July 05 ~ the Spring chat

[Valerie.Qc]

Hi mamas!!!

Thought I'd open a new thread and make it seasonal instead of monthly since we're so busy.

Thinking a lot about you but little time to post.

DD2 wants to read and write and is pretty insistent I teach her... I thought it would fade fast but she ask for worksheat/lessons everyday. Guess I must kick my butt I find something more than the little books from the Dollarstore for her.

Getting ready to make a Treasure Map (see thread in Spirituality); I'm sure she will want to cut and paste images and words too!


And you? What's blooming in your life?

[Shanana]

Subbing. I'll be back later . And what is up with the huge ads about curing wrinkles and stretch marks? Pretty obnoxious.

[shayinme]

Subbing as well. Its been crazy here lately but so much going on. More later.

Shay

[ewe+lamb]

Goodness, I feel SO guilty I haven't posted in ages - sorry girls!! So we had a great time in scotland during the holidays but during that time Freya managed to get a UTI and was very ill for the best part of the time we were away, she had a fever of 40 and over (up to 105!) for 5 days!!! Had to go onto antibiotics, first lot didn't work and we spent alot of time at the drs and hospital - it was really worrying actually, especially as dh was over here and was ready to jump on the plane to be with his daughter, anyway it was cured eventually but she still has sensitive bladder and kidneys and she's going for a echographie of her kidneys on Wednesday - hopefully we'll find out the cause of the pain etc but goodness it's not fun, loads of other fun stuff too but that took up most of our holidays - hopefully the summer will be better!

Kian had a great time and was off playing golf, gardening, playing on the beach and generally enjoying the outdoors.

There have been changes in my life too, I've decided to go for my IBCLC exams not this July but next - I may as well put all my studying and training to good use - will have to do it in french though so that should be interesting!!! And ..... I'm starting up my own LLL group so that we can reach women that aren't necessarily fluent in english or french across here but then still need some kind of support for their parenting choices - I think/find that there is a lack of something like that so there we are I'm starting up my own group - I think I'll be much happier doing that than staying in the more comfortable rut I'm in - more of a challenge. I'm also doing some baby carrying workshops, so it's all go here, plus the usual kids, school, swimming, art, cooking classes that we do - busy is an understatement!!

I need to read the old thread to catch up on everyone and Chels - I'm sorry you didn't really get a chance on the Wheel of Fortune - it must have been so frustrating, anyway I will read the old thread and post later on.

[cherubess]

Valerie: Thanks for starting a new thread, seasonal sound fantastic! I love teaching my DS things I guess it goes back to my previous life as a working woman where I taught adults. That is great how your DD wants to learn to read and write. We created a "sticker" book for DS, that is where his stickers go to when he is done wearing them on his hands or clothes. He has asked DH and I to write in that book and he likes to read the easy words.

Ewe: I'm sorry your DD had a UTI, poor little chick . My DS had a UTI as well. I think his has cleared up though as he isn't complaining anymore of it hurting but we go back to the Drs tomorrow for the test results. You have been very busy. Good on you for starting up your own LLL group. You are such a giving and kind person

Things are cooling down here. I've planted some garlic recently and can't wait to December when they'll be ready. I'm still using my first batch I grew last year and they are so much better than the store bought ones. I had some potatoes which sprouted in my pantry and unedible so I've thrown them into planting pots to grow. May as well use them up instead of throwing them away. Next I need to rip out the old brocolli and leek plants which have gone past their useful dates. I really would like to hire a mulcher to them chop up to compost it back into the garden but we don't have a tow bar/hitch. If I'm dedicated enough I might have to sit there and chop it up by hand.

[Valerie.Qc]

:::

I love getting news from all of you!

Ewe, sorry for DD's health problem - hope you find the source of the pain! Your projects sounds awesome!!! Yay for stretching and taking on a challenge! I'm sure you'll be successful in all you take on!

Cherubess, you talking about gardening have me long for real spring!!! :

Have a great week!

[Valerie.Qc]

Easter is right at the corner! What are your plans?

DS is going away for the week-end: DD1 invited him to her appartment. :
So it will be DD2, DH and I on Sunday...
I'm thinking yummy breakfast and pj's day, lol! (though I doupt DH will go with the PJ's day )

DD2 is already talking about her birthday. No clear plans but she can't wait for the summer to come and for her to turn 4.

Recent pictures:

Spring Fun

"I look so angelic"


:

[cherubess]

Valerie: the second picture of your DD with the fire chief's hat on is so adorable!

It is good Friday here already so Easter is on our doorstep.

I made some small fabric baskets for my children for our upcoming Easter Egg hunt on Easter Sunday. I think that I'm more excited than my 3 year old

The 18m old will just do what her older brother does.

BF is winding down now for DD. It is only at night now and it seems to be just for comfort sucking to go off to sleep. I have a mixture of emotions over it though when it is over I will be happy to wear whatever bra, top or dress I want to without thinking "how can I breastfeed with this one?".

Happy Easter every one!

[pellifoli]

Hi people! Happy Belated Mother's Day!

have missed hearing about you, I check Shana & Chelsea's blogs here & there, but haven't been on mdc at all for ages.

DS is doing pretty well. we're not thrilled with the preschool we switched him to in December, I had a bizarre conference w/the teacher back in Feb & have been up & down & all around stressing. DH has a new job, my mom's husband is home from hospital today & will be getting hospice care -he's 87 & has emphysema & on oxygen, they don't know how long he has, could be up to a year, friend recovering from mastectomy, and I had a mammogram scare myself.

My anxiety is running amok, but I am working with a therapist I really like, and we're surviving.

I just turned 45 yesterday, and that number has hit me hard.

going to open house at playschool we're on waitlist for on Sunday. it's hard to trust my judgement as we had great recommendations for the last one & she sounded wonderful when we interviewed her.

Ewe, sorry about Freya's uti, and hope her recovery continues.

Valerie, your daughter is adorable in her firehat!

DS is driving me nuts w/having to negotiate everything! and the WHYs are back. so is his stutter, and he's waking at night. I'm sure some of this is due to all the stress we've been under, but it, in turn, stresses me out MORE.

he's learning his letters, and learning to spell. about 6 weeks ago, his drawing shifted dramatically with recognizable figures with legs, arms, eyes nose mouth. he's enjoying the crafts at his school immensely, brought home a worm farm today! the social piece is very hard for him, am trying to relax & trust it will all work out. he's out of school end of month, and we'll go back to doing our childcare exchange thankfully.

am toying w/driving to Maine alone w/him this summer, w/DH flying up to meet us for shorter time. not sure I'm up to it, but it might be fun.

hi Shana, Ange, Shay!

must go, need to call my mom,
take care!

[Valerie.Qc]

Hi Lisa!

Happy belated Mother's Day to you too! (and Happy Mother's Day in advance to Ewe It'll be June 7th in France.)

Hope the stress level goes down and you have an easy and flowy time to transition into summer.


We're busy here!

Last month was the Homeschooling Conference and they held a graduation for kids finishing their primary course (6th grade) and those finishing secondary (12th grade). DS is proud of his certificate and ready for next year new adventure!

We had pictures at Anna's dance class last saturday - had to have her hair in a bun, make up and costume on by 7:30 when we leave home to be in time for the 9:00 class.

3 regular classes before the rehearsal and the show! She's excited! And very proud to be doing 2 dances instead of one. So they'll dance a Jazz on Cho-ka-ka-o (you can listen to it on Youtube - beware, kids love Gummy Bear and want to watch it over and over!!!) and a Tap dance. Anna is glad the teacher didn't choose the Classical for the show (they learn 3 to 4 different styles in the class - very cool - in a few years, Anna will add Hip-hop to the Classical/Jazz/Tap dance combo she did this time), it's too slow, too quiet for her taste.

This week-end, we have a 50 years Wedding Anniversary... without a groom My aunt started her religious life 50 years ago.

Then we have a cool homeschooling activity at the Firehouse on Monday! :fireman


My health is better and would be even better if I didn't forget to take my supplements regularly

[Shanana]

Hi everyone, good to read the updates . I hope everyone is healthy and happy now.

We are doing okay here. I have thrown myself into my photography and everything else has fallen by the wayside. I love it, though, and am improving in leaps and bounds, so am very happy about that. Am thinking very hard about going into business, but it would not be for a while yet. I still need to improve my skills, and I need for Sophie to be a bit older too. I've been doing a 365 project where I take and post an image a day (which is actually a LOT of work) - you can see what I've been up to here. I think I'm going to go to every other day, though ... it is just too much.

DD1 is still defiant and strong-willed, but I think I am adapting and she is maybe starting to mellow. A little, lol. I think she knows so much, but she won't be "taught" and she won't show off her knowledge either. I finally managed to coax her into singing the ABC song with me the other day, and it turns out she does know most of it (how I don't know, since she won't let me teach her the song ). She recognizes most letters by sight, because that is something she has an interest in, and knows most of the sounds they make. But here is the crazy thing ... she is teaching herself math. She cannot count to 20 yet (again, won't let me teach her), but she can do addition!!!!! And, it's not something I ever taught her, she figured it out herself. One day she just started talking about how one and one is two, and one and two is three, and two and two and one is five. The other day she said she had on three shirts and one pair of underwear, so that was four; and a pair of paints so that was five, and a sweater so that was six :. She'll also say that three twos is six, so that's multiplication!!! I mean, both of her parents and grandfathers are engineers, so I suppose it's in the blood, but it still kind of blows me away :.

We've signed her up for a Montessori preschool in the fall. It's a lot of money, but of all the schools I looked at I liked it best. I hope we end up being happy there.

Sophie turned a year a few weeks ago, hard to believe. She is doing well overall, but is still sleeping like crap. We nightweaned a while back, and it's still awful. I decided last night that I'm going to try cutting dairy from our diet and see how that goes. She was still gassy when I was on the full elimination diet when she was a baby, but I'm desperate, so will try again. She is typically up every 1.5-2 hrs all night long, and dh is handling it all because if she sees me she wants to nurse. Not that I'm getting lots of sleep - my insomnia is in full force as usual. Lots of miserably tired days here in general ...

But at least dd1 seems to have recovered from having her paci taken away. It was really, really hard, and our bedtime routine still isn't as easy as before, but at least she is back to sleeping 11-12 hrs/night again.

Well, everyone is up and I need to get some breakfast going. I'm sorry I've been so absent . I have so little time to myself, and it has all been going to photography lately ...

[cherubess]

hi ladies, Sorry I haven't been around as much. Kids keeping me busy.

DS has been enrolled and accepted into Kindy next year. He starts Feb 2010 and it will be 4 half days.

Tomorrow will be the first day of winter here. We had two good days of rain recently and that's it. I think it is going to be a very dry year for us again which will mean drought prices at the grocery store again Funny how the prices never seem to drop back as far down.

For you ladies it will be summer.

My mind has drawn a blank for now. Hopefully will be better at keeping up this next month.

[ewe+lamb]

Goodness I'm feeling a bit guilty here - haven't been on this thread for ages, we're all well, planning our trip to scotland for the summer, and I'm wanting to drive up - dh isn't so keen. How are you all doing? Busy busy busy here, starting a new LLL group in September and am organising 'blessing ways' for folk now, really need to empower women here so that they take control of their births and have an active and unmedicalised birth, so many women don't even seem present for their births - it's frightening - so am trying to make a little money and help folk at the same time not sure if from a karma pov that works but goodness knows we need the money at the moment!!

Kian is still keeping me on my toes, goodness he certainly knows how to run, climb and everything else - so much stuff it's hard to recount it all! I really hope you all are well, love to you all

[pellifoli]

Happy June people!

we're doing ok, I continue to have big ups & downs. DS has been waking several times a night pretty regularly for last couple of months. I'm pretty sure it's stress related, but it's a vicious cycle as it leaves me much less able to be creative & cope. and we've had a summer cold.

done w/preschool for the year, what a year! I'm simultaneously relieved & daunted by the summer stretching out ahead of us. they had a play & potluck celebration for the end of the year, and it was nice.

the last couple of weeks were really loaded for me, and DS was really acting out, boy we were just awful together. I was reading Kids, Parents & Power Struggles by Kurcinka (your Spirited Child) & it helped me calm down a bit, and not feel as alone. yesterday was a lovely day together, and I handled a couple of potential problems brilliantly!

we have a spot at the new preschool and I think we're going to take it. they have some camps this summer (Water play, dinousaurs, and Magic & myths) which I think DS will go to a couple to help him get used to school.

am pretty sure we'll drive to Maine, and looking forward to seeing some high school friends I've connected with on a social networking site.

Ewe, if you drive, do you go up & through the Chunnel? my DH is not really thrilled w/the driving plan like yours. oh well, it's the only way we can afford it, and I'm actually looking forward to it. wish he had the time to come too.

all for now, take care everyone.

oh, and Shana, wonderful photos! can't believe your baby is a year. & amazing about the math skills!

[Valerie.Qc]

Only a few days left to the Spring! Summer, here we come! :

The week-end was crazy! It was DD2's dance rehearsal on Saturday and the show on Sunday!

She did great! She was so cute on the stage and, most important, she had fun and already talks about next session (in September ).

She's growing up! One moment she's a big girl and the next she's back to baby - sometimes confusing her family.

Hope everyone is having fun and good time away from the computer!

[pellifoli]

: happy birthing & birthday month mamas!
DS turns 4 tomorrow, I'm reliving everything from 4 years ago, and procrastinating while I should be baking pirate cupcakes! we're having a do tomorrow, looking forward to it, and another friend from childbirth class has party tomorrow afternoon.

then thursday, we head north on our road trip. DH will fly up later & meet us. my mom's husband passed away last week, so it will be good to go spend some time with her, and for her to get some real time with DS.

hope you all are well and enjoying summer.

[Perdita_in_Ontario]

Hi everyone... I hope you remember me! I haven't been around in quite a while... I don't think Shana's little one was born last time I posted. I have been pretty silent on MDC as a whole in the past year. But I just ran across this thread and thought I'd say hello.

I'm finding it very hard to believe that DD is going to be 4 in a couple of weeks, and will start half-day kindergarten in the fall. We are waiting to hear whether she will go mornings or afternoons - I'm hoping for mornings. It is a French Immersion school, which I think will challenge her well.

Shana - I was reading with interest about your DD's math skills - my DD is also showing a huge interest in numbers, and at about the same stage - I haven't seen any multiplication yet, but she is doing division ("there are three of us, so each of us gets 2 toys with one left over") in her head, which amazes me. Here too, there are quite a few engineers in the family (including this one.. both his brothers and his son were also engineers.. and I suspect she gets it from him... http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.c...me/u_i19_e.cfm). I hope school doesn't ruin her enjoyment of math!

I am spending DD's birth month in the throes of morning sickness - I am 8.5 weeks along with another IVF miracle. We tried twice last year while DD was nursing, but it didn't work out. I weaned DD in January - she was only nursing for about 2 minutes at bedtime anyway and there were no tears (on her part - I cried!) and I can't wait to start up a new nursing relationship in February, which seems a long way off...

Hope everyone's doing well and I hope not to be a stranger!

[ewe+lamb]

Yeah Perdita : of course we remember you!! and CONGRATULATIONS I'm so happy for you all, what wonderful news :

Know what you mean about having a 4 year old around!! Its abit scary really cant believe its all gone so quickly, Kian is really very bilingual now and has been at maternelle for a year now, going into moyenne section this year - cant believe it!

I've finally managed to convince dh to drive up north to scotland - yeah, but he really doesn't want to leave the car with me in scotland - hes addicted to it LOL, so the idea of not having a car for 2.5 weeks sort of scares him LOL. The weather's been great here and at long last the kids are on holiday - thank heavens, lazy mornings, picnics in the park, water fights etc we're having a great time.

Sadly dh's uncle was here for two weeks and left last Monday, he left an envelope for dh with some cash in it (1,000 euros) his half aunt's son has taken the money and refuses to say he has so we're going to be struggling to get the car into good enough shape to travel I am seething about it, and want to press charges, but dh and uncle want to forget it and just transfer some more money across - so what they're teaching this 19 year old is it's ok to steal money and have no consequences - I can't cope with this sort of thing.

Freya has got completely into Mamma Mia - and has influenced her brother too, they stand in front of the tv doing ALL the actions and singing the songs - makes me relive my childhood LOL, I have to stop watching at points LOL. It just makes me laugh seeing Kian standing on the sofa with his spiderman baseball cap on backwards, using his hobby horse end as a microphone singing Dancing Queen - I'm sure it must be wrong in some way.

Anyway must love you and leave you all on that note.
And another YEAH for Perdita:

[Perdita_in_Ontario]

LOL! I haven't seen the movie, but Abba's Greatest Hits is one of our favourite CDs in the car when DD and go driving. I really should rent the movie!

[Valerie.Qc]

Congratulation Perdita! :

Love the visual Ewe! And it sucks for the money; 1000 euros is a lot of cash!


DD turns 4 this friday... still not know what to get as a gift. She only ask for a camera and a MP3 and well... we feel she's kind of young for these things.


We had a blast this week-end! DH was competing in a firefighter's competition and they did really well!. It was fun and we are looking forward next year's competition!