Jim leads off this episode with an update from coaching. We had a very emotional high school graduation day. (Trigger Warning/Disclaimer: This conversation includes a brief discussion about a recent unexpected death of one our kids' classmates.) Soaking in quality family time where and when it presents itself. Parting ways... with things, with time, with control... Jim's oral cavity update. And finally, Gen Xer's and orange Triaminic?

Happy 100th episode to us! Today's yoga lesson asked us to consider the concept of improving self over proving self. A few years ago, we started watching the show Couple's Therapy and this week we rediscovered it. Have you seen it? We absolutely love this show, and we think you will too. You'll surely identify with many of the couples on the show, as have we. We dig into that here. Jim asks his wife about some of her experiences working with couples and what she really admires about the show's therapist and her treatment approach. We saw Hozier twice this week! It was amazing. A family quest of Dungeons and Dragons kicked off this week, as did all things high school graduation. Please enjoy this episode.

This conversation is really quite loaded with a lot of honesty, tears, frustrations, perseverance, and gratitude. Listen if you dare.

Enjoy!

This episode was originally posted on 12/31/2022

Listen to some live, real-time conversation about where we are today, how we got here and what's in store in the new year for each of us.

Jim has decided to start seeing a Jungian life coach and in preparation for that, he is beginning to record his dreams. His first dream focuses on brick and mortar... R style vs J style, electrical unions...confronting bullies, and face cream in a mirror. Wild stuff. Do your dreams have a theme? Do you ever dream about being unprepared for a college final exam, not knowing your high school locker combo, being forced to return to an old job that you hated or being thrust from a moving car on a kayak and thrown into a river? How about being forced back into a first marriage and pining for your current one? Could reoccurring dreams about our home really be a reoccurring dream about our blissfully blended family? What does all of this mean?! We don't know, but we have fun talking about possible explanations. Enjoy!

Have you taken your D & D character test? We are D & D curious. We know just about nothing about D & D but we might try and learn more. Maybe. Jim's wife answered a call to duty this week, and Jim did not. Yet, he scored higher on the D & D character level portion of the character test. How did our responses to calls to duty impact our D & D character results? How honest do you think his answers really were? ; ) Barefoot running gone wrong. We had a lovely and enjoyable and introspective Mother's Day over here that started with an attitude from Jim, a tasty breakfast and an intense yoga experience.

This episode was originally posted on 12/28/2023.

Our love story with this old house.

This episode was originally released on 12/28/2023

Podcast insecurities, setting boundaries, relationship dynamics, and some.

Sound baths and blue eyed white wolves. On boobs and telepathy with David Sedaris. The Fifth Agreement- Share it with Your Kids. Grieving Sue Johnson, Emotion Focused Couple's Therapist. Why does Jim clean the bathroom sink with his bare hands but leave the countertops soiled and grubby? Validation, when it gets contentious... Our respective curricula of the week. Can You Do Religion Wrong?

Hello! Today Jim and his wife are talking about the tension of opposites. Where is it showing up and what is going on? Jim's wife dreamt about her greatest parenting fears and it presented as a game of high school water wars. Non dominant hand drawing, and barefoot running- let's go! Turn signals. Age and attraction. The second wives' club; calling out double standards? And finally, as we continue to prepare for an emptier nest, we continue to reflect on observations we have about step family life from over the years and how so very unnecessary so many things have been. It's also so very lovely to be where we are. Enjoy!