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Kelly
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Liz
The wrongs we must right. The fights we must win.
Kelly
The future we must secure together for our nation. This is what's in front of us.
Liz
This determines what's next for all of us.
Kelly
We are marines.
Liz
We were made for this. Welcome to the Carpool podcast with Kelly in like the side eyes from adults which like if when my precious little Fred looks at you and waves if you don't wave back, I know everything I need to know about you as.
Kelly
A person and I don't like you and Liz automatically. We're more concerned about this adult's comfort over a child's safety. You want the child to scream the whole time? Do we want the child to sleep the whole time?
Liz
Your mom time off starts now. Welcome back to the Carpool podcast with Kelly and Liz. And back we are.
Kelly
Oh my goodness. It has. It feels like it's been years since we've been on the mic.
Liz
Well, I don't know if anyone noticed but those episodes we came out last week were like so pre recorded.
Kelly
So pre recorded. And then we thought we would be a okay to record for this week and Twisters part three hit Missouri and Kelly lost WI Fi. I was out of WI Fi for a couple days and we just couldn't, couldn't make it happen.
Liz
Yeah, we so I was in Arizona and we Heard that, like bad storms, we. I've never like, heard like people were preparing for these storms to hit. Like it was a snowstorm. So luckily, I think everyone honestly had a lot of notice and everyone thought it was going to get bad in it. And it did get bad.
Kelly
Yeah. So Grayson called me that my parents were in Arizona with Kelly. So Grayson was home alone. And she called me and she was like, can I come to your house tonight? I'm like, why? She's like, the storms. I don't want to be home alone in case sirens go off or the power goes out. Like, I don't want to be home alone. I'm like, oh, yeah, of course. So we had made the decision that I was gonna go drive to get her. So that way, in case it hailed, like her car wasn't sitting out in my driveway. So I left Maddie at home with the kids during bath time. Drove to get her. Maddie calls me. Our power just went out. And I'm like, oh, no. I pick up Grayson. I'm like, maybe the power will come back on. We drive to. Back to my house. Power's not back on. Storm is getting stormier. And we're like, there's still power at my parents house. So we load all the kids back up and me and Grayson and Maddie and the kids drive back to my parents house and we stay there and we watch Moana too. And it's. We're having fun. And then the power goes out there and then the sirens get worse and then the storm is really storming. And so we go down into the basement and just kind of waited it out. It was fine. Like, we. We did not get hit. Obviously. We both lost power, but, like, that was the extent of it. I lost some siding on my house, but there were some parts of Missouri that were catastrophic. Yeah, not so far from Kelly's house, actually.
Liz
No, like miles from my house. There was like, it's really scary. Like, I like on my way to like just the grocery store on my way to like my typical running arounds. Tornadoes, just devastated areas. And you know, it was so crazy because the way like Missouri. Missouri is a lot different than Oklahoma because we're not very flat. Like, we actually have a lot of ridges and stuff. So we don't normally get like, at least in the area that Elizabeth and I live in, we don't get like tornadoes on the ground. And even so, like, this tornado did get on the ground near me. It didn't go very far. Like, it's crazy how it's like, it Was like a neighborhood, a restaurant, a bank, a gas station. And like, that was it because I guess just if all like the elevation changes. But I, it was just spooky because like that it easily could have hit down close to our house and. Yeah.
Kelly
Yeah. So anyway, I think we have a pretty good excuse to not have a podcast out come out on Tuesday. But we're here now and we have a lot to catch up on. Like we said, Kelly's been in Arizona. I've got a diagnosis for my daughter. Like, we just have things we need to talk about.
Liz
So let's start on a high note. Well, yeah, as high as the note can go. See, I took my family to Arizona for, for what I would call like a redemption trip. Like, our parents have a beautiful place out. I mean, it's stunning. And you know, when, when they were looking at it, they were like, you know, it's a direct flight from St. Louis. Like, it's so easy. It's just a direct flight, which nothing's direct out of St. Louis. So, like, that is kind of impressive.
Kelly
Yeah.
Liz
But it's a three hour flight.
Kelly
Couldn't be easier. Couldn't be easier to get to. Couldn't be easier. It's a three hour flight, dad. Three hour flight.
Liz
And I just can't express how much stress I feel traveling with four young kids. And like, we had Tyler, I mean, be clear, Tyler's parents flew there with us and back and I was still stressed the whole time. It's just because also, it's kind of helpful to go with other people. But then when all your kids want is you, it's not that helpful. Do you know what I mean? And it was just the car seats and like Libby's like, we were like half breastfeeding, half formula, which was like, also really hard because then I was like trying to manage both of those.
Kelly
Because it was the mental load of both of them.
Liz
The mental load of both of them and whatever. I mean, I can't really say like, anything bad happened on the trips. Like our flights, our planes took off and landed when they needed to. But overall, like, it's just, I mean, the cortisol spike, like, I just can't say it enough. And I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry. Like, families just don't get enough respect in an airport situation. Like the fact that people are not like, like bowing down to families at all aspects. Like, I, I. What? I, I know that sounds crazy, but, like, it is so hard to travel with children. And I just felt like I was inconveniencing everybody there.
Kelly
And you know what makes it hard? Everyone else acting like you're an inconvenience. And ah, these kids. These kids, right? And kids get out of my personal space. Like there are so many places, I don't think we, we talk about this enough where it's just kids are like, kids aren't allowed to be apparently and they, they should be. And everyone just treats families like second class and like they shouldn't be here. And like you're, you may. Oh, you made this decision to have children, so you must pay the consequences and not be able to travel or go to a brewery or do whatever it is that people act this way. And it's just, I don't know when this shift happened because I just can't. I can't. I don't believe it's always been this way because there was such an emphasis on like save the women and children and now it's like no one cares about children.
Liz
No, I agree. And I think this is kind of going to be a hot take. And I'm not, I'm not like, I mean, I know there's like a lot of people who, like a lot of different groups of people who feel marginalized in these kinds of situations, but like, to really focus in on the families, I'm just like, you know, there's like this quote going around and it's like, you're entitled to a child free life, not a child free world.
Kelly
And like totally.
Liz
There are like, if you look at children as like any other group of people, like, like they get, like, they get, they don't get treated well.
Kelly
No, you're, you're so right. Imagine if you said that about any other type of person in the world. So let's take a handicapped person, for example. If you're like, ugh, there's a handicapped person on my flight I don't want to sit next to. Could you imagine saying that?
Liz
You can't even say that about a smelly person. Like, you'd be, you would be like so rude if you said about a smelly person.
Kelly
Like, and, and it's fine to say it about children.
Liz
Like when you. So I, I brought two out of my four kids car seats and I'm just like, this is not to crap on flight attendants because I know, like, I actually, my flight attendants for the most part were actually wonderful. But like, I bring. It's. It's such a pain. It's such a pain. I really think that family should honestly get to board first.
Kelly
Or which. Or last.
Liz
And like, save us seats. And it also depends on the airline you're flying. But, like, we fly Southwest. Like, it's open seating. So I paid for all of my kids to have a seat. So Fred couldn't have been a lap child. Libby could have. But I've already spoken on why I don't really like lap children. But, like, I paid for a seat. I installed Fred's car seat, and the flight attendant was like, well, now that guy can't recline. And I'm like, okay, who.
Kelly
Okay, who's reclining on seat on airplanes? I thought we all agreed that it was common courtesy. You don't. That you don't recline.
Liz
I thought it was common courtesy and also so immediately so. And you know, people on Instagram were like, well, couldn't you just slip fed forward facing? Yeah, but he wouldn't. So, so, so, so automatically the adult gets to recline 2 inches versus my son getting to recline in a position where he can sleep. Automatically.
Kelly
It's the adult automatically. We're more concerned about this. This adult's comfort over a child's safety.
Liz
Well, yeah, I'm safety slash comfort.
Kelly
Like, okay, you want the child to scream the whole time? Do we want the child to sleep the whole time because you wanted to sleep the whole time. We're going to put him rear facing.
Liz
Yeah, I'm just like, really? And I'm sure it's just like the people who were on my flight, but, like, I'm just really rubbed the wrong way by some people right now. And. Yeah, like, just. You want to see a side of me? Like, don't. Don't give me any sass or any lip about my children.
Kelly
Justice for families in public spaces.
Liz
Yeah. Anyway, it's really stressful. Aside from that. So the traveling was like cortisol spikes, like, people putting me in a bad mood. The side. I mean, then like, we're in the terminal waiting and like, the side eyes from adults, which, like, if. When my precious little Fred looks at you in waves, if you don't wave back, I. I know everything I need to know about you as a person, and I don't like you.
Kelly
Mm.
Liz
Fred is adorable.
Kelly
Fred's adorable.
Liz
Oh, are they a little annoying? Okay, well, I think you're a little annoying. Like, I just can't believe. Oh, my gosh. People. And I think it's also, people are just mean in an airport in general. I mean, it's just like, it's no one's best side. No one's is Their best self at an airport, no children included. But, like, I mean, I. Like, I can't take my kids on a flight for a long time. I'm sorry.
Kelly
Like, I'm sorry.
Liz
I'm also just. I am not cut out for that.
Kelly
Yeah.
Liz
And it's so expensive, and I'm just not cut out for it. But anyway, we get there, the trip was wonderful. I mean, the weather wasn't great because, like, also, that's salt in the wound for the Stumpy family. Like, one thing about us is we will bring the bad weather.
Kelly
It was beautiful in Missouri while you were gone. Outside of the tornadoes.
Liz
I know. No, it was, like, warmer in Missouri than it was in Arizona. Every day we were there.
Kelly
That's tough.
Liz
So then, like, you know, you are, like, doing, like, inside activities, and then you're like, oh, my God, I'm this at home. But we did have some good times. We did have some good weather. The kids had. And, you know, I'm also just kind of. It's. And I'm so new to this because my kids are young, but it's very much the age where it's like, well, the kids had fun, so doesn't really matter if we had fun where for so long, it's been like, oh, I had fun. And, like, the kids were there, you know, toddling along. Like, they could have fun anywhere. But, like, the kids, George and Hattie, at least genuinely had more fun there than they would have at home.
Kelly
Memories being made.
Liz
Memories being made. So unfortunately, that's just kind of where we're at. But, no, I'm not going to sugarcoat it and tell you, like, it was, like, the best of my life. And, like, we're so. I mean, no, it was start to finish work.
Kelly
Yeah. Okay.
Liz
Which I don't think people know that, like, parenting with kids is. Traveling with kids is just parenting on location.
Kelly
Totally. So. Well. Well, you were in Arizona. I was here. And I talked about this on my Instagram. But I got some answers about Sloan's intolerance to formula. Now I want to kind of give a lot. I'm going to kind of give a lot of information because what she was diagnosed with is apparently pretty hard to diagnose and pretty rare. So in case anyone has. Is experiencing this, I just want to give my side of what I. Of what I've seen to, you know, maybe help someone out. So since Sloan has been born, I have tried four different formulas. Each one, she drinks it just fine, and then two hours later, on the dot, she violently throws up Everything in her stomach. So I'll give her a two ounce bottle of a gentle organic formula. Two hours later, everything is on me. Um, and it's, and it's really, it's so hard to watch. It is just the absolute worst vomit you've ever seen in your life. And then she's drained, she's dehydrated, she's lethargic, she's sunken in, she's gray. Like, it's, it's horrible. And so I have. I thought maybe she was going to like grow out of it or whatever. And so I tried four different types of formula had from like gentle organic to goat's milk. And it got to the point where I was like, I can't blindly try another formula. I need to go take her too. An allergist. So I see the allergist and she asks sort of what her reactions are. I'm telling her about the vomiting. She does not have any allergic reactions where she gets hives or swelling. It's nothing like that. And so the allergist said, this sounds like F pies, which I still don't know what F pies. I can never remember what it stands for. It is a food protein induced enterocolitis syndrome.
Liz
It sounds like they just really wanted an acronym so they just like added some more words.
Kelly
It's a rare non IgE mediated food allergy that affects the gastro tract. So what does this mean? So she has. So her trigger food is. Is dairy. So she cannot have dairy. The good news is she will likely grow out of it anywhere between a year to four years, eight years. Hopefully she'll grow out of it. But the only way to know and to test for it is trial and error. So it's not like the other food allergies where you can put on a patch and see if you react. Like I have to give her the food, like a teaspoon, a tablespoon of whatever it is I'm trying to see if she has the allergy to. And I have to wait two hours or four hours and see if she throws up or not.
Liz
Yeah, I find that part crazy that there's not like more that they can give you some answers.
Kelly
Yeah, well, I think it's just, I think it's just rare. And so there's not, there's not a lot on it. Like when I eventually, if I eventually want to get her tested, I can do that, but I have to do it at the hospital. And she has to be at the hospital in case she gets too dehydrated. And, and there's like a year long wait for it. So it's, it's like a. To do. So basically.
Liz
So should you like get on the list though?
Kelly
No, because you have. You can't get on the list until they've like gone a year without a reaction or something like that. I don't know. The craziest thing is that this allergist is just like saying these words to me and I think that I'm taking it all in. I'm like, okay, okay, okay. Asking my follow up questions and then I get home and I'm like, you gave me a single piece of paper outlining what this is, and this is like a big deal. This is going to fully affect how I move forward. I don't really know where to move forward. So I could give her some other formulas. I already tried a hypoallergenic one. She didn't want to taste it. I don't want to go down the soy rabbit hole.
Liz
And soy could also be a trigger.
Kelly
And soy could also be a trigger. Anything could be a trigger. So meat could be a trigger. Fruits, vegetables, grains. Rice is a common trigger, which is crazy because you think what's in rice? So it's, it's going to be a journey for sure. But I talked about it on my Instagram and I just, like, had the most overwhelming amount of like, encouraging messages. And since she can only. Since the other layer, she can only have breast milk. I don't have a lot in my freezer. Like, my supply has not been good. I. I guess I'm just not fully connecting the dots on how to pump and feed and stock my freezer. And so Kelly for a while has been offering me her breast milk. And I was like, I can't take food out of Libby's mouth. Like, I cannot accept that. But we're in a bit of a desperate spot. So Kelly has very generously decided that she's no longer going to give Libby breast milk. Which you were on your way out and I know you were really excited to stop pumping. But with Sloan's diagnosis, Kelly's decided to continue pumping what she can, and she's going to give it all to me, which is so kind. And. No.
Liz
I'm crying too.
Kelly
I've been thinking a lot about this because I had a lot of people in my DMs offer their breast milk. Sorry. And it's just like one of my best friends, her daughter is a few months younger than Sloan, and she said, I have a freezer packed like Whatever you need, please take it. And I. And it's the most selfless act that I've ever experienced. Hold on. I want to say this, so just give me a second.
Liz
Yeah, you're fine.
Kelly
Because it's the most selfless act that I've ever experienced. Because, like, if I needed something, I. I know that certain people in my life could throw money at a problem. I know certain people in my life could, like, physically do something for me. But the act of pumping your milk, which is so mentally and physically taxing, and it's meant for your own child and for you to offer to give it to me for my child, because I can't give her enough of what she needs. It's like, it's so gracious and so. So selfless, and it's so humbling for me to accept because I know that my daughter needs it, but that means that I'm taking it from someone else's baby. But, like, so that's why I haven't wanted to accept donor milk or milk from someone else, because I just feel too bad and too guilty. So, anyway, Kelly's offered to do that. One of my best friends has offered to do that. Strangers into my. In my DMS have been like, hey, I live in this area of St. Louis. I have extra milk if you need it. And I'm just, like, very humbled, and I just really, really appreciate it. And, yeah, it's just. It's just. It's such a village. And I don't know. I'm just, like. I'm, like, so overwhelmed with gratitude to, like, everyone who has. Who has done that.
Liz
So anyway, I'm so, first of all, like, I love you so much, and I'm not trying to. Like, I also think you're kind of guessing, like, it's really. I was. Elizabeth and I were, like, going back. I was, like, telling Liz, like, you know, let me see. Like, I have some friends who I think have a good freezer. Sash, like, let's just get you a couple of bags. And I'm so there being like, this is so stupid. Like, Libby takes formula. Fine. I. It's nothing for me to pump one bag a day for Sloan and give Libby a formula bottle. Like, it's just, like, it is just. And it's just not that big of a deal. And we all, like. And I agree. Anyone would do it for you. And, like, I'm so. I'm also, just, like, I hate the way that, like, that aller just, like, gave you that piece of paper and, like, sent you out the door. And that's just where it's like, the moms need to stick together. And, like, just the experience of. I mean, I just. Some days I just, like, really wish that, like, everybody had a social media platform because there's just, like, so. I mean, it's so nice. It's so humbling to, like, post something and, like, get an answer, even if it's like, silly stuff like, hey, like, who knows a good water park in Phoenix? It's like, multiple. It's better than Google. It's like, the best thing ever.
Kelly
I know it is. And that's why I posted about it, because I was like, I know I'm gonna get DMS of people whose kids have f pies and it's okay. Like, I had one girl who's a. Who was an. A nurse, an allergist nurse, and also had a daughter with f pies who DM'd me. And I'm like, you're the person I need to talk to because literally. So.
Liz
Well, it's just gonna be. It's going to be such a journey.
Kelly
Yeah.
Liz
And I'm with. I mean, I. I don't know what that journey is going to look like, but I know that I'm going to be right there with you. And we all are, I think, and we're going to figure it out together.
Kelly
I know. It's really. It's really okay. Like, the food allergy thing is, like, scary to have a kid with food allergies, but she also will likely grow out of it. So, like, it's fine. And, you know, I just think if my child's gonna have anything, like, I'm happy that it's something that she's gonna grow out of and be fine and everything. It's just. It's. It's like. It's all I've been able to think about since hearing that. I'm just, like, trying to understand what that's gonna mean for us.
Liz
Well, and it feels very. I mean, I think. I think f pies is obviously more severe than, like, Fred's eczema, but it feels similar in the sense where it's just like a very complicated treatment. Trial and error process.
Kelly
Yeah, the trial and error.
Liz
And, like, you're just looking down the barrel of, like, I don't know what it's going to look like. I don't know what's going to work. And bottom line, you're probably going to see your daughter throw up a lot of times, which is just like. Which mentally, that's A lot. That's just like a lot on your plate.
Kelly
Yeah, totally. So, yeah, that's going to be f pies drama of it all.
Liz
I. I'm probably. Fred's eczema is horrible. And this is not to like compare Fred to Sloan, but like we have taken seven steps backwards and we have to go back on being gluten and dairy free.
Kelly
Well, I'm. I'll be dairy free right there with you. So.
Liz
So just the drive through, you're gonna.
Kelly
Be dairy free from here on out.
Liz
And it's just so hard because I feel like we're very similar moms in this way. But like I am just so not the mom to have a dairy free, gluten free kid. Like, I just can't. Like I'm not consistent. I'm just not consistent enough for this. Like, I don't know how I'm gonna do this. It's just so. Oh my gosh. It's gonna feel like a full time thing.
Kelly
It's going to be but you know, it's going to be a new challenge and it's going to be. I just, I've had a lot of people DM me like my childhood f pies and it was really, really hard but like we got through it and now they're nor like they're thriving and everything.
Liz
Yeah.
Kelly
And I'm just trying to put know that like there's a light at the end of the tunnel and like I'm going to be that mom who's like f pies is really, really hard for us. Like we got through it and you will too. Like I'm trying to. That's. We just. There's only one way through it and it's through it.
Liz
Yeah.
Kelly
So we just have to move forward and figure it out.
Liz
So yeah. Tornadoes, f pies, plane travel. Do we have anything like a lighter on the docket that we could chat about or.
Kelly
You don't wake up dreaming of McDonald's fries. You wake up dreaming of McDonald's hash browns. McDonald's breakfast comes first.
Liz
I can say to my new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, hey, find a keto friendly restaurant nearby and text it to Beth and Steve. And it does without me lifting a finger so I can get in more squats anywhere I can. 1, 2, 3.
Kelly
Uh, will that be cash or credit? Credit. 4 Galaxy S25 Ultra, the AI companion that does the heavy lifting. So you can do you get yours@samsung.com compatible select apps requires Google Gemini account. Results may vary based on input. Check responses for Accuracy. Well, I feel like we just need to make like a full blown pivot to just something totally unrelated and a little shallow. So let's go to last three transactions where we share our recent bank account subtractions.
Liz
Well, let me just tell you something about transacting. So we're on the flight and you know, three hour flight. And tell her like, Kelly, don't judge me, but I'm going to get a beer. And I'm like, I'm judging you. No, I'm just kidding. I was like, that's fine. Like, we're traveling with four small children. Like two of them are sleeping. Like, relax. Like, take a second. And I said, I'm going to buy the WI fi. I never buy WI Fi. Do you buy WI fi on the plane?
Kelly
Never.
Liz
It's. I think it was seven or eight dollars. I bought the WI Fi.
Kelly
And can you just like scroll Instagram when you have.
Liz
Then. Then you can do whatever you want. Like, so I like the mental rope. Like, it's one of those things where it's like a coffee. $8. Perfect.
Kelly
Every day. Every day of the week.
Liz
Every day. It's like I'm traveling. Like airport snacks. Sure. Like, forgot to bring from home. Like, there's so many ways that like I will spend $8 and like I would never pay $8 for shipping. Like, I'd literally spend 200 to get free shipping. Like, that's insane.
Kelly
Me too. 100. But I'm like, if I like a three hour flight, like, why would I.
Liz
Do spend that on WI fi?
Kelly
Well. And you know what's crazy is that I did. It's eight bucks for the three hour flight. And it's eight bucks for the hour long flight. Totally. So.
Liz
So I could take an hour flight. Maybe not.
Kelly
Yeah, maybe.
Liz
But also like, maybe like I. But the problem is, and this is where I want to go, it wasn't $8.
Kelly
Oh. What was it?
Liz
Because then I found myself online shopping on the flight.
Kelly
Oh, oh, oh, oh. Yes.
Liz
So then it was a little more. But I got. But. But it was also productive because then.
Kelly
You have podcast content to talk about, like last three transactions.
Liz
Well, and I got something. I got something for the kids. Easter baskets.
Kelly
Oh, okay, perfect.
Liz
So that felt productive. That felt like. I mean, Easter's not until like a month. It's over a month. So like, I'm very productive.
Kelly
So excited for Easter Baskets. Okay. Actually, you know what? Before we go in here, here's what I want to talk about. Nevermind, I can't talk about that on the Podcast. Because kids listen to the podcast.
Liz
Can you talk in coats?
Kelly
Nope.
Liz
Cop, little bunny.
Kelly
I'm not. I'm not gonna go there. Not gonna go there.
Liz
Well, then we'll just go there. So anyway, you're probably wondering what I. What I purchased.
Kelly
What did you buy?
Liz
I bought some pajamas for. I'm gonna. I'm a simpleton when it comes to the baskets, to be honest. Okay. We are gonna be kind of be talking in code, so proceed with caution. I'm kind of a simple, too, when it comes to the baskets, though. Like, I'm looking for. And mom was always this way, like, And I like mom, if you're listening, like, I mean this with the utmost loves, but don't you always feel like our Easter baskets were just, like, a little bit of a letdown? Because it was always just, like, stuff.
Kelly
We needed and, like, candy.
Liz
Yeah. Except we needed, like, some candy, but, like, we never. We didn't get, like, toys on Easter.
Kelly
No, no.
Liz
You know what I mean? But I kind of like that. I think it gives kids grit. So I got my. Each of my kids a pair of pajamas.
Kelly
From where?
Liz
Well, and, like, my mom's of older kids, like, sound off. But, like, when do they stop wearing matchings? Because, like, I'm just absolutely not ready for, like, George to wear, like, a T shirt and shorts to bed. Like, you know, he. Cat. He will be in a festive little sleepy sprint until the day that I die.
Kelly
Yeah.
Liz
Like, I'm so not ready for that transition. But I was looking at, like, you know, the typicals that we, like. I'm like, these prints are so basic, baby.
Kelly
Yeah.
Liz
Like, this isn't fair. Like, he. This isn't. Like, I can't put him in, like, and teach their own. But, like, you know how I feel about, like, adult men in holiday jammies. Like, I'm starting to feel that way. But dare I say my son a little bit.
Kelly
Oh, no, I will cry.
Liz
Well, because I'm just. I don't want them to be matching, but, like, I need them to be a little bit more. Like, he's not gonna wear colorful peeps. Like, he's just not.
Kelly
Yeah. Okay.
Liz
That feels like that just. I don't like it fair. So I went to my, you know, my newest obsession, which is tea collection, and then poison dart frog PJs.
Kelly
Okay, perfect.
Liz
So then it's fun. So then it's a fun thing. So he got poison Dart Frog for JJ's.
Kelly
Yeah, he'll love that.
Liz
Yeah.
Kelly
Okay, well, something.
Liz
And then the rest of the Kids all got little sleepies.
Kelly
Okay, well, I'm here to. I think I'm gonna plant my flag that Little Sleepies are my favorite. Bamboo jammies.
Liz
Elizabeth and I have a bamboo jammy's obsession for these, for our children.
Kelly
Yeah, It's. It's our toxic trait. Some would call it not toxic at all, actually.
Liz
They're different. They're different. Little Sleepies, I think, has the worst prints. Sorry. Best quality.
Kelly
I agree. I agree. Little Sleepy's prints are sometimes too much, but sometimes that's what I'm looking for. Sometimes I like the obnoxious. Like, they're so ugly that they're cute.
Liz
Yeah.
Kelly
I think kites are, like, very pretty.
Liz
Though, from, like, the controversy.
Kelly
I feel like they've kind of recovered. I. I mean, I think they've recovered.
Liz
But I don't know.
Kelly
I don't. I don't. I think that there's. Their jammies are pretty, but if you have. Unless you have a skinny baby, like. Like, James was a very skinny. And so he could go. He fit and kite very well. Sloan has some roles and, like, when she's lotioned up after a bath, it's hard to get the kites on.
Liz
Hard work. Totally, but. Totally.
Kelly
It's hard. So I feel like she's growing out of those a lot quicker than James did.
Liz
Yeah.
Kelly
And then Kaden Lane, I think, has really nice. Really nice prints too. But, yeah, Little Sleepies is.
Liz
I don't think Kaden Lanes washes up as well, though.
Kelly
No, they don't. They don't. Okay. Anyway, something I recently bought. I bought a new pump. So I think part of the reason that my supply was not good is because I've just been manual pumping or I have, like, the portable ones. So I tried getting another one through my insurance, and I was like, I'm not gonna try and go down this rabbit hole. I'm just gonna go and bite the bullet. And I bought a Spectra 2. Whatever. The one that isn't wireless, which might have been a mistake. I bought that from Target Hurt, but whatever.
Liz
And has it been helping?
Kelly
I think so. I mean, it saves me. It saves me some time.
Liz
Okay, well, it's something.
Kelly
I'm doing power pumping, so it is a lot, Kel.
Liz
I know, babe. Okay, well, that's exciting. Sorry, I thought you were gonna, like, go on a little more of a tangent, so I'm not quite ready.
Kelly
Oh, okay. Well, I'll just, like, it's my next one, but I'm. I'll group it in with this. Also on Amazon, I am about to really deep dive on pumping bras, so I'm like ordering them for places.
Liz
Excited for this, for this journey.
Kelly
And I'm going to determine which one's good.
Liz
Okay. Gosh. I've kind of, like, been really transacting. If I'm being 100% transparent with you. I. One trend that I'm seeing in the fashion. Fashion world that I'm excited about is red sneakers.
Kelly
Yeah.
Liz
I don't know why, because I'm pretty sure I've said on this podcast, like, I don't like the color red. And I don't, but I think I'll like it on a shoe. So I. And I'm also just like, what is the next big sneaker? Like, what's the next sneaker we're wearing? I mean, I still love my sambas. I just also like plain white ones. But, you know, I'm always just like, looking and I sneaker like sneakers. Being in style has just been, like, really good for like, us tall girls because, like, look really cute and like, we're wearing a sneaker and, you know, it's closed toed, which is also good for, like, my business. So it's all good. So I don't know. I'm going for a pop of red and that pop of red is in my shoe.
Kelly
I. I love. I'm so into the pop of red. Red's like a very hot color right now.
Liz
Well, and I have a lot of whites and blues and navies and I just feel like red goes with that.
Kelly
No, red, white and blue, baby.
Liz
Yeah. Sometimes I'm getting dressed though, and I'm like, is this cute or is this a costume?
Kelly
Do you ever feel that way, like.
Liz
To ask me, like, tell me if this is a cute outfit if I wore jeans, a navy and white striped shirt in my red sneakers? Cuter. Is that like, are you trying to stuff like the fourth of July?
Kelly
No, I think that's cute. I think I could see you be like, cute or do I look like a little boy? No, you know, cuter.
Liz
Is James wearing the same outfit?
Kelly
Cute? Yeah. Who wore best, James or Aunt Kelly?
Liz
Okay, I see the problem, but no.
Kelly
I think, I think it's cute.
Liz
Okay, well, I'll try.
Kelly
Something that I recently bought. I went into Old Navy to, to browse and I was shocked to see that all of their swimsuits are out. They had, they had just put all their swimsuits out the day I got there.
Liz
Why were you shocked?
Kelly
Because I just, I'm not prepared. And also I have not the last two summers I've been pregnant. The last summer I wasn't pregnant was December before my wedding. So all to say, mama doesn't have any swimsuits that fit her right. And so I was like, you know, once the swimsuits come out, you need to buy them now, because by the time you actually need one month from now, then they're not in store, and then you can't find the next season. You can't find the sizes.
Liz
Can we stop with that? They also do that. They do that with children's clothes in the most annoying way because it's like, hey, maybe just became this size.
Kelly
Yeah.
Liz
So, like, I need summer.
Kelly
Yeah.
Liz
And I also feel like stores follow, like, this, like, universal season and, like, not like, it's still 90 in September.
Kelly
Yeah, totally. Totally.
Liz
In St. Louis, like, could we adjust?
Kelly
Totally. So I. I tried on in store some swimsuits, which was old, but was. Was the move. So, yeah, they had some, like, a very cute and very flattering swimsuits, though, so Old Navy. And it was like, a top was 12 bucks and a bottom was 12 bucks.
Liz
Okay, and you're feeling good?
Kelly
Yeah, I'm very pleased with my purchases.
Liz
How many did you buy? Wait, how many did you buy?
Kelly
2. Same ones, different colors. And I also think that's the other hack because I tried on multiple styles, and, yeah, some styles just weren't working, and one style was working beautifully. So I'm like, let's just buy it in every color. I bought it only in two colors, but, you know, if you find something that works, just don't over complicate it.
Liz
No, I do know, and I do kind of agree with you. Okay. My last is, like, I really don't want to share this one because I'm, like, really nervous that people are gonna, like, come for the person. I'm not even gonna share the name because I'm tired of you guys blowing her up. But, like, I'm obsessed with my press on nails.
Kelly
Oh.
Liz
But I hear. I want to give a very honest critique of them. Again, I'm so hard on my hands. Like, and I'm also. I'm installing car seats. Like, I'm digging in Vaseline tubs, like, to lather Fred up. Like, I'm doing stuff with my hands. So I do lose some throughout the week. So I'm. But all you do is re glue them. Except then I lost one in, like, in Arizona. I lost one. I couldn't find it. And then, like, the sets kind of shot because, like, then you have A missing. Missing out. But anyway, so I had to buy some new nail glue because, like, she gives you one tube with your nails. But then, like, I did it and like, now I need to keep nails. Nail in my purse because they're popping off. So it's like, not like a perfect solution, but it's a solution.
Kelly
Yeah, no, for sure.
Liz
So I just want some more nail glue. So I just keep it. Keep it in my purse. Like a freaking lip gloss. One pops off, I pop it right back on. Like, I don't know. I don't know how long I'm going to sustain this for, but I'm having fun with it right now.
Kelly
It's a really good option for when you have something coming up and you want to have nails, but you don't want to sit through getting your nails done. Because when you have to go get your nails done, you have to sit through, like with dip. You have to sit through getting them done. You have to sit through getting them off.
Liz
It's. It's too accurate.
Kelly
I don't. I don't pick them off. That freaks me out. But yeah, the. The press ons are good in a pinch.
Liz
Well, and I did see that, like, you know, Target has a better press on selection, but Ulta had like, so many good press ons.
Kelly
Okay, but you say that you don't know. You don't know if they're good. I just tried. I think they're called chill out from Target. Terrible, terrible.
Liz
What happened?
Kelly
They just wouldn't go on there. It was like I'd press it on and it would pop right off. And I'm. Well, then I just never had that experience with my other ones. I don't. I think was the shape of the nail. I don't know. They weren't good. And that was sad. Okay. Anyway, my last. Last transaction not to just, like, keep harping on what a difficult feeder Sloan is, but she now only takes breast milk warm, so she's a little bit picky in that way. I always told my friends when they have stuff on their registry like a wipe warmer, bottle warmer, I'm like, don't put those on there because you don't want your kid getting used to warm wipes. And you don't want them getting used to a warm bottle. You want them to be able to take a cold bottle on bottle on the go. Even more so with wipes. Anyway, Sloan won't take a cold bottle, so I had to buy a bottle. I had to buy a bottle warmer. So I bought like a portable One.
Liz
I mean, I do feel like when she'll. She will grow out that eventually. Well, I hope she'll grow out of a lot of things.
Kelly
Hopefully she grows out a lot of things. Yeah. I mean, yeah, she'll probably grow out of it when she's a year old and no longer needs breast milk.
Liz
Yeah. But Libby is a hot bottle girl too. Like, I got the baby brezza cranked to the hottest. It goes. And like, if she doesn't take it and like, if I put it down, like, come back 10 minutes later, she's literally like, looks at me like warm. That ish up.
Kelly
Really?
Liz
Oh, yeah.
Kelly
She is a little up with these girls, you know, I think they're just.
Liz
Like, trying to like, find their place in the world.
Kelly
You don't think we have hot coffee girls, do you? Do you? Because we're. We're cold coffee girls.
Liz
But, like, I have to give them to her because, like, she is getting formula and then I have like that guilt that comes with that. So I'm like, okay, fine. But I actually think formula is. And I still plan on nursing her. Like, just like, to give a update on my breastfeeding journey. I still plan on nursing her throughout the night, like in the evening. So basically from. I'm gonna. And this is what I've done with all of my kids. My supply is very. I don't have an. I don't have an insane supply. I would say I have a very flexible supply where I will nurse her for her first feed. And then during the day when she's at daycare, when I'm working, I won't nurse her. I'm gonna pump one time for bologna. Basically, we're gonna take the same pump break. Like it's really no big deal.
Kelly
Yeah.
Liz
And then I'll nurse her through. Through the evening on. Okay, that's kind of my plan. So just getting formula during the day.
Kelly
Yeah. So that's good. Yeah. Okay. Well, did you. I think that's all of our transactions.
Liz
Yeah. So is it time for industry news where I spill the hot tea going on in the auto industry?
Kelly
Yeah, girl.
Liz
Okay, so first things first. I wanna talk about the car I drove. And listen up. I drove the Hyundai Santa Fe. Now I want to explain because I got a lot of questions. How did we fit our luggage? We did not. We ubered from the airport. And then the. The. The car company Drive shop, who I get some of my press cars through. They drove it to the house, so would not have worked for airport pickup because there's no Trunk space. Like, it's really probably. It's not really designed to have four kids in car seats all the time because you literally have so little cargo space at that point. But.
Kelly
It.
Liz
Was really good. Better than I was expecting.
Kelly
Yeah. I mean, the real you posted where you showed all of the car seats. It, like, looked comfortable.
Liz
It was fine.
Kelly
Yeah.
Liz
You know, we kind of played musical cars because, like, then the boys would go do something and the girls would go do something. So for one of the days, it was mom and Hattie, like our mother in the third row. And she was fine.
Kelly
Yeah, and she was fine.
Liz
She said she was comfortable.
Kelly
Yeah.
Liz
So Shadow Hyundai Santa Fe. I also, like, found myself liking the body style. And I, I think I called this. I knew Hyundai was going to do this because I always hate the honeys when they come out. And then by the end of it, I'm like, you know what? It wasn't so bad. My tastes have changed. My tastes have matured.
Kelly
I guess. I'm. I've. You have been kind of a. You have not liked the redesign. I have been pro redesign since the beginning. Have you? I mean, I was shocked at first and I stand by that. I don't think it looks like the rest of the Hyundai lineup, but I'm not mad at it. I like about. I like a boxy car.
Liz
You like a boxy car.
Kelly
That's my style.
Liz
Yeah, it's. It's good.
Kelly
So good to know.
Liz
Yeah, I was very. I'm. I'm into her, so. And we had the hybrid, which hybrids in general, I need to like, they're so all over the place because, like this Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid that I have was getting 35, 36 miles per gallon, like smacks. Well, now I have a Lexus LX700 Hybrid and it gets 20 miles per gallon with a hybrid. And I just think you need to do your diligence. Like, I think hybrid can kind of hybrid has become a bit of a buzzword in some capacity because I'm pre. And I, I apologize for not knowing this more, but I'm pretty sure to. For a manufacturer to call a car a hybrid, like, just a portion of the drivetrain has to be a hybrid. Like the engine. Be a hybrid engine.
Kelly
Interesting.
Liz
Like, they could just like be like, oh, this is ran by a battery. Like, it's a small. I need to look up and I will do that. Like the legal of when they can call it a hybrid. But make sure you're double checking, like, what the actual miles per gallon are. And don't just go off of like, oh, it's hybrid. I'm going to get that.
Kelly
Yeah.
Liz
You know, kind of interesting. But anyway, overall, loved it. I thought the tech was great. The drive was. You know what, it had enough get up and go. I think it's right for a lot of people.
Kelly
Good.
Liz
Yeah. So that is that. Now you're probably wondering what my next story is.
Kelly
I am on the edge of my seat to know what your next story is.
Liz
Okay, this was interesting. This was something that car and driver did that I thought was funny. It says the tow to Grand Highlander can go way past empty before it runs out of gas. Our long term Grand Highlander barely makes it 300 between Phillips, but our testing revealed it goes 60 miles plus after the fuel gauge suggests.
Kelly
Oh, what?
Liz
Which like such an interesting. I didn't know that. I don't know if CARD ever always runs that test. This is like a fun thing they did with the Toyota Grand Highlander.
Kelly
That's like significant.
Liz
Significant. Right.
Kelly
They said 50 miles.
Liz
60 miles.
Kelly
60 miles. That's crazy.
Liz
I know. So what is your. I mean, have you ever ran out of gas?
Kelly
First of all, I've never ran out. No. I have driven on. On zero miles left to a gas station. When I made it.
Liz
I have ran out of gas one time. But it wasn't my fault. I was, I was working at the dealership and we had this plug in hybrid. It was, this was back in like 2017 and it was like a plug in hybrid or something x5. And they're like, it's out of gas, but it has a little bit of EV range to get you to the gas station. Go fill it up. I was like, okay. So I went on Manchester if, you know, if you're from St. Louis. And I made it like 600, not even 300 yards from the dealership. And I ran gas on the side of Manchester.
Kelly
Oh, yep.
Liz
Only time. Only time. But we should be keeping gas in our car.
Kelly
Totally.
Liz
Tyler is really good about filling up my gas tank.
Kelly
For me, that is. I really hate filling up my gas tank.
Liz
I know.
Kelly
That's like a very good husband. Active service.
Liz
It's like on Saturdays. Well, you know, Tyler's also so crazy about car washes. Like you guys think I'm crazy about car washes. I. Tyler, I think goes every like, Tyler sometimes is like, I can't believe club car wash only lets you go one time a day. He's crazy. He's crazy. But on Saturday mornings, like we typically will go get coffee or breakfast or the kids donuts or something. And he'll drive my car, and he'll, like, get a car wash, fill it up with gas and. Yeah, that's really nice. No, it's, like, literally, like, put in my wedding vows. Like, it's, like, my favorite thing that he does.
Kelly
Yeah. Really makes you feel. It's weird. It just makes you feel taken care of.
Liz
When I'm training. Yeah, it does. And I'm training. Like, getting coffee for me is just, like, a really pivotal. It's like. It's like a cornerstone of my family's dynamics. Like, it's just. I just like to make Tyler one likes to get up and go somewhere in the mornings. I don't. He wants to get up and get out of the house. So unfortunately for him, that means he has to take most of the children with him. But I'm just training the boys, too. Like, the other day, George woke up, and he's like, you want to go get mama coffee? I'm like, george, you'll make a woman to that order, my son. Because that is what I'm talking about.
Kelly
Get yourself a cake pop.
Liz
And I'm trying to get George to memorize my coffee order because Tyler also refuses to memorize my coffee order. He's always like, text me what you want. I'm like, I want the same thing every time.
Kelly
Put it in your notes.
Liz
I'm gonna put it in his notes. But to his point, some days, I might want something different, you know? Yeah, but, like, put in your notes.
Kelly
But you wouldn't be upset if you got the thing?
Liz
What if you wanted to surprise me one day with one and, you know, you're ruining the surprise by asking me. Text me what you want.
Kelly
Yeah.
Liz
Speaking of, I kind of wish I had a coffee right now. Oh, lent update.
Kelly
Lent update.
Liz
I don't. Diet Coke's been fine. Honestly, like, I kind of got used to it. I just drink other things, you know?
Kelly
Huh.
Liz
I'm making better choices.
Kelly
Good. How's the phone?
Liz
Obsessed, Obsessed, obsessed, Obsessed with it. Seven's a little. Seven feels a little early sometimes. Only because I just found myself, like, not wanting to be on my phone because I'm not really on my phone when I'm, like, doing dinner and bath with the kids. Because, I mean, I might, like, be checking here or there, but, like, I'm busy, but I just didn't want to be, like, spending my last moments scrolling.
Kelly
Yeah.
Liz
And doing stuff like that. So sometimes seven's a little hard because especially with the time change, it's like, well, we're so outside playing. Like, I don't even have my phone.
Kelly
Yeah.
Liz
But I'm committed to it. I love it. It's brought me so much just peace in my heart.
Kelly
I'm so happy to hear that.
Liz
Yeah. I really love it. I'm just like, doing other. I'm just doing other things. Like, I'm researching things. I'm watching tv. Like, I'm. It's not like I'm sitting there just doing nothing. I'm just not doing. I feel like I'm moving the needle more in my life, you know?
Kelly
Yeah.
Liz
And I'm just like.
Kelly
You're not just tomb.
Liz
My mind just is going slower. It's so nice.
Kelly
Yeah.
Liz
It's honestly not hard anymore. Like, it feels like I shouldn't have. Like, it doesn't feel like a sacrifice, to be honest.
Kelly
Wow. Okay. So you think you'll keep it up?
Liz
Totally love that. Yeah.
Kelly
I think that's a good, healthy boundary for you to set, especially as someone who like, works on their phones. Like, very easy to.
Liz
Yeah.
Kelly
Fall into that. So I think it's a good boundary to set.
Liz
Totally.
Kelly
Okay, well, I ended up giving up sweets except for my lactation cookies because had already invested a lot of money in those. You know what? After I left your house today and like, you had a little. You pulled a little sweet treat out of your candy jar and I couldn't do that. It was a little. It's a little hard.
Liz
Yeah. I had chocolate covered espresso beans. They were so good.
Kelly
It's a little tough, but, you know, it's okay. I'm fine.
Liz
Yeah, we're fine. We're doing good.
Kelly
We're fine. So, guys, I think. What? Oh, we have a digital drive throw.
Liz
Right.
Kelly
So now it is time for ditch to the drive thru where we give you an easy dinner recipe to mix it up to get you out of your dinner.
Liz
And what do you want to do?
Kelly
Well, I made the. It's like viral on my social media right now. And I don't know why, but it's like a ground beef bowl. And the ground beef bowl that's viral right now is like ground beef, sweet potato, avocado, cottage cheese, hot honey, and that's a fine combination. But just the ground beef bowl in general. And maybe we've already done this as a dish drive through so many times, so I just like never get sick of it. Like, like a good avocado ground beef. I made Maddie one with like a sweet potato and an egg last night. Like, I could eat that for Every meal. It's just like. It's a little bit of a tattoo. It's a little bit to prepare, but it's also not.
Liz
Liz. I'm telling you, I'm. So now we finally have beef in our freezer again. We had way too much pork and no beef. Now I've got oodles and oodles of ground beef. I'm. And I have been. I've also committed to using my Blackstone at least once a week.
Kelly
Okay.
Liz
I'm Renita Brown. Just pounds and pounds and pounds. Bring me your pounds.
Kelly
This is your. It's time.
Liz
I'll sit there on a freaky. I'm sit there on a Saturday morning. Tyler and Georgia will get me a coffee. I'm just going to brown and brown and brown ground beef until they.
Kelly
All day.
Liz
All day, baby. All day.
Kelly
Yeah. I just put in an order for my next round of beef.
Liz
June H. I told you to get on it.
Kelly
I know. I put off texting him, so I.
Liz
Told you to get on it.
Kelly
Honor. I still have some left. I just need to. I need to make it. I need to get a new grill. Ew. How do you know what grill to buy? I'm not getting a Blackstone.
Liz
Where's the appliance influencer?
Kelly
Where's the appliance? Because I go on Home Depot and, like, one's $1.99, and then the one below it is $8.99, and I'm just like, they look similar. Can I just get away with a $200 grill or am I going to regret that? Doesn't really feel like there's that much to it, you know, it feels like it's fire. Feels like it's fire in, like, some grills. So propane. Where's the appliance influencer? Free idea. Free idea. Someone do it.
Liz
How do you spell appliance?
Kelly
A, P, P, L, I, A N, C, E. Oh, my gosh. I was right.
Liz
Hold on. I need to look something up. I have been, like I said, using my Blackstone. Here's what we've had. Here's my week of suppers. Do you want to hear them?
Kelly
Please? I need inspo.
Liz
Okay, well, first of all, I'm a big breakfast meats ahead of time because my kids need to eat protein in the morning. And I know that some of you guys kind of have sensitive stomachs, but we have been losing chickens to Mr. Fox still, so we're down to, like, eight. So we only get, like, eight eggs a day, and that's, like, not Quite. It's really. We get like seven or eight eggs a day, and that's, like, not quite enough for us.
Kelly
Yeah.
Liz
So we needed to supplement with meat, so ham, bacon. So I did like, a bunch of, like, breakfast meats, and then I cut in half chicken breasts, which, if you have the right chicken tools. I don't mind dealing with chicken, I think. Why? I just. I. I prefer pork and beef more. I'm not the biggest chicken person, but also chicken. Such a hub of blue because it's, like, big and it' gross and it's, like, not cut. Right. I just. Beef just seems. I. I prefer how the. The cuts of beef come to me more.
Kelly
Totally.
Liz
But I. I did the dang thing. I got my parchment paper out. I put gloves on. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I need to use gloves. I don't want to touch these chickens with these press on it. I just don't like to touch chicken. It grosses me out. Beef doesn't bother me. Chicken does. And I cut them in half like this.
Kelly
Okay.
Liz
Did six breasts cut in half. So I had 12 pieces of chicken. Did them all in the Blackstone. Did them upright. We made California chicken sandwiches.
Kelly
Yum.
Liz
I had made Liz a chicken garlic parmesan wrap for lunch.
Kelly
Delicious.
Liz
Tonight we're going to do chicken Caesar salads.
Kelly
Love it.
Liz
We're going to have burgers one night. We're going to have chichi pie. Pie one night. And then I don't know, because I got to pull out my paleo cookbook because then we have to be g free. D free.
Kelly
G free. D free.
Liz
Okay, well, it's about to get a lot less fun for me.
Kelly
Yeah. You're about to have a lot of ground beef bowls in your future, minus the cottage cheese. Yeah.
Liz
So that's our episode.
Kelly
That's fine.
Liz
We brought everything we needed. We laughed. We cried.
Kelly
Yeah. Literally. Sorry. So, anyway, thank you so much for listening to the carpool podcast, and we will talk to you next time.
Liz
See ya. Thank you for listening to the carpool podcast with Kelly and Liz. Make sure you're subscribed so you never miss an episode. And if you enjoyed riding with us, tell everybody you know there's room in the car for everyone.
The Carpool with Kelly and Liz: Episode Summary – "TWISTERS, AIRPORTS & BREAST MILK"
Release Date: March 20, 2025
In this emotionally charged and insightful episode of The Carpool with Kelly and Liz, hosts Kelly Stumpe and Liz St. John navigate through personal challenges, parenting hurdles, and their enduring sisterly bond. The conversation seamlessly weaves together stories of natural disasters, the stress of traveling with young children, and the heart-wrenching journey of managing a severe food allergy in their children. Additionally, they sprinkle in lighter moments discussing fashion choices, parenting hacks, and relatable daily struggles. Below is a detailed breakdown of the episode’s key segments, enriched with notable quotes and timestamps for a comprehensive understanding.
Timestamp: [02:07]
The episode kicks off with Kelly recounting a harrowing experience during severe tornadoes in Missouri. A series of miscommunications and power outages led Kelly and her family to seek refuge at her parents' house alongside her daughter Grayson. The severity of the storm is underscored when Kelly mentions, “There were some parts of Missouri that were catastrophic” ([03:07]).
Liz adds her perspective, highlighting the rarity of tornadoes in their hilly region compared to places like Oklahoma. She reflects, “It's really scary... that it easily could have hit down close to our house” ([04:37]). This segment not only showcases their resilience in the face of natural disasters but also sets the stage for discussing the complexities of parenting under duress.
Timestamp: [05:51]
Liz delves into the difficulties of traveling with four young children, sharing her recent trip to Arizona. Describing it as a “redemption trip,” she emphasizes the mental and physical toll it took, especially managing car seats and toggling between breastfeeding and formula-feeding ([06:14]).
Kelly empathizes, noting how societal perceptions often marginalize families traveling with children. She laments, “Everyone else acting like you're an inconvenience” ([07:32]), expressing frustration over the lack of respect and understanding for parents navigating airports with kids.
Timestamp: [05:51]
A substantial portion of the episode is dedicated to Kelly sharing her daughter Sloan's diagnosis of Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES). Kelly explains the relentless challenges they've faced, recounting, “Since Sloan has been born, I have tried four different formulas... she violently throws up everything in her stomach” ([15:23]).
She details the emotional and physical strain of managing this rare, non-IgE mediated food allergy, emphasizing the trial-and-error nature of finding suitable formulas. Kelly says, “It's a rare non IgE mediated food allergy that affects the gastro tract” ([16:21]), highlighting the scarcity of resources and support for such conditions.
Liz offers her unwavering support, sharing her own struggles with her son Fred’s eczema and the added burden of going gluten and dairy-free. She candidly admits, “I really can't say anything bad happened on the trips” ([05:47]).
Timestamp: [17:23]
The sisters reflect on the importance of community support, especially through social media. Kelly expresses immense gratitude towards friends and strangers who have offered breast milk and practical advice, stating, “It's the most selfless act that I've ever experienced” ([19:25]).
Liz echoes this sentiment, acknowledging the strength they draw from each other and their extended community. They emphasize the collective journey of parenting, underscoring the notion that “we're going to figure it out together” ([22:36]).
Timestamp: [25:31]
Shifting gears, Kelly and Liz discuss lighter topics such as managing their children’s wardrobes for Easter, debating the merits of festive pajamas versus practical sleepwear. Liz shares her creative approach, opting for “poison dart frog PJs” to inject fun into their children’s sleepwear ([30:24]).
They also touch upon beauty hacks, with Liz critiquing the reliability of press-on nails, sharing her frustrations with nails failing during busy weeks. Kelly adds her own experiences, highlighting the temporary solutions press-ons offer: “It's a really good option for when you have something coming up” ([38:23]).
Timestamp: [41:19]
Transitioning to auto industry news, Liz provides an update on her recent experience driving the Hyundai Santa Fe. She highlights the vehicle's practicality for families, despite initial reservations about its design: “The tech was great. The drive was... it had enough get up and go” ([44:24]).
Kelly shares her own appreciation for the boxy design aesthetic, stating, “I like a boxy car. That's my style” ([43:06]). They discuss the varying performance of hybrid vehicles, cautioning listeners to verify actual fuel efficiency beyond manufacturer claims. Liz remarks on the misleading nature of some hybrid labels, urging diligence: “Make sure you're double checking, like, what the actual miles per gallon are” ([43:28]).
Timestamp: [26:25]
In a relatable segment, Kelly and Liz discuss their recent transactions and the everyday challenges of parenting. Liz shares her experience with purchasing airplane Wi-Fi to keep herself occupied during a flight, humorously weighing it against the cost: “‘It's one of those things where it's like a coffee. $8. Perfect” ([27:05]).
They also exchange tips on budgeting and prioritizing purchases, with Kelly highlighting her recent investment in a new breast pump to manage her supply better: “I'm doing power pumping, so it is a lot, Kelly” ([32:38]).
Timestamp: [48:07]
Liz opens up about her commitment to a digital detox, sharing how limiting phone usage has positively impacted her mental well-being. She states, “I'm committed to it. I love it. It's brought me so much just peace in my heart” ([48:23]).
Kelly relates by sharing her recent dietary changes, notably giving up sweets except for lactation cookies. Their conversation highlights the balance between self-care and the relentless demands of motherhood: “We're fine. We're doing good” ([50:10]).
Timestamp: [54:43]
As the episode draws to a close, Kelly and Liz reflect on the emotional rollercoaster of the day's discussions. They express gratitude for their listeners and reaffirm their commitment to supporting each other through life's ups and downs. Kelly concludes with, “So, anyway, thank you so much for listening to the carpool podcast, and we will talk to you next time” ([54:54]).
Notable Quotes:
Kelly: “Everyone else acting like you're an inconvenience.” ([07:32])
Liz: “Families just don't get enough respect in an airport situation.” ([07:32])
Kelly: “It's the most selfless act that I've ever experienced.” ([19:25])
Liz: “I'm committed to it. I love it. It's brought me so much just peace in my heart.” ([48:23])
Kelly: “Make sure you're double checking, like, what the actual miles per gallon are.” ([43:28])
Conclusion
This episode of The Carpool with Kelly and Liz is a poignant exploration of the realities of modern motherhood, underscored by the sisters' unwavering support for one another. From battling severe weather and navigating the complexities of parenting young children to managing rare medical conditions and advocating for better societal respect, Kelly and Liz offer a raw and authentic glimpse into their lives. Their blend of vulnerability, humor, and practical advice makes this episode both relatable and inspiring for listeners navigating similar journeys.