I have all I need but I could use some help" I'd be happy to help you.
ReplyDeleteI think of the Edmund Burke quote "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." I consider myself a good woman. If I do nothing about what I see on then I'm contributing to the triumph of evil.
If I had the money I'd just order three twin mattresses and have them delivered tomorrow. But maybe you're right, Under1000 - maybe the evil bitch would just sell them on Craigslist because "we don't need them - the boys are happy sleeping on cardboard. That's how we planned it!!!"
And perhaps sending a crate of oranges, apples, bananas, and canned vegetables won't matter. She'll just dehydrate the fruit or lacto-ferment it and throw away the canned goods because they are full of GMO's or whatever it is she is so afraid of.
So I'm reduced to sending, in Dna's name, a box of junk food. I hope to good god he gets it and eats the hell out of some Twinkies and Cheetos.
I too believe this is all a hoax to make money. Just read her old belly button blog. She is a little more intellingent in that one. She probably was mad because the gdly blog wasnt raking in the dough, and cooked up this idea to start raking it in.
ReplyDeleteWhat woman in her right mind would think a straw pile is a good place to prop one of the most precious things in you life in! Or a dog bed!
She says the kids are on the heavier side! Not from the pictures I've seen. How could they be on a diet of squished tomatoes, pumpkin guts, limeade, gloodles, half a chicken leg, piece of a tube meat burger, tube meat stuck in a flour patty sprinkled with cheese, half eaten applesauce, and now coconut squish.
Who in their right mind would feed their kids this shit! I understand that making your own is great and healthy, however we are talking of her ratty recipes.
$50.00....thats all her kids well being is worth to her!
And dont even get me started on her washing in that blunder wash contraption with her nut juice. Just unsanitary, no wonder all their items are stain ridden!
I just sent their address to you, Giz.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a little girl my bedroom was actually a sun room attached to my mother's bedroom. The deminsions were probably about the same as her kids' room.
ReplyDeleteMy grammy bought me a wonderful twin bed with bright bedding. She also bought really cute, sunny curtains and a nice little bed table. I had a temp. closet at the end of the room and a little tv set up in front of it.
Granted, it wss just me, but bunk beds would have worked just as well in that space. It *can* be done, but it takes a bit of money and lots of planning. I have fond memories of that room, and all the love my grandma put into making it really cozy for me. If only Emily could do the same for her boys...
gimzola... oh god, please don't try to send them anything... i imagine she'll just trash them or sell them. i can't imagine she'll give them to her husband or kids. :(
ReplyDeletei would, however, call her church... send the stuff to them. i know she said she wouldn't take anything from the church... but maybe Dna would.
and it all reads HOAX to me. or she's beyond crazy. or both.
I have an idea. Gizmola, you sound like a smart, caring, sensitive woman. With good sense. And how incredibly sweet of you to want to help them financially! But then I was thinking, really this isn't about the money. It's about Emily being *right*. ((stomps foot, end of discussion!)) I believe, like others, that she really would refuse delivery of a twin mattress (or three) because of her beliefs that she's doing everything right. So I got to thinking, those of us who want to make a difference - we should use this as a springboard for charity. And since we know that she would refuse it, how about donating somewhere else?
ReplyDeleteI thought of this as I was shoveling snow just now. :)
Of course I could make a donation to a local food bank. (I do anyway, a couple times a year.) But I want to do something specifically inspired by Emily.
Here's what I came up with:
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/
Click on the "donate" link on the top right corner.
I've decided that every time Emily acts like a fruitloop and selfishly decides that her wishes are more important than her children's comfort and well-being, I'm donating $10 to Planned Parenthood.
Who's with me?
~Lisa
Lisa,
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a great idea. Though I might send a box of Twinkies to Dna at Wal-Mart. Guy needs something fun in his life!
Off to PP I go!
What home is she talking about? The Yurt? The converted transport trailer? The shipping container? Snippy, snippy, snippy...
ReplyDeleteEmily said...
On the budget, the budget is set at $50 and that isn't changing. It is coming out of blog income, but I am sure my children would much rather we were able to build a real home quicker than have a more decked out room, so what I made from the blog is irrelevant except for the fact it is providing the $50. Thank you blog readers for making this make-over possible, but isn't having a home and yard more valuable to my kids than a certain mattress? Thus, I am not using more blog income for a temporary redesign.
February 16, 2010 4:08 PM
Emily is possibly the most passive aggressive person I have ever seen! "Come and redo my boys' room!" Then she knocks down any idea that wasn't something in her narrow set of guidelines. Stop wasting your time on this one people! I, too, am beginning to think this is all a fake.
ReplyDeleteugh. ugh. ugh. i have really tried to be kind to emily, view her as intelligent and trying to have a successful, alternative life style. but the boys room was the end of that.
ReplyDelete$50 budget? those children need beds! and for the love not mats. she's trying to be like that woman who has a gazillion kids and is planning on moving them into one bedroom-the shoe, or whatever. while that lady has some creative ideas and a strong conservative moral set...i don't like her sleeping ideas either. because kids need freakin' beds!!! NOT MATS! not pissy crib mattresses without sheets.
and the shoe people at the least, have the ability to expand and develop their home to meet their ever growing family. (though i think they need to stop growing for now and start expanding).
she is obsessive in the kitchen and hard working (it seems) to have this weird but in her mind healthy diet. budgets it to within a fraction of a cent. she does the work of cloth diapers and hand washes or now wonder washes them. that has to be more work, or just leaves nasty, dirty diapers. but washing crib sheets is too much work?
i felt badly for her when she posted that she loved the boys room-full of color and fun in her mind and got blasted. but still-her own lack of compassion and sense got in the way. and using sheets was too much work? how about putting a diaper on her boy at night? rocket science.
she doesn't live in a 3rd world country. why is that even part of her thought process? she doesn't even live in an alternative home like a yurt or whatever. she's crammed into a regular, old, american, everyday, apartment. it's not exotic nor is she. and i'm sure there is a law as to how many people can live in a 2 bedroom apartment.
and truly frugal people, i know some of them, and what she is claiming as a frugal lifestyle is shameful. frugal does not equal cheap. frugal people appreciate quality items!
i agree that going to dan via school or work, or the church, or even her family is an idea. i'd hate to think of a state agency involved. but for the love...she is really pushing it.
Frugal Snippy Bitch wrote:
ReplyDeleteOn the budget, the budget is set at $50 and that isn't changing. It is coming out of blog income, but I am sure my children would much rather we were able to build a real home quicker than have a more decked out room, so what I made from the blog is irrelevant except for the fact it is providing the $50. Thank you blog readers for making this make-over possible, but isn't having a home and yard more valuable to my kids than a certain mattress? Thus, I am not using more blog income for a temporary redesign.
My thoughts, which I sent to her, though worded in a much nicer way:
It's not about a redesign. No one gives a flying fuck if your children have cars or bears or giant asparagus stalks drawn on the walls. All anyone is saying is that your children deserve decent and real bedding: not straw, yoga mats or whatever freaky shit your twisted mind comes up with. People care enough that they've offered to provide it for you and you turned them down. What good is making money blogging if it doesn't go towards your family's well being? What the fuck is this wackadoodle fruitloop trying to prove?
Yeah, I know I cursed a lot but she's is really pissing me off. Either she's completely around the bend mentally or she's doing this crap to fuck with us.
so.....big dna won't be graduating until 2011, possibly 2012. At least one more victim, I mean baby (probably more) will be along by then. Much of the money they've saved will go towards midwife bills - didn't she say this past was $3000?
ReplyDeleteThat means those poor children will be sleeping on thin pieces of foam rubber (if they're lucky) for another 2 years. How fortunate for them. I'm sure that will make for many happy childhood memories. Maybe, if they're lucky, little dna and booby will make a new friend whose parents are all about sleepovers in nice normal beds with sheets, pillows and blankets.
I wonder what color the sky is in our Em's world?
First $10 Planned Parenthood donation - done. The cool thing is, the company I work for matches donations 100% of employees, so my $10 will turn into $20. All because Emily is a selfish, passive-aggressive, snippy, know-nothing know-it-all.
ReplyDeleteThat felt good! I'll be watching Emily, and PP becomes $20 richer every time I feel like you're sacrificing your boys' safety, comfort, or health over your own wishes.
I hope this pledge doesn't bankrupt me. Hahah!
~Lisa
When we were going through our adoption homestudy, IL's definition of a bedroom for a child was 36 square feet per child, with a closet. I honestly don't believe kids need to play in their bedrooms, but they need an area to sleep (with a real bed) and they need space to keep their clothes (like...a dresser? Or a closet? I know, it's a crazy concept). Toys can be kept elsewhere. If you have more than one child in a room, they each need at least 36 square feet to thrive.
ReplyDeleteAnd to the PP who is adopting, I know where you're coming from. I hate seeing these children being abused when I personally know 5 women who would jump at the chance to raise all three of them.
Gizmola, do the box of food, if anything. You know she will hang that mattress up by some bycycle hooks about the crib and use it as a loft for Brad. There are free mattresses all over CL, it's not a big deal for her to get one. She's just excercising individuality. Whereas, I imagine the box of food can only be used the one way, and has a shot. That's prety awesome of you.
ReplyDeleteif you want to send her a mattress-check overstock.com-I linked her one that was an organiz crib size mattress-but it would be 40 per mattress and she said 50 was the limit.
ReplyDeleteNewest Snip from the Fungal Fundie...
ReplyDeleteEmily said...
Elizabeth, I have no plan to spend any money on artwork, I plan to MAKE artwork AND furniture. I think people are stuck in a "buying" mindset but that is not what I have in mind for this redesign AT ALL.
February 16, 2010 4:31 PM
By "make furniture" does she mean the straw stuffed sheet? She's a nutter.
Emily said...
ReplyDeleteOn the budget, the budget is set at $50 and that isn't changing. It is coming out of blog income, but I am sure my children would much rather we were able to build a real home quicker than have a more decked out room, so what I made from the blog is irrelevant except for the fact it is providing the $50. Thank you blog readers for making this make-over possible, but isn't having a home and yard more valuable to my kids than a certain mattress? Thus, I am not using more blog income for a temporary redesign
Umm, NO. A mattress is a necessity and you can take it with you dumbass. When you have the bigger house you can put them on the same mattresses. So, the mattresses are not temporary. And come on now. Do you think spending an extra $100 is going to hinder your plans to build a house, yurt, or whatever? Really, this is your argument? I mean come on now, you are talking about $50 or $100. If you are going to try to be intelligent at least make an intelligent argument. Don't even get me started about how a mattress makes a room "decked out".
I too think Miss Emily is a fraud. This is all a hoax.
I had to go check the comments on this one - As much as I loathe clicking her site the comments here alone got me all riled up. I've never felt compelled to send her a comment until today - I doubt she'll publish it. I am in a rage here..
ReplyDeleteReally Emily - Enough, these are your kids we're talking about. You're cramming 3 babies in a storage closet - My bathroom is nearly the same size as their "bedroom" I wouldn't even place my 13 pound dog in there and expect her to thrive. Stop being so cheap, buy your kids real bedding - I don't give a rats hind end about the decor, the crazy fabric hung all willy nilly, or the frightening horse that would give me nightmares for life..(I thought you couldn't paint) - But please for the love of all that's pure & holy get your children proper bedding not nap mats or horse feed... Real BEDS.. If you can't or wont provide the basics for your kids, STOP having them!!
Here Emily, stuff you can buy with your Amazon Gift Certificates:
ReplyDeleteTrundle bed for the boys $229
http://www.amazon.com/Santa-Cruz-Trundle-Toasted-Pecan/dp/B000PAWYYK/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1266356313&sr=8-19
Mattresses, 139.99x2= $279.98
http://www.amazon.com/Comfort-Classic-Gentle-Firm-Mattress/dp/B001QXH33M/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1266356397&sr=1-4
Waterproof Mattress protector, 9.98x2= $19.96
http://www.amazon.com/Newpoint-Terry-Waterproof-Mattress-Protector/dp/B001U3ZLIW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1266356451&sr=1-1
Twin sheet set, 12.88x2= $25.76
http://www.amazon.com/Divatex-Home-Fashions-Microfiber-Bronze/dp/B002EB01E8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1266356638&sr=1-2
Twin Fleece Blanket 14.99x2= $29.98
http://www.amazon.com/Martex-Super-Fleece-Blanket-Ivory/dp/B000VW4CQA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1266356708&sr=1-1
Pillows 2 for $11.99
http://www.amazon.com/American-Textile-200-Thread-Count-Cotton-Protector/dp/B0017020K0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1266356794&sr=1-2
Total: $566.69. It's not wasted money Emily, it can all be moved with you. You could even save money buying sheets at Goodwill or garage sales.
This right here is the MINIMUM of what your children need. The bare MINIMUM. Anything less and they are treated worse than most household pets.
It just makes me crazy that Emily has become the face of the quiverful/frugal movement. AHH! That is NOT what we all look like. My family is working to become debt free (so close!) and we make sure that our housing needs are met any time our family expands. If we need to buy a bed, we buy a bed. We don't hoard money! A bed is a necessity.
ReplyDeleteRight now we only have 2 children (I'm pregnant with the 3rd) but we're already talking about how to best utilize space for the kids and when it might be time to move to a larger house. Right now we have 3 bedrooms, but we're thinking that we need at least 4 moving forward so that we can have a boys room, a girls room, and and a play room.
Sorry, I'm rambling now! I just want to say that there are so many people who live frugal lifestyles without putting their children at risk. Please don't think we're all like her.
Hmm.. I looked up Emily on White pages and the county website.. they own whatever they live in. Landlord? Can anyone explain?
ReplyDeleteOh and as for 4 bedrooms being frugal. My dad and his family live in a lake house (essentially one of those pre-built houses). His mortgage is 400/month for a nice 4 bedroom house. He has a huge kitchen, a good size living room, two full baths, a laundry room, and then 4 good size bedrooms.
ReplyDeleteYeah, he doesn't have marble counter tops or stainless steel appliances, but those things AREN'T important. Beds on the other hand...
Emily, you have options. I think that your apartment can be used in such a way that you have enough room, but just know that there are other housing options available when the time comes to move.
It never made a lot of sense to me that that room was a closet- it's in an odd place. With an entrance from the kitchen, it's away from the bedroom and main living area.
ReplyDeleteI think it's the laundry room. I just went and measured mine, and the dimensions are 6'2" x 8. Makes sense too that there are only a couple small storage shelves- I have some that run the length of the wall over the washer and dryer, but they're different than the ones in our closets. (No clothing rods.)
I think that crap on the walls is hiding washer/dryer hookups.
Hmmm- I am getting a Clark Nielsen as the owner of their property when searching tax assessor sites....
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteon their cities website you can email the caseworker for health and human services.
ReplyDeleteI never thought about it being a laundry room. Spot on. That's what the hideous tree is hiding.
ReplyDeleteEven scarier than a closet.
Gizmola, please check your emails ;)
ReplyDeleteI don't think there is a window in that "room". It is only a response to those who are claiming the room is a closet.
ReplyDeleteIt could be a laundry room or a closet. It is not, however, a bedroom. I don't believe for a second there is a window in there.
damn. wrong state.
ReplyDeleteShe says that the "tree" is an old "chimmney or something". It's probably definetely a dryer exhaust pipe.
ReplyDelete"I want to avoid mattresses because the chemicals used in them can create a toxic mold that could be related to what happened to my son."
ReplyDeleteThere are no words...
They should be getting several thousand back in taxes with three children.
ReplyDeleteThey get about $5k back in taxes and that's what they "say" they use for DNA's Holy Basement Bible School tuition.
ReplyDeleteSteve-
ReplyDeleteThey give all that money over to the church of the holy basement. Screw the kids!
They do get several thousand back. That is what they use to pay the tuition at the Bible College of The Holy Basement.
ReplyDeleteInteresting how 99% of the Western world sleeps on conventional mattresses and we're not all falling into comas...
ReplyDeleteYes, Steve but they use THAT money to pay for Dan's "college education" and to take care of their yearly "tithing."
ReplyDeleteIs it just me, or does "close to 300 pounds" not seem like enough for two adults? I've seen pictures of Dna, he is pretty tall. And Emily is on the plumper side. Even if she is very very short, that still doesn't leave much room left in that "close to 300" for Dna. I'm guessing he's still very underweight, whatever she says.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I are of average weight, average - tall in height, and combined weigh well over 300.
Just measured my laundry room and it is exactly that size. Wow! That is a small space for 2-3 kids. Smaller than a jail cell. I don't see how you could fit more than a single twin bed in there with anything else.
ReplyDeleteCould Dan and Emily's bed even fit in there? If it could I bet it would take the entire space wall to wall. That is an extremely small space even for 1 child let alone 2.
ReplyDeleteI left a comment telling her she should do some research if she's thinking about hay mattresses and how hay can spontaneously combust if it gets too much moisture.
ReplyDeleteand told her she wouldn't have to worry about being such a selfish bitch if that happened, because then she wouldn't have to spend any money at all.
What she needs is not charity, she needs CPS to take the children away, and then somebody to go in there and remove her large head from her ass, and kick it with their foot.
My suggestion (and sorry if someone else already suggested this, I didn't read through all 118 comments) is that they sleep in the living room, the kids get their room, and the "bedroom" is used as a much-needed storage room.
ReplyDeleteAnon at 6:19, that is an excellent suggestion and one which any parent would do. Many suggested it, but Emily refuses to give up her room.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering now where their water heater is. And their actual heating/ac unit.
ReplyDeleteWe've never seen those in her pictures. An old chimney or something, my ass.
I have ordered and sent an organic covered crib mattress to Dan's attention. I know she'll probably sell it or use it to press cheese or something but at least I can sleep at night now. With the crib mattress Daniel is sleeping on and the new one that means each child has a mattress (one for Daniel, one for Bobby and one in the crib for Thomas). I'm still putting a care package of junk food together (with a bag of oranges). I would've bought a regular twin sized mattress but I just don't have a ton of money right now. With shipping I could just afford one. I know some won't agree with me but I couldn't just do nothing whatsoever. I had to try. Those poor children deserve more than a sheet filled with straw, a dog crate, a piece of cardboard or whatever new fucked up thing her wackadoodle mind comes up with.
ReplyDeleteDoes she not realize she can MOVE WITH A MATTRESS? It doesn't have to be an either/or thing. Unreal. Literally, unreal. I don't believe it. I just don't. Nobody that intelligent can be that stupid.
ReplyDeleteAw, that's super sweet of you Gizmola. No matter what happens, you did something good.
ReplyDeleteOh, oops, I missed anonymous 4:40's comment until I hit send. :S
ReplyDeleteThanks, Under1000. I knew you were against it but...well, maybe the fact of a real, live mattress, the actual embodiment of a stranger caring more about her children than she does will trigger something in her mind. Or she'll just cut it up into pieces, throw it into the crockpot and let the kids munch on it. At least they'd get some kind of fiber in their system.
ReplyDeleteAnon at 5:05 suggested that the room was a laundry room. If you go back and look at the pictures it makes sense. The rug that is over the "window" is sticking out a bit, like there is something coming out of the wall there. And the "tree" is covered with some sort of fabric at the trunk.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be nice if she actually used this room for a laundry room? With a real washer and dryer? And I bet all their clothes could be kept in there and the boys could sleep in the real bedroom on real beds with warm flannel sheets. Her and dna can sleep in the hall for all I care. Better yet on yoga mats in the hall.
Very thoughtful, Gizmola. Who knows where it will end up, but even if she gives it away, it might do good for somebody.
ReplyDeletePLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PEOPLE STOP CLICKING ON HER BLOG!! YOU CAN GET ALL THE POST HERE AND IT IS NOT LIKE SHE IS GOING TO POST YOUR COMMENTS. IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE COMMENTS 1 PERSON COULD COPY/PASTE ONCE A DAY.
ReplyDeleteIt is apprent she is not using any of her blog $$$ to help her family. Let's not feed into her mental illness anymore.
As an architect by training (but now a SAHM) I keep reviewing the pictures and her claims of the room's dimension. Depending on the size of the "door," it is entireably possible that a twin bed cannot fit in there. They probably assembled the crib inside the room, because I do not think you could get it through the door. This is clearly a closet or a laundry room. At the most, depending on the age of the building and the location, this may have been a pantry storage or study. It is NOT a bedroom.
ReplyDeleteStraw mats, nothing! She could use bath towels that they already have, just wash with 2 soap nuts ($.0013 per person) and use free ketchup and mustard packets to dye the towels fun colors! The boys can help! Then they have super-fun towels to sleep on, or "bedtime rugs."
ReplyDeleteExcept they probably don't use towels. They dry off with leaves.
It doesn't matter really when Dan graduates from Basement Bible College, he's not going to find a church to take him as the pastor without having at MINIMUM a Masters of Divinity. When you see these one off churches being led by a high school drop out, they are churches that they've started in their homes and grown from there. If you want to pastor for an established denomination, you really need way more than the Basement Bachelor's.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone else wonder what the midwife thought when she came into that home to deliver a baby? I mean, I wonder if the midwife had to sterilize the place before they delivered.
ReplyDeleteI would love to know what was running through that woman's mind!
Anon at 7:49, there is a pic of her midwife and assistant somewhere, and they both have a look of disgust on their faces.
ReplyDeleteI say donate to Razing Ruth (most of you know her from FreeJinger). An upstanding and struggling young woman, fighting the odds to escape her old life and start anew.
ReplyDeleteI don't know her in real life and imagine this will embarrass her but really...a good one to donate to! and send junk food--what college student doesnt like junk food? lol
annie
Here is my latest comment. I'm trying to talk some sense into her. I doubt it will be posted though:
ReplyDeleteEmily - if you're going to get alarmist about the mattresses, are you also concerned about the amount of plastic that is in the toys in their room?
I personally do not worry about mattresses - I use mattress protectors and realize that if I worried about toxins from the mattress I would also have to worry about it in my couches, carpets, rugs, chairs, etc. You can't eliminate it and I can pretty much gaurantee that the mattress isn't what caused your son's coma.
But plastic toys - just google the dangers - could be just as dangerous. Why not get rid of all of those too? And then you would need to get rid off all of your cookware that contains plastic. And I also read about stainless steel cookware not even being safe anymore. What type of nipples do you use on your sippy cups and bottles? You may need to toss those. And clothing - is yours made entirely out of organic cotton, because I heard that is a cause for concern.
You see the slippery slope here? You have to draw the line somewhere. I am someone who is very concerned about the health of my family and do what I can to avoid toxins in our environment. But there comes a point where you have to say that the comfort and quality of your life is more important. Get the boys a mattress.
Here's your answer Scottish Twins
ReplyDeleteEmily said...
stephanie, we have a several thrift stores and two freecycles in my area.
Scottish Twins, I am quite concerned about plastic and don't buy my kids many plastic toys, but family members do and the boys love them. There are some things I can control, like mattresses, and there are a lot of comfortable alternatives to factory made mattresses. I cannot control what loved ones buy for my kids though. That's a great place to draw the line, with what you can and cannot control. Also, if you know what caused my sons illness, I would love to know, as would the dozen or so doctors that spent a week trying to figure it out.
February 16, 2010 8:16 PM
Am I the only one who can control what toys come in and out of my home?
ReplyDeleteI'm late to the party but my suggestion is to cut Brad the wonder E-Coli dog open like the mammoth creature in Star Wars and stuff the kids into his belly for warmth.
ReplyDeleteBut in all seriousness, she has no intention of giving those children any semblance of a child’s bedroom.
Ok, wait. If her standard is she doesn't control what she doesn't buy, we can just buy mattresses and send them to her right?
ReplyDeleteSounds good.
So let me get this straight. Toys are so important & beloved, that she's willing to risk the toxins in the plastic. A mattress however (which they make organic, by the way, ya frootloop), nah, not important enough.
ReplyDeleteAi yai yai, I really hope she's not actually considering straw mattresses! Seriously, mold galore in that - I know, because I have lots of animals. It is very difficult to find straw that is truly clean to begin with, and a week or two of damp turns it moldy super fast. In the old days when people made straw tick mattresses they had a specific way of doing it, including LOTS of fabric to keep the straw from jabbing you. They also, I believe, went out and cut the grass for the straw themselves so as to make sure it was super clean. Also, I truly hope she doesn't do the hammock thing - I adore hammocks and grew up in a place that used them a lot, so I even know how to make one from scratch, but a. This country's houses are not set up for supporting hammocks b. finding hammocks that would fit in THAT little closet? Ha ha. and c. Making a hammock from scratch is NOT frugal, at least not if you're buying your own yarn/string. If it was I would make hammocks a lot as it was fun.
ReplyDeleteScottish Twins, I can mostly control what sort of toys come into my house. I can totally control what sort of toys (and how many) stay in my house.
ReplyDeleteJudging by the picture she posted, a twin bed would fit in there, but not much else beyond a bookcase or other similar shelves. If she got a bed with drawers underneath or otherwise used the underbed space for clothes, she wouldn't need much more storage than that anyway.
She is just contrary for the sake of being contrary and driving up blog revenue.
So wait, she's having her readers do the work for her?
ReplyDeleteGizmola, you are seriously too sweet. Please keep us updated on how she responds - if at all - to you, once she receives it. I really fear that she's going to freecycle it. Which will break my heart.
ReplyDelete~Lisa
How on earth does she think she can hypothetically fit 13 kids in that apartment when she cannot provide appropriate sleeping arrangements for the 3 she has? She is seriously delusional!
ReplyDeleteShe is delusional..
ReplyDeleteEmily said...
Andrea and Lize, I was think of using two foam bed tops with a sheet over them. I could cut them and sew a cover so that they could fold into a seat, or just have them on the floor flat.
Anon, it is the chemicals in baby mattresses that pose the most risk.
That is downright scary
ReplyDeletesaid...
AnnMarie, I find my son on the floor half the time as well. I think he might get up and play then fall asleep right where he is. Too cute!
Here's a comment that she looooves
ReplyDeleteRobyn said...
you can make your own natural, chemical-free mattresses for under $35. All you need is fabric and fresh, dry straw:
http://small-scale.net/yearofmud/2009/09/11/how-to-make-your-own-35-straw-mattress/
stack them against the wall during the day for more floor space or build a simple platform and store clothes and toys underneath in bins.
Emily said...
Robyn, I LOVE LOVE LOVE that idea, and may make one for Dan and I, too! I think I could just sew two sheets together to simplify the process and cut costs.
"It doesn't matter really when Dan graduates from Basement Bible College, he's not going to find a church to take him as the pastor without having at MINIMUM a Masters of Divinity."
ReplyDeleteNOT true. When my husband and I were in the ministry, he made $25k plus a $5k housing allowance with just a Bachelor's degree at a mid-size church. Nobody we graduated with (with just BA in ministry) had problems finding a middle class paying job. I don't think Dan will have problems finding a job. I think the church will eat Emily for lunch.
PS That was starting at his first full time job, too. Oh, yeah, and now he's actually my "ex husband." Oops. :S
ReplyDeleteHere;s her latest...
ReplyDeleteEmily said...
Scottish Twins et al, my boys don't have their face on a toy or couch for 10 hours a day. My son slept on and under a factory made mattress. Agree or disagree, they will not be part of our home. There are a lot of mattress alternatives that I am fine with. Dan and I are discussing how to replace our own mattress, but it will take more work as ours is bigger and we have underbed storage. Our boys are the first priority.
Anon, not true. Official submissions are via email. None of these comments are submissions. One submission via email will be chosen and implemented.
February 16, 2010 9:30 PM
Three things:
ReplyDelete1. Gizmola, you are a better person than I.
2. Someone posted a comment with sane advice on straw mattresses. If she goes this option, I hope she follows it.
3. For those of you who can't get enough comments, there is a feed, you know:
http://under1000permonth.blogspot.com/feeds/comments/default
Look! It's old timey Emily's house in black and white, just like the early days of her blog!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.shorpy.com/node/1570
We used straw bedding for our outside dogs in their doghouse. We had to change it every week. How in the hell does she think she's going to get a bale of straw in that tiny apt, store it, break it up and use it and not have a fire hazard.
ReplyDeleteBrains, Emily, it's what God gave you in your skull between your ears, use them. use them wisely. AAAAAAARGH.
That's interesting about the education requirements for the pastor. My church is searching for a pastor right now, and according to our governing denomination, we aren't allowed to consider anyone without a masters. I've belonged to several churches over the years and have seen pastors come and go (in a few different Christian denominations) and that was pretty much the gold standard. FWIW, the church I am a part of right now is a small farming community and out in the middle of nowhere and that makes no difference in the search process.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone else wonder if her landlord has seen her blog or has any idea what is going on in that apartment? I mean, STRAW beds, walls covered in holes from all the stuff hanging on them, bacteria "pets"...I really doubt they'll be getting their security deposit back. I'm kinda suprised they haven't been evicted.
ReplyDeleteI love how she ignores or disputes every comment except the absolute most batsh*t crazy one. I sware she does that on purpose, picks the most silly suggestion of all and goes ape over it. Straw is not comfy, its prickly and it hurts. It's like she's trying to be as Little House on the Prarie as possible.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand I also love Razing Ruth's blog. You can donate to me too! I'm a young mom living on my man's salary of $10 an hour :) hahaha just kidding. We aren't eating gloodles yet. But you can give my blog a clicky if you want to--http://livinginthegray2.blogspot.com/
Yes, this is shameless self-promotion.
Has anyone looked into, or know the occupancy codes for where she lives? That is only a one bedroom apartment with now 5 people in it.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Emily knows how many allergens are in hay? I live in the country, have a six stall horse barn and a ton of hay/straw. The dust alone can cause horrific allergic reactions.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure she's fully aware of what allergies her children have. This is such a bad idea. Freaking people in the middle ages used this as a last resort.
gizmola, you are so kind. i hope emily will put away her pride and snide attitude and accept the mattress and other care package.
ReplyDeleteshe is just not right in the head... at all.
if the boys room is not an actual bedroom, than i certainly can't imagine any code that permits 5 people in a one bedroom apartment.
Emily had no intention of letting a stranger have their way with her home. Of course her contest isn't going as planned.
ReplyDeleteIs that dumb bitch really trying to say that an old mattress was responsible for her son's coma? That is fucking stupid crazy.
I want to jump on the hoax bandwagon but I've known people who do stupid shit like Emily...I think she could be for real.
I am going to look into codes for the county she lives in and if they are violating any I am going to report them.
ReplyDeleteI have 2 dogs that eat better than those poor kids, their dog food has healthy ingred. with no fillers. They have a nice Warm house that my husband made them, its almost the size of those poor kids room. They have clean straw and they each have a blanket which I wash regularly. Our cat also has a similar setup. I wish someone would take those poor boys away from that crazy woman.
ReplyDeleteOh, and my dogs have 8 A to run around. And their house is in a closed in area by the house. After reading more comments, ITA that the "bedroom" is prob a laundry area.
Emily: I want to avoid mattresses because the chemicals used in them can create a toxic mold that could be related to what happened to my son.
ReplyDeleteEmily, you had one child sleeping on a bare mattress on the floor, under a crib. On the floor--where not only are cold drafts the strongest, but dust and mold and other crud are constantly stirred up. If little Dan was poisoned by toxic mold, it was because you had him sleeping down there, breathing all the crap stirred up by floor-level drafts. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.
Wake up, Emily--giving your kid a dog bed under the crib was never a clever use of space; it's stupidity and negligence on a dumbfounding level.
And now you don't want to give them real mattresses--even though you and Dan will continue to sleep on one--because you're suddenly so alarmed about some vague, remote potential for mold?
Really, Emily? You're so afraid of mold? Then keep you house clean. Keep your children's beds off the damned floor, use waterproof covers to ensure they don't end up pee-soaked, and provide fresh, clean (not WonderWashed!) bedding on a weekly basis. Do the rock-bottom basics of keeping a decent house fit for healthy human habitation, and you won't have moldy mattresses.
And if mold is your latest bogeyman, forget about straw. That's just too stupid for words.
On top of that, you've had another child sleeping in a crib set too high for his age, with dangerous shelves hanging directly over the crib itself, but you don't want a bunk bed because you believe little Dan is too small for one? Really, Emily? When did you become so concerned over basic safety?
And to top it all off, you believe that it's okay to cram three children into a 6x8' closet. That's 16 square feet of living/toy storage/closet space per child, in a room with a window that you probably never open. Would you sleep in such overcrowded, stuffy conditions yourself, Emily? Would you opt to sleep on a cheap foam pad on the floor and call it okay? No, you wouldn't. So why is this okay for your kids? Do you really have so little genuine love and concern for them that you'd let them sleep in conditions you refuse for yourself?
Think about that one, won't you?
(to be continued)
(cont'd)
ReplyDeleteSince you and Dan have a few power tools on hand, and you've already stated that you two have the skills needed to refurbish an old mobile home or put up a yurt, then come up with a safe, stable bunk arrangement that will get all of your children off the floor and onto proper beds. For little kids, you don't need to build a high bunk if you plan it carefully, and if you two are so handy you can always adjust it higher at a later date. And Those bunks could even have space underneath for storage bins containing clothes and toys. You want to show how genuinely skilled and resourceful you really are? There you go. Figure that one out.
And I say all this because things like real mattresses, raised off the floor, in an appropriately-sized bedroom free of dangerous clutter, with fresh, clean sheets on them, are not being recommended because we're all a bunch of brainwashed, materialistic, mindless consumers or easily-scandalized members of the bourgeoise. They are all being advocated so relentlessly because cleanliness, comfort, space, and adequate ventilation are all necessary for good physical (and mental) health. Sleeping on the floor amid dust and drafts, crammed into a stuffy closet with too many other occupants is unhealthy. And allowing unhealthy conditions in the present so you can nurture your pipe dream for an ideal future (which still includes too many kids crammed into too-small spaces) is just insane.
Making reasonable material sacrifices toward a goal is one thing. But forcing your children (who don't know any better) to live in substandard, unhealthy conditions (and on poor-quality food) because you spitefully want to be as unlike your mother as possible is unconscionable.
I personally am interested when she says she doesn't "buy" many plastic toys for her kids... she doesn't buy ANYTHING for those kids. Who is she kidding? When is the last time she bought them a toy, period? The used wallet at Christmas? The dollar puzzle? She infuriates me because she is flat out lying!! She changes her story time and time again. I really hope someone has really called CPS.
ReplyDelete"That's interesting about the education requirements for the pastor. My church is searching for a pastor right now, and according to our governing denomination, we aren't allowed to consider anyone without a masters. I've belonged to several churches over the years and have seen pastors come and go (in a few different Christian denominations) and that was pretty much the gold standard. FWIW, the church I am a part of right now is a small farming community and out in the middle of nowhere and that makes no difference in the search process."
ReplyDeleteIt may be a denominational thing. Or it could even be what colleges are nearby. An MDiv is really no different than a BA in Christian Ministries at schools around here. Some churches do prefer it, but it's because those churches don't really understand how it works. MDivs are really for people who got a Bachelor's degree in something else, usually at a secular university, and then want to go into the ministry. Well, that's how it is with Southern Baptist; maybe not for other denominations. My aunt was like that, though, with thinking any pastor should have an MDiv. It was annoying because the core curriculum of an MDiv conveyed no new information from a Bachelor's in ministry. In my specific state. So Dan and Emily could move down here, but please don't, because we already have the Duggars. ;)
Laura, I know you were just making a joke, but the Duggars are NOTHING like Emily and her crew. Yeah they're frugal and quiverful, but they more than provide for their family. Emily could only dream of being like Mrs. Duggar!
ReplyDeleteShe refused my comment too.
ReplyDeleteThe bedroom is an illegal bedroom. To be considered a bedroom there must be an egress window to the exterior of the building for a fire escape. The window also must provide natural daylight and ventilation (drafts are factored in the enginnering as part of the air changes per hour).
You also must have a closet to be considered a bedroom. This room IS the closet.
Well, Ive officially sucked my husband into this mess. He just called Emily's town's code enforcement office. The guy he talked to said that to be a legal bedroom it has to have a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide detector and a window leading to the outside. He also said there ARE square footage requirements but he wasnt sure what they were off the top of his head.
ReplyDeleteIs it possible that little Dan had carbon monoxide poisoning from sleeping next to a heater vent, under a crib, on the floor (it would form a little "pocket" of nasty air)?
ReplyDeleteEmily has obviously never spent much time around winter straw. You can't just go buy a bale of horse or animal bedding straw and put it in a mattress- if it gets wet in ANY way, it gets moldy and gross very quickly. Think of a drooling or leaky toddler sleeping on it. Unless you made a water proof cover around it, it's going to get nasty. You can't ventilate it properly if it's sewed up in a sheet. On top of that, cheap straw often harbors various bugs and creepy crawlies. There's a variety of worm that loves the stuff and comes out about a week after you leave a bale sitting around. This is just a horrible idea. If she's going to do this, she needs to wait until summer and get summer straw that's dry and aired. She'll also have to repeat this process every few weeks to keep up with the moisture in her apartment.
I know Emily is nothing like the Duggars. They have their own problems. I wouldn't want to live with either one of them. They are not immune to problem causing around here! Really the difference between the Duggars and Emily is that the Duggars accept donations from anyone and everyone. Jim Bob is almost as entitled as Kate Gosselin and almost as narcissistic and smug as Emily. The difference between the Gosselins and the Duggars is that the Duggars do it with a smile on their face and a thank you, Jesus.
ReplyDeleteI just plugged Emily's room into Ikea's roombuilder.
ReplyDeleteThat "bedroom" would fit a double bed with a bit of room left to spare.
It would also very easily fit a twin bunk system.
So she has two good options. Put in a bunk bed and give the kids the laundry room, or more in herself.
There's no reason for the mess she has right now.
But, Laura, the problem with Dan's "education" is that he is not going to an accredited school. He will not have a Bachelors when he is done. They will probably give him a nifty certificate.
ReplyDeleteChurches don't ask whether or not your school is accredited, and unaccredited schools give out Bachelor's degrees. Some big name Christian schools aren't accredited. Pensacola Christian isn't, for example, and some of their students go on to graduate school. They also don't have problems finding jobs. Preaching is sadly one of the easiest things to get into. Some preachers don't go to college at all. Will Dan be the next Rick Warren? Um, no!!! But I don't think he'll have a huge problem finding a job. There are preachers I went to school with that:
ReplyDelete1) Have Tourette's
2) Have MAJOR speech impediments
3) Are not attractive
4) Are not brilliant.
If you go for the smaller churches, you can turn any disability into "Look what God has helped me overcome!" So it may be a rural bivocational job at first, but he could get into a 100-200 person church if he works at it hard enough. Emily is going to be more of an impediment than his writing skills (as long as his speaking skills are better than his writing).
My epiphany of the day: my tiny front hall/entrance way, that is filled when my older three are all getting their winter gear on for school in the morning, is 4x13. 52 sqft. Bigger than the closet she wants 3 kids, plus toys, plus clothes, to sleep in every night.
ReplyDelete