July 05 ~ the Spring chat - Page 2

[Valerie.Qc]

Almost one year later...

What's new in the life of our July 05 "babies"?

We've been busy!

Anna is playing with sounding letters and small words.
She's going on two wheels without help, just need to master the art of turning.
She had a blast with dance lessons again this year and can't wait for next season (at the end of September )
She's dreaming of a big birthday party... will probably get a smallish one with a few friends from the dance class.


Who's next?
Let's reconnect to celebrate the fifth birthday of our kids!

[ewe+lamb]

Oh wow - it's been a long time!!

Kian is doing really well - asked yesterday what he wanted to be when he grows up his reply - a gymnast - yeah - bit like Freya who wanted to be a Mermaid - lol, wonderfully bilingual, gets into a bit of bother at school but only when he's defending the love of his life Matilde!! Matilde and he have been together in school this year and last and are inseparable, he says that he loves her, they cry if they can't have lunch together, she comes over here to stay the night, the actual emotion that they feel is very real and very strong he says he'll marry her and that she is his wife. It's quite interesting as they are both breastfed children and i often wonder if that has anything to do with it - although it probably more me looking into things - lol

He's really into Ben 10, so wants a Ben 10 cake but then he doesn't like icing - so I'm not too sure how we'll manage that one - may have to do wome special fruit arranging!

We've been at the A+E alot with bashed and bumped heads - he has a tendancy to bump the same place that he fractured so I panic - think we're going to have to go to a cranial someone to see if there could be any long lasting damage - lol.

Other than that all is well I'm still doing my LLL work and have started my own group in Paris, I still dream about moving out into the country side to have my hens and ducks and veg plot, but I'll have to keep dreaming - dh was working for a US company until last year when they made everyone redundant - so life is slightly harder now - but he's trying to set up his own business so hopefully things will work out for the best!!

Hope everyone else manages to reply and gives us some updates .........

[Valerie.Qc]

It's fun to have news from you Ewe!!!

Originally Posted by ewe+lamb

He's really into Ben 10, so wants a Ben 10 cake but then he doesn't like icing - so I'm not too sure how we'll manage that one - may have to do wome special fruit arranging!

I have friends on a French board who make their icing on a clear sheet of plastic then transfering it on the cake when it's set. Maybe you could use the technique but leave the plastic.

Or you could do it with melted chocolate...


I'm sending you good vibes for the job/finances! DH's job is very very slow (he was even released for a few weeks in the winter... first time in 10 years at this job!) and increasingly frustrating. DH is seriously considering leaving this employer... even changing career. Makes life... hum... interresting.

[shayinme]

Has it been a year. Well dd is definitely a kid now not longer a toddler, almost not a preschooler. She starts kindergarten in the fall, in fact we have our screening in a few days. Birthday talk? Gosh she is driving me crazy everyday wanting to plan her birthday, I'm like honey your birthday is in July. LOL

My girl took dance this past year, I really didn;t care for it much and we are thinking she is more a sports girl and less a dance kid. Its a busy time here as my eldest who is now 18 graduates from high school in 2 weeks, so for the first time in almost 5 years dd is not the center of my attention. I am flying out to my son's graduation (2 yrs ago he moved in with his Dad) and will be gone 3 days. Its a big deal as I have never left her but Papa has promised her a trip to the local amusement park while I am gone so she seems to be ok.

Have all the 05 babies weaned? We did about a year ago though dd still occasionally asks to nurse. The other day she was talking about how she remembers Mama milk, it was so sweet. 4.5-5 is one of my fav ages with kids, I am not a baby person so she is at a great age.

Hope some of the other Mamas chime in.

[Valerie.Qc]

Hi Shay!!

We weaned in the Fall after 3; I was way to tired and sick all the time to fight DH's feeling about it .

Congratulations to your son! And enjoy your trip; I'm sure your girl will enjoy her time with Papa.


Oh, and if I followed DD's lead (and have $$$) she would be in gymnastic, play basketball, baseball and soccer and have more dance classes. She's unstoppable!

[Perdita_in_Ontario]

A year? How did that happen?

I have to admit, I'm not enjoying 4 very much. DD had a very mellow 2, and a happy 3, and has rolled all the tantrums and defiance into this year!

We've had a lot of changes too though in the past year. She weaned (with a little push, but no tears) at 3.5, she started junior kindergarten in the fall, and then her brother was born in February (midwife-attended 4-hour natural birth - wahoo!). That's a lot of adjustment.

I can't believe she's almost finished her first year of school - although junior kindergarten is like "school lite" in my opinion . But, she goes on the bus every morning like a big kid. Before her brother was born she was bussed to daycare in the afternoon, but now I'm on maternity leave she comes home at 12:30 and we get the afternoons together. I really love not having her in daycare and I'm trying to convince DH that we can afford for me to stay home for a couple of years so we don't have to use daycare at all.

We also did some dance this year, and also gymnastics. We tried Ringette (like hockey with sticks and a rubber ring instead of a puck) but DD is very small for her age and even the smallest pads were too large for her and she didn't enjoy it.

In the fall we plan to put her in Sparks, which is the level below Brownies (Girl Guide program). She lacks any athletic ability (like me!) so I suspect that dance and Guides are going to be a big part of her life. She also talks constantly about wanting a horse... but we'll see...

[Valerie.Qc]

Congratulations Perdita!

Hey! We should meet someday and see how the girls would play with the language barrier.

[Shanana]

Hi guys, it was nice to see a notification for this thread pop up in my inbox .

We are doing well. M will be finishing up preschool next month. It has gone well overall - a few days she grumped and didn't want to go, but mostly it has been good. She can sound out words, but is still resistant to doing things when she knows we want her to do them, lol, so I don't push it too much. Only when the school sends home a book for her to read as "homework."

I am terribly nervous about kindergarten in the fall. Our public schools are such a disaster, and with the economy in the dumps the funding has been cut dramatically, class sizes are up, schools are closing, teachers being let go. It's just a mess . Our district has a "magnet" school that used to get more funding and used more innovative techniques, but it sounds like that has eroded over the last 5 years (I know someone who sent her dd there and is friends with teachers and administrators). It's a lottery system to get in, so we entered M, and shockingly she got in (the demand is very high, and they only placed 37 kids!). We are glad she got in as it seems better than the "regular" public school, but I am still very worried about public education and squashing her spirit and love of learning. I think about homeschooling sometimes, but she is so resistant to learning anything from me (and I have an unschooler approach *shrug*), and dh is not on board either. But it is in the back of my mind and I will push for it if it seems to be the right thing.

What else ???

She lost her first tooth a few weeks ago - that was a big surprise ! The permanent tooth is part way in already, and the other three front teeth are all loose!

She is also riding her two-wheeler without training wheels - the balance bike definitely played a huge role in that. I've been loaning it out to all my friends now, lol.

She will only wear pink and is obsessed with princesses, although to be honest I don't think she really knows what a princess is .

She is opinionated and strong willed and knows how to push all my buttons, but I am learning how to be a better parent every day . She is also kind and loving and tells me she loves me all the time and gives great hugs. We actually started co-sleeping around Christmastime, and that has gone pretty well. She still has a tough time falling asleep - I just picked up some Calm Forte 4 Kids and am hoping that helps her.

Shay asked about weaning ... she weaned at 3.5 with a gentle nudge from me. We were both ready to be done. I am still nursing dd2 (she just turned 2!), but she doesn't nurse that often. I keep thinking she's going to wean, but she keeps trucking along at once or twice a day (and sometimes none at all *shrug*).

DD2 is doing well, but holy cow is she DIFFERENT!!! I can't believe how different my kids are, lol. She is crazy stubborn and obstinate and opinionated. M is all of those things now, but didn't get to be that way until she was almost 3. Two was such a nice and mellow time for us - I could never figure out all the talk about "terrible twos." Well now I know, lol. DD2 is a blast and funny and a lot of fun, but it has been a challenge to figure out how to work with her (she won't put on a diaper, won't put on clothes, won't get in the car seat, etc., etc., etc.). We find our way, but it isn't always easy .

Let's see, I'm currently in a photography funk and have no desire to pick up my camera. I thought hard about going into business, but the economy here is so awful I would never be able to charge enough to make it worthwhile. I decided to continue on with the CST training, so I've been practicing what I learned a few years ago in CSI in preparation for CSII (will take it next month). That has been going really well and I enjoy it a lot. I'm really looking forward to CSII. I still think about doing birth work from time to time (doula or midwife) but just can't reconcile myself to the hours and being on-call all the time. I'm not sure if that's a lifestyle I could handle or not. Can you tell I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up? lol

We planted our garden last weekend - tomatoes, broccoli, basil (not in the ground yet), oregano (came up from last year), rosemary, sage, cilantro, mint, chocolate mint (!) and lemon balm. I still want to do brussel sprouts, cauliflower, strawberries, maybe peas, beans, lettuce, spinach ... Last year the groundhog ate about half our stuff, so we put up a metal fence. I'm hoping this year goes better!

I hope everyone is well. Thank to Valerie for resurrecting this thread! I still see Chelsea often (M and her daughter are the best of friends), I will give her a nudge to come say hi .

[ewe+lamb]

Oh wow - is ds the only one still nursing then? Although he's definitely slowing down and only nurses to sleep at night - nights are still hard - doesn't STTN I think he's probably slept through about 5 or 6 times in his WHOLE life - but then we just have to get on with it!! The loosing the teeth made me laugh - dd - soon to be eight has only JUST lost her two top teeth - so our kiddos are at the same stage - what a difference lol!!

Yeah Shana I get you about the careers thing, I really want to do LCing but the exams are SO expensive and it's not recognised by the ANPE - unemployment folk here so it makes things hard, I've considered midwifery as well but the training is long and I'm going to be 40 this year - so I really need to get my thinking cap on - what do you guys think I should do - any suggestions would be greatly appreciated - of course my dream is to have a house out in the middle of no where with my hens ducks and geese, a few sheep to shear so that I can spin my own wool and knit all the time - hmmmm it just doesn't work in a 50 square metre appartment!! I so envy your garden and all those fantastic veggies.

GREAT to hear from you guys - thank you; thank you, thank you Valerie - what a great idea to bring us all together again. OOOh and great idea about the icing - think I'll try that one out!

Perdita - CONGRATULATIONS on your new baby boy - I'm so pleased for you!!!!

[Valerie.Qc]

Shanana, happy to see you!

Your DD2 sounds a lot like Anna! I love Raising Your Spirited Child, I feel less alone and find some uselful guidance when I read it.

A would be jealous of M about the tooth - she's eagerly awaiting the first sign of wiggling!

Magnesium seems to help A get a better sleep quality. I buy Kids Calm from the cie that makes Natural Calm magnesium supplement. She likes drinking her "tea" at night. We sometimes switch to Catnip "tea" (few drops of tincture in warm water with honey and milk).

Still homeschooling DS and A is unschooling her way for now. I'm planning to devote some time to her projects on a more regular basis next year - more in a way of giving her some stucture so that she knows I'll be with her so she can let me work with her brother uninterrupted.

Career wise... I hit the 40 earlier this year and there was no magical wisdom dawning on me. I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up. I pick up projects, get sidetracked and again and again and again.


Ewe, have fun with the cake decoration!


And thanks everyone! I'm so so happy to reconnect with you!

[ChelseaG]

Wow - I missed this thread the first time around last year - so thanks to Shana for keeping me in the loop!
I won't write too much, but instead direct you to my blog for info on the kids - I haven't been updating as much as I used to, but I am still doing an update every couple months with the big important stuff...
In a nutshell:
Rosie is loving preschool (montessori) and will be going to local public school in fall for kindergarten, but still not sold on the public school system (much like Shanana). She learned to ride her 2 wheeler with encouragement from Shanana's M (and a generous loan of the balance bike). No loose teeth yet, but she checks almost every day. She started soccer and I don't really think it is her game, she is distracted and more concerned with waving to me during games. We are going to try dance and gymnastics this summer to see what she likes.
Sammy is a handful and is my sensitive, whiny, needing a cuddle all the time guy. He throws a tantrum at the slightest thing, I just finished re-reading "raising our children, raising ourselves" and I am trying to give him more control, and validate his feelings instead of trying to rush him out of his tantrums. He started going to pre-school with Rosie a couple mornings a week (at his request) - but I think it might be contributing to the whining.

I am back to selling real estate, just working with one or 2 clients at a time, not really bringing in a lot of money right now, but every little bit helps. I am hopefully going to add in teaching a few more yoga classes as well.

Dh was diagnosed with Celiac Disease a year ago, and then Rosie and I got tested for gluten intolerance antibodies recently and we came back positive too, so our whole family is now on a gluten free diet. It is a little challenging sometimes, but we are adjusting and I think we are all going to be healthier for it.

We will be taking off next weekend (memorial day - holiday weekend in US) to a family wedding in Asheville, NC - a long (10 hour) drive for us, hope the kids don't get too cranky. Hoping to get a little relaxation time in for DH and I this weekend as well...

Ewe, so sorry to have not kept in touch, I do think of you and your little ones often and wonder how you are. We have been toying with the idea of moving to southern Spain. It is still in the dreaming stages, and DH has ideas of work that will let us be financially independent, but still a ways to go to get us to that point...

Perdita - congratulations on your new little guy!
Shay, Valerie, Pellifoli, Cherubess, etc. - so great to "see" you all again!

[Shanana]

Valerie, yep, the kids and I are taking a magnesium supplement . I've been working with a local herbalist since last fall, and he is amazing!!!! He said virtually everyone is magnesium deficient because our soils have been stripped of it. So even in foods that are "high" in mag, people still aren't getting enough. He's not big into supplements (preferring instead to get nutrition / healing from foods and plants/herbs), but that's one of the few he advises, in addition to CLO and vit D (all of which we're on).

On a really good note, I finally seem to be relatively cured of my insomnia . Seeing the herbalist seemed to be the final piece of the puzzle for me. I really feel like the work I've done with the homeopath/healer I've been seeing since shortly after M was born helped me deal with the underlying causes of the sleeplessness, but I still wasn't sleeping . I talked to the herbalist and he described how some people's bodies just can't switch out of the fight/flight response even when the stimulus is removed (especially those who have been in that state since childhood, which was likely the case for me). So we used some herbs to help "reset" my body, and whoa baby, I'm sleeping better now than I have in 20 years!!!! It is so awesome!

And yeah, I turn 39 this year and am still trying to find my way . For now I am trying to have patience and acceptance, and trust that I'll figure it all out eventually .

[Valerie.Qc]

Chelsea, can you have almonds? (there's so many nuts allergies around - I prefer to ask) I have a decadent brownie recipe using almond flour and almond butter (no grain). It's so good and nutricious that it's a very good substitute to sandwiches at lunch!

Shanana Yay for the cure to insomnia!


Any of you on Facebook?

[Shanana]

Originally Posted by Valérie.Qc

Chelsea, can you have almonds? (there's so many nuts allergies around - I prefer to ask) I have a decadent brownie recipe using almond flour and almond butter (no grain). It's so good and nutricious that it's a very good substitute to sandwiches at lunch!

Shanana Yay for the cure to insomnia!


Any of you on Facebook?

Valerie, I would love to have the recipe too! I'm trying to get started transitioning more to a traditional foods diet, so I'm trying to just avoid grains whenever I can!

I am on Facebook but never really go there - I can't figure out how to do it in moderation . I have everything set really private, but if someone wants to PM me their email, I can send an invite. That's the only way I know how to do it .

[Valerie.Qc]

Recipe:

1/2 Cup Almond flour
1/2 Cup Almond butter (can use other nut butter)
1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Cup Chocolate Chips

Mix everything, pour into a 8X8 dish lined with parchment paper. Bake on 350F for about 25 minutes (till the center of the cake is firm)

You can use Honey or another syrup but the result won't be the same; I tried a few thing and our favorite is the maple syrup.

If you don't have Almond flour, you can leave it out and use 1 Cup of Almond butter for the recipe.

Beware: these brownies are addictive!



Knowing what I'll be when I'll grow up: there's movement on that front!
I've been asked to write for an online magazine (in French) that will start in September! It's a little project that won't make me rich over night but may open many doors!


5th Birthday: what do they want and what do they'll get??? Want to share?

[Shanana]

Oh my Valerie! That recipe sounds delicious, thank you!

And what exciting news about the writing opportunity .

5th birthday ... there have been no gift requests (yet), but every day she wants to know how many days are left (and since she's at the end of the month, she has a while to wait yet ). I bought a stomp rocket for a friend's birthday a few months ago, and got an extra one for M to give on her birthday. Beyond that I haven't thought much about gifts. I'm hoping you guys have some inspiration!

We attended the orientation for M's kindergarten, and I was really impressed. I know the school won't be perfect, but I feel so much relief that she got in to this one. I felt really depressed after going to the orientation for what would have been her school if she hadn't won the lottery for this one (which I found out had over 400 applicants! Again, only 37 names drawn, I can't believe she got in!). It was nice to leave this orientation and actually feel excited for the fall.

[Valerie.Qc]

for the school!!! I'm happy for you and for M!

[ewe+lamb]

Hi girls - so ds has finally decided on the theme of his party - I only do parties for 1, 5, 10 years - he's going to be 5 - it makes life so much easier, anyway we're having a pirate party and asking the kids to dress up - although i'll bring some extra bits and pieces with me - we'll do some face painting, pass the parcel, musical bumps and statues, a treasure hunt - the treasure being some chocolate gold coins, the cake will be a pirate ship or a treasure island, not so happy with the games - anyone got any idea with party games to make sort of pirate-ish although we're having it outside and I'll have my ipod with me - it's not too loud faced with a bunch of girls and boys - not sure how to get the music etc there unless I just splash out for some batteries for our cd player - which I'm not too keen on. I am being really stingy if I don't do party bags at the end? I hate those things and you just fill them with crappy rubbish unless anyone has some good ideas, although for dd we made homemade playdoh - I'm not sure anyone really appreciated it - that sort of thing isn't really there yet here in France!! lol Awaiting your wonderful ideas!! Think I may post this in the forum too, I'll see .....

[Valerie.Qc]

Aaaaaah pirates!

For goodies: squares of fabric to paint and create their own bandana?

Games:
-painting/decorate a pirate flag
-a team race where you pass the pirate hat to the next person in your team
-a game where you have to put your hand in jars/bowls filled with strange substances to find parts of a puzzle or prisonner's eyes (there are balls that looks like eye balls)
-have the kids make little paper boats and have a boat race in a kiddy pool.
-you can create a giant game for trowing little sand bags by hanging a sheet where you cut holes (can't remember the name of the game)

[ewe+lamb]

Valerie - thank you great ideas - definitely going to do the bandanas, not sure I'll be able to do the pool but you in scotland when I was little we used to spend the day down the beach collecting wood, string and shells and the like then we would build a little raft/boat and send it off to sea before we left - wonderful memories and then once we inspired a whole town to take part in a raft race - someone saw us all with our rafts that we had built with the kids and decided that it would be a good idea to do the same but with the whole village - anyway back to pirates, definitely will do the racing with the pirate hat or maybe a parrot that has to be attached to the shoulder - hmm has me thinking ...
I LOVE the idea of the hands in different substances and eyeballs and my kids would love it but the french have an innate fear of getting dirty - lol, not sure that the kids or the mothers will take to that one - lol they already think I'm mad!!
Sand bags - yeah I can do that - thank you so much for the ideas - you're inspiring me now!!