June 2006 Mamas chattin' away December 2006! - Page 89

[BundleFishMama]

OK, I am really long-winded today, making up for being gone for a while! But on the primping question, I have a confession to make. I don't even go to the mailbox at the end of my driveway without lipstick on! :

Honestly, I have not changed a single thing in terms of my "grooming/primping routine" from before I had kids to now; I made a conscious effort not to "lose myself" when I became a mom, and I'm really happy about that. I still do skin care and full makeup every single day, and blow dry and set/style my hair almost every day (I shower every morning but sometimes I let it air-dry - I did this before I had kids too though, on mornings when I was too tired!) I shave all the typical places as needed, have my brows and upper lip waxed regularly, and get my hair cut and my color or highlights done on a regular schedule. My nails and toenails are always manicured and pedicured (though I usually do it myself now - I can't always afford a regular salon date like I used to when we were on two incomes - but I do a very good job anyway and people always think I went to the salon.) I read fashion magazines every month and buy the best clothes I can afford, and I tend to dress up (not really "dressed up" but more than the stereotypical "mom" look - I wear skirts and cute tops, or at least designer jeans with really nice boots or something, and accessories - never sweats or sneakers). Yes, I have been known to push a double-wide stroller with two kids in it while wearing the third in a sling - in three-inch high heels. And if anyone sees me and thinks that looks ridiculous, so be it, I don't care!

Seriously though, I hope that doesn't make me seem shallow or superficial, because I really am not. I've just always been a girlie-girl, as long as I can remember, I love all things feminine, and I get a lot of joy out of my "primping" time and looking the best I can. There are plenty of things I don't like about my appearance, but all in all I try to look fashionable and put-together as much as possible, and it makes me happy to walk out the door feeling like I look pretty nice and in-style. Plus, I've learned that even (or maybe especially!) an AP-type mama deserves to make some "me" time for stuff like that, in between giving more and more to everybody else.

Anyway, I love my primping and hopefully you won't all vote me off the crunchy island for it!

[BundleFishMama]

Originally Posted by sehbub

Oooo!! I got it!! ante - before, deluge means flood, so before flood times? Am I smart?? Or did the baby eat all my brain cells and I'm way off?!

Hey, you'd do well on the SAT with those powers of deduction! Yeah, it means "before the flood" but it's usually used to mean "very old, a long time ago" because it actually refers to "THE flood" (like the Biblical flood) so anyway, it was my lame attempt at English-major wit

Originally Posted by Amys1st

Taking down the tree today!!

Aw, don't do it yet!! You still have more than a week until Epiphany! Don't take your Christmas decorations down until Christmas is over (Jan. 6)! I'm gonna send my Chicagoan brother over to your place to make you keep celebrating!

Really, it makes me so sad - there's no more Christmas music on the radio anymore, no decorations in the stores anymore - I mean, the malls put up decorations insanely early these days, like before Thanksgiving, but then take them down at like 12:01 am on the 26th!

[BundleFishMama]

Originally Posted by Caroline248

Oh, Sarah..my SIL and I hid in the laundry room and ate the rest of the sin sticks. Guess I should send her some...

And the rum balls....

Originally Posted by chiromama

I need more sin sticks too. I should have ordered them so that they'd be here for this weekend. I need SOMETHING to help me survive my sister Maybe rum.

I am waiting in eager anticipation for mine....

[Megs_BK]

Well, crappity-crap-crap-craperooo... Dan is back in the hospital today. We left around 2:45 this morning and I headed out (he opted to be admitted and rest there rather than have to move around) at noon or so. Couldn't stand to be there anymore, 'though my Dad came to help with baby duty. Again, she was a champ. Slept much toward the end of our stay, and then the ENTIRE drive to my house, then my parents. Hooray! Anyway, Dan's symptoms were the same, but a bit worse this time with the aphasia and numbness. His brain is "clean," though, so they think he's having compound migraines. Not cool, but better than a stroke. I'm staying at my parents' until things settle out again.

I have a tattoo on my right-lower-back. It's a shamrock & thistle entwined with some celtic knot. Someday I should put something Scandinavian on the other side, but I kind of like the one I have just standing alone. And it hurt. I'm happy with just the one, and there are days I fight the urge to give myself a big SUTH about it.

Has anyone seen the SNL "commercial" for "Lower back tattoo remover"? It's hilarious... they show a time-lapse aging of a tattoo that reads "Juicy" and how, when the woman's back gets old and wrinkly, it turns into "Sad lady." Heh heh heh. Helen, I like your "tramp stamp" requirements. And HOLY FREAKING COW, your childhood was one for the books. The John Irving books.

[katiejon1]

Originally Posted by Marlow's mom

Here are photos!


Gift Opener

Papa and the Puppet

A Ribbon in her Hair

Silly Face

With Bumpa

She Looooves Paper!

CUTE! I love the hairbow!

Originally Posted by Amys1st

So now that we have done the ILs in, who here likes their ILs more than their parents?? My parents have officailly drove me crazy this entire year and I now would choose to be with the ILs over them.

I don't know that I like the inlaws MORE, per se, but my mother drives me batty if I have to spend more than 5 days with her. This last week pushed me to the limit, and I have never been so happy to be home. Evie hated going to bed there. Who can blame her, dark, new room, different bed, surroundings, ect. So if she wasn't totally asleep before I put her in the crib she would SCREAM as soon as she was put in the bed. So, I would just end up sleeping with her until she feel asleep. This sometimes took a while. Well, during one of these sessions, Mom was telling my dh and everyone else in the room that Evie was just spoiled and I needed to let her scream. "Why I let Katie cry when she was 2 weeks old. It only took 3 nights." And she was so proud. I find it heartbreaking myself, and am a little sad for the baby me. I know that sounds corny, but it does make me sad.

Oh and bf, my mom was also one of those people who it didn't "appeal" to. And "you turned out just fine!"

So, I take whatever advice she gives me with a huge grain of salt, but she does really love her grandbabies and is happiest when they are around. She's had back surgery and has recently had to quit her job, so she's borderline depressed and I feel bad b/c I'm so happy to get away from her.

Originally Posted by Marlow's mom

Has anyone else stopped doing a normal part of their everyday appearance (besides sleeping in) now that they have a baby?

I don't do much either. Shower every morning and shave whenever I get a chance. Doesn't happen very often though. I still get a haircut about every 3 months, it's short and very low-maintenance.

Originally Posted by The4OfUs

We're also emptying out and defrosting the fridge, we've been having a leak under it, and DH traced it back to the dispenser holding tank in the back of the fridge side, the holding tank is completely frozen up and the line out split, and it's been slowly leaking water onto the floor. Lovely. Sooooo, we're gonna let it thaw it out while we're away and figure out what parts to order from the manufacturer. MAN, do I love the fact that he's handy. He can fix just about anything. I find that INCREDIBLY sexy. :

Yay for handy men! My dh is the same way. Our fridge went out about a month ago and Jonathan fixed it. I love that it saved us so much money! We had a repair man come out just to look at the thing and it cost us $90! He said that if it was the compressor, we ought to get a new fridge. Well, turns out it was, but dh fixed it for less than the price of him coming to look at it.

Originally Posted by BundleFishMama

So who here is buying a special membership or whatever they're called? I was thinking about it just because I don't get Mothering mag regularly yet, so the level that includes a year's subscription would be nice. Not sure though, we've spent enough money lately with the house and Christmas and all!

It was pretty quiet but a lot of fun - the girls looooove my brother (he's the 25-year-old cool uncle who runs around playing with them and gave them THIS for Christmas - and they can't wait for us to use it; we're going to try it out tonight! There are recipes in the booklet it came with for dairy-free sorbets, so thankfully I won't be deprived!) My grandmother loves spending time with her great-grandchildren, and it was nice to just relax and catch up with family.

What is this special membership. I really want the magazine, so maybe I would. I'm too lazy to click around and find it, plus Caleb wants me to play Chutes and Ladders with him.

Originally Posted by BundleFishMama

Really, it makes me so sad - there's no more Christmas music on the radio anymore, no decorations in the stores anymore - I mean, the malls put up decorations insanely early these days, like before Thanksgiving, but then take them down at like 12:01 am on the 26th!

I know! I love to leave our tree up for as long as possible too! My sis's birthday is on 1/6, so we always had our tree up at least until after her birthday.

I'll post more later. Right now, Caleb is calling. Evie is happily destroying a box, and the IL are on the way over.

[Paddington]

Originally Posted by BundleFishMama

OK, I am really long-winded today, making up for being gone for a while! But on the primping question, I have a confession to make. I don't even go to the mailbox at the end of my driveway without lipstick on! :

Honestly, I have not changed a single thing in terms of my "grooming/primping routine" from before I had kids to now; I made a conscious effort not to "lose myself" when I became a mom, and I'm really happy about that. I still do skin care and full makeup every single day, and blow dry and set/style my hair almost every day (I shower every morning but sometimes I let it air-dry - I did this before I had kids too though, on mornings when I was too tired!) I shave all the typical places as needed, have my brows and upper lip waxed regularly, and get my hair cut and my color or highlights done on a regular schedule. My nails and toenails are always manicured and pedicured (though I usually do it myself now - I can't always afford a regular salon date like I used to when we were on two incomes - but I do a very good job anyway and people always think I went to the salon.) I read fashion magazines every month and buy the best clothes I can afford, and I tend to dress up (not really "dressed up" but more than the stereotypical "mom" look - I wear skirts and cute tops, or at least designer jeans with really nice boots or something, and accessories - never sweats or sneakers). Yes, I have been known to push a double-wide stroller with two kids in it while wearing the third in a sling - in three-inch high heels. And if anyone sees me and thinks that looks ridiculous, so be it, I don't care!

Seriously though, I hope that doesn't make me seem shallow or superficial, because I really am not. I've just always been a girlie-girl, as long as I can remember, I love all things feminine, and I get a lot of joy out of my "primping" time and looking the best I can. There are plenty of things I don't like about my appearance, but all in all I try to look fashionable and put-together as much as possible, and it makes me happy to walk out the door feeling like I look pretty nice and in-style. Plus, I've learned that even (or maybe especially!) an AP-type mama deserves to make some "me" time for stuff like that, in between giving more and more to everybody else.

Anyway, I love my primping and hopefully you won't all vote me off the crunchy island for it!

you.are.such.a.chick. my sister got the chick gene, not me. i'm more ap then crunchy so you can stay on the island..

oh, and my dad was the yeller/spanker type as well....

[chiromama]

Originally Posted by Megs_BK

Well, crappity-crap-crap-craperooo... Dan is back in the hospital today. We left around 2:45 this morning and I headed out (he opted to be admitted and rest there rather than have to move around) at noon or so. Couldn't stand to be there anymore, 'though my Dad came to help with baby duty. Again, she was a champ. Slept much toward the end of our stay, and then the ENTIRE drive to my house, then my parents. Hooray! Anyway, Dan's symptoms were the same, but a bit worse this time with the aphasia and numbness. His brain is "clean," though, so they think he's having compound migraines. Not cool, but better than a stroke. I'm staying at my parents' until things settle out again.

I have a tattoo on my right-lower-back. It's a shamrock & thistle entwined with some celtic knot. Someday I should put something Scandinavian on the other side, but I kind of like the one I have just standing alone. And it hurt. I'm happy with just the one, and there are days I fight the urge to give myself a big SUTH about it.

Has anyone seen the SNL "commercial" for "Lower back tattoo remover"? It's hilarious... they show a time-lapse aging of a tattoo that reads "Juicy" and how, when the woman's back gets old and wrinkly, it turns into "Sad lady." Heh heh heh. Helen, I like your "tramp stamp" requirements. And HOLY FREAKING COW, your childhood was one for the books. The John Irving books.

Ugh. Sorry Dan is back in the hospital. I'm glad your parents can help. Is there anything we can do?

SUTH?

[chiromama]

I'm not a girly girl either. I didnt really even do my hair or wear make up to my wedding. :

[Paddington]

Originally Posted by BundleFishMama

Aw, don't do it yet!! You still have more than a week until Epiphany! Don't take your Christmas decorations down until Christmas is over (Jan. 6)! I'm gonna send my Chicagoan brother over to your place to make you keep celebrating!

Really, it makes me so sad - there's no more Christmas music on the radio anymore, no decorations in the stores anymore - I mean, the malls put up decorations insanely early these days, like before Thanksgiving, but then take them down at like 12:01 am on the 26th!

i'm planning on leaving my other decorations up but have to take the tree down before tuesday. otherwise, it will be with us until next year... they only take them away for a short period of time... we learned about it last year when we kept it up the extra week...

[Paddington]

Originally Posted by chiromama

Ugh. Sorry Dan is back in the hospital. I'm glad your parents can help. Is there anything we can do?

SUTH?

: so hope dan is okay.

Originally Posted by chiromama

I'm not a girly girl either. I didnt really even do my hair or wear make up to my wedding. :

i got a facial and just did a small amount of colored lip gloss and some eye shadow. its all good though. dh thinks lip stick is yucky and won't kiss me if i'm wearing it. i gotta please the hubby, right?:

my hair i got braided. maybe i'll find some time to post those pics someday....

[sehbub]

Originally Posted by BundleFishMama

I am waiting in eager anticipation for mine....

Shipping tomorrow. I just got my car back today.

Being a girly girl is great! i'm a jeans and tshirt gal myself, but i do love dressing up. and i've never needed much grooming. makeup artists hate me 'cause i've never had to pluck, and apparently have "lipstick lips" whatever that means.

There's a pic in my sig of what I typically looked like before kids. That happens about once a week now, when B is home to entertain grabby hands while I get pretty.

Oh...32 weeks today, and still pregnant.

[sehbub]

Megan - I hope dan is ok!! how scary for all of you!

And we usually leave the tree up til Epiphany, but with Jackson coming so soon, I'm in super nesting mode.

Not sure when we'll pack all the decorations away.

[Amys1st]

Girlie girl here. And I have two more! I dont leave the house w out color on and I always use lip gloss. For me, gym shoes are for the gym and so are workout clothes and sweats.

I have only wore sweats in the last few years in public twice and both times I was leaving the hospital after having babies.

As far as parents- its a complete mess here. Hopefully something can be done to sort out it but my mother is ill and I dont think they know how to handle it. I know its bad because Bob says when they are in town, I am on edge. The last few years when we left their home or whatever I left going what is with these people?? Its very toxic and I need to detox it!!

I hope Dan is doing ok!!

BFM- Sorry but I had to get the decorations down!! I am not a big xmas person. I think it stems from too many years in my youth working in retail and my sister dancing in the Nutcracker. Also I prefer just doing the Christ Mass and then the feast 12 days later.
I am looking forward to seeing you at the LLL conference. Wait until you see the hotel!!

[Megs_BK]

Thanks, you guys. Dan sounded human, at least, the last time we spoke on the phone. He said he'd call if felt up to having company later this evening. It's all I can do not to call/bother him just to see that he's still OK... kind of like checking on a baby that's been napping for a long time. This whole thing royally sucks.

SUTH = "Slap Upside The Head"

[Megs_BK]

OH, and I am bipolar when it comes to being a girly girl. I love getting dolled up ~ sometimes for no reason ~ and I am vain of my eyes, so like to have them tricked out a bit. BUT, I also like to try and dress as though I might be "discovered" and end up as a reader/model for Title 9 catalog ;-) i.e. casual/athletic. So... happy with all levels of femininity here. I never blow dry my hair because it's majorly thick and retains water like a sponge, so it just takes too long. Luckily, I'm OK with a simple bun and had plenty of Air Force time to perfect that in no time flat. When it's down it drives me crazy, even though I like it.

[Amys1st]

I could be a reader but not a model. At this point I dont even think Field and Stream would be interested in me! LOL Actaully as I am going back to normal and then some, I noticed my tummy area looks like a rail yard. IF I went full term it could have been worse!!

[Megs_BK]

Oh, Amy... wanted to chime in gently about your mom. If her behavior is bothering you & your sister and seems like dementia... well, it very well might be and might be a sign of a deeper neurological issue. Maybe I'm just sensitive to these signs right now after seeing Dan garble words and feel so helpless. Your Mom could very well not know that she's doing it. Or she might suspect and, in her attempts to overcompensate, make it worse. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt, as the saying goes... Maybe you could write down some of your concerns and contact a Neurologist who could give you some ideas? Or a mental health professional who could help you figure out how to sensitively approach the subject with your mom?

What a tough situation. I know it must be so hard and embarrassing. I just suspect, from what you've described, that it's not intentional on her part.

[*guest]

Megan, glad Dan is doing better. How scary, again.

laughing at SUTH. I'm personally glad I never got matching tattoos of a bloody eyeball with a friend when I was 18. My sister has several tats that she regrets. The latest? Teardrops on the inside of her index fingers, so if you put your hands up to your face and curl your fingers, there you go. A sight gag. I don't think she regrets that one yet. The stick n' poke ankle one from an ex might win.

BFM, I am jealous of your primping. I still haven't read the September or October Vogue. They are sitting in the basket mocking me. I used to always do makeup and get my hair done and spend time on a good blow out (lasts for days, Megan, you don't have to do it every day!). I am totally that "let herself go" woman. Not that I think anyone needs to do xyz, but my point is that my old routine went down the toilet. I'm trying to get it back to an extent. Today was one of those "haha, mom, you're not putting me down" days though. I don't have a winter coat right now, so I'm shlubbing around in a coat that's like 6 sizes too big that is normally only for snowboarding. Not that it snows any more.

[*guest]

Sarah, congrats on still being pregnant! Cook, baby, cook!
Oh, and I didn't forget you...last week's total was pathetic, so I'm waiting til next week to tote it all up and be less...disappointing.

[Amys1st]

Originally Posted by Megs_BK

Oh, Amy... wanted to chime in gently about your mom. If her behavior is bothering you & your sister and seems like dementia... well, it very well might be and might be a sign of a deeper neurological issue. Maybe I'm just sensitive to these signs right now after seeing Dan garble words and feel so helpless. Your Mom could very well not know that she's doing it. Or she might suspect and, in her attempts to overcompensate, make it worse. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt, as the saying goes... Maybe you could write down some of your concerns and contact a Neurologist who could give you some ideas? Or a mental health professional who could help you figure out how to sensitively approach the subject with your mom?

What a tough situation. I know it must be so hard and embarrassing. I just suspect, from what you've described, that it's not intentional on her part.

Meg, you hit the nail on the head. She saw a neurologist 2 years ago. They did all the main tests and then she had a memory test about 18 mos ago. At that time she was just missing a word here and there. All tests came back normal or so she said. My dad thinks its all physocoloigical because he retired etc but I think she would have snapped out of something like that within months not years. She also went to a phsych this summer a few times. She also was (I dont know if she still is) taking an antidepressent. But it has gotten worse each and every week. She cannot handle a phone conversation or have any attention span more than a few minutes. It kills us to see her like this and I also understand having had medical issues in the past how it can hit your confidence in a nasty way as well.

I think my big issue is my Father's attitude and how they do not seem to be doing anything about this. In his defense he has to live with her all the time and he is frustrated beyond belief. But I have such issues seeing them so unhappy and not doing a damn thing about it. I told them today that I dont want to be part of their life unless they stop hurting themselves. I also worry about my mom driving because she has had near fatal issues with me and others in the car in the last 12 mos. She could not only kill herself but an innocent bystander. What a friggen mess.