Not only is the pandemic throwing a wrench in our holiday plans, but our own kids are too. We seem to have gone from doing holidays our parents' way to doing them our kids' way--without a stop in between for our way.

On Dancing with the Stars, it's the season 29 finale! And, well, at least the show itself was fun? The results, however, were not to our liking. We plan on remembering them in reverse order henceforth, so that Justina Machado comes in first and Nelly second--and a Bachelorette doesn't win for the second season in a row.

The stakes are lower, but only a little, on Baby Ballroom​. We enjoy watching the littlest dancers, because the pressure is ratcheting up on the older ones and it's stressing us out. Next: The last two episodes of season 1 (numbers 7 and 8). 

Sometimes you just need to look at cute puppies or pandas. On today's Round 1, we talked about online self-care: Visiting digital destinations that soothe and/or amuse, instead of causing stress. Some of our fave stops:

• Ralph Lauren
• Kate Spade
• #BTeam on Facebook
• Fringe Fairy's Gem Hunters (a Dancing with the Stars group) on Facebook
• Bobby Bones on Instagram
• DWTS pro Lindsay Arnold (and her new baby) on Instagram
• DWTS pro Witney Carson on Instagram
• We Rate Dogs on Instagram
• The Kangaroo Sanctuary on Instagram
• The National Zoo giant panda cam

On Speed-Round Sunday, we share a mini episode from our past for your weekend listening pleasure. 
​
On lizards in shoes, lake flies, ticks, and that moment you realize the bug you thought you captured to take outside is now probably crawling on you somewhere. Eek!

On Second-Listen Saturday, we share some fun moments from past episodes for your weekend listening pleasure.

Normal Rockwell, we ain't: We talk about the pressure — external and internal — to have a portrait-worthy holiday and our attempts to bring expectations down to snapshot size.

Want more? Listen to the rest of this November 2017 episode.

On this week’s Roundabout Roundup: Nicole recommends the Litter Genie for families with cats. Catherine recommends Silk Almondmilk Creamers for people who like a little boost of lower-calorie flavor in their coffee or tea. Terri reminds you, our listeners, that you can suggest topic ideas for us anytime on our contact page. Thank you!

Thanks as always to Jon Morin for our fun in-and-out music, which you hear on every episode.

Whether it's advancing age, lack of sleep, or just 2020, we find ourselves feeling very forgetful. We shared a few of our reminder hacks, but welcome more ideas, if you can remember to send them to us.

Following up on last week's complaints about Moxie, the robot that socializes your kid, we now rant about Keepa, the "social distance trainer" that teaches kids to stay six feet away from others. Not everything needs a high-tech solution; can we please just stick with tape on the floor and propeller hats?

On Dancing with the Stars, it was a finale-like semi-finals, with contemporary numbers and 10s down like confetti. Plus, a shocking elimination: Non-dancer Nelly made it to the finals while figure-skater Johnny Weir did not. Next week: The finale!

On Baby Ballroom, season 1 episodes 3 and 4, we learned that little kids will dance their hearts out for a very tiny trophy, and bigger kids will overcome their fears of revealing to their peers that they love to dance. Next: Season 1, episodes 5 and 6.

Meghan Leahy is a parenting coach after our own heart: She's all about finding what works for you and your kids and ignoring the rest. We discuss a chapter titled "The Invisible Work of Parenting" from her excellent book, Parenting Outside the Lines, on giving yourself credit for everything you do--and don't do--to nurture your kids. Mentioned: The viral video of a dad and baby having a conversation (Catherine apologizes for misgendering the baby).