Q&A w/ The Puzzle Queens AKA My Daughter, Gretchen, and Me!

This week’s episode is extra special — because my guest is my daughter, Gretchen! 💛

We talk about life through the lens of an 11-year-old: what she’s loving, learning, and navigating right now. She even flips the script and asks me a few questions. 

We laugh a lot, get real about growing up, and wrap it all up with our favorite game: Would You Rather.

Whether you’re a fellow mom, a curious listener, or someone raising tweens, this one is full of heart (and some hilarious moments). 

It’s a keepsake for me — and a time capsule of the girl she is right now.

We hope you like it!🎙️💕

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

You're listening to Real and Naturalish, the podcast where we evolve and own the glow up in real time. I'm your host, Natasha Pearson. Welcome back to the show. I am so excited. I have a very good one for you today, but I wanted to record this episode because if you are a mom listening right now, do you ever have those moments where you just feel like time is passing by so fast, life is changing so fast, and then you look back and it's all so blurry. That is kind of how I'm feeling right now. So I have four kids, and my youngest is about to turn three in a couple of weeks, and he is so cute right now, you know, learning how to talk, learning to be more independent. And then I have my oldest who is Gretchen, and she just turned 11 over the summer. And it is so interesting to see the differences in my relationships with my kids and how they evolve over time. I mean, when they're younger, they need so much from you. They need you to change their diaper and their clothes and make all their meals. And then it seems like overnight they just become so independent, and your relationship changes from disciplining them and doing everything to them more to mentoring them and guiding them and watching them become their own people. And your relationship, I feel like, just gets so much deeper. And I feel like that's really where I am at with my daughter Gretchen right now, where it, yes, I miss, I miss the young days. I miss when she was a baby, but this time in her life and in my life and our relationship together feels so special. And so today I wanted to bring her on the podcast. You get to hear from my 11-year-old daughter. We're gonna do a little interview together. And we had so much fun recording. I'm probably gonna bring her on again next season. In fact, if you listen all the way to the end, she has a couple of ideas for some podcast episodes. So I would love to know what you think down in the comments. We are recording, and I literally just said we have Gretchen here. Say hi, Gretchen. Hi. Gretchen is sitting in my closet, literally with my dresses hanging over her head right now. I need a better podcasting space. I think so far, out of all four of my kids, Gretchen's personality and her quick wit, it comes from me, which means that even though she's 11, we can be very sarcastic and funny to each other. But this is our personality together. That I will talk to my daughter this way. But she knows that I am joking, right? You're gonna confirm that for me right now. But like if she were to ask me, can you go get me water or whatever? I will look at her and I'll be like, oh my gosh, Gretchen, what are these? Oh my gosh, you have legs? Do they work? Do your legs work? Can you go get your own water? Do you think I'm mean when I do that?

SPEAKER_00 3:04

No.

SPEAKER_01 3:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:05

Some people don't get it.

SPEAKER_01 3:07

Yeah. But you get it, right? We get each other. Okay. So today on the podcast, Gretchen and I are going to interview each other. Gretchen. Is your mom cool or cringe?

SPEAKER_00 3:22

And why? Sometimes she's cool, but sometimes she's cringe because sometimes when she tries to act Gen Z, she doesn't do it right.

SPEAKER_01 3:33

What do you mean?

SPEAKER_00 3:34

Sometimes you'll say Gen Z stuff, but it's not in the right way.

SPEAKER_01 3:39

No cap. No cap?

SPEAKER_00 3:41

No cap? No cap.

SPEAKER_01 3:46

Skibbity, Ohio. Did I use that right? You have to talk. No, you that outfits a W. That's right. That's right. Okay. What else have I learned? I haven't learned cap is that's a lie. No cap is the truth.

SPEAKER_00 4:06

You remembered it. I remember because I was teaching you it the night before I went on a field trip and you were a chaperone, and you said how you'd remember cap and no cap as crap and no crap.

SPEAKER_01 4:19

That's right. And for all of you listening right now, I chaperoned Gretchen's field trip, and the night before she gave me a lesson on how to be cool so that the other fifth graders thought that I was cool. And so I learned slang and she gave me like a whole cheat sheet. Do you want me to interview you first? Mm-hmm. Okay. When you are having a bad day, what's something that makes you feel better?

SPEAKER_00 4:42

When I'm having a bad day, I'll go my room, and sometimes I'll put a pillow to my face and I'll scream in a pillow. Because it just helps. I like to scream in pillows sometimes. Um sometimes I'll do like calm activities. I'll like listen to music, sing along to it.

SPEAKER_01 5:02

What's your favorite music right now? Gretchen loves music. She's constantly listening to music, and actually, my bathroom shares a wall with her bedroom. So every time I have to get up to go pee, even in the middle of the night, I can hear what you are listening to in your room.

SPEAKER_00 5:16

So right now I like Taylor Swift. I've been listening to her new album a lot. What's the best song on there? I I can't think of a best song. They're all so good.

SPEAKER_01 5:27

She's listening to the clean version too, right? Yes. Yes. Life of a showgirl.

SPEAKER_00 5:31

I I just love all the songs. Okay. And sometimes also if I'm having a bad day, I'll like do beads because I love to do beads. Like I've been making earrings with beads recently. Mm-hmm. And I made my mom a pair. Yes, I have them right there in my closet actually.

SPEAKER_01 5:47

Yep. They were really good at beading. And this summer we made a bunch of those pony bead keychains too, which was really fun.

SPEAKER_00 5:54

And I made like a bunch of them.

SPEAKER_01 5:56

Yes. Literally, I'm pretty sure you auctioned off to your siblings like 50 of them two days ago.

SPEAKER_00 6:03

Yeah, I did.

SPEAKER_01 6:05

Did you try to make them pay you for that?

SPEAKER_00 6:08

A little bit.

SPEAKER_01 6:09

Did they they did not pay you for it, did they? Good. Next question. What's something that makes a mom really good at being a mom?

SPEAKER_00 6:18

I think that if moms like have like if they're a little bit witty or funny, they can make good jokes that their kids can laugh at.

SPEAKER_01 6:27

Okay, this is a very important follow-up question. Who is funnier? Me or your dad?

SPEAKER_00 6:33

Dad's No! You're wrong. Dad's dumb funny, but you're witty. It's too dumb funny. Dumb funny as in dad joke funny. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 6:44

Where I am very quick and I can come up with jokes really quickly on the spot. Where dad probably has a note on his phone with a million dad jokes.

SPEAKER_00 6:53

Mom also likes to smother her kids. She calls them mother smothers and she'll like go on top of you and she'll kiss you over the face and she'll tickle you. Does that make me a good mom? My mother smothers? Yes. And also, she she can be strict at times, but I feel like that's gonna make us better at being adults. Because you need some strictness in your life.

SPEAKER_01 7:16

Yes, you need rules and guidance. But it's also important to be fun and funny. Next question. What's your favorite thing to do during one-on-one time with your mom?

SPEAKER_00 7:28

I like watching Christmas movies with my mom. And I also like doing puzzles because we're the puzzle queens in the family.

SPEAKER_01 7:36

We are the puzzle queens. I love puzzles.

SPEAKER_00 7:38

And we had an Instagram, but we still have an Instagram, I just don't post on it. But we still we don't use it anymore.

SPEAKER_01 7:45

But we are still doing puzzles. It's just because I have to log out of my Instagram and then log into that one and find our puzzles, and I just forget. But maybe we should start again. Especially now that it's puzzle season. I feel like November and December is puzzle season.

SPEAKER_00 7:59

Yeah, that's when we do the most puzzles. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 8:02

Next question. What do you want to be when you grow up?

SPEAKER_00 8:05

I I have multiple ideas. I probably want to be like the performing dancers. Probably tap or jazz. Because point I've heard that it doesn't feel good on your feet.

SPEAKER_01 8:18

Do you like tap or jazz better? If you had to choose, what's your first reaction?

SPEAKER_00 8:24

Tap. That's just what automatically comes into my brain because tap dancing is really fun.

SPEAKER_01 8:30

It is really fun. And you're naturally good at it, I think.

SPEAKER_00 8:32

And then if that doesn't work out, but only if it doesn't work out, I might become a singer.

SPEAKER_01 8:39

Plan B is be a singer. Okay. Yeah. But a singer or something with music. Because you do like music a lot. So there are actually a lot of different professions in the music industry. You could be a songwriter, you could play an instrument, you could be a singer, you could be a producer. I want to be a music. You could help other people make music. There's so many different things you can do.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

I want to be like a songwriter and a singer. Kind of like Taylor Swift, like what she does. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:04

Piano or guitar.

SPEAKER_00 9:05

Or both. Probably piano, because I don't know how to play the guitar. And if singing doesn't work out, then I probably would want to be a teacher and then have like teacher during the day and then be like a stand-up comedian during the night.

SPEAKER_01 9:18

You know Claire's teacher from last year is a comedian. Did you know that? No? Yeah. Um, what grade would you want to teach? Or what age children would you want to teach?

SPEAKER_00 9:30

Probably little kids, like pre-K to like from pre-K to first, because that's when they're like super cute and tiny. Do you think Claire's super cute and tiny?

SPEAKER_01 9:42

I don't think she's tiny, but she's cute. She is super cute. She is tiny compared to you. Next question. What's your dream day? Like from morning until you go to bed?

SPEAKER_00 9:53

I don't think I would go to bed. I'd probably pull an all night or so.

SPEAKER_01 9:57

So you get to take advantage of all 24 hours? Yes. Or because I don't let you stay up all night.

SPEAKER_00 10:03

First, I probably have breakfast. I'd probably have like a pack of the frozen cookie dough. For breakfast? Yes. Because it tastes so good.

SPEAKER_01 10:13

I love frozen cookie dough.

SPEAKER_00 10:15

Okay, then and it would be so good. Afterwards, but no milk, right? No milk.

SPEAKER_01 10:20

Gretchen does not like milk, which is crazy to me. I don't like pickles either. Okay, but milk is like a more standard thing that people usually like. And you also don't like cheese sticks. Yeah. Dairy.

SPEAKER_00 10:31

I'm not a dairy person unless it comes to desserts. Or pizza. Or pizza. And then afterwards, I probably want to do an escape room with my mom.

SPEAKER_01 10:41

Gretchen and I are just on another level. Yeah. We're, again, we're the puzzle queens. We're really good at all kinds of puzzles. It's it's except for Rubik's Cubes.

SPEAKER_00 10:52

I'm not good at those. I am. You're pretty good. You can't do the whole Rubik's Cube.

SPEAKER_01 10:56

I used to be able to. When I was When I was in high school, I could solve a Rubik's Cube in 90 seconds.

SPEAKER_00 11:00

You know, there's people who can solve Rubik's Cubes in like 10 seconds.

SPEAKER_01 11:03

Yeah, I'm not that good. But I could solve it pretty quickly. We would after our escape room, what are we doing next? Or are you kicking me out and you're gonna go do something on your own?

SPEAKER_00 11:12

Then I'd probably have lunch somewhere, so I'd need mom to drive me. Where would you have lunch? At Culver's or In and Out because they have great burgers. Would you go by yourself? No, because I need someone to pay. And I don't want to be paying like that much. Who would you make who would you bring to pay for you? Probably dad, because I bet he could get like a discount.

SPEAKER_01 11:40

Oh, I know. Dad is so good at that. I know. Something that you should know about Gretchen's dad and my husband, David, is he is, I don't know, I think luck lucky is the word. He wins so many random things. Like when we first got married, I remember he won tickets to a concert from a radio show that he called into. He's also won free iPads. He was won multiple raffles. He won me an iPad. Yeah, he won you that iPad. Yeah. Dad is just so good. I don't know. I is it good? Is it a skill to submit your name to something? He's just so lucky. Dave is just one of those guys.

SPEAKER_00 12:14

Maybe, maybe he just sounds so kind that they make him win. They just like have to.

SPEAKER_01 12:19

Everyone loves Dad. That is that is Dad's special talent, is everyone that meets him just loves him. And everyone that talks to him, it's like they will share their entire life story because Dave's just one of those guys that you can talk to. He'll listen. Yes, he is such a good listener. In fact, side story about Dave, because I'm looking at Gretchen right now and I have to tell you this. When Gretchen was little and just learning to talk. Oh, I would always call my dad David. David video? No, but it wasn't just it wasn't that you would call him that. You enjoyed calling him that. So every single time you were talking to dad, you'd be like, Oh, hey, David, what are you having for dinner, David? That looks good, David. Can I have a bite, David? You just say it all the time.

SPEAKER_00 13:06

Yeah, there's one, there's this video. I love watching it because it's funny. So it's like, can I have a bite of ice cream Gretchen? And I'm like, oh yeah, sure, David. And then um, and then I give it to him, and I'm like, you can use my baby spoon. And then I'm like, is it cold, David? And then he's like, It's cold, but it tastes so good.

SPEAKER_01 13:32

Oh yeah. Oh yeah, you were going to In N Out, and you want dad to pay? Do you want dad to eat with you? Dad can't eat, she's yours right now.

SPEAKER_00 13:39

I wouldn't be able to right now. But then afterwards, I'd probably want to go to an amusement park after my food is settled so I don't get sick.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

What amusement park?

SPEAKER_00 13:50

I don't know. Like one with like very amazing like roller coasters, like Lagoon.

SPEAKER_01 13:56

Oh, Lagoon is fun.

SPEAKER_00 13:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:58

But you want like a six flags, I think.

SPEAKER_00 14:00

Yeah. And I would want to go on one of those rides that, like, what are they called? Like the drop rides, they go all the way up and then they drop you down.

SPEAKER_01 14:08

Oh, those are fun. Those are so fun.

SPEAKER_00 14:09

I like to go on those rides too.

SPEAKER_01 14:12

Would you go on one of those like slingshot things? You know what I'm talking about? When you go to an amusement park and it's like this giant ball that you sit in and it has these bungee cords attached to this like V-looking thing, and then they launch you into the air. I would that'd be fun. Would you do that? Probably. See, that freaks me out. I will do roller coasters. I will do the ride that goes up and down. I cannot do that one, but you know your dad would do it with you. Dad also would do those ones where you lay on your belly and it like is a giant swing.

SPEAKER_00 14:39

Oh, I've seen I'm pretty sure I've seen those rides.

SPEAKER_01 14:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:43

Okay, after your amusement park, what are you doing for dinner? I'd probably go to Ding Tai Feng because they have like the best food there. It's so good.

SPEAKER_01 14:52

Are you going by yourself or are you taking me with you?

SPEAKER_00 14:54

I'll take you with me. Thank you. Cause then because then cause dad wouldn't be able to have it, so it'd be a waste of time. Just without dad getting anything.

SPEAKER_01 15:03

Okay, let's imagine this is next year. Because Dave's training for a bodybuilding competition right now, and he only he's in the final weeks, and it's pretty intense.

SPEAKER_00 15:11

I'd probably bring you and dad.

SPEAKER_01 15:16

Alright, you still have another 12 hours. What would you do? Or would you be tired? Oh, we were gonna go off on a little tangent because I'm curious if this would change your answer, and you have to be completely honest, okay? No judgment. Um, but a lot of times in our house, I mean, Gretchen listens to my podcast, so she knows my entire weight loss story. She knows my history of everything growing up, and we talk a lot about food and our mindset with food. And yes, our kids have a lot of desserts and treats and stuff. However, one thing that I have taught them is to pay attention to your body and think about how you feel. And then also we make sure that we are drinking water throughout the day and eating vegetables and giving our body what it needs. That is our main focus. I think the kids do a really great job when it comes to wanting a treat. Yes, they want it in the moment, and I will remind them those questions, and I don't tell them they can't have it, but I ask them to think about what have you had today? Have you given your body everything it needs? Have you given it vegetables? How do you feel right now? And then we think about it before just mindlessly eating. So, Gretchen, I'm just curious. Think about what you had to eat during your perfect day. You had a pack of cookie dough for breakfast, which sounds like a pretty solid breakfast. And like we were watching Elf uh yesterday. Like maybe the elf, I remember he was eating breakfast, and Gretchen was like, That breakfast looks so good. Um, okay, so you had a pack of cookie dough, then you had an in-and-out cheeseburger with French fries, and then you went to an amusement park. How do you think you're feeling right now? And I'm also saying this because Gretchen, her favorite foods are broccoli and frozen blueberries.

SPEAKER_00 16:54

No frozen blueberries, my favorite.

SPEAKER_01 16:56

Oh, you like that more than broccoli now? Yes. Gretchen loves frozen blueberries. So we still go into Dean Taipheng?

SPEAKER_00 17:03

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 17:04

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 17:04

They have green beans there. Yeah, their green beans are so good too. If we had time, I might go to like one of those stand-up comedy clubs and listen to the stand-up comedy. Because I love stand-up comedy.

SPEAKER_01 17:16

Who's your favorite to listen to?

SPEAKER_00 17:18

I listen to a lot, so I just can't keep track.

SPEAKER_01 17:22

It's all appropriate though. Yes. Okay, anything else?

SPEAKER_00 17:26

I'd probably go to the pool. In the middle of the night? Yes. Like, there's nothing like swimming in like the middle of the night because it's so it's like fun. In the moonlight. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 17:40

When have you swam at night before?

SPEAKER_00 17:42

Um, when I went to Ellie's birthday party, we swam like at night because I had to sleep over there.

SPEAKER_01 17:47

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 17:48

You weren't there. Neither was dad, because I had to sleep over there.

SPEAKER_01 17:51

I know, I remember that.

SPEAKER_00 17:52

So yeah, I'd probably go in the pool at night.

SPEAKER_01 17:55

With your friends?

SPEAKER_00 17:56

Yes. And no parents allowed. They can keep an eye on us, but they can't go in the pool. We'll hire you a lifeguard. Okay. As long as they're not ugly.

SPEAKER_01 18:07

Only hot guy lifeguards is that what your mind is? Yes. I was thinking one of our babysitters who's actually a lifeguard.

SPEAKER_00 18:15

No, you need to hire one of those like hot, like uh like teenage lifeguards. What movie are you thinking of right now? This movie that you like. It's called Baywatch, right? And you said Zach Efron's a lifeguard in that movie.

SPEAKER_01 18:28

You've seen the cover of it, right? I think that's that movie is so good.

SPEAKER_00 18:32

I was thinking of high school musical too. No, because Zach Efron also in that movie. No, because you said that Zach Efron just sits there with his shirt off and you think he looks really hot because he's your celebrity crush.

SPEAKER_01 18:45

That is true.

SPEAKER_00 18:47

So yeah, we'd need a hot lifeguard. Zach Efron. I don't think Zach Efron would want to come. Why?

SPEAKER_01 18:52

It's your dream day. It's your dream day. Is that it for your day?

SPEAKER_00 18:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:57

So we're closing your day out, then you're just going to bed? Or at the or you've been swimming all night long. It's already six o'clock in the morning.

SPEAKER_00 19:02

Swimming all night long. And hot tub. Yeah. No, no hot tub. No hot tub? No. I'd jump into the hot tub and then I'd jump into the pool. I'd like switch.

SPEAKER_01 19:13

Yeah. Like the cold plunge. Have you ever used our cold plunge, Gretchen?

SPEAKER_00 19:17

Yes. Remember?

SPEAKER_01 19:19

Yes. Do you want to tell this story or do you want me to tell this story?

SPEAKER_00 19:21

I'll tell this story. So we were in La Sauna, and my mom's like, I'll give you$100 if you can go cold plunge for two minutes. And I'm like, okay. And she says, you have to be neck deep. And I'm like, or shoulder deep. And so I'm I'm in there and I get shoulder deep and I say shoulder deep for two minutes.

SPEAKER_01 19:41

And my mom I did not think you were gonna do it. That's why I said a hundred bucks. I was like, there's no way. There's no way she's gonna do it.

SPEAKER_00 19:50

And I got a hundred bucks.

SPEAKER_01 19:51

I know, because I had to follow through. That is the one thing I'm proud of myself uh as a parent is always following through. I do feel like I am. That parent that if I say I'm gonna do something, I do it. Would you agree? Yes. Yes. Okay. Next question. Now that we know a little bit about Gretchen, actually, let's know a little bit more about Gretchen. Do you like when people call you Gretchen? I don't care. You don't care? So that's just a me thing. That was when sh I was pregnant with her. I wanted to call her Gretchen, but I did not like Gretchen. And I was afraid that people were gonna call her Gretch because it reminds me of like Gretching. Like ugh. Um, but as a nickname, we started calling her Gretty instead, which I like better. But what do you like, Gretchen?

SPEAKER_00 20:37

I don't care. You don't care? Yeah, sometimes you call me G-Money. Sometimes you also call me Gretty Spaghetti. So Gretchen is 11 years old right now.

SPEAKER_01 20:47

Her name is Gretchen Lucille, and she has the most beautiful blue eyes. The only one in the family with blue eyes. What else do you like to do? Read. What are some of your favorite books?

SPEAKER_00 20:58

I love the Hunger Games series and the Harry Potter series. Those are like so good.

SPEAKER_01 21:03

Okay, so for this next part, I'm gonna ask a question that both of us get to answer.

SPEAKER_00 21:07

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 21:08

What how do you think that we're similar, Gretchen?

SPEAKER_00 21:11

Um We both we're like each other. Like we're pretty much twins, but we look different. Like your quick wit. Yes, we do have that in common.

SPEAKER_01 21:23

I think our looks are definitely different. Although I actually don't think that we look very different. I think out of all of our kids, you look the most like me, but your hair color, your skin color, and your eye color are different, and that's why we don't look alike.

SPEAKER_00 21:35

Claire looks like you.

SPEAKER_01 21:37

But your facial features, I actually think are more like mine than Claire's. Like I think you have my nose, my eyes, I think you're gonna have my cheeks. Am I gonna have your fingers?

SPEAKER_00 21:46

Your witch fingers. That you call them that, so.

SPEAKER_01 21:51

I have very long skinny fingers, and I call them that because my high school boyfriend told me that I had witch fingers because they were so long and skinny. Gretchen and I also love puzzles. I think that you And reading. We love puzzles, we love reading. I think that both of us really love to be intellectually stimulated. We like things that make us think. We like to challenge ourselves. We like to dance. We do love to dance. And how are we different? Your I love Ralph and you don't know. I'm obsessed with your little brother and you're not.

SPEAKER_00 22:29

I have three of them.

SPEAKER_01 22:30

You do have three little brothers.

SPEAKER_00 22:32

I'm obsessed. I'm more obsessed with two of them than the other. You love Ralph.

SPEAKER_01 22:37

When you were a baby, you were obsessed with Ralph. Yeah, but he's my only sibling. The way that Claire treats Alan is the way that you treated Ralph. You were his his mama. You would give him hugs and kisses.

SPEAKER_00 22:49

Would I hit him if I got mad?

SPEAKER_01 22:51

Yes, there were other no, you would not hit him when you got mad, but you would like test him, and I remember you running full speed at Ralph one time when he was just learning how to stand. And you like body checked him and he flew over. I was so mad at you, but you were like two. Something fun. Do you remember one time I punished them because they wouldn't stop fighting? You know, I've seen, have you guys seen that post where they make the kids wear one big t-shirt? I didn't have a big t-shirt. So what I do instead when Gretchen and Ralph are fighting, I make them hug each other for 30 seconds. Yeah, but by the end of the hug, you guys love each other and you're both laughing. We're gonna do rapid fire Gretchen interviews mom.

SPEAKER_00 23:32

What were you like at 11?

SPEAKER_01 23:34

I was so awkward as an 11-year-old. Um, I had a single-layer haircut chopped to my chin. I had chunky blonde highlights that were kind of coppery because I didn't really know what purple shampoo or toner was. I would wear Gretchen probably doesn't even know who this is, Paul Frank t-shirts and like swooshy cargo pants. I feel like this is the hardest age where you're just really learning who you are. And I was just super awkward. And I had also switched schools, so I was starting at a new school.

SPEAKER_00 24:07

What do you think is the hardest part of being a mom?

SPEAKER_01 24:10

Gosh, there's so many hard parts about being a mom. I could talk about this forever. Okay, two things are coming to mind. Number one, I would say the hardest thing is watching your kids fail or struggle at things and knowing that you can't step in or else they're never gonna learn for themselves. It is so hard, but it's also very rewarding when you watch your kids persevere and overcome all of those hardships and get good at something or gain that confidence that they can do it. Another thing that I think is really hard about being a mother, and I think this is because I have so many kids, I truly understand my parents now because I felt like growing up, my brothers and I all got treated very differently. But now as a parent, I can understand why, because all of my kids' personalities are so different from each other. They all respond to different things. I mean, for example, Ralph, let me give you an example of my kids' personalities. When they were little, you know, when kids are like learning how to eat at a high chair, I would give them goldfish and they like to drop things on the floor just to kind of experiment. We did not have a dog back then. So Gretchen and Claire, when they would drop things on the floor and I would look at them sternly and say, do not drop that on the floor, they would literally look at me and laugh and do it again. Whereas Ralph, and I don't really remember what Alan did, that's probably because he's the fourth, but Ralph, same exact scenario, and if I would say, do not throw that on the floor, as a baby, like instant crocodile tears, like so emotional. He felt so bad about it. And I realized, like, even from the time my kids were babies, that you need to parent different kids differently. And I think why that is so challenging is because of my experience as a kid and how I felt when I was in that position. I don't want my kids to think that I favor one over the other.

SPEAKER_00 25:51

What's your favorite thing about being a mom?

SPEAKER_01 25:54

Best part about being a mom is what honestly watching your kids grow up, as sad as it is sometimes. It is so rewarding and so special, especially now that my kids are getting a little bit older and they're going through phases in life that I remember going through and watching their personalities come out, getting to see like their strengths, their weaknesses, what they're good at, the things that they like, the things that they enjoy. It's just so cool watching them become their own person. And it's also kind of hard because as their mom, you're taking care of them for so long. I mean, from the second you're pregnant with them to breastfeeding them, to feeding them, to putting them down for all of their naps. I am not gonna cry. I mean, you do everything and then they get to this point where I feel like it happens slowly, but it seems like it happens overnight. I mean, Alan right now, do not ask me how, but he's not potty trained yet. He's two and a half. We tried potty training, he just didn't get, he wasn't able to catch himself going to the bathroom beforehand. But the kid can literally change his own diaper. He will take his diaper off. He will get a wipe, he will wipe himself, he will give me a new diaper, and I'm like, what the heck? You should just be potty trained. I think we're gonna actually try again in a week or so. But it's like you do so much to take care of them, and then they start to become independent and they want to change their own clothes and they want to feed themselves. And even, I mean, Alan and Gretchen. Jen, you were you and Alan are like this. Claire and Ralph were not like this as much, but you wanted to do everything for yourself. No, I want to feed myself, and you would yell at me, I want to do it myself. Like, even at the park, you would want to climb up everything on your own, and it's just seeing you become your own person while it hurts and it's kind of sad. It's also one of the most rewarding things about being a parent. Alright, Gretchen. In honor of you having you on my podcast, I thought this would be something so fun to do together, and you are the perfect person for it. And I want to end our podcast with a short segment of Are you reading that in the mirror? No. Oh, okay. I can only see you. Just so you know, we're podcasting in the closet and there's a mirror behind me, and I could see you looking over. You were looking over my shoulder, and I thought she was reading my computer.

SPEAKER_00 27:58

I'm not gonna read myself because I'm so beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 28:00

You are so beautiful. Okay. We are gonna play a fun game of would you rather?

SPEAKER_00 28:06

Oh no, I'm scared.

SPEAKER_01 28:08

This is actually a game that we like to do at the dinner table sometimes. Um, and we just ask ridiculous would you rather questions.

SPEAKER_00 28:16

That probably won't happen in real life.

SPEAKER_01 28:18

That would never happen in real life.

SPEAKER_00 28:20

Most likely.

SPEAKER_01 28:22

Okay. Are you ready?

SPEAKER_00 28:24

Sure.

SPEAKER_01 28:25

Would you rather have spaghetti for hair or marshmallows for toes?

SPEAKER_00 28:30

Marshmallows for toes, because then I wouldn't have any toes. I'd just be I'll eat my toes. I don't know if you can walk if you don't have toes. I bet you could, as long as you're like wearing shoes or something.

SPEAKER_01 28:42

Would you rather talk to animals or be able to turn invisible, but only when you close your eyes. Wait, does that mean you would be going invisible every time you blink? Just like glitching.

SPEAKER_00 28:55

You're glitching. I'd probably be ta I'd probably do the talking to animals. Because I bet if I could, I'd go to Harry Potter and then I'd steal the invisibility cloak, and I'll just use that. Good idea.

SPEAKER_01 29:14

Next question. Would you rather ride a giant hamster to school? Or have a tiny T-Rex as a pet? These are really good questions.

SPEAKER_00 29:24

I think the hamster.

SPEAKER_01 29:26

I feel like a tiny T-Rex would be scary.

SPEAKER_00 29:29

Yeah, because they would bite your fingers off.

SPEAKER_01 29:32

They'd just be like Alan is kind of like a tiny little T-Rex. But he's big. Yeah, but remember when he was biting? I swear he bit my finger really hard. And remember he bit Claire's finger, and Claire was saying, Alan! Like Charlie bit me, which was like, Alan bit me! Didn't Alan like bite your shoulder too? Yes, but Claire was sticking her fingers in his mouth, provoking him. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 30:00

Imagine me doing that to you, just like sticking my fingers in your mouth.

SPEAKER_01 30:04

Could you imagine riding a giant hamster though, for real?

SPEAKER_00 30:08

How big would the hamster be?

SPEAKER_01 30:10

Uh giant? Giant big enough for you to ride it. Like horse-sized. No, bigger than horse, like elephant-sized. That'd be hard to get on to, but it would be so cozy. I know, it'd be fluffy. Would you rather only speak in rhymes for a week or have to hop everywhere like a bunny?

SPEAKER_00 30:31

Speak in rhymes.

SPEAKER_01 30:33

That would be cool. It would get kind of annoying though, probably. Yeah. Okay. Would you rather have eyebrows that change color with your mood or hair that grows one foot a day?

SPEAKER_00 30:46

Hair that grows one foot a day, because then I get Rapunzel hair.

SPEAKER_01 30:50

I think it would be pretty cool if my eyebrows could change colors. With my mood, you could always tell when I was happy or sad. Would you rather be stuck in a video game for a day? Or have your life narrated by a dramatic movie voice?

SPEAKER_00 31:06

Ooh, my life narrated by a movie voice. That would be so cool.

SPEAKER_01 31:12

Would you rather have to wear all of your clothes backwards for a week or talk in a British accent for a week?

SPEAKER_00 31:20

Talk in a British accent for a week. I think that'd be cool, because then people might think I'm like a royal person.

SPEAKER_01 31:26

Let's hear your best British accent. Oh, do I have to? No, you don't have to. Okay. Like, do you even know what a British accent is? Okay, what movie do you think of when you think British accent? Who are you thinking of?

SPEAKER_00 31:40

Um, probably The Parent Trap or um Yes. What's that movie? The Christmas movie, Princess Switch. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:48

Yeah. That is a good one. We watched that. We watched both of those recently.

SPEAKER_00 31:51

There's a third one.

SPEAKER_01 31:53

I know we need to watch that. We've already seen it. I know, but I don't think we've seen it this Christmas season. Okay, to wrap up this podcast, thank you so much for coming on, Grady. I'm gonna ask you one final question. Alright, Grady. Here's your question. If we do another episode together next season, season two, coming out 2026. Not we've made it a whole episode without you saying 6'7. 6'7! Um, that is not even close to 21, but I think 21. No, we were saying 26. Claire always says 21. I do not get it with you gen alphas and your numbers.

SPEAKER_00 32:34

I'll get it, I'll I'll be able to say 6'7 in 20. 6'7!

SPEAKER_01 32:41

Do you really think you're gonna do that? And how old will you be in 2067?

SPEAKER_00 32:46

6'7.

SPEAKER_01 32:47

Um You just did it again.

SPEAKER_00 32:49

I know. I do it a lot.

SPEAKER_01 32:51

Um 67 minus 14, 53.

SPEAKER_00 32:54

I'll be 53.

SPEAKER_01 32:56

You'll be 53. Oh, I might be a grandma. You might be a great grandma. How old will I be? I'm 25 years older than you, so I'll be 78. I hope I have great grandkids.

SPEAKER_00 33:06

You'll be older than six seven. I know I will be.

SPEAKER_01 33:09

Okay. If we do another episode together next year, what should our topic be?

SPEAKER_00 33:15

Probably like our best days we've had. Like some of the best days we've had.

SPEAKER_01 33:20

That is such a good idea for an episode, Gretchen. I know. I think that's amazing. I am going to start keeping track and I'm gonna start thinking about it.

SPEAKER_00 33:29

We should have one where we do stand-up comedy jokes.

SPEAKER_01 33:32

On my podcast? Yeah. Okay. That'd be fun too. That would be fun. Do you want? I'm asking the listeners right now, do you want a stand-up comedy episode with Gretchen? Just do her and me, yeah, and dad. That finally, we can all tell our jokes and we can see who's the except that's not my kind of humor. Maybe I could do stand-up comedy.

SPEAKER_00 33:53

I think stand-up comedy, I think you could do it. That would be fun.

SPEAKER_01 33:57

But then all we're gonna think be thinking about is is this my best day? I'm having a great day every day, and when you focus on positive things, positive things come into your life.

SPEAKER_00 34:05

Yes, that slays. That slays. Yes. Remember when I gave you that chi-shi of Gen Z sling? I remember. It was before 6-7 was a thing. It was before that. Like, it was like Sigma and Riz and W.

SPEAKER_01 34:22

That's a W. Alright, let's go have some dinner. Homemade chicken noodle soup?

SPEAKER_00 34:27

Yes. Yes. It's gonna be so good.

SPEAKER_01 34:30

Thank you for joining us today, Gretchen. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to tell us in the comments and I can have her on again. Say bye to everyone. Bye! You made it to the end, which means you're officially one of the real ones. Don't forget to follow, leave a five star review, and text this episode to your bestie. And if you want the unfiltered behind the scenes, make sure to get on the email list. The link is in the show notes.