Remember Emily and Dna?

[treemom]

When I was there, the meals were brought in by volunteers. Some were not what I would personally make, but they were nutritionally complete and also it is very nice to come home to a hot meal made by someone else after a day in the hospital. I certainly would not complain.

They are pretty much made by volunteers at all the houses,

[kaetrin]

Ahhh, the memories... I, too, found FJ in the Emily heyday. Never a dull moment, for sure! Also it made me love Gizmola.

[divadivine]

Criticizing the Ronald McDonald house? Pfft. Stupid bitch. I had to stay in one a few years ago when my son became seriously ill while visiting relatives in another state. They were so kind, they made it so easy for me to focus on my son. At this hospital, they even had a suite on the pediatrics floor that was furnished like a normal apartment and had food, laundry facilities, a television, a shower... so you did not have to go all the way back across the street to the Ronald McDonald house to get shit done. I buy McDonalds food occasionally and now have no guilt at all. Such a great program.

Word! Our choir director's daughter was born with a congenital heart defect and spent months in the hospital after her birth. RMH is right across the street from Riley Children's Hospital and they stayed there to be close to her after the first two heart surgeries. RMH also has a few suites located in Riley and they were able to stay there a few nights so they could be literally one floor below their daughter. RMH is amazing and they are the first to sing the praises of RMH and their staff. Even Kate Gosselin made sure to let everyone know how great RMH was when the family stayed there. Emily is just one of those people who wants to find something to complain about.

I work for an international non-profit. Many of our members/clubs serve RMH by making meals and donating items for families. It's a big deal here in Indianapolis because of Riley and the fact families come from around the world for lifesaving surgeries and stay at RMH.

[Jade]

I still can't believe the queen of gloodles and crock pot pizza bitched about the food at RMH

[Wolfie]

When I was there, the meals were brought in by volunteers. Some were not what I would personally make, but they were nutritionally complete and also it is very nice to come home to a hot meal made by someone else after a day in the hospital. I certainly would not complain.

Em and family's digestive systems were so messed up by what she called food, and the little that she fed, that the real food made them sick. IIRC, she was really annoyed that Dna ate so much of it.

[divadivine]

Em and family's digestive systems were so messed up by what she called food, and the little that she fed, that the real food made them sick. IIRC, she was really annoyed that Dna ate so much of it.

I bet Dna thought he'd died and gone to heaven being at RMH. They have snacks out and you can fix food any time of the day or night- the pantry is always open.

[lilah]

Do you guys remember when Emily was ragging on the Ronald McDonald house? The only entry I could find she was praising them.

http://under1000permonth.blogspot.com/2 ... hanks.html

[Nancy Drew]

"I love pasta. I've just switched out my failing baked bean experiments with a beloved pasta dish in my two week menu rotation."

First of all, I can't imagine what sort of monstrosities those "baked bean experiments" were. And second, I do remember her talking about her refusal to make beans because she didn't like them. She is one of the most bitter, smug bloggers I've ever come across. Does anyone remember the breakfast sandwiches she made? It was made with egg, smooshed dollar store sausage, no bread, and a quarter of an ounce of cheese. And her kids didn't even get the wonderful sausage!

[Sinister Rouge]

Do you guys remember when Emily was ragging on the Ronald McDonald house? The only entry I could find she was praising them.

http://under1000permonth.blogspot.com/2 ... hanks.html

Yeah, it was a few days later, in an entry titled (ironically) "The Imperfect Diet". And I quote:

"Monday, January 25, 2010

The Imperfect Diet

Dan and I have unique health goals. We aim for a Nourishing Traditions type diet with high animal protein. You may disagree with our health goals, and that is fine. I might disagree with yours as well.

We have never aimed for perfection. We eat out about once a week and aren't uptight at family gatherings and church potlucks. I will cater my meal slightly but will generally eat what's served. My husband will usually go nuts and eat pure crap.

During the week my son was in the hospital, we all ate pure crap. It was a week marked with white flour pasta and cookies. I could have put in some effort and made more food myself, but I didn't. There was no lacto-fermented salsa or soaked grain tortillas for a whole week.

We don't consider this a failure. Some of it was laziness. I didn't want to make three meals a day. Some of it was comfort food... the cookies. It wasn't a failure, though, because it was temporary.

We undid some of the things we had been working toward. Both Dan and I noticed a marked difference in our regularity. At first, I thought it was because we were using someone else's bathroom, but then I remembered the cookies. Rest assured, we have been doubling up on out lacto-fermented foods, and things are coming back to normal in the bathroom. "

Her child is comatose for days on end from a mystery illness and her main concern was that she wasn't crapping often enough.

under1000permonth.blogspot.com/2010/01/imperfect-diet.html

[Jessica]

I want to know what edition of Nourishing Traditions she owns. Because my copy emphasizes organic, pasture-fed animal protein, lots of vegetables (not 2 leaves to feed 4 people), and freshly-milled flour. NOT dollar store tube meat, 1/4 of a spaghetti squash split between a whole family, and flour sitting open on the top of the fridge to collect bugs...

Also, way to bite the hand that feeds you. I guess her mama never taught her to always be thankful and use manners. Where I come from, even if you hate a gift, you thank the giver endlessly.

[treemom]

As I recall she said she didn't use tube meat and didn't know what that was. Her meat was not made from or out of tubes.

[Gizmola]

OMG, treemom - yes, she got just apoplectic about us calling it tube meat. Hee hee. I still laugh about that every freaking time I see tube meat at the Kroger's.

My all time favorite post was the one about her "self-cleaning" house. And the whole post was about a magazine rack! Seriously. Plus, she talked about how much Dna liked to journal. Because he is such a terrific writer?? That was just delusion in the purest sense.

I admit that Emily and her special brand of crazy really helped me through a terrible time in my life. So I have a real soft spot for her and poor Dna.

Ahhh, the memories... I, too, found FJ in the Emily heyday. Never a dull moment, for sure! Also it made me love Gizmola.

kaetrin, thanks for the love though I'm not sure what I did to deserve it.

[outrunningzombies]

I've got to giggle that her biggest issue was the food at the Ronald McDonald House. When I did my peds rotation, part of a floor of the hospital was set aside for the RMH. Parents could get a room for an afternoon or for the whole night. It was common knowledge that some parents who weren't married (or who were married to other people) were hooking up in the afternoons. At one point, I suggested that a very tired mom take a nap at the RMH and we would call her if anything changed. She said "Oh, I don't want people to think I'm screwing around on my husband."

Maybe people in my city are just trashier than the ones in Maine?

[treemom]

I've got to giggle that her biggest issue was the food at the Ronald McDonald House. When I did my peds rotation, part of a floor of the hospital was set aside for the RMH. Parents could get a room for an afternoon or for the whole night. It was common knowledge that some parents who weren't married (or who were married to other people) were hooking up in the afternoons. At one point, I suggested that a very tired mom take a nap at the RMH and we would call her if anything changed. She said "Oh, I don't want people to think I'm screwing around on my husband."

Maybe people in my city are just trashier than the ones in Maine?

Lol, yeah I don't think that is happening at our rmh!

[emmyfair]

Her child is comatose for days on end from a mystery illness and her main concern was that she wasn't crapping often enough.

Holy hell. If my child were in the hospital for such grave reasons, I don't think I'd even notice the food, if I were able to eat under the stress. I'd just be thankful it was there. Emily is so self-absorbed, I guess it had to be all about her, even when it should have been all about her son.

[ChickeyMonkey]

I was up until 2:30 am reading the craziness. I just got to the point in the old thread where she shows up to defend herself. I am so tired now. Good thing I don't need to make any cheese in an old dress today - just sit at work and try not to get caught nodding off.

Edited to Add:

Dna writes exactly like my mother does. She's a hairdresser, and not dumb. But, she probably has dyslexia - my cousin and sister both do. My sister had early intervention for it, and my cousin could fake it until college, where she got help. A bunch of our other cousins probably have it as well. My mom went to catholic schools, where they just hit you instead of trying to figure out why you can't write.

How did your cousin fake not having dyslexia until college? That sounds incredibly exhausting and frustrating for your cousin.

Because of Dna's issues with written language, I snickered when I read that he put "American English" as languages he knows. I know; I'm mean.

What really bothers me about those sleeping pictures (besides what everyone else has pointed out) is the position of the bed to the window. Now, I like my bed either right next to a window or across from one, but those low-built windows are a tragedy waiting to happen. One woman on another message board lost her 3 year old son because he fell out of a low window while everyone was napping. All Emily's kids had to do what lean up against the window or roll over, or something like that. Aren't there building codes now stating that windows have to be a certain amount of space from the ground because of incidents like kids falling out of windows that are too low?

[smores]

Aren't there building codes now stating that windows have to be a certain amount of space from the ground because of incidents like kids falling out of windows that are too low?

How recent would these codes be? In my last rental, the windows were very low (normal sized windows, like 32x44 or what have you) and the place was built in 2003.

[Patsy]

OMG, treemom - yes, she got just apoplectic about us calling it tube meat. Hee hee. I still laugh about that every freaking time I see tube meat at the Kroger's.

Was it Emily who said "Yes, my sons do sleep in a bedroom. It is a room that has beds in it and that makes it a bedroom! Saying they sleep in a bedroom was not lying or misleading by implying that it was actually a room up to code and intended for that." Or was this another mother with children sleeping in a closet?

[Clementine]

When I was there, the meals were brought in by volunteers. Some were not what I would personally make, but they were nutritionally complete and also it is very nice to come home to a hot meal made by someone else after a day in the hospital. I certainly would not complain.

A FJ-member volunteers at a RMD house and she wrote what they had cooked the last time she was there. It sounded delicious and they served veggie food every day.

If Emily HAD to have some lacto-fermented salsa, why didn't she just go to the nearest store to buy a jar of sauerkraut or lacto-fermented cabbage or carrots. They are sold everywhere here and are $3 for a jar. And you only need two tablespoons per day so I guess that she basically would have veggies for her whole family for one week from that jar. ;)

[ChickeyMonkey]

How recent would these codes be? In my last rental, the windows were very low (normal sized windows, like 32x44 or what have you) and the place was built in 2003.

I did a quick google search for my state (CA), and it looks like the windows don't have to be that far from the ground. I found this interesting article that isn't very long, which was written by a building inspector here in CA. It's an easy read (if you're curious) and gives insight from the perspective of a building inspector. http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2009-03-19/article/32497?headline=About-the-House-Taking-a-Look-at-California-s-New-Building-Codes

There should be requirements for windows on the inside of houses, not just the outside.

[fancypants]

Was it Emily who said "Yes, my sons do sleep in a bedroom. It is a room that has beds in it and that makes it a bedroom! Saying they sleep in a bedroom was not lying or misleading by implying that it was actually a room up to code and intended for that." Or was this another mother with children sleeping in a closet?

I know Candy had her daughter sleeping in a closet and her "reasoning" was much the same.

[aelar]

I have an old CA Victorian, with second floor windows that are fairly low, and what we were told is that when we replace the windows, if the top of the window sill is less than 18 inches from the ground, the window pane needs to be tempered glass (reduces the chances of someone falling against the window and having it give way). Our windows are right on the edge of that, including the ones in the nursery. We don't need the tempered glass in most of them, but it still gives me nightmares thinking about my baby climbing up and falling through a screen. So we're replacing the windows with double-hung so that they can be opened from the top for air, leaving the lower pane in place to prevent falls.

I don't know that I agree with the building code article about being concerned about low windows and changing the code to require higher ones. I actually really like the height of our windows (though furniture placement is a bit awkward) because they let in a lot of light and give the rather small rooms we have a much airier feel. I wouldn't want to replace them with smaller windows, even aside from the fact that it would ruin the character of the house to do so. They didn't feel dangerous to me until my daughter was born and between the tempered glass and using double-hung so we can secure the bottom pane when she's small, I think they'll be perfectly safe. Raising standard window height to 42 inches would make a normal house feel oppressively closed in, in my opinion, and kids could still climb on furniture and fall out. There is a difference between balconies, where the rail is the only thing stopping someone from falling, and windows, where the glass itself provides a protective barrier.

I've lived in a house built in the 20s or so, and it had a few windows in the living room that were even lower, maybe a foot or eight inches, and again, they didn't bother me, and instead were a feature I rather liked. It really did bring lovely light and views into the interior of the rooms. We have the technology to make these types of windows safer, and no matter how high you make a window, a determined child can put themselves in danger. A low window, but double-hung and secured on the bottom, seems far safe to me than a higher, smaller window but able to be opened from the bottom.

But of course, it's likely that Emily's slumlord didn't pay the extra for tempered glass and double-hung. It's spendy.

[Patsy]

I know Candy had her daughter sleeping in a closet and her "reasoning" was much the same.

That must've been the one. Thanks!

[moreorlessnu]

We call those dumplings at my house... only to be serve with chicken and dumplings. If they come out lumpy you're doing it wrong. I don't know about this fundie, but from what I have read in the thread her blog should be titled "Life:I'm doing it wrong".

I saw dumplings being made on the Food Network last night. Flour, water, maybe salt ,and lard to give them good flavor. When you make pasta, you add egg for flavor, and to hold it together. Emily's flour and water paste must have been horribly tasteless.

As for the food at the RMH, I think Emily finally backtracked and said nutritious food was available but she and Dan chose to eat cookies and other junk food out of the stress they were undergoing. But, her initial post did come off as though she was criticizing the RMH food.

[treemom]

Was it Emily who said "Yes, my sons do sleep in a bedroom. It is a room that has beds in it and that makes it a bedroom! Saying they sleep in a bedroom was not lying or misleading by implying that it was actually a room up to code and intended for that." Or was this another mother with children sleeping in a closet?

That was candy. And she was talking about her daughter. I always thought too much was made of that particular issue, candy had enough crazy to go around without focusing on the walking closet bedroom.