February '09 Mamas ~ Childhood Chat :) - Page 34

[Mal85]

Hi ladies! Just checking in to say hello, it's been quiet here lately! We had a fun Halloween. Greta was a Grateful Dead dancing bear and Owyn was a flower child. I entered them in the costume contest here on MDC, go over and vote for them! http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1366791/show-off-your-spooky-style-enter-the-mothering-halloween-costume-contest-sponsored-by-barefoot-books/60#post_17160620

We're super busy today. Yesterday was Greta's birthday and today is her big party with all our friends and family. I've been baking all morning, now I'm in the middle of getting chili ready for the party. Really hoping I have time to get dressed before people start arriving... Hope you're all doing well!

[mckittre]

Happy birthday Greta!

We had a good Halloween here too. Katmai was an owl (in an awesome costume my MIL made, with a few real feathers he found himself) and Lituya was a thrift store pumpkin. We managed to distribute most of the candy to adults, luckily.  Had a great early birthday party here for my husband last night, big potluck inside, fire outside, lots of new and old families to town, great food and kids running around everywhere. I passed on tips about getting kids into the woods, and shared in the excitement of our new residents. I love helping recruit people to this wonderful place.
 

[Nillarilla]

Dee was a clown & Emmett was harry potter. He managed to eat some candy with soy in it even though he knew better and is still suffering the consequences. He was therefore a mess on Halloween. We only did a couple streets due to freezing rain. I am currently at a conference that starts in an hour in Vancouver. One of the presentations is on bed sharing in infancy from a nurse practitioner so I am interested in that one. Got to spend the day doing lunch and shopping with a friend and then had some great dumplings and noodles for dinner. Slept like crap in the hotel bed though. The kids and the dh were supposed to come with but the weather caused a change of heart. Got myself some cute running shorts so that made me happy. I always said if I ran the 5k I would reward myself with some lulu shorts but I never wanted to order online.

I hope everyone is well here.

Oh and a tip don't watch a movie like we bought a zoo where the mom is dead before you leave on a flight. Gave me all sorts of anxiety and I'm usually a good flyer.

[Thursday Girl]

hey all.

Happy birthday to Greta and to hig!

Mal- I voted for you. the school bus has no seatbelts? That's crazy, my girls school bus (for fieldtrips onlys) has seatbelts, but the little kids always get transported in parents cars.

school- I will be signing Junie up for daycare at the college, she will go part time to start with. I think they do school stuff, I really need to go visit them and see. Maybe today because I need to head to the college and sign up for orientation. ( I missed the one i was signed up for, partly my fault. Told Chris he would have to watch the kids and he said he couldn't he was going out of town, then i forgot to call and reschedule. ) PLUS I need to find out when I can get my student loan so I can get a laptop for school and the rest of the money is to finish fixing up the house. I think I have picked my classes now I just have to wait until the 13th when enrollment opens for new students.

baby crying back later

[AKislandgirl]

hmm- Had a long post with personals here last week and it didn't post. Grrr...

Hope everyone is doing well. We are getting lots of dark these days and find ourselves hunkering down a bit more. I like it but have to be sure to get out with the kids regularly so I don't go crazy. Finding that balance of staying home and being out and about is so important! THis past week was hard with Fiona. I wish I could say it was because of xyz. I don't really know what is going on. Just a lot more meltdowns and terrible sleep. I'm wiped out. She has OT today and I'll see if her tharapist has any new ideas for me. In general though things are improving with her sleep and behavior. Hoping this past week is a fluke. SHe has been getting really into drawing lately which is fun to watch. She likes to "write letters" to friends and family. The other day she drew this awesome picture of our friend Mike to thank him for bringing us some ling cod. Mike is now showing all the guests that come to their house! She did a great job on his beard! :) She's delighted when people have some of the same letters in their name as she does. Exciting stuff!

Maeve is also sleeping very restlessly which isn't helping my mood. She's on the verge of walking though so I think this is why. She took 5 steps friday night and hasn't taken anymore since! Silly baby! The girls continue to adore each other and even play together a bit. More like FIona builds a tower and Maeve knocks them down but as long as she is "building them for Maeve" then she is happy. We do give her time and space to build Maeve free! :) 

DH and I are brainstorming a home based business to help with the budget. I don't want to do childcare again but we think we have a good idea in the works. Hoping to help the travel budget. Starting to just think about staying here and heading south 2-3 times a year instead. We will still keep an eye ont he job boards but so much of what we see listed are term positions. Can't move the family for a 12 month gig. Gov't is lacking money to list the positions for longer. I do like Kodiak but so dearly miss having regular connections with my family. We'll see!

[Vegan Princess]

I've been wanting to post but not had time to sit and type. I read on my phone while pumping.

I've been busy with nursing issues. Aria just had her tongue tie clipped for the 3rd time today!! She also had her lip tie fixed today. I think this might FINALLY do the trick! Even after the 2nd time she still wasn't draining my breasts - was finishing the feed with the lactaid and then I was still pumping after every feed to get the rest of the milk out. 6+ weeks of pumping after every feed! Hopefully I can stop pumping in a few days after we know if this did the trick. Well even if it didn't, I'm stopping - but then I may have to supplement with donor milk instead of my own. But at least I'd get some more of my life back.

Makenna has been great. She is such a trooper with mommy nursing for sooo long and then pumping. She entertains Aria while I pump. She is still doing awesome. She was missing some mommy time but now we are taking baths together for special time. We also finally got a king bed!! She now she is full time back in our bed and back in the middle so she gets more snuggles with me - though she still mostly snuggles daddy. We sidecarred the crib so Aria is on my other side (though not actually in the crib - but at least i can put her on the edge and not worry about her falling off). 

Are your kids super into their friends these days? Every day she needs to see a friend. And if she only sees one, she is still sad. She is constantly using their names in her make believe play and making art projects for them (though she never actually gives them to them). It's really cute and fascinating. Oh and when she does see her friends at school she hugs them and holds hands into the classroom. 

Today makenna told me about a dream she remembered last night about a friendly monster. I thought it was super cool she finally remembered a dream!

Aria is becoming more of a little person. She loves to look at things and focuses on things. She coos and smiles a lot now. So neat. :-)

Cindy

[mckittre]

Courtney - how many classes will you be taking?

Nilla - how was the conference?

Sue - I hope you find a solution that works. Can your family visit you in Kodiak more also? We end up with my parents visiting more than I visit them - easier/cheaper/less impact to move one or two of them than all four of us.

Cindy - wow, that sounds like a lot of work, I hope the tongue clip fixes it!

buses and seatbelts - I thought that buses generally don't have them because studies showed they don't have the same effects as in cars? Not as helpful there?

friends and kids - I've been waiting for K to show any interest at all in other children, but he doesn't much.  In groups of kids, he seems to observe them with the same sort of attitude he uses for wildlife observations, asking me questions about their behavior "Mom, why did X crash his sled into the trees again? Why did Y say that?" He plays with his sister some, and if he finds himself alone with a single other kid his age (which is rare, it's usually groups), he'll play OK, but he doesn't seem to ask for it, emphasize it, or miss it at all when it doesn't happen.

AFM - I'm in the BIG city for almost a month now, visiting family and friends in Seattle, and showing the kids the city stuff.  First time out of state in over 2 years. I've been able to do aikido some at my old dojo, which is really the city thing I miss most. I've been taking advantage also by doing some shopping that's more convenient, but it's kind of overwhelming. I feel like in rural and wilderness settings, I get tuned to notice more stuff, and in an urban setting I really need to re-learn to ignore most of it - there is so much stimulus from so many directions!

[Nillarilla]

Conference was good and inspiring. A much needed rejuvenation in the world of nursing doing what I do. 

Cindy I hope the nursing settles out. How come they clip so many times? Does it heal back together?

Erin I feel like that when I am in Vancouver. Too much stimulus for sure. 

Sue do you guys have an idea about what type of business or is that what you are brainstorming about? I hope that Fiona is just going through a phase. When my ds was learning to read and right before Kindie he had some severe behaviour and sleep issues. Hopefully it's just a developmental passing phase.

AFM: I signed up to do a tough mudder race in the early summer. I convinced dh to do it too. It's a team event and a bunch of our friends are doing it. It's a 10-13 mile race with about 25 obstacles designed by army and navy vets. It's a pretty intense race, with some scary obstacles ie. icy water baths, high heights etc. and requires a high level of fitness to do it. I signed up to keep myself motivated to push myself physically. Although I do have some reservations about some of the obstacles. 

I also think we decided we are done having kids. I've been able to focus a lot more on myself and on my dh these last months and I am truly enjoying the new found freedom and connection to myself and him. Plus all the financial freedom it would afford us. Not going to do anything permanent about it just yet since we just made the decision. But it feels permanent. I thought I would be sad about not having another baby but I'm really not. I think I was feeling the desire because we always said we wanted more and didn't want just two. 

[Vegan Princess]

Nilla: Wow, that's a huge decision! I know you had been waiting until the time was right to have another. I can totally get it though! And wow on the tough mudder! My BIL does them. In fact he's at some elite tough mudder this weekend that you have to be invited to. It's 24 hours - you do as many laps as you can. Each lap is 10 miles and 40 obstacles. His team got invited bc they did well a another tough mudder - that one included crossing a body of water and getting electrocuted in it! It knocked people out, in the water, albeit breifly. I'd never want to do that!!!

Cindy

[starling&diesel]

Hi everyone!

Courtney ... AWESOME about school.  What happens for childcare?  How does that work?

Cindy ... Sounds like you have got the nursing drama sorted out.  Why oh why can't it be easier?  I have a hard time reading about breastfeeding challenges.  It was such a hard time.  But it is a short time.  And it IS easier the second time around, even if the only difference is knowledge.  But it does sound like you have more milk, which is ever so awesome.

As for being into friends ... not so much.  E doesn't ask for them, but when she sees them, she enjoys their company.  She is really into her brother though.  They are so cute together!  

Ever ... How goes the love life, woman?

Mal ... It is not possible that Greta is ONE!  Happy belated birth day, Mama! 

Kate ... Congrats on the bar!

Nilla ... That IS huge!  I wonder if that's a forever decision?  Sounds like you and DH are in a great place, which is a perfect time to make those kind of decisions.

Sue ... Excited to hear about your business plan!  I hope Fi settles in the next while.  E had a time like that very recently and then her reading and writing exploded.  Like, literally exploded.  I wish you'd move closer.  But if you don't, we'll come see you!  We can set up our tent in your backyard?

Erin ... I should've gotten myself organized to come see you in Seattle when we were in WA this week!  Drat!  When do you leave?  

AFM:

I've felt off-kilter since my best friend died.  I thought I'd been doing okay, but really, I feel jittery and overwhelmed and very sad.  And, while K was in the throws of death, I decided that I NEEDED a VW van so that I could get my kids out of the city to see the world, because LIFE IS SHORT.  So I bought a $17,000 van.  Only to realize that I cannot get the carseats in to my liking and the seatbelt configurations are all WRONG and so now I'm trying to sell it.  No one's buying. So, $17,000 albatross that I won't put my kids into.  Plus work, and writing, and so much gadgetry and internet and social networking (my life was SO MUCH BETTER WITHOUT IT) ... add it all together and I feel like I'm losing it.  To top it all off, I got into a car accident the other day.  No injuries, but the car is wrecked.  

I took the kids and stayed in a yurt in a park in WA over the weekend, to unplug and relax, and now that I'm home again, I'm jittery and anxious again.  It was nice being away.  Not nice to come back and have to go back to work, keep writing, juggle finances, deal with the wrecked car, and navigate the quagmire of daily life, when all I want to do is hang out with my family and have no obligations.  Cue the holiday season.

Sigh.

Nevermind me, the kids are awesome.  My heart bursts several times a day with the hugeness of love that I have for my family.  They rock.  H is hilarious and easy going and so happy.  E is so bright and curious and funny and loving.  And DP is all of those things, plus, plus, plus.  That part of life is excellent! 

[Mal85]

Hi everyone! So good to see updates!

Sue: I want to hear more about this business, how exciting!!

Cindy: I really hope the last clip did the trick. Good to hear you are getting plenty of milk though, I know how hard that was with M for you. I hope you are enjoying that sweet baby aside from the nursing issues.

Nilla: Yay for making good decisions! I've always thought the time to make that kind of decision is not when you are pregnant or have an infant. It sounds like you're in a good mental space to be making that kind of decision. Exciting to be moving on thinking about your next phase of life! I wish I could be so decisive about it. I still waffle back and forth.

starling: I'm so bummed that the van isn't going to work out, you were so excited about it! It sounds like that weekend trip was much needed, even if it wasn't quite long enough. I can't imagine how I would feel if I lost one of my good friends. It would definitely throw me for a loop. Heck, it throws me for a loop when I hear of people my parents' age passing away. I'm not ready for that kind of loss, although I don't think anyone ever is. Hugs to you, mama.

Courtney: So excited for you to be starting school!! 

AFU: Things here are going well. We had a couple come look at our house, twice. What I'm gathering between our agent and theirs is it sounds like they really like ours, but they want to be sure they're not missing out on anything else. So, they came back here, took lots of measurements but are still looking. Their agent says they want to be closing on something around the end of the year, so they should be making a decision soon. I'm not getting my hopes up too much, but keeping my fingers crossed anyway!

No teaching all week this week! It's our Thanksgiving break. I have an inservice meeting today. I'm really okay with that.  No teaching and a day with only adults, sounds like a day off to me!

Owyn is still loving school and her dance class. She asks for her friends all the time. Every day she wants to know who is going to come see her or who is she going to see. She does see at least one friend almost daily though, so I understand why she asks all the time. She is missing her best pal, the girl I used to baby sit. Owyn has school in the morning, L has school in the afternoon. On the day Owyn doesn't have school, I have to work. So, it's hard to find the time to get them together. They are in dance together, but I get the feeling Owyn wants more play time with her. She says her teacher won't let her sit by L and she wants to go to L's house to play with her. We got them together last week, but we didn't have much time so it was a short play date...

Greta is doing well. She turned one and decided to grow up on us. She is now walking all over the place. She also miraculously started sleeping through the night the week of her birthday and has continued to do so! Owyn did the same around this age and I'm shocked it happened again for us. I will take it though! The girls are both waking up SO early every morning lately, but if I get to sleep strait through the rest of the night, I won't complain! Greta is also starting to pick up more words, which is so fun! Owyn is doing a great job teaching her to argue  Mostly they adore each other, but they are sisters so of course there is some arguing over their toys and their space. They share a bedroom now and Owyn has a hard time with the idea that it's not only her room anymore. I'll be glad when we get out of this house and they will each have their own space.

[Everrgreen]

Hey everyone!  I haven't posted here in a while, life has been busy and I've been stressed.

Mal - I hope you get an offer soon!  I hate the stress of that.  It sounds like things are going well, sleeping through the night is always awesome :)  

Starling - That is so disappointing about the van.  And you have so much going on right now.  Big hugs Mama!  Will you get some down time over Christmas?  

Nilla - That's a big decision, it sounds like you're happy with it though :)  I would love for R to have a sibling.  But if I don't meet someone soon I think I'll give up on that idea.  I'm not sure about starting all over from scratch once R is older..  There are definitely pros to being 'done'.  Good luck with the tough mudder!  I need more motivation to work out, I have no time or energy!

Erin - I hope you enjoy your visit to the city!  I go to school in downtown Toronto and live in a much smaller city, I find even spending the day there for school leaves me feeling so anxious.  I could never live there.   

RE friends:  R is very social when he's with kids but he doesn't ever say he misses friends or wants to see friends.  He is in daycare full time so he does seem them A LOT.  The only people he ever says he misses/wants to see are my adult friends or family members.  

Cindy - Good to hear your nursing issues are getting better!  I hope this tongue clip does the trick!  Pumping is such a pain.  I only did it for a couple weeks with R and I hated it!  I still have R in my bed and I love it.  I'm so busy during the day and I rarely see him at all through the week so we both need those night time snuggles.  

Courtney - Good for you for going back to school!  How exciting!  It's for nursing?  (I think I saw that on fb?)  It's a lot of work but it's worth it!  And if you're taking things you're interested in it makes it so much easier :)

Sue - I want to hear more about your business ideas!

And I realize I haven't checked in since before Halloween, wow, so busy!  I don't even have a pic.. I had to stay in Toronto for school that night.  I think my mom took pics so I'll have to get some from her.  R couldn't decide between 2 costumes so he did both :P He was a dinosaur at daycare and then Iron Man for trick or treating.  He doesn't have much of a sweet tooth so most of his candy went in the garbage, he'd take one bite, say "I don't like this" and then toss it and any others like it.

R is mostly doing well I think.  He misses me, I hate that and feel so guilty.  But he's generally happy, CONSTANTLY talking, so incredibly loving and cuddly, hilarious as always, and so so smart.  He's awesome as usual :)  Today he is home sick with me and I'm studying for an exam Wednesday.  

AFM - Just stressing about school as usual.  I don't know why I do this to myself.. Well, I sort of do.  I'm too competitive when it comes to this stuff.  I have received nothing but A's and I want to keep it that way.  I want to maintain my CGPA.  I want to be in the top 10 for the class.  It's totally insane!!  Why do I care?!?!  It does matter a little, the job I want is competitive and they do ask your grade average at interviews.  But seriously.  I'm a single mom.  I should be happy with more 'average' marks.  But I only have 2 weeks of class left, then exams, then I have an ENTIRE MONTH OFF!  I am so unbelievably excited about that.  I can keep R out of daycare too and hopefully make up for how crazy this semester has been.  Hopefully next semester I can take more time to breath.  I'm going to quit my job after Christmas so that will give me a bit more time.  *sigh*  One more semester.  I'll be all finished in April.

Love life sucks as usual.  I'm still dating the bus guy actually.  But he's got issues.  It's like he doesn't understand what it means to be a boyfriend.  It's not really commitment issues.. It's more that he's been on his own for so long that he has no concept of the sacrifice involved in being a 'partner'.  He says one thing but his actions don't really show it.. But it's more like he just doesn't even get that he's 'supposed' to act a certain way.  I guess he's just a bit inconsiderate/selfish.. But sort of in a clueless way rather than a malicious way, you know?  And I should probably move on because he's older and unlikely to change.  But I really like him, he's a really great person in so many other ways, I don't want to not have him in my life...  

And the other guy I'd mentioned, that I dated a long time ago and reconnected with, he sort of stopped texting and said he is out of the country til December..  I doubt I'll hear from him again. 

Just had to come add one more thing.  While snuggling with R today I noticed he has the faintest little freckles on his nose.  So cute!!  I had freckles as a kid and it looks like he will too :D

Edited by Everrgreen - 11/19/12 at 10:46am

[AKislandgirl]

So excited to log on and see some action on here. I've missed everyone!

Lots of snow here this morning. We are loving it. The first big snowfall always makes everything look so pretty. Tested out my new to me kindercoat and Maeve was snug as a bug. Loving that used purchase! The neighbor saw me shoveling the driveway with her on my back and Fiona "helping". He drove over with his 4 wheeler and made short work of that! :) Awesome- made more time for playing!

Nilla- interesting to read of your decision about more babies. I think that we are with you. Not ready to make anything permanent but I'm also feeling like we are finally in a better place. Have room for each other and not just the intensity of the kids. It's been a tough year! I'm getting more personal time these days too. An hour here or there and 2 hours every saturday to do yoga! bliss!

Erin- Are you going to do the zoo? Fiona loves to hit the zoo when we are there!

Cindy- Sure hope this clip does the trick! Fun to hear about M's love of friends. F asks now and then and is excited when we make plans to see some of them. She's just as content to be with just us though it seems.

Starling- So bummed to hear about your VW and your car wreck! Yikes! You do have a lot going on. Wish I could come by to share a cup of tea with you!

Everr- Awesome about the month long break! You deserve it! I get the grades thing. Hard to "just get a b' even though its also a great mark! You are awesome!

Interesting to read other kids going through tough phases before reading/writing. Fiona is taking off with her letter recognition. Loves to write out peoples names and when we are reading stories we often have this- "did she remember that from before or just read that?" moment. Pretty cool! At any rate- been a better week though sleep is just ok (but not terrible!) 2 nights of fairly solid sleep though! I'm also making sure to give her LOTS of outdoor time. We've been on walks every day and I give her lots of time to play with sensory tubs or painting during the week.

Business idea- I want to sell wooden toys and woolies locally. We have a holiday bazaar almost every weekend from the end of october through mid December. I would sell there as well as out of my house (rather then have a store front). I also want to do toy parties in line with what people do for pampered chef and the like. Get parents together to check out the toys and hopefully buy them! I'd do a combo of in stock items and preorder type of stuff. People also are always asking about the girls ruskovilla woolies so I want to look into carrying them as well. Amber necklaces, cool baskets, cloth dolls, stockmar art supplies, play silks, wooden toys... Sort of a waldorf inspired toy shop. We have a local toy shop but they don't carry these types of items. SOme hurdles to work through are the cost of shipping to kodiak and storage of items in my own house. We won't have the extra money to start up until summer (when DH is at sea and racks up the overtime). We'll see- I think it could be great but also am nervous about it.

[starling&diesel]

Quick shout out to CINDY ...

Tell me everything you know about croup!  We ended up in the ER last night with Hawksley.  They gave him a dose of steroids.  We tried all the usual things; outdoors, shower mist, Ibuprofen, to no avail. It was so scary watching him struggle to breath!  Now I know what my patients are going through when we show up.   Terrifying!

[Vegan Princess]

Aww poor Hawksley! croup us so scary! Basically my biggest advice is to get a prescription for the steroid to keep at home just in case. We haven't gone to the ER at all since we got that. Now when M wakes up with croup we give it to her and then go sit outside until she can breathe. The shower never worked for us but outside air does seem to help. It is so awful watching your little one struggle! I got it a lot as a child and ended up in an oxygen tent before a yr old. I was told M gets it so often bc she has small airways and should grow out of it by age 6! I hope this is just a rare occurance for you. Hopefully your paramedic training helps you keep a cool head - not sure if that goes out the window when it's your own child?

[AKislandgirl]

How is he doing Starling? Hope he's on the mend! Maeve has had croup a couple of times- though never bad enough to send us to the ER. Cold outside air helped the most.

[Thursday Girl]

so scary, keep us updated.

[Everrgreen]

Starling - I hope Hawksley is all better now!  What a scary thing to go through :(

I just had a trip down memory lane with our old threads.  A friend asked me something about R from when he was younger and I couldn't remember (she asked if he ever banged his head on purpose if he didn't get his way).  I don't think he ever did this.  Anyway, I said "I wish I'd kept a journal of all this stuff because it's hard to remember", and then I realized I could probably look it up here!  I found no posts mentioning him banging his head so I don't think he did that.  But then of course I got drawn into the old threads and was reading all sorts of things.  I wish I could get a printer-friendly version and print it all out.  There's so many great little stories and little facts from R's baby years that I would love to have!

I'm also feeling really sentimental about all of you and how important you have been to me over the years (YEARS!)  My whole life changed first from having a baby, then losing my marriage, then all the challenges of single parenting.  It's been so amazing having this little support group along the way.  I'm getting all emotional now, but I want to thank you all :)

Anyway, not much new for me to report.  I'm finished classes and start my exams this week.  I've done a horrible job at studying.. But I'll do my best.  First exam is Tuesday and in 10 days it will all be over!  

Oh, I guess I have dating news, sort of.  I ended things for good with bus guy.  Just realized I didn't want to be with him.  A week later I heard from the other guy that I didn't think I'd hear from.  Turns out he really did have a legitimate reason and we met for lunch this past week.  But he doesn't have time to date (his work requires a lot of travel, he's gone more than he's home).  He said it would only end up being hard on both of us to get emotionally involved right now but he hopes we can be friends and have lunch when he's around.  He is the most amazing guy I've ever known so this really sucks.  He's made all these efforts to meet up with me for lunch/coffee and I don't really know why... Just to be friends?  He says things that make me know that if it weren't for his work schedule he would definitely want to be in a relationship with me.  But he won't go on a date with me because he doesn't want me waiting around alone when he's away.  He wants me to date someone else who's more available..  I'm hoping he'll reconsider.. Although I know he's sort of right..  It would be so hard on both of us to see so little of each other.  I'm not going to worry about it for now though.  I don't have anyone else I'm interested in dating so I'll just be single for a while.

[Vegan Princess]

Everr: I feel really lucky to have had all of you ladies to share everything with the past few years. Crazy that we've been chatting away for over 4 years!!! My DDC for Aria never really got going and is already pretty fizzled out. Very disappointing! Anyway, I've enjoyed going back and reading through old threads and reading what I wrote while pregnant with makenna. Crazy! Good luck on Tuesday - I know you'll rock it. 

We've been immersed in Christmas stuff this weekend. Put up and decorated the tree. Decorated a ginger bread house and made gingerbread cookies today. DH did a lot of it. That man almost never loses his cool w/M or loses his patience. But after doing a lot of the things this weekend and really taking care of the house today (he put dinner in the crockpot, did laundry while I took the kids to a party, watched Aria while M and I got pedicures and then did cookies with M). But wow, I could hear the frustration in his voice by the end of the day. So I know that my being more frustrated w/M is partially bc I am with her wayyyy more than him. 

Doing any fun crafts lately? I really like the ornaments we made. Got empty plastic ornament balls and filled them with colored epsom salt, fake snow and lots of little things like bells and fake lights, etc. They look awesome on the tree (though the salt ones are too heavy to hang). I stole the idea from a blog. We're also going to make baking soda clay ornaments when I can find the time.

Cindy

[Mal85]

Everr: I do that from time-to-time as well. It really is crazy that we've all just be chatting with each other for so long. I think the craziest thing to me is that none of us have ever met. We all came together because of our babies, who are now kids! And they don't even know each other! One day I hope I can meet you guys! I sometimes mention my "internet friends" to people IRL and they look at me like I'm crazy. But I've been in touch with you ladies longer than some of my IRL friends. I still chat a little with my DDC from Greta, but haven't ever felt as close with them so I don't check in as often.

Christmas is in full swing here too! I just had my ladies shopping trip last weekend and made good headway on my gift list. Did I mention I got an iPad finally?! DH surprised me by telling me to go get one when Walmart had their Black Friday special (or Thursday rather). So, I went and stood in line forever with one of my friends and we both got one for Christmas. My husband rocks! Anyway, the girls are all done, I just need to dye the silks I ordered for their stockings. We've had the same set since before Owyn was born and they are getting a little worn! If I had thought about it enough, I would have wrapped their presents in them, but I didn't order enough silks for that. Maybe I'll wrap their other stocking stuffers with them. Our decorations are up and we're going to get our tree this weekend. 

Owyn is SO into Christmas this year! She has all kinds of theories about Santa already, it cracks me up. DH got out all the decorations one day while we were out, so when Owyn walked into the house and saw our tree skirt (which is red with white trim), she exclaimed "Mommy, Santa left his coat here!" We missed breakfast with Santa last weekend because I was gone, but our town usually does a train stop with Santa each year. I think Owyn will love that this year. She keeps insisting she has to go see him. She also tells me all kinds of things that happened last Christmas. It amazes me how much she remembers now. Of course, after I got all done shopping for her presents, she started telling me she wants a pink airplane for Christmas. Now, it's all she can talk about. Anytime anyone asks she what she wants for Christmas, it's a pink airplane. I think I'll let my ILs get it for her...