Self-Care When Caretaking and TV Lately


I've been taking care of a very sick Theo for the past few days. We have spent a great deal of time on the couch together, just snuggling, or sitting together watching a movie, or napping together. Taking care of a sick child is really hard. They feel awful and don't quite understand why or that it's temporary and they're very very needy and demanding. So, I did something this week that I haven't when caring for sick children in the past. I took some time for myself. Saturday, Coco had a birthday party to go to. Normally, I would have had J take her so I could stay with Theo. But I left Theo in the capable hands of his dad and took Coco myself. It was nice to get out of the house and such a needed break. Sunday, I went to yoga, and again today I went to yoga. Theo and J are close and having him take care of him when he's sick only makes Theo's bond with J stronger. It's a win-win all around.

So, I have to ask what TV shows are you watching lately? We became total TV junkies after getting married and I love it. When we were newlyweds, we would get Chipotle and watch Desperate Housewives (HA!) every Sunday. That show was so bad it was good. I loved that weekly tradition. After becoming parents, J really did make everything so darn perfect for when Coco and I came home from the hospital. He stocked the fridge, cooked and cleaned for two solid weeks and made sure that I had a funny or compelling show to watch with a big cup of tea on the couch every night. The first series we got into was Weeds and I get all misty eyed now when I hear the theme song because it takes me back to those days holding newborn Coco on the couch and watching TV.

Back to the present, we like to have a few shows going at once. The most recent season of Homeland was incredible, as always, and thankfully we had Billions to keep watching on Sunday evenings when Homeland ended. However, now Billions is in it's season finale this coming weekend. No! I know that House of Cards starts up again at the end of the month. And I have to double-check the dates for Master of None and Bloodline. I would still love to hear what you recommend as it seems that most of our shows are kind of heavy and dramatic lately.

Speaking of. We've started watching the most terrifying, twisted, dark show I've ever been into. It's The Fall. Have you watched it? It's a Netflix original and so violent and creepy, I can't believe I actually like it. But it's all I can think about. The little details, the amazing acting by Gillian Anderson, the dynamic, human, flawed (sometimes very flawed!) characters. J does not like it. And on some level I don't either. It's that dark. But I really do love one aspect of the show so much. It does an incredible job of illustrating sexism and misogyny. Incredible! I love their social commentary. It's really thought provoking.

So tell me what you're watching! Especially if it's something funny or light-hearted. ;) And here's to Theo being back to his old self very soon! xo

(Photo via Elvira/Instagram)

Comments

  1. The Crown and if you didnt watch it when it came out, Carnivale. Happy vegging!

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    1. We devoured The Crown. SO GOOD!! Will check out Carnivale. Thanks! xo

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  2. Oh my goodness, you HAVE to watch Catastrophe - all of the seasons - on Amazon. They just started a new one. It is truly hilarious. A couple starts a family based on a one night stand (dad is American, mother is English) You will love! I second the Crown as well...

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  3. I second that - Catastrophe is hilarious! Correction though from above comment- mother is Irish, played by Sharon Horgan. She is fabulous. You will appreciate the humour having lived in Ireland for a while. Enjoy!

    (Orla, Ireland)

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    1. Brilliant, Orla! Thanks for the second. Can't wait to watch even more now. :) xx

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  4. Can you get UK shows on Netflix? I'm afraid my recommendations are very English as I adore Poldark and also have enjoyed Call the Midwife very much. Poldark has my heart though, I loved the novels and while Aidan Turner is easy on the eye the landscape is really the star.

    Also

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    1. I LOVED Call the Midwife. I'll search the others. Hooray for good TV!!!

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  5. Sorry fat fingers! Also from a few years ago The Bridge (the Swedishsh/Danish version) is the best TV I have seen since the Wire ended.

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  6. Some shows I love are:
    - Versailles
    - Vikings
    - Suits
    - Call the midwife (more light hearted)
    - This is us (light hearted)
    - Crown
    - Outlander (there was an extremely twisted scene I had to fast forward in season one though!)

    I haven't watched it yet but i've heard 'The Handmaid's Tale' is good too :)

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  7. I loved The Fall! The intensity of the acting has stayed with me even months after we finished the final season. So creepy.

    We are currently kicking it old school and watching The Wire - we're in Season 2 now. Neither of us ever saw it back in the day and everyone has spent the last decade and a half talking about how great it was etc so we figured, why not?

    Speaking of old shows, one of my absolute favorite shows of all time is Friday Night Lights, which is available on Netflix. I actually watched it weekly when it aired back in pre-Netflix days, and was so stunned to fall in love with it, given that it focuses primarily on some things I do not really count among my interests, namely 1) high school 2) football in 3) small-town Texas. But oh my goodness, I loved that show. Everything about it (save for the misguided second-season ratings grab plots when they were trying to avoid cancellation). Plus, absolutely fantastic musical direction. A few years ago I told my husband that he had to see it, so we watched it together and I did not mind seeing it all again, not even a tiny bit. It felt like going home. We both cried regularly together watching the show through all its seasons. One of my greatest (and most secret) wishes in my life is that Coach Taylor (and Tami) were real.

    We watched The OA recently on Netflix and found it odd, but moving. I loved the musical direction in that show, too. Prior to that we went through Black Mirror, which was super depressing but intriguing and which led to lots of cool jumping-off discussions.

    I love watching TV to wind down and bond/open up random conversations. For years, when I lived alone, I didn’t have a TV, and I admit I felt a bit smug about it. But while I don’t really enjoy watching TV alone – I struggle to maintain the attention span, which is mortifying :/ - I have found that delving into an alternate world with my husband is such a nice way to spark discussion or bring up random old childhood stories or things like that, and it’s nice to be able to sit on the couch together and just chill out.

    When my son was a newborn, I watched the first four seasons of Downton Abbey in those bleary early weeks. I definitely get misty-eyed when I hear the theme song now! I’ve actually been saving the final season to watch when the new baby is born.

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