witchygrrl: I am DROOOOOOLING right now! That sounds delicious!! 
Good luck with the teaching exams and all that jazz. Is there a lot of extra red tape you have to go through to teach in a public school??
I was thinking of our Indiana mamas today. Hoping everyone is safe!!!
Maia-Glad M is doing better even if not all the way better. Bruises can take a long time to heal, esp deep ones. Give it a couple of weeks and I'd guess that he will be fine. Poor guy though, that's got to be so tough on the manliness! Travel safely tomorrow!
Vydalea-Thanks! He goes in on Thursday. I found out that his twin brother will be in Sunday through Friday after the surgery so I won't be on duty then.
Witchy-Best of luck on your tests! Its always something between empowering and terrifying to start messing with jobs.
Mary-We are so very close! I'm just inside the Marion County border on the southern edge of Geist. DH and I are considering moving up your direction in a few years (if we are still in the state, depends on his job and things of that nature) for the better schools up there.
revolting-I'm avoiding most diets while I breastfeed. Other than just not stuffing so much food into my mouth, I'm not going to avoid much. Just eat good food. Fresh fruit and veggies, lean cuts of meat, cut out most of my sweets and soda intake, no fast food, that kind of thing. I'm just too nervous about losing my supply. I lost my supply with DS1 because I was pregnant with DS2 and it cut our nursing relationship *really* short (he was not quite ten months and I wanted to go 2 years 
). So I'm ultra nervous about losing it with DS2, esp since he will only fall asleep nursing.
It is about a three to four hour trip to get to Chicago from Indy (I've traveled that way a lot because most of my extended family is in Milwaukee) depending on traffic and where exactly you want to go in the City. To check other areas, you could pick some town names and do a quick Mapquest to get a basic idea of time. Personally, I would avoid getting too close to the suburbs of Chicago on the Indiana side, a lot of those seem pretty rough. I'd go an extra hour south to a sleepier town.
Oh mamas, I just read the most awful story. My midwife has set up a Facebook private Facebook page for her practice and on of the other clients lost a child today. He was 3. They went to check on him while he was sleeping, he was fine, snoring. Checked on him an hour later and he was dead. No idea wtf happened. I cannot imagine her and her family's grief. I think I'm going to go and hug all of my babies. Light, love and blessings to that family. 
I was thinking of our Indiana mamas today. Hoping everyone is safe!!!
We're fine. The storms that hit hard last week were much further south...Indy is just about in the very center of the state. Unfortunately those storms that did hit southern Indiana were unbelievable.
Mary-We are so very close! I'm just inside the Marion County border on the southern edge of Geist. DH and I are considering moving up your direction in a few years (if we are still in the state, depends on his job and things of that nature) for the better schools up there.
Cool We're moving a little more north in the next week -- buying a bigger house in Noblesville 
We looked at several houses in the Geist area; eventually chose to buy what we did because we could afford a much bigger house there. 
Daily commute? Or just occasional?
There's daily flights from Indy to Chicago, as well as a Metro Bus that's really inexpensive (though you leave sometime between midnight and 5am IIRC.)
Most of my husband's work is in the south neighborhoods of Chicago and the loop, though he has work as far away as Indianapolis and occasionally in the north neighborhoods in Chicago (where we live). He has co-workers who commute daily from Indiana. His plumbing license, though, is for Illinois, though. I know that the south suburbs are more rough than the west or north ones - my grandmother's house got burglarized in the last couple of years! - but we don't live in a "sleepy" neighborhood. In the last year, my car has gotten stolen once, and broken into four times; about half a dozen people have been shot within a mile of my home in the last year; there's a WHOLE lot of gang activity. So, I'm not sure which is more rough, you know?
revolting-I'm avoiding most diets while I breastfeed. Other than just not stuffing so much food into my mouth, I'm not going to avoid much. Just eat good food. Fresh fruit and veggies, lean cuts of meat, cut out most of my sweets and soda intake, no fast food, that kind of thing. I'm just too nervous about losing my supply. I lost my supply with DS1 because I was pregnant with DS2 and it cut our nursing relationship *really* short (he was not quite ten months and I wanted to go 2 years ). So I'm ultra nervous about losing it with DS2, esp since he will only fall asleep nursing.
I eat a pretty healthy diet, but I still gain weight. I don't want to sound like I'm avoiding some responsibility, but I know given my family history, losing weight and keeping it off will be an uphill battle.
Talk to me about your family traditions around the moon that involve toddlers. I've definitely been struggling with finding ways to better include my two year old.
The beef bourginoun does require Burgandy wine, so I'm not sure if you would be okay with that or not, Maia. I'm trying to think what would work as an alternative....
But anyway, here's the recipe:
1 lb of stew beef (or thereabouts)
1 medium onion
small bunch of carrots
I took a heavy pan, and seared the salt and peppered beef in it with some butter. Then I took the beef out, and threw the chopped onions in, cooking them until clear. I also added some garlic powder. Then I added the wine, scraped up the bits on the bottom of the pan, and put the beef back in with the carrots. Then I put it in the oven at 300 degrees for a few hours. I bet it would work in the crockpot, too.
It was so tasty. Even DD ate it. I served it with mashed potato/sweet potato.
That does sound yummy! But yeah-- no wine, no potatoes or carrots, and very little onion. I might have to figure out something else that's close that's no/low carb. I used to use non-alk wine in recipes, but that's probably way carby for me
Maia-Glad M is doing better even if not all the way better. Bruises can take a long time to heal, esp deep ones. Give it a couple of weeks and I'd guess that he will be fine. Poor guy though, that's got to be so tough on the manliness! Travel safely tomorrow!
Oh mamas, I just read the most awful story. My midwife has set up a Facebook private Facebook page for her practice and on of the other clients lost a child today. He was 3. They went to check on him while he was sleeping, he was fine, snoring. Checked on him an hour later and he was dead. No idea wtf happened. I cannot imagine her and her family's grief. I think I'm going to go and hug all of my babies. Light, love and blessings to that family.
That IS a horrible story! Poor family! Yeah-- my boy got sick while I'm out of town, so I need to hurry and get back to my baby! He has some sort of throat thing, and I'm hoping it's not strep. Caregiver kept him home from school today, but for some reason it seems she is unwilling to entertain the idea of strep and won't look in his throat 
so you betcha I will be doing that, and snugging my little sweetie when I get back.
About M-- damn, no sex this trip at all I realized in the middle of the night, and M somewhat agrees with me, that this was a test because, remember the issues we were having before? Where he wasn't in the mood and all that? Well, we realized that sex between us is so very sacred, and such a gift, that we were made to see what it would be like to be deprived of it. And we both realized how much we love each other and how integral a healthy sexual relationship is between us. So it's all good. Even though it was terribly, terribly hard to get through this weekend without any! Lesson learned, eh? The beautiful thing about M is that he sees lessons in things, and does try to improve himself all the time. I LOVE that about him.
eat a pretty healthy diet, but I still gain weight. I don't want to sound like I'm avoiding some responsibility, but I know given my family history, losing weight and keeping it off will be an uphill battle.
Talk to me about your family traditions around the moon that involve toddlers. I've definitely been struggling with finding ways to better include my two year old.
You and me both, mama. You and me both.
Family traditions about the moon-- I think at 2yo I just brought him outside to look at Her in her various aspects, especially full, and spent a minute in reverence. I still do that, and he's 11 now and still points out the moon if I don't. Especially if She's up while it's still light outside.
Waiting for the flight to board...should be back in NC around 1:30 and back in A'vl around 4ish.
Maia, can you have mushrooms? Beef cubes slowly cooked with mushrooms and onion, your choice of celery, broccoli, cauliflower (or a mix of them all - or your own choice of veggies) and about 1 cup of broth is yummy! I used to do that with canned mushroom soup and onion soup mix... I've done it with success without the can of soup with fresh mushrooms and caramelizing fresh onion instead of soup mix... Will try dried mushrooms next time for even more flavor!
Maia, can you have mushrooms? Beef cubes slowly cooked with mushrooms and onion, your choice of celery, broccoli, cauliflower (or a mix of them all - or your own choice of veggies) and about 1 cup of broth is yummy! I used to do that with canned mushroom soup and onion soup mix... I've done it with success without the can of soup with fresh mushrooms and caramelizing fresh onion instead of soup mix... Will try dried mushrooms next time for even more flavor!
I think so, yes. Some, anyway. That does sound good! With maybe sour cream for thickener? YUM!
Back in NC...a quick and uneventful trip, thank goodness. Boo is doing much better; he's still got a cough and isn't very hungry, but he is going to school tomorrow.
...he was fine, snoring.
I wonder if it was sleep apnea related. That is so heartbreaking.
My son is 9 and I STILL get up and check on him once or twice during the night. I haven't been able to let that fear go.
3x: Glad your dad's brother will be around so you'll have a little break to get back to your bunch! Will the boys be with you when you are taking care of him?
The story of the 3 year old's death is just so, so sad.
We're fine. The storms that hit hard last week were much further south...Indy is just about in the very center of the state. Unfortunately those storms that did hit southern Indiana were unbelievable.
Glad to hear everyone is well. I do know where your city is located, having visited (it was lovely!! best elephant habitat i've seen at the zoo!!) I was thinking of extended family, etc., possibly being south. The devastation truly is horrific. Is it that we are having more severe weather events or just that with the 24/7 news we just hear about it more readily? I feel as though the floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc. in the past few years are more frequent and more devastating.
About M-- damn, no sex this trip at all I realized in the middle of the night, and M somewhat agrees with me, that this was a test because, remember the issues we were having before? Where he wasn't in the mood and all that? Well, we realized that sex between us is so very sacred, and such a gift, that we were made to see what it would be like to be deprived of it. And we both realized how much we love each other and how integral a healthy sexual relationship is between us. So it's all good. Even though it was terribly, terribly hard to get through this weekend without any! Lesson learned, eh? The beautiful thing about M is that he sees lessons in things, and does try to improve himself all the time. I LOVE that about him.
.
Family traditions about the moon-- I think at 2yo I just brought him outside to look at Her in her various aspects, especially full, and spent a minute in reverence. I still do that, and he's 11 now and still points out the moon if I don't. Especially if She's up while it's still light outside.
Glad you had an uneventful trip back, Maia!
I think it's wonderful that both you and M can find the lesson in a sucky situation like the one you encountered this weekend. Sounds like you're a good team, albeit dangerous at times. 
I like what you said about the moon. That sounds JUST LIKE Z. She loves finding "moonie" as she calls the moon and will just stare up at the sky for a seemingly long time for a *nearly* 2 year old.
Morning all:) I like Mary have been trying to get back in the Mothering Groove. I have to make an effort to get back here on a daily basis. So much more chatting going on here than FB.
Maia, scary about the injury but glad it is only temporary. Hope he gets to healing quickly.
I tell you Mamas, I can't wait for Spring! I am so ready to open this place up. Right about now it is starting to hit me hard, the cabin fever!
I hope everyone is doing well. I am going to have to catch up. I keep saying that and never do:( I am hoping to get out of my funk!
Morning all:) I like Mary have been trying to get back in the Mothering Groove.
I tell you Mamas, I can't wait for Spring! I am so ready to open this place up. Right about now it is starting to hit me hard, the cabin fever!
I have been working on that groove and I've found that I can make it part of my morning 'spiritual practice time.'
The house and the family and commitments and chores and all that stuff 'get me' for most of the day and I get to take some time to knit in the evening -- but morning is developing into my time for centering. I'm making that a priority. 
I'm quite ready for Spring too -- and I feel like a whiner to mention it since we've had such an incredibly mild winter for here.
But, really, Spring is just so amazing -- no other time of year fills my spirit the same way.
This year Spring renewal is coming parallel to a big change for our family -- so I am doubly excited and ready to get going. Our move to a much bigger house is this weekend! So we get to watch Spring arrive and transform everything in our new space. 
Off to sort, declutter, organize, pack, cook, clean and just in general be amazing... 
Mary-I don't blame ya! We rent and we are technically in Lawrence, so that brings the prices down quite a bit.
Revolting-I'm similar as well. Eating healthy mainly just keeps me at a plateau (be it 150 or 190), it doesn't make me lose anything. But for now, with the breastfeeding, I'd rather maintain both weight and supply than diet and drop both, kwim?
Maia-Glad you had a safe trip and that your DS is feeling better. Poor kid, it probably sucked on both ends-he wanted you and you wanted him! Sounds like a rough weekend all around. But all is well that ends well and I think that the lesson you gained with M is a pretty important one, in my humble opinion, anyways!
Vydalea-I am glad my uncle will be around. I will only have one week of caring for my dad before another of his brothers will be in town for that week. There is talk of yet another brother coming in (I have 5 uncles on my dad's side) after that, but I doubt that will actually happen. So after that it will be just me and the boys (both of them...
) for a couple of weeks. The dr is talking that *this* surgery will do it and that Dad should be up and back to work in six weeks, so here's hoping!! 
I wonder if it was sleep apnea related. That is so heartbreaking.
My son is 9 and I STILL get up and check on him once or twice during the night. I haven't been able to let that fear go.
I wondered the same thing. Its absolutely heartbreaking.
As for moon traditions, I'm going to soak some ideas up, too! I do love that DD has always referred to the moon and Mrs. Moon. My dad or my FIL, not sure which, told her about the "Man on the Moon" when she was maybe 2, almost three. She didn't buy it and decided the moon was a woman and has since called Her Mrs. Moon. I remember being floored that she felt so adamantly pulled in that specific direction. At the time I was "Pagan" but not really practicing or discussing it.
Oh, I forgot to mention, my step-father in law outed me from the broom closet this weekend.
I have a copy of The Spiral Dance out from the library (haven't started it yet, for some reason I'm really nervous about it...) and its sitting out albeit inconspicuously. I'm not going to hide who I am, I'm just not going to really bring it up. And of course the book is sitting on a stack of other books about protection (which are for a friend who is having constant nightmares) with names like The Witch's Shield and Practical Protection Magick. So he picks the book up and starts chatting about how he has a copy of the book and was going to give it to me! He and I have discussed Paganism some, he used to practice years ago but is more happily a UU memeber. But its been probably two years since then and its never come up since. Thankfully it was just my MIL and FIL and neither of them commented which makes me think SFIL has discussed it with MIL. It went pretty smoothly, MIL just gave me a small weird look (probably about the other books) and otherwise made no comment, just chatted as normal. And it sounds like I might not only get a copy of The Spiral Dance, but of several Scott Cunningham books, too! So woo, I guess!!
Maia-Mary3Mama is in the Midwest. We are both in Indy (HI Mary!!) so I'm sure. The Midwest states are Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Illinois and I *think* Tennessee.
Missouri is Midwest too. Kansas, and a couple others as well. Tennessee is south I am pretty sure and I didnt think Kentucky was considered midwest?
It has been wonderful here but NOT looking forward to the summer. We barely had any freezing so bugs are going to be awful. My daffodils are already in bloom, weeks to a month ahead of usual!!! Though, then again usual keeps getting earlier. Also not looking forward to storms....it has NEVER been like this. Tornadoes all year round???
Missouri is Midwest too. Kansas, and a couple others as well. Tennessee is south I am pretty sure and I didnt think Kentucky was considered midwest?
It has been wonderful here but NOT looking forward to the summer. We barely had any freezing so bugs are going to be awful. My daffodils are already in bloom, weeks to a month ahead of usual!!! Though, then again usual keeps getting earlier. Also not looking forward to storms....it has NEVER been like this. Tornadoes all year round???
Tennessee is WAY south It's right next door to NC. We're south. It's geographically probably on the same latitude line (hope that's the right term!).
We had no freezing either. Why are bugs worse, then?
Me, I'm SO MAD about Daylight Savings Time being manipulated more. It's freaking next week, and doesn't go away till November. GRRR. As if Mom Nature doesn't do a good enough job herself, lightening up the summer and darkening the winter. Really? And we'd, what, have it light year-round? Um, no thanks Some of us appreciate bad weather, and darkness, thankyouverymuch.
OK, rant over.
lol - I am actually very happy about daylight savings time - can go back to doing yoga in the park in the evenings:)
I freaking hate it.
But that said...stumbled upon a cool full moon thingy:
http://magickalgraphics.com/Graphics/Occult/WitchySayings/magick14.jpg
Mary-I don't blame ya! We rent and we are technically in Lawrence, so that brings the prices down quite a bit.
We looked at Lawrence! We have friends there and find ourselves at Ft. Ben quite a lot...the property tax rates were what kept us from seriously considering it though. Ah, well. Noblesville is close enough to get just about anywhere in the metro area if we want to. 
We are moving from a ranch style 1300 sqft place to a 2 story 3200 sqft with 3 car garage. I think we'll feel like we've taken over a small hotel for a while.
It has been wonderful here but NOT looking forward to the summer. We barely had any freezing so bugs are going to be awful. My daffodils are already in bloom, weeks to a month ahead of usual!!! Though, then again usual keeps getting earlier. Also not looking forward to storms....it has NEVER been like this. Tornadoes all year round???
Ugh. The bugs. I am so not looking forward to those. Although I have to say that here is sooooooo much better than where we were in the mountains of West Virginia. Love the state...the Harpers Ferry area is beautiful -- but the bugs? ugh! those little no-seeum midges that are tiny enough to go through window screens. Awful! I'll take plain ole mosquitos any day. 
lol - I am actually very happy about daylight savings time - can go back to doing yoga in the park in the evenings:)
I'm delighted with the switch back in Spring! I just wish that they didn't have to monkey around with it and change it in the fall. Most of Indiana didn't do the time switch until pretty recently. It was nice to not have to adjust and reorient. Of course it made things more complicated because of everyone around us changing.
I think I'd get loads more done if the sun were up from 6am to 9 pm everyday. 
I'm not dismissive of the darkness -- there are times when I seek its protection and solitude. But coming out of winter I crave the light...
More sorting, decluttering, packing, organizing today.
Yesterday it was FANTASTIC here. It got to at least 71 degrees and was so nice and sunny. I took the kids to a nearby park (Forest Park/Noblesville for anyone local who is curious) to meet up with bestest-best-friends (mine and theirs.) It was grand! It was totally worth being truant from packing for an afternoon. Knitting in the sunshine outside -- something I dearly miss all winter long.
There's not THAT much left for me to work on, honestly. I just keep chipping away at it little by little. I said last weekend that I could have the whole house packed in a day if the family didn't need or want anything from me. Alas, the need much and that's perfectly fine too. 
Oh, I forgot to mention, my step-father in law outed me from the broom closet this weekend. I have a copy of The Spiral Dance out from the library (haven't started it yet, for some reason I'm really nervous about it...) and its sitting out albeit inconspicuously. I'm not going to hide who I am, I'm just not going to really bring it up. And of course the book is sitting on a stack of other books about protection (which are for a friend who is having constant nightmares) with names like The Witch's Shield and Practical Protection Magick. So he picks the book up and starts chatting about how he has a copy of the book and was going to give it to me! He and I have discussed Paganism some, he used to practice years ago but is more happily a UU memeber. But its been probably two years since then and its never come up since. Thankfully it was just my MIL and FIL and neither of them commented which makes me think SFIL has discussed it with MIL. It went pretty smoothly, MIL just gave me a small weird look (probably about the other books) and otherwise made no comment, just chatted as normal. And it sounds like I might not only get a copy of The Spiral Dance, but of several Scott Cunningham books, too! So woo, I guess!!
That's awesome!
Tennessee is WAY south It's right next door to NC. We're south. It's geographically probably on the same latitude line (hope that's the right term!).
We had no freezing either. Why are bugs worse, then?
Me, I'm SO MAD about Daylight Savings Time being manipulated more. It's freaking next week, and doesn't go away till November. GRRR. As if Mom Nature doesn't do a good enough job herself, lightening up the summer and darkening the winter. Really? And we'd, what, have it light year-round? Um, no thanks Some of us appreciate bad weather, and darkness, thankyouverymuch.
OK, rant over.
I hate daylight savings time. I want it dark in the evenings - it helps the kids go to bed on time.
Did I mention we went sugaring at the nature center this week? It's so fun, and we'll probably head back to their maple syrup festival in a few weeks.
My son is still sleeping at 8:47am. What does it mean? What does it mean?! 
I hate daylight savings time. I want it dark in the evenings - it helps the kids go to bed on time.
I forgot those days! My kidlets are 12, 8 & 5 now so sometimes I forget what the younger ages are like.
We don't really have an 'on time' for bed anymore...we all drift towards our rooms around 10ish I think...but there's no rule or expectation that anyone go to sleep -- just that they allow others to do so. My hubby can barely make it to 10 without falling asleep -- he's such the morning person.
I love summer evenings when children fall into bed hard -- grateful to be there. A day well and exhaustingly lived!
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