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Babysitting grandpa going viral with his constant texts to vacationing daughter

"Hi, how do I toast!"

Molly Madfis TikTok screenshots

Babysitting grandpa has the internet in stitches.

Good grandparents really are an important asset to young families just starting out. They can show you the ropes of parenthood, help entertain their grandkids, and probably most importantly, they know when you need a break because you're their baby and they can always tell when something's up with their child.

But sometimes, grandparents can be a little...uh...needy, even when they're the best grandparents in every other aspect. Technology has changed so much over the decades since they were raising children, and sometimes they need a little extra help with things that might seem simple. Soon-to-be mom of two, Molly Madfis, took to TikTok to share what happened when her 75-year-old dad, John, was babysitting her 5-year-old, Arlo, for a few days while she was on a "babymoon" with her husband.

In the viral TikTok, Madfis is seen with her husband with a text overlay that reads, "how to have a relaxing babymoon—don't ask your dad to babysit." Before you think Madfis is being mean to her sweet dad, you can clearly see through the text exchange that they love each other very much and her post seems to be in good fun.

"Arlo worships my dad, but I was a little nervous about leaving them alone together. My dad is pretty co-dependent—like, he’ll go to CVS and then call me eight times with different questions,” Madfis told Today.com.

The text exchanges that Madfis shared are pretty adorable, though I'm sure receiving them while you're trying to relax may have taken the cute factor down a notch. But let's be completely honest—do we think a nervous mom would've relaxed had grandpa not been sending random texts that let you know things are still going well? Probably not.

In the short clip, you see the door cam video that shows John, whom Arlo lovingly calls "Poppy," leaving to take the little guy to school without his backpack...and 30 minutes late. Then comes the text, "Hi, how do you toast," which John sent along with a picture of the options shown on the machine. Clearly, or at least clearly to his daughter and viewers, there was a picture of a piece of bread indicating the toasting option. When Madfis explained where the bread icon was located, there was still confusion, but he made it work.

"The one that looks like pizza worked," the grandpa replied.

@almostmakesperfect

never again #fyp

The texts continue to get more comical as they go on. At one point, he asked if he should refrigerate the leftover pizza, complete with a photo of a half-empty pizza box. But the kicker was when Madfis asked for a picture of her child. John's response was a classic dad move: "Why? You already know what he looks like."

The comment section was filled with people relating and laughing at the video.

"I asked my FIL [father-in-law] for a pic of my baby so he sent me the pic that I sent him of her last week," one mom commented.

"Love how he didn't mind sending you pictures of the toaster and pizza but was confused on why you wanted one of the kid," another person wrote, complete with a crying laughing emoji.

Others commented that the little boy probably had the best week of his life with his Poppy. Listen, even people who take their kids to school every day forget backpacks sometimes, so we can cut grandpa some slack there. As for the rest of it—keep being you, Poppy. Memories are certainly being made.


This article originally appeared on 3.17.23

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Pop Culture

Man turns Geo Tracker into an adorable adult-sized 'Little Tikes Cozy Coupe'

It comes complete with feet hanging under the car.

Tikestrackercolo|TikTok

Man turns old car into adult-sized 'Little Tikes Cozy Coupe.'

You know how there are some things that always look cuter the smaller they are? Kind of like baby shoes or overalls—something about them being tiny makes them squeal-worthy.

Well, it turns out the same can be said about turning small things bigger. One man has had a lifelong dream of making a "Little Tikes Cozy Coupe" adult-sized, and recently he made his dream come true.

Even if you've never known the proper name for the plastic kids' vehicle, you'd likely easily recognize the nostalgic toy with its bright yellow and red doors that make a distinct suction-popping sound upon opening or closing them. But one of the best parts is that it's completely foot-powered like the "Flintstones," which is great for kids but not so much if you're trying to beat rush hour traffic.

The TikTok account @Tikestrackercolo posted a short video showing off the adult-sized replica of the Cozy Coupe.

In the caption of the video that now has 3.3 million views, the owner explains, "My Little Tikes inspired Cozy Coupe! I was inspired by a Hallmark ornament to turn this $700 Geo Tracker into a Cozy Coupe. I have more work to do so follow me for updates."

The detail on the car is meticulous, down to the stitching on the seats and the stickers on the tires. But one of the funniest details is the feet that dangle from the bottom of the car, giving the illusion of the driver using his feet to get around town. Commenters are absolutely tickled by the Cozy Coupe, and even Little Tikes commented, "Amazing!" complete with a car emoji followed by a cloud of smoke.

@tikestrackercolo

My Little Tikes inspired Cozy Coupe! I was inspired by a Hallmark Ornament to turn this $700 Geo Tracker into a Cozy Coupe. I have more work to do so follow me for updates. The paint is screaming yellow and road rage red from Monstaliner, seat embroidery by Tees in Time, tire stickers by TireStickers.com and orange carpart by Accumatsonline #littletikes #littletikescozycoupe #geotracker #geotrackermakeover #downsyndrome #carsoftiktok #hallmarkornaments #tiktok #monstaliner #accumatsonline #tirestickers

"This is ABSOLUTELY the GREATEST thing I have ever seen," one person said.

"Love the foot power 😅 how fun," another wrote.

"This is the build by which all builds should be measured against. This is where it all started for car guys. I love this so much," a commenter said.

You guys, the car even has googly eyes, and now the legs kick while he drives! How could anyone ignore how adorable this car is? If you live in Colorado, the car can be spotted driving around town, so be on the lookout.

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Pop Culture

Do you have a 'crispy R?' A podcast interview has everyone down a rabbit hole about 'Rs'

Is this a real thing?

greg.plus.coco|TIkTok and Mary Elizabeth Kelly|TikTok

A podcast interview has people wondering about 'Crispy Rs'

"Crispy Rs" are taking over social media. The phrase has sent many curious people down a deep, dark rabbit hole of confusion while they try to decipher what a "crispy R" is and if they have it. It's supposedly some sort of leftover Mid-Atlantic or Transatlantic old-school Hollywood actor dialect, which conjures the image of someone like Humphrey Bogart scolding some poor doe-eyed woman.

Is that what it is? Seems like everyone is trying to figure it out. Just about every part of the country has a different dialect, and words sound different depending on the region in which someone grew up. In some cases, words may be completely different for the same item—for instance, Northerners and Southerners argue over if soft drinks are called "pop" or "soda," and some people in the South just call it all "Coke." (Yes, all soft drinks, not just one particular brand.)

Some people say "worsh" instead of "wash" and "ruf" instead of "roof." Regional dialect really shapes the way we all speak, and I'm assuming has a hand in shaping the muscles that help us say certain words.

I recall moving from Pennsylvania to North Carolina, where I developed more of a "lazy tongue," unintentionally picking up a slight southern drawl. But when I would visit home, I would get literal cramps in my tongue as my normal dialect quickly returned.

It was fascinating, and yet with all of my dialect acrobatics, I've never been told I had "crispy Rs." What the heck is a "crispy R," and who's responsible for thrusting the internet into a tailspin of dialect semantics?

@greg.plus.coco

#fyp #fypシ #🏳️‍🌈 #foryoupage #unhhhh #trixieandkatya #trixiemattel #katya #katyazamolodchikova #dragqueen #rupaulsdragrace #viral #funny #queer #queertiktok #gay #gaytiktok #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtqia #trending #podcast

Brian Firkus, better known by his stage name, Trixie Mattel, mentioned his disdain of "crispy Rs" on his podcast, The Bald and the Beautiful, and the clip went viral on TikTok. Firkus co-hosts the podcast with Brian McCook, who goes by the stage name Katya Zamolodchikova. McCook was initially confused by what a "crispy R" was until Firkus demonstrated, causing the other to react dramatically.

This 36-second interaction about "crispy Rs" set off a firestorm of people in the comments either thanking them for finally giving the sound a name or being confused about the difference. It didn't take long for people to attempt to explain the difference between a "non-crispy R" and a "crispy R," including a couple of speech pathologists.

@mare_kell

#stitch with @greg.plus.coco thank you @trixiemattel for putting a name to this! they mention sarah michelle gellar in the vid but any other celebs that do this?

What constitutes a "crispy R" is difficult to explain, which causes people to get lost in explainer videos to figure out what it is and if they have it. One consistent example of this speech dialect is Kourtney Kardashian, which would make sense if it truly is a leftover from old Hollywood.

After climbing out of the deep hole of comparative videos that include speech experts, it would seem the "crispy R" sound comes from an air pocket that forms on the tongue of people that use the tip of their tongue to produce the "R" sound when pronouncing words. A "noncrispy R" happens when the speaker uses the middle of their tongue to pronounce the "R" sound in words. It seems very subtle, but for some people hearing someone use the "crispy R" is a pet peeve. Although dialect isn't typically a choice, some would like to never hear that sound again.

Are your "Rs" crispy, or are you one of those that are annoyed by the sound?

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Howie, social media’s favorite crab, celebrates her last birthday with cake and party hats

Howie just turned 8 and is living her best crab life.

Howie the Crab|TikTok

Howie the crab celebrates her last birthday with a party.

Bet you didn't know a crab could capture the heart of millions of people. If you did, you've likely met Howie, a rainbow crab that has grown a social media following on TikTok where her owner, Laura Porter, showcases her life. The crab doesn't just spend her life in a tank, she goes on walks using an actual leash, she has toys that she plays with and she has other animal friends in the house.

Howie also loves cheese and knows just the way to get her owners to feed it to her. She even knows sign language. Yes, somehow Porter taught the crab how to use basic signs, so when Howie is feeling a bit famished, she simply signs "eat" and a snack appears.

Countless people are obsessed with Howie and fans waited anxiously for her last molt, which was difficult for the crab. Rainbow crabs only have a lifespan of 5 to 8 years in captivity and Howie just celebrated her 8th birthday.

Porter and followers of Howie know that she likely won't be able to complete the molting process again, which is essential for a crab's survival. That's why Howie's human threw her the sweetest birthday party for her milestone big day. Howie ate cake, wore a party hat and was surrounded by friends. The crab even got a tiny piñata full of her favorite treats.

"Howie has begun 'premolt,' which can last a couple of months. During this time, she will snub food and eat infrequently because she has run out of room in her shell," Porter wrote in the caption.

Porter calls the birthday bittersweet but is hopeful that Howie will successfully molt again, ending the video with "#Moltwatch2023."

"Not me sobbing for Howie's birthday. This is the most loved crab in the world. Thank you for sharing her life with us. You are the best crab mom," one commenter wrote.

"A crab birthday during cancer season could not be more perfect," another said, complete with a sobbing emoji.

"Happy Birthday Howie!!! We are praying for a fast molt, so we can celebrate your 9th birthday next year," someone wrote.

@howiethecrab

Happy 8th Birthday Howie. It's such a bittersweet milestone! 8 is considered to be her species' maximum lifespan. Howie has begun "premolt," which can last a couple of months. During this time, she will snub food and eat infrequently because she has run out of room in her shell. When she stops eating entirely, the clock will be ticking. Howie has to regenerate her mouth parts, stomach, esophagus, intestines, and gills before she starves or becomes too weak to molt. Until then, we will continue making every day count. If you would like to show support, I made shirts on Amazon. Just search Howie The Crab or find them in my bio. No pressure, just pinches ♥️ We love you Howie 🦀 #howiethecrab #birthdaycrab #moltwatch #moltwatch2023

Everybody is rooting for Howie to have a successful molt, and while the last one was difficult, some rainbow crabs do make it to 10 years old. Here's hoping Howie breaks that record and continues to brighten our day with her funny hats and caviar dates.

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