Ideas for ways to pass the time?

[2boyzmama]

I need ideas to pass the time while I (somewhat impatiently!) wait for this baby to come. I work during the day, but I don't have much "real" work to do since everyone at work is expecting me to go on maternity leave any moment. So I often just sit there at my computer.

Then I come home, and right now Tuesdays are the only days I have something scheduled in the evening (Ian's soccer practice), otherwise it's just me and the boys, trying to keep busy.

I've got this weekend covered, there are two events locally we're planning on going to if we need the distraction.

SO...I need little things to do during the day (something to research maybe) and activities to do in the evenings that last maybe 2 hours.

So far I've been doing short playdates with friends, random trips to the store to buy nothing, and spending a lot of time online

[kismetbaby]

I feel ya 2boyzmama!!! I am just home waiting now and have everything ready for birth and baby, so I have been casting about for some projects myself. I can tell you what I have come up with so far, not sure if they will appeal to you, but maybe they'll give you some ideas?

DH and I made a belly cast over the weekend (a really fun project in itself) and so now I am deciding how to decorate it. You could do this with your boys. . .have them paint it when its done and dry. Another fun thing would be to buy some inexpensive white onesies and some fabric paint and you and your boys could paint some outfits for baby.

Just today I bought a "teach yourself to knit" kit. Learning to knit was one of my early preg goals that I never got to, so I decided it was finally time to try. I have also been watching old favorite movies at home and going to the library in search of new (or new to me) good books.

I created a "baby announcment" email list so that when he is born I can easily send out an email to all the right addresses and not have to spend time searching for them or remembering who I want to be included. I also created a baby announcement photo card on shutterfly. . .of course without the "stats" yet or the photo. But you can have an ongoing project that is saved on that website, so now after birth when I do have the photo and stats I can just drop them in place and order the cards easy-peasy.

I have considered spending a little time thinking about xmas gifts for this year in case I feel too overwhlemed with a new baby still in December. . .but I haven't gotten past just considering this yet.

My mom suggested baking a huge batch of cookies (which is what she did while waiting for me, but my bday is xmas eve, so the dozens of cookies made more sense then), but I'm afraid I'd just eat them all and feel really guilty! I know of people that baked baby a "0" bday cake and froze it, then you can pull it out of the freezer when you go into labor.

Okay, that's all I can think of for now!

[rebeccajm]

I like the idea of the birthday cake. I also was planning to bake a bunch of oatmeal cookies tomorrow - funny you should mention that. AND my mom made a batch before she had me, too. I was born on Thanksgiving!

[kismetbaby]

Originally Posted by rebeccajm

I like the idea of the birthday cake. I also was planning to bake a bunch of oatmeal cookies tomorrow - funny you should mention that. AND my mom made a batch before she had me, too. I was born on Thanksgiving!

Funny! Yeah, my mom swears that the 2 dozen gingerbread men that she baked (and then ate most of!) put her into labor with me. I do love gingerbread and always have. . .

My mom called me today having some pyschic moment of thinking I might be starting labor (which I'm not far as I can tell) and she tried to convince me to bake cookies! I admit it does sound tempting.

[rebeccajm]

Originally Posted by kismetbaby

Funny! Yeah, my mom swears that the 2 dozen gingerbread men that she baked (and then ate most of!) put her into labor with me. I do love gingerbread and always have. . .

My mom called me today having some pyschic moment of thinking I might be starting labor (which I'm not far as I can tell) and she tried to convince me to bake cookies! I admit it does sound tempting.

My mom ate a ton of hers, too! And threw them up later. Ick! Oh, well. I'll take vomitting if it helps baby come.

[acemama]

Well, I've been baking and eating Not, what I should be doing right now.

[2boyzmama]

Well, baking sounds great and all, but then I have a mess to clean up. The onesie idea is cute, I might do that tomorrow. Tonight I planned a playdate with some friends that is also a potluck dinner, so that kills two birds with one stone.

I have some sewing I need to do, but I have to wait till the boys are in bed to do that.

My husband has been gone every night, doesn't come home until 10pm at least. This is a hard semester for him at school, plus he's student teaching 20 hours a week, and he just got reassigned to a different school (there were some major issues with the first school/teacher pairing he had, when he finally told his advisor about it they quickly moved him). So he's busy and it's just me and the boys in the evenings. If the weather were nicer, I'd just be outside with them, but it's still rainy here.

Speaking of being outside...check out my blog www.blockboys.blogspot.com Ian had a crash off his skateboard this weekend, and I put pictures up of his face right after he crashed, then the next day, and the next day. We're proud of hard-earned war-wounds here

[PurpleMonkey]

I'm "keeping busy" by being online a lot! It passes the time :P

[Dmitrizmom]

I've been doing alot of internet time too... but today I got to work on a rainbow colored rag rug that I'm making for dd for Christmas. I also worked a little on a hat that I'm crocheting for my dad. I have some crocheted crowns that I made for a friend that I need to get the beads sew on that I dug out this morning.

Dh helped me do some cleaning today - scrubbed both of the bathrooms, ran the dishwasher, started laundry, vacuumed 1/2 the house, cleaned out the water dispenser (ick!), disinfected the doorknobs, and made beds. Still need to sweep and mop the kitchen.

I'm also planning on making a pumpkin roll (or two) this afternoon. Kids will be home in about 30 minutes so I might wait for them to help.

Maybe I'll do some knitting tonight.

[Dmitrizmom]

wait... does all that count as nesting?

[turtlemamameg]

Originally Posted by Dmitrizmom

wait... does all that count as nesting?

Sure sounds like it to me! In fact, I have been doing so much of that myself that I haven't even turned on my computer since Friday. It is good to finally check in. Yesterday I decided to pass the time by having a false start to my labor. It passed the time all right, but now I am even more impatient. I think it is time to pull out the quilt I had start for baby ages ago and get it finished. I have three squares left to make . Putting it together will be easy after that. Creative energy always helps take my mind off things.