Weekly Chat August 3 ~ August 9 - Page 4

[karen1968]

I'm usually pretty good about drinking water, but when I notice myself slacking, I put a chart up on the fridge. I usually fill my cup at the fridge water dispenser, so I just tick everytime I fill. I can see throughout the day if i've been drinking enough. After a few days, I remember what "enough" is and I don't need the chart anymore.

you guys might want my summer NOW, but remember we had a June full of rain and highs in the low 60s. It's a trade-off for sure!

my knit night tonight got cancelled I've decided to take advantage and do some shopping I can't/won't do with DS - like getting beads for the bead swap! And finally buying a new bra.

ETA: pregnant lady sneezing while sitting cross legged = time to change the underwear

[LadyCatherine185]

Yeah I would not enjoy 60 and rain for a straight month, for sure. But we had a really snowy winter here as well.. the summer and winter have been very severe. I don't like it! We usually get MAYBE one dusting of snow a year, but this past winter it snowed and snowed FEET of snow and as soon as it would start melting it would snow again... again, miserable! No one is prepared for that kind of snow around here either, so we don't have the right clothes/vehicles/road "fixers" etc... We did have a pretty nice Spring though.. maybe we will have a nice Fall.. that would be perfect.

[my kidlets and me]

Fern, enjoy your trip! Enjoy Van - what part does your mom live in?

Karen, our summer has been a lot like yours (which makes sense, since we're on the same coast) - I'm loving the absence of rain right now!

Nic - thanks for the link. I'll check it out later. Once 2.5 yo is asleep, dh and I are off to dinner at an oyster restaurant. Yum!

[HeatherB]

Thanks for all the hugs, mamas! We're STILL not sure what's going on or when they'll start our house. I have been working very hard at NOT letting myself get super anxious about it (which is tricky when I've been tending towards anxiety lately, anyway). With lots of prayer, I got through today without too much of a problem - until I talked to my friend's husband who works in the company. He was helpful but not encouraging.

So, we should hear from someone who will, hopefully, be able to actually answer our questions tomorrow. Then we have to decide if we stick with it despite the ever-increasing likelihood that we'd be moving in AFTER baby rather than before. The fact that everything is up in the air right now is just really difficult, so I am hoping for some real answers and the ability to make plans very soon. I've said before that I wouldn't mind having to move twice (into temporary housing and then our new house), and yet I've been totally stuck on moving one time, into our new house, BEFORE baby comes. In reality, I do know baby can be born anywhere. I think I'll be MUCH better off once I figure out where in the world that will be!

Then, maybe I can focus more on the baby and getting ready for him/her to come!

I have friends who have 3 boys, too, with their oldest 3 weeks older than ours, and their youngest a few months younger than our 2yo, plus a surprise on the way. She's due in December, and just found out it's a girl! I knew it was right away, especially when she wrote about being super nauseous for a few weeks. I'm so excited for them, and hoping my prediction of us both getting girls to cap off our families (within weeks of each other!) comes to pass. It would just be SO neat to have our matching broods keep matching!

[my kidlets and me]

I hope you get some good news today, Heather. It may be difficult to move with a newborn, but not impossible. But it sure would be nice not to have to move twice. Let us know!

[FarrenSquare]

Originally Posted by karen1968

ETA: pregnant lady sneezing while sitting cross legged = time to change the underwear

This made me snort-laugh out loud at work!

I can't remember who asked a while ago about the dill pickle soup, but I remembered last night lying awake in bed! haha, these are the things I think about. Anyway, it is one of her DELICIOUS Russian recipes, I can't remember the real name for it but yes! It really does have dill pickles in it! And a lot of fresh dill as well. Basically you make a chicken or beef broth and then add in potatoes, carrots, dill pickles, barley (or rice for me, the GF version), dill... and I think onions? Anything you like, I guess! We always add a dollop of sour cream to the warm bowl of soup, too... so yummy.

My MIL is slowly teaching me to cook, mostly because I am not very cooking-apt. At this point, I want to really start amping up my repertoire of easy meals to make for the family. Hmm, would anybody be interested in a recipe sharing thread?

[Ellen Griswold]

I'm always interested in new recipes!

[SashaBreeze]

Hello all.

FarrenSquare the dill pickle soup sounds delish! I feel bad that I know next to nothing about Russian food. Dh family, on his father's side, came from Russia just a few generations back but most of their heritage was lost because of family strains/drama and so forth. Every so often I think about finding out more about it for the kids because I have TONS of info for them for my side but zilch for dh's... I think I just figured out a great unit study to do with the kids while we wait for their new school stuff.

A recipe exchange sounds GREAT dh has got into a cooking kick here lately and I have been showing him some of my recipes but at the same time I have been really thinking about branching out and learning some new dishes, especially ones that use tons of veggies, we eat waaaay to much meat in our house.

HeatherB I hope it all gets lined out for you guys soon. If you at least knew a 100% sure game plan then that would be a move in the right direction so you could at least plan accordingly. The not knowing always seems the worst. Terrific news about your friends pregnancy though! That sounds like it would be a lot of fun.

... wow I have missed a lot the past few days...
Delicious looking cupcakes! Sifting is wonderful! Yaaaa for peaches and berries still hot from the summer sun and smelling divine. And another great big for fabulous sounding produce found at just the right moment.

Got to ask... what are these beads you guys keep talking about?

[kittywitty]

My stupid eardrum ruptured today at the pool. Again. I had surgery on it 14 years ago.

[HeatherB]

DH talked to the sales manager today (glad for him to do it and not me this time!), and it wasn't exactly what I'd call positive (as in, they didn't say, "We'll start your house now, build it stat, and get you in by mid-October!!" ), but he did say that he'd get us some REAL answers as far as a timeline for the two possible scenarios that we're left with, so we can look at actual information and decide what to do.

At this point, I'm trying to be okay with the fact that we just won't be in the new house for the birth. I just wish I knew where we were going to be. But, Monday we should have more info so hopefully we can figure it out then.

We're still just squeaking by financially at the moment, and I'm trying to plot out our budget for the next while so I can see when/if we get to start buying baby stuff. I think it will feel MUCH more real then that there's a newbie coming! Of course, it'd be nice if I could have stuff out and around to look at and not all tucked away in the closet, too. Having to be ready at a moment's (ok, 2 hours is our request) notice for showings makes it tough! We really don't want to get more stuff in the house, but, OH for some little newborn things! And a carseat. We need a carseat. And diapers.

[HeatherB]

Oh, no, kitty! I'm so sorry! I have chronic issues with mine (which ruptured when I was young) and it's flaring right now. I hope it heals up quickly and without any complications! I know dealing with it is just a major pain.

[Stitches]

Hope you all have a lovely week. I am off on vacation for a week, hopefully we have a nice time and there is not too much smoke from all the forest fires going on near our destination. I'll be the pale, beached whale in a bikini on the beach

[my kidlets and me]

Farren, it was me who asked about the dill pickle soup - sounds really yummy!

Kitty - Yikes! I hope your ear heals soon - it must be so painful to deal with.

Laura - enjoy your vacation! We have haze here on the Island from the forest fires in the Interior - it sure travels a long way!

Heather - to be positive, YAY for some answers coming your way. You need to know what's up so you can be prepared. I'm glad your dh went and did the asking for you today.

AFM, we had an AWESOME day today - spent the morning at the local (1 hour away) Forestry Museum, where you can ride their steam train and hike their many trails. We had a picnic lunch there, then went to a nearby lake, where we found a park that had a playground, a beach, a wharf, lifeguards, a slide, a diving board, and sand toys to share. We had a BLAST! Yay for holidays and finding new things to do close to home!

[HeatherB]

Laura, have fun!!

Bobbi, that sounds awesome! Reminds me of the steam train in the redwoods near Santa Cruz, CA. We d going up there and riding the train when we lived in the area (for just 6 short months).

I am so grateful for technology! My 8yo is on his second night away from home (first time being with no family whatsoever). The camp he's at is taking pics and posting them daily (not many of him - 4 total so far - but they're good quality and great to see!), the camp leaders are posting updates on FB, and one of them has posted a couple of videos (including one where DS pops in for a minute). I have no idea how parents coped without these sorts of updates. I'm thrilled to know from those who are actually there and with him that he's doing really well and having "the time of his life." So happy for him! I know he's doing things he really loves and making lots of memories! Though now my little boys are both asking to go to camp, too. I'm glad they have to wait a few years!

[ILoveMySofie]

high levels of lead in kids drinks/snacks etc (organic too)

i already posted this in the proper place on mdc but want to share with my ddc as well..

this makes me so angry. we squeeze juice at home too but we do buy some of these types of products for lunch box and on the go etc.
My favorite kind of packaged juice (Honest Kids) isnt on the list, but that means nothing, maybe it just wasnt tested.

http://www.inhabitots.com/2010/06/11...evels-of-lead/

How far do we need to go to protect our children from evil food?!

[ILoveMySofie]

Full list of tested products are on the Envirolaw website:
http://www.envirolaw.org/documents/P...rLeadFINAL.pdf

[Ellen Griswold]

:yawning
Ugh, I am so tired today. Have no idea what happened last night, but my little girl (co-sleeper) was restless and wanted to nurse all. night. long. I haven't nursed her that much in ages. I would drift in and out of sleep, but baby must have been restless too because I dreamed I was in labor all night long. Not like a real dream where there was "plot" (for lack of a better word), just annoying little snippets. Luckily the kids did let me sleep in for a while, but I have yet to accomplish anything more than emptying the dishwasher today. We looked at beds for her yesterday, but didn't do any purchasing yet. Might wait for one more paycheck. We knew this was coming up but hadn't planned on having to replace all her flooring first. Sigh. Hate money and house stuff.

Hope that everyone has a nice weekend!

[ocelotmom]

We moved a week ago, and got internet access again yesterday.

The kids are adjusting way better than I'd expected, both to the move in general, sleeping in their own room, and very restricted screentime. DS has spent much of today over playing with the neighbor kids - a totally new experience for him, as there were no kids close enough to go easily see in our old neighborhood (not that there are many here, but he seems to be hitting it off with the ones that are). I think the move will end up being a really good thing for the kids.

I got a bad stomach bug yesterday, which was totally fun. Lost 7lbs in 24 hours, putting me back to about where I was at 16 weeks, and below my pre-pregnancy weight, which I'd just managed to crack this month. I can only assume a good portion of it will come back over the next few days as my digestive tract fills up again. I hope so.

DH has 50 million "urgent" projects (some more truly urgent than others), and is hugely resentful that I don't have as much energy as him, and I think takes me getting sick as a personal affront.

Hopefully meeting with a HB midwife next Friday.

[Ellen Griswold]

So, my dad had to admit my mom to the hospital today. It was a very very very long story. But she is having troubles with babbling and being incoherent at times. She has been under incredible stress with my grandmother and possibly her needing to be placed into a nursing home. If anyone is awake this evening and would like to say a prayer, her name is Donna.

[MamaFern]

(((Donna)))
Ellen, that's really tough.


Welcome back ocelotmom~ sorry that you were sick.. hydrate!! i bet with some good meals you will gain back what you have lost. make sure every bite counts! exciting about the HB midwife!!

ILoveMySofie, wow.. that is scary, maddening stuff..

Heather, yay for happy kids! it sounds like the perfect way to spend summer as a kiddo.. i remember being a camp councellor and the kids all had So much fun.

(((kitty)))) healing vibes to you and your ear!


So we made it.. almost 12 hours of driving and a feverish sad 2 YO..but it wasnt So bad. we picked up a hitchiker (young kid, maybe 18.. trying to get to vancouver with a massive camping pack) so he sat in the front of the van and i sat in the back with the LO's which turned out fine since rue was so sad.. i probably would have ended up back there anyways..we hardly stopped but a few pee breaks..

but we got here at a reasonable time and visited and the kids had a good play and a bath (how exciting!!) and i got a very much needed shower. yum. its nice after so long.. lake swimming is great but nothing like a hot shower we are hoping to find our perfect tub while we are here, got some good possibilities, so once we get home it shouldn't be long till we are bathing in style again


did some retail therapy today.. i didnt actually buy much at all, but window shopped.. living in a small town is Great, but i do like to shop once in a blue moon.

this evening my mom and i went to old navy and i found a few adorable baby things and nothing for me.. they dont have maternity stuff at that location anymore BOO! but that's okay.. picked up a few other cutey things at another store and the NB diaper i wanted for my stash..so things are coming along.


tomorrow we are going to this amazing festival. im hoping the rain will go away, its been wet here today..

monday we have a visit/BBQ dinner date with my grama who is in her late 80s and still rocking her tai chi class!


wednesday we head to vancouver island for a few days visit with my other grands and my dad, and our van has a check up set up with the guys who specialize in our vehicle (right hand drive, diesel, Japanese import van)

busy busy!

hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.