December Dingos Run Through the Holidays! - Page 2

[Geofizz]

Schools, homeschooling, and finding a decent fit for your kids: cfg, Constant togetherness with little break would be a stopping point for us (DH+DD). Mandy, of course, the >FT WOHM with lotsa travel is a problem here, too. Alex, the scary thing here is that this is the best school in the best district around.

We went to Family Geography Night at the school tonight. Longest. Night. Ever.

Penelope, we're switching to semesters in a few years. One thing I'm really looking forward to is being half done instead of 1/3 done in December. My class' final projects are tomorrow with a department-wide poster session. Then a final exam. Then DONE. Well, done with the class. Not including the 10,000 other things I need to deal with before my conference.

[bec]

I am impressed with all of you that have actual Advent activities. I have a little calendar that you have a tiny piece of chocolate in when you punch out the right day.

My neighbor was over at my house, visiting this afternoon, when she got a call that her mother in Germany passed away.

[Nickarolaberry]

DrJ, I am not doing Disney, I'm going to do Gasparilla Marathon 28 Feb 2010. Thanks!

More tomorrow, I'm at the end of my patience and want to go crawl into bed.

[tjsmama]

Originally Posted by 1jooj

Homeschooling mamas, you have my

mommajb~I'm not sure...I just logged out and logged back in, and it's fine. I keep it logged in all the time. Are you clicking the "log in with facebook" button rather than the regular login?

alex~I went from a 38F at the peak of nursing down to a 32D/34C. Of course, I also lost a bunch of weight, so who knows which is actually more of the cause. I do notice that when I gain back a few pounds, it seems to immediately go to my boobs.


RE: advent~I was in World Market today, and picked up an Advent calendar there. I feel kind of that it's totally pre-fabricated, mass-produced, and filled with candy, but I really didn't have the time to find something better.

We also made a trip to Bed, Bath, & Beyond. I seriously that store. I got some of my favorite cinnamon-scented pinecones and the house smells ohsogood now!

I really need to do some A&P homework but am having an awfully hard time getting motivated. It's the last freaking unit, get it over with, dummy!

[Plady]

Originally Posted by memiles

The good news is that this cold, clear, gorgeous weather is going to continue. I could get used to this as opposed to the dreary rain!

It was gorgeous today! I got all misty thinking about missing weather like this while we're in Mexico.

Originally Posted by 1jooj

Homeschooling mamas, you have my

Totally.

Originally Posted by bec

I am impressed with all of you that have actual Advent activities. I have a little calendar that you have a tiny piece of chocolate in when you punch out the right day.

That too. The girls opened it this morning and then all afternoon Alison followed me around saying, "Mismis? Mismis?" and pointing at the thing.

Originally Posted by cornflake girl

the hardest part has been the c.o.n.s.t.a.n.t. togetherness.

Yeah, that's what scares me. I love them so much but if they were both around talking to me all day every day

Gaye - Go do your homework!

[cornflake girl]

Originally Posted by Plady

Yeah, that's what scares me. I love them so much but if they were both around talking to me all day every day

This is it exactly. It's that feeling of being constantly pecked that drjen mentioned the other day. Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy with the way things are working out for us and I wouldn't change a thing if I had it to do over again. It's just that I'm a TOTAL introvert and sometimes I fantasize about a few kid-free hours M-F. Maybe that's why I enjoy running so much?

[SugarAndSun]

Hi Dingo! Can I join again. I have a hard time keeping up with this thread though.

Homeschooling: I love the idea, but fear I would come up short. Sometimes I can just let the hours fly by. DS1 turned 5 in Nov. and is still home, but I have a feeling he'll be in K next year. I think I'll need a job and he is REALLY high energy. I am often close to the edge.

I'm in Colorado for the next few days. We've been here for over a month and LOVE it! These hills are awesome for training. We are going to Moab on Thursday and then the Grand Canyon.

Racing: I'm planning to do a 50 miler in Costa Rica in May of all goes well... we'll see. I was supposed to run a marathon in Santa Barbara this weekend, but I can't get here. Anyone want my number?

No advent activities here since we'll be traveling.

[tjsmama]

Originally Posted by Plady

Gaye - Go do your homework!

I did! Or at least, some of it. Got my discussion postings done. Now I think I'm going to attempt to read the book while I watch the Biggest Loser. Because I'm SURE that will go well.


, S&S!

[LaLaLaLa]

Hello again!

Man, I feel like such a deadbeat when I see all of the wintery races that some of you are running. Winter makes me just want to curl up and not run and get fat. I'm trying to get out there most mornings, but can't quite work up the nerve to commit myself to a specific day of running. What if it's snowing? Eek!

Anyway, the Advent thing--I did it last year and my Mom-friends said how crazy I was. And I was. If we'd actually tried to do everything on our list, I would have been so burned out. We ended up skipping a week's worth of activities when we had a terrible ice storm that took down a bunch of our branches, smashed both cars, and killed our power for a week. We toughed it out with the woodstove a bit, but ended up running away to my parents' house for several days. To the kids, this was just as exciting as daily activities.

The first year is the hardest, when you are trying to think of 24 things to do. Plus, we decorated 24 gift bags last year, so that part was already done for this year, too. We do a lot of craft projects, so that's easy to organize and the kids find them just as thrilling as actual events. This year I tried to hunt down more events, though, to balance things. In a few more years I'll be a total expert.

As a kid, though, I always really loved the paper Advent calendars. My grandmother used to buy them for me and my brother, and ours didn't even have candy in them, just a little picture behind each door. It was still thrilling having that visual countdown. My brother used to open all of the little doors the very first day.

Tonight we went to a Festival of Trees, which was even better than I'd thought it would be. I thought it was going to be outside, but it was inside this big conference center type place in an office park. Great! There were over 200 decorated trees and you could buy raffle tickets to win them (God, no, the last thing I need is to win the Christmas tree that my kids think is the most beautiful. One of the trees was decorated with all rainbow fairy books. Can you imagine?). At the door, they handed the kids a scavenger hunt form with about thirty things to find, so that kept them busy and made them closely scrutinize each tree. Nice touch! The only problem was that DH and I had to pay eight bucks apiece to get in. I'd thought it was free. I think we got our money's worth, though, and will probably go again next year.

Tomorrow They Might be Giants is performing a sing-along at a Borders bookstore, so we're going to that. I called the store tonight and got no information whatsoever. The person to whom I spoke didn't know how many people they expected or how early I should plan on being there. I don't know, either. An hour early? Two hours early? Do I have a firm grasp on how popular this group actually is? We'll probably go way early and then putter around town if the place is deserted. If it were just me, I'd be happy to camp out all day, but I don't want the kids to burn out before the concert even starts.

All right--to bed with me. I'm hoping to be on the roads in the morning.

[poppywise]

Originally Posted by LaLaLaLa

As a kid, though, I always really loved the paper Advent calendars. My grandmother used to buy them for me and my brother, and ours didn't even have candy in them, just a little picture behind each door. It was still thrilling having that visual countdown. My brother used to open all of the little doors the very first day.

that's exactly what we had! i agree, just getting to see the little pictures behind the door was enough, no candy or anything

mandy - i am still knitting my advent calendar entrails leftover from last year! i was missing #1-8 so i knitted #1 two days ago, and just now finished #2 for tomorrow...here's hoping i can keep up for another week, then i am home free.

RR: i did 3 on the treadmill but i am still behind on my training.

i am so busy with work, i am reminded how i need to kick my butt in gear and MAKE time for getting my miles in.

[Realrellim]

Originally Posted by tjsmama

I do notice that when I gain back a few pounds, it seems to immediately go to my boobs.

I could only wish! The first place I lose weight? My boobs. The first place I gain weight? My behind. How unfair is that!

Even my behind lost weight this time though. I won't mind when it gains back some so sitting is a little more comfortable!

[doctorjen]

I think I have the race list caught up to here. If not, please pm me and I'll fix it for you. I sometimes lose posts in the thread when it gets long, and then I'm never sure where to find them again, but if they're in my pm box I know where they are!

RR - Did an easy 4 miles on the treadmill. Supposed to do intervals tomorrow, which I think I need, as for me at least, no speedwork = getting slower and slower.

mommajb - honestly, I can't recall every seeing a single typo in one of your posts, but in general I don't notice them in anybody's posts - and I'm the queen of typos and seeing what I meant instead of what I said, so I think it's no big deal.

On school - it's relatively nice right now having my baby in 1st grade and having her be a child who is fairly easily served with public school. Sort of a relief after dealling with the school ages of my other kids all their lives! (#1 ADHD, but pretty bright #2 scary brilliant but unmotivated #3 Nearly as scary brilliant as #2, but squirrely as they come, which is a horrible combination!) This #4 of mine is just brighter than average, easily motivated, and very loving and interested in pleasing. She's sailing through 1st grade happily in the high reading group, but certainly doesn't need any more enrichment, and is content in a way my higher maintenance older kids never were in the lower grades. I wish for you all with kids that have school issues that you get at least one kid who's easier!

[tjsmama]

Ok, so I the Biggest Loser. I think it's great that they push people out of their comfort zone and past their perceived limits. But I really wish they would stop making it look like it's ok and a good idea to do a marathon on less than two months training. With your longest run before it being 13 miles. Sigh.

[memiles]

Originally Posted by tjsmama

Ok, so I the Biggest Loser. I think it's great that they push people out of their comfort zone and past their perceived limits. But I really wish they would stop making it look like it's ok and a good idea to do a marathon on less than two months training. With your longest run before it being 13 miles. Sigh.

Seriously. Ser.i.ous.ly.

[JayGee]

Originally Posted by tjsmama

Ok, so I the Biggest Loser. I think it's great that they push people out of their comfort zone and past their perceived limits. But I really wish they would stop making it look like it's ok and a good idea to do a marathon on less than two months training. With your longest run before it being 13 miles. Sigh.

Ugh. Yes. And when your knees hurt, "running through the pain" is a bad idea. Trust me. I've been there. Always listen to the knees.

Real ~ I think I had one glorious week just after giving birth (ie. still massively engorged), when my size S Bravado bras were a smidge tight .

I need a baking idea. I'm in charge of providing dessert for the appreciation luncheon at DDs preschool. It should be Christmas-y. I have not yet started my holiday cookie baking, so a plate of cookies won't work. Any good, yummy holiday dessert recipies???

Planning on running 5-6 deliciously slow miles this morning .

[Geofizz]

Kristina, an idea besides Shanti cookies?

OK, I said I don't notice typos. I do notice certain common spelling errors. There was a discussion a few days ago that also featured the sand vs strawberry shortcake de_ert problem.

[JayGee]

Originally Posted by Geofizz

OK, I said I don't notice typos. I do notice certain common spelling errors. There was a discussion a few days ago that also featured the sand vs strawberry shortcake de_ert problem.

Fixed.

[doctorjen]

Sometimes, I'm not so thrilled with my job. Today is my day off, which usually means I have to only round on my hospitalized patients, and am otherwise off. Somehow, it never works out like that. So at 5:30 the ER calls to tell me I have to admit a suicidal patient who is also drunk (we don't have a psych unit in our hospital, but no psych unit will take a patient with substances on board until they are medically cleared/sober so I'm stuck admitting them until whatever wears off, and then trying to convince a psych unit to take them) At 6, the lab calls to say a patient showed up for blood tests and they don't know what to draw. I say I gave her a written order, they put me on hold, "Oh yeah, she has it" (So, great, definitely don't bother to check if the patient has the order before you wake the doctor up . . .again.) And, at 6:45, labor and delivery calls. My 15 year old primip is in labor. And it's not my favorite labor nurse, but instead one who I'm going to have to sit in house and keep from checking my client every 30 min. Plus, this kid is sure she wants an epidural and I'm going to have to deal with the anesthesiologist I really don't like.
So much for a day off. I really need to get little dd's dress sewn, and really needed to finish the last bit of shopping for my friend's kids and for the family we are sponsoring, and wanted to start for dh. Anybody want to come be the mom for the day while I'm off doing the doctor thing?

[bec]

Ok, so I'm going to skip Zumba this morning because I'm feeling like poop, and coughing up lots of junk. I might do a treadmill run for 3 miles if I am feeling a bit better.

Is the garlic supposed to burn going down? And make you incredibly nauseated for 10 minutes afterwards?

[1jooj]

Some people chop the garlic pretty small, mix with a tsp honey and swallow. If I were doing it, I'd do it this way. But of course, I my bees.

drjen I hope the rest of the day smooths out.

I did barn chores early...so I can get to the school by 830. I'll be there in classes until 1115...then I'll run, either out here or in town. Think I am going to pack my stuff and run from the public library.

Reading Whitefoot with dd right now...by Wendell Berry. Loving it.