~Turny thoughts & Ferny thoughts: May04 Mamas in Feb07~ - Page 13

[emmalola]

KK- great article. The lentil gets no tv, and only the occasional viewing of a DVD. Even so, he is obsessed with Nemo and occasionally Cars. I honor and respect your ability to parent three kids without resorting to the cathode ray from time to time. That's incredible.

Lisa, take your time. feel our love.

fiddle- Yay on the weaning. I will be thinking heavy thoughts for W.

'eather- hooray for orthotics! Our friend got some for their way bowlegged kid and he magically stopped falling all over the place. amazing.

Ug- these days we're dealing with a child who will not get dressed in the morning or take a bath at night without a wicked temper tantrum. It's ugly. I decided to limit my negotiating. I tend to take things as they come and am usually pretty flexible, but the lentil is really pushing our limits. I think one big mistake was in allowing him to spend weekends in his pyjamas. It's too confusing. Now it's get up, get dressed, and start your day. At the end of the day, we're getting in the bath one way or another. I hate to be so strict, but I just cannot handle the screaming any longer. It's out of control. AhhhhhH! I'm the adult here!

[Mama Faery]

Just finished the article. KK, I also have to applaud you (wait...looking for the smiley... Haha! There!) for being able to manage the media in your home.
We didn't turn the TV on at all today (hey, it's a start! but I did watch a movie this evening. Haha.

Oh, and this school name had me :
"Shining Mountain Waldorf School in Boulder"

Dude! The vegan nuns musta blessed that place!

Okay, back to going through CDs to sell...have a great night, mama-jamas!

[KKmama]

Renae, I guess I so used to the crunch factor here that Shining Mountain doesn't phase me. Remember, the only accredited Buddhist university in the US is in my town... (and I loves me some Buddhists, but it means we have some very "more enlightened that thou" rich white folks walking around... ooh, not very enlightened of me to say that). Yeah, I'm good at no TV, but I do yell more often that I want to. : My kids are catching onto giving *me* a timeout, though. ("Mama, I think you need to go sit and think about talking nicely." : : And no, that's not how I spell my name.

EL, I want to start doing something a friend of mine does: she has made a little chart of what we do when we first get up and what we do when we go to bed. There's a little list with simple words and a little picture. The a.m. list is stuff like get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, make bed. It helps her ds not be so contrary, because, hey, it's on the list; it's not about mama. It hope it works with *my* kids, too.

Yea for girls morning out and orthotics. The boys really appreciate it when they get a one on one outing.

And I have to say, mmm, I want me some MANcakes this morning.

Hugs to the A&L fam and the Fiddle fam. Woo on babymooning.

[elsanne]

KK- MANcakes??? With some sausage??? Ack!: I have to watch out before Lisa's passion drops (that she sent me for xmas) get me into another UA violation (remember that bible study business?).
Oh, thank goddess that you sold your h for more sleep, kk, because I kind of had a hard time with that spelling. Not that my opinion matters.

Renae, shining mtn does not faze me either! Is where you live particularly un-crunchy?

Heather that sounds like a really nice time with C. Soooo glad her orthos make such a big difference! Now you've got me checking out Sol's gait.

EL hooo boy I hear ya on the tantrum thing. It's so hard--my style is "if it doesn't fit, force it", whereas Viet's style is floooow with it and maybe let go of some of what you wanted--I am always seeking to flow and still get my way. Y'know, in regards to the whole toddler-must-conform biz.

[Jacqueline]

KK-great article! I do admire what you do...it isn't an easy path. I think I let G watch too much TV some days, but then I step back and realize that I'm still really limiting it (compared to what other peers here do). I was pretty much allowed to watch TV whenever as a child, so any kind of consciousness I bring to it at all is a huge improvement. Maybe G will be able to cut back even more with his kids....it's a step, anyway.

So, we had a big day yesterday. G had a birthday party for the 4-year-old next door. He had a good time, but did eat more than his share of sugar. I was proud of him, though. He had his first ever Kool-Aid at the party (it was blue-yuck!) and he only drank 1/2 of the bottle. And, he didn't really even eat the cake, just licked off a little frosting but scarfed down the vanilla ice cream. And, we went to a chili supper/game night at some other friends (some of the same folks from the b-day party) and I was shocked at the way other moms give their kids soda. I don't think G's ever had it. It's at events like these that I realize we are making different choices than most and I feel a bit better about it and realize I shouldn't be so hard on myself! Of course, G also behaved wonderfully with the other kids and had a good time, so we are doing something right Not that I really doubt it, but you all know what I mean, I think.

But, for some non-NFL admissions (there are so many):
-Grey's Anatomy (and TV in general for me)
-I actually bought some American sliced cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches. Mouth feel of food has been very important since I've been pg, so it helps. I know it's temporary. Also, Jell-o is particularly appealing. It shall pass.
-I use regular make-up, though I don't wear much....just powder and some eye makeup.
-More food stuff: I like lemonade, and I'm not talking fresh-squeezed...I don't care if it's just from a can of concentrated high fructose corn syrup. but that could be a pg. thing, too.
-A good late night snack is a Wendy's frosty and french fries. I dip the fries in the frosty...mmmm, so good.

Okay, that's enough for now. I could go on.

BTW, we're so much closer to buying a house. The church has figured out how much money they can give us and it will be enough (we think) to put a large down payment on a decent home in nearby New Castle (about 15 miles west of here). We aren't thrilled about the distance as it would be nice to live in the community where the church is, but, dude, who has $400,000 for a house? It's crazy. I'm very excited as I really, really want to nest. I didn't get to do that with G since we moved when he was 3 weeks old. We're hoping we can be in a new place by May as I'll be big and preggo shortly thereafter.

Wow, G's still asleep and it's 4:25! It's been almost 3 hours. He didn't go to bed till 10 last night after his day of partying, so I'm not too surprised. Let's just hope he sleeps tonight.

Better get some diapers in the dryer.

[orangecanoe]

Jacquie--so excited about the house news!! I will admit that I let C have sprite on special occasions...but like 2oz of it, but she also drinks mostly water otherwise so she is allowed the occasional sugar rush.


EL--we have a very opinionated girl here as well with regards to routines and such. I try in between to give choices over inane things that she otherwise wouldn't have had an opinion on and then am pretty cut and dry about the must-do's. It's funny how the "I'm not going to eat chicken!!" turns into "Mommy, the chicken was sooooo good" --the first comment I've taken to mostly ignoring.

wah...the weekend is almost over and I feel like I haven't done enough...so....

[mcsarahb]

Originally Posted by heatherfeather

Jacquie--so excited about the house news!! I will admit that I let C have sprite on special occasions...but like 2oz of it, but she also drinks mostly water otherwise so she is allowed the occasional sugar rush.

: We let Lily have whatever she sees and wants at a party, pretty much (within reason), since it's rare. And when faced with a choice between, say, milk , water, or soda, she'll just as often pick the milk or water as the soda.

MIL is here with Lily. I went out shopping for a bathing suit, but found nothing even close to what I'm looking for. I like a few of the LLBean ones this season, but there is no way I will spend $75 for a bathing suit! Sheesh! Anyone have any other ideas?

Now must go do a little homework before MIL leaves.

Toodles, poodles!

Sarah

[orangecanoe]

Sarah---I say spend the $75...I'm no help, right? My justification is that if it is a style you will wear for the next 3-4 years, it'll be a good investment. As Sherri can attest I have one of those black skirty things from Lands End and last summer I just bought a new tankini top for it. I've had it for 6 years now I think :, but sure beats looking for new suits every year.

[Jacqueline]

Re: the soda comment, of course, I didn't mean any ill will toward my May mamas. I was just surprised that at the party we were at, the mom dispensed whole cans of sprite to her 4 and 5-year-old kids. I got the feeling it was a normal occurrence. Anyway, I just didn't want anyone to think I was judging them on here...this is a judgement free-zone, right? And, of course, as you saw from my non-NFL list, we've got some other food things going on here.

So, that's that!

Oh, and I'd spend the extra $$ on the good swimsuit. I, too, have two good Lands' End suits that have gotten me through the last 5 years, so it's well worth it. I will need a pg. suit, but that's another issue.

[mcsarahb]

Oh, I didn't take any offense. Just telling you what we do so next time we're at a party together you don't gasp when Lily walks by with a beer.

OK, so I hear you all saying the $$$ swimsuits are the way to go. Harrumph. My last suit was expensive, a Speedo or something, and it bit the dust last week. Off to go peruse Land's End...

[Miss Juice]

Originally Posted by mcsarahb

Just telling you what we do so next time we're at a party together you don't gasp when Lily walks by with a beer.

My family is in town this weekend for Ethan's baptism. I was going out for provisions this afternoon, so I asked if there were any requests. My brother said, "I like wine. Of course, I like beer too" and Allison said, loudly, without prompting, in front of everyone, "No, mommy, I don't like beer."

It was a lovely day, a beautiful ceremony, and I am too overwhelmed with family drama and ceremonial teary-eyed-ness to report on it properly. But I am thinking of the maymamas. A coupla salient points:

-I crave American cheese when pregnant. Yum. When not pg, ick, but go for it.
-I thought Wendy's fries were meant to be dipped in Frostys. Apparently you're my pg-craving twin. i also just put diapers in the dryer.
-Definitely spend the $$ on the swimsuit. It beats the heck out of buying a new one every year and hating them all anyway.
-My kids can have soda (sprite etc) on occasion when we're out - maybe twice a month. At parties, they have what they want. My DD has been known to, when confronted with a table full of pizza, ask, "Is there any salad?" (yes, it was cute, but she'd also like the chicken nuggets, it just depends on the day)

-My kids watch enough TV to make up for KKmamas kids :

[nuggetsmom]

J loves beer and you have to be careful not to leave it sitting around or she will drink it. My SIL makes a big deal out of the fact that she won't drink in front of my kids, but then sshe drinks a lot of soda while they are watching. I mean, they are more likely to want that (well as I said, J likes beer) and I don't want them to think that it is a regular drink. Even though I do drink some (diet coke is my poison) and J loves to get a sip out of it. :LOL
Is there any salad -very funny... My kids would not ask that though J ate a lot of green beans with ketchup tonight. She loves to dip green beans in ketchup and it is weird.
My kids have been sick all week and the chiro told me that I should make sure they eat plenty of veggies and limit fruit and juice. Like I have any control over what they eat. I mean, I control what goes on the table, but not what they eaty KWIM. Clearly she has no kids, and I was lucky that N ate anything at all this week and it was fruit. She is filling in for my regular chiropracter (or piratecracker as N says) and she was telling me I should try an all raw diet. I was just trying to imagine that with 2 kids and DH. Here have some crudites and nuts for dinner! DH would run to jack i the box the minute my back was turned.
That was a great article KK. Well, we do watch some TV but I limit it a lot. Of course, with all the sickies this week, we watched hours. But Naomi would rather have a playdate than watch TV I have discovered. And they seem to use elements of what they watch in their play, but it gets all mixed in with books and their imagination too. J has been trying to find who spilled the tubby custard for a couple of weeks now.
I shall go indulge in my other non-NFL indulgence... playstation

[jstar]

i've noticed isaac's tv obsession has really waned from a peak of wanting it a ton. he's way less interested lately and will play with toys instead. he is still obsessed with fireman sam and we are trying to limit to once or twice a day. which i think is still a lot for his age but not a ton in the grand scheme of things. and *everything* is a firetruck or a fire in his play right now.

i *had* to have a frosty on saturday. i've dug the fries dipping in the past but it was with a spicy chicken sandwich this time

isaac has had soda and loves it. i am not a soda lover myself. my dad was the first to give him caffeinated soda. a sip of beer too : usually if he has soda it is a sip of someone's but i have ordered him a shirley temple before in the middle of a looooong restaurant meal to keep the peace for another half hour. my recent discovery is that he had talking rain and said 'soda!' so now i have a big bottle of talking rain and he thinks he's getting soda. shhhhhh. he just likes the bubbles.

i think good swimsuits just cost a lot. i suck it up and spend about that much every few years if it is one that really fits well. it is hard to find one that fits great and i love so i go for it.

ok. gotta run.

[mcsarahb]

Alrighty. I got this one with the same color boyshort bottoms. Hope it fits. What a sale! Best of both worlds.

[KKmama]

Hey, it was RENAE who started the mancakes. You ask *her* if she's having sausage with it.

I *wish* I could sell that extraneous h for some sleep. Z has been getting up at 5:30 or 6 lately. LOUDLY and CHEERFULLY.

I think keeping the kids low sweetener at home *does* help them figure out that many things out in the world are too darned sweet (like the Kool-Aid and the frosting). And re soda, neither of the boys like it, because of the bubbles (and yes, I'm thankful for that).

I think that when one is pg, pretty much anything goes re food and tv. Especially when one feels barfy.

Jacquie, on the house sitch.

I hate shopping for swimming suits (and spending $$ on them). Cute suit!
Nuggets, I totally hear you re the I put it on the table but I can't make them eat it.

We are just totally doing "to do" list stuff today. Dh is upstairs doing a temporary solution to our shower leakage with caulk. I don't know if I reported back that I pried up a tile in there and it looks like there's been a slow leak for a long time (and that the previous owners tried to cover it up, grrr). Oh well. We *do* need to deal with that bathroom, as it is built for midgets (dh can't stand up fully in the shower, he can't see his head in the mirror, the vanity is ~6" lower than standard, and there's a 10" x 12" bar sink in the vanity). I guess it's getting moved up the priority list. I am trying to declutter my craft stuff. Ug.

[emmalola]

that's a great suit.

I've been wanting a frosty too. but not enough to actually go to Wendy's. When I was pregnant with the lentil I went there for dinner one night (a total craving, if I recall correctly) and was so sickened by the food it cured me forever. Maybe I'll take the lentil to 31 flavors and get a milkshake this afternoon. He loves going for ice cream. duh.

We went for a super long walk today- 1 hour each way. I wanted to see how he'd do, and he was fabuloso. It was a walk to the park, with the dog, and with the lentil in the Bob most of the way. So nice to go on a nice, long walk with my boy again. On the way he watched the dog pee and he told me how she has a penis under her butt. I corrected him- no, she has a vagina. Then he started inventorying all the people he knows and who has a penis and who has a china. I have a china. Dad has a penis, with all those hairs. He has a penis. Biscuit has a china. It was the first time we've had this sort of conversation, and it was terrifically cute. I'm not looking forward to explaining all about where babies come from, but if he's this cute for that conversation, it shouldn't be so bad.

And tiny bragging moment: The lentil can write his own name. It's so freaking incredible, I almost can't believe it. And it's actually legible! I will upload a photo of it to my blog sometime. We're to the point where we date every thing he draws on, because we're convinced he's completely brilliant.

The lentil hates bubbly drinks, and we don't really drink sodas (other than club soda) anyway. He calls it "spicy water" and since he hates anything spicy, just telling him it's spicy water will keep him away. He's never tried beer or liquor or wine, mostly because we have alcoholism in both families and I don't want to introduce the flavor to him before we have to. like when he's 30. But sweet things he adores, and this house is full of pregnant mommy sweet craving foods. Like oreos. He had his first oreos the other day and told me "These are REALLY good cookies!" uh oh.

[Mama Faery]

I took the morning off. It was a holiday, right?
(not like WE'D know; DH still had to work. : His new job gives him like, NO vacation time and they hardly have any holidays off)

And as for the MANcakes...no sausage Typos, baby. Gotta love them! Still makes me laugh.

Ugh, MIL is IMing me. *sigh* Don't feel very talkative right now.

My friend just joined MDC!! Her user name is Socialist Mama so say hi if you see her around! I'm very excited that she's here. Her DS is a November 2005 baby though! Rowan adores him. They're the ones we do the childcare swap with.

Wow, so much to post about! The Lily and beer comment made me !

And as for the crunchy quotient, naw, I think we have pockets of crunch around (hard to find but they're there!) and our Waldorf school is called Meadowbrook. For some reason Shining Mountain just grabbed me and I was like No diss on the hippies! I want to live in a crunchier place!

Okay, I don't have much to say but I am thinking of you all. Rowan and I had a great day today. I busted out the glitter glue and cut out a bunch of shapes, hearts and flowers and such and we made a big glittery mess and it was a lot of fun!

WOW, EL, are you SERIOUS?!?! Rowan is pretty good with faces (he made glittery eyes on a little man I cut out!) but LETTERS?? WOW. I am amazed. Brilliant kids!

Soda; well, DH drinks it more than I do, but usually at parties or later after Rowan is in bed. Once, I was drinking soda water (not tonic, but like, sparkling water) and Rowan asked for a sip, so I let him, and he totally spit it out. And once, I gave him an airborne jr. and he FREAKED out. No bubbles here. :-p

But now it's almost time to get the child to bed (he's demanding me!). Have a great night, mamas!

[TurboClaudia]

we had a fun lunch with jstar and the i-man yesterday. marek, although he weighs about 75% of what isaac weighs and is about 3ish inches shorter than him too, ate more sandwich halves and salad and pineapple than him. although isaac had been snacking before we arrived, so he probably ate about the same amount all told. it was just so funny to see marek asking for "one more piece" of sandwich about three times while isaac was off playing again.

today was our second (or maybe third?) day of being out and about in underwear. no pee accidents in the pants while we are out, but a little bit of pee in the underpants a couple of times after we get home and he gets too wrapped up in playing and we forget to remind him to go to the potty.

oh, and soda is a treat here. we mostly drink pellegrino or some such bubbly water with the occasional root beer when getting take out. we started calling it "bubbles" way back when to avoid the association with the word soda, so that name stuck. he always asks bill for some "more bubbles, please, dad."

dinner almost ready.

ta mamajamas.

~c

[jstar]

i took a holiday today. should have gone to dh's office but we ended up going to breakfast and taking dh to the doc instead. this weekend he got a wild hair to take out all the concrete in the backyard and take apart the entire deck. so our back porch now has a 6 ft death fall and the yard is a mud pit/concrete death trap. and a piece broke and fell on his toe so it is GROSS and the doctor poked a burning paperclip through it to release the blood : groooossssssss.

the whole goal is to stop the leaky leaky basement :

.................................................. ....

that was from isaac ^

the lentil is brilliant. definitely. wowzers!

i love me some mancakes :

ok my undivided typing time is ovah

eta: i think marek out-ate isaac even with the pre-snacking. he was an impressive eater!!!!!! and i'm wearing the softest shirt on the planet right now (pink one with flowers). oooooooh yeah thank you!

[mcsarahb]

Hi all!

EL, walk sounds fabulous. Glad you are feeling a bit better today. Lily wrote her name a few times right around Christmas, stopped for two months, and now is just starting to try it again. It's often upside down and/or backwards, but the letters are discernible!

jstar, hope the porch/patio revamp stops the leaking. Sounds like major (de)construction.

Lily loves the bubbles. But luckily, in spite of my silly comment, she doesn't really like beer. Or wine. Or coffee. Not that coffee is bubbly. But it is a "grown-up drink," and therefore must be disgusting.

I had a good, busy day today at the clinic. I saw quite a few patients almost entirely by myself today, meaning I did the whole visit and the midwife only came in at the end if I or the client had any questions. So it was cool, but a little overwhelming by the end. Kind of like my brain was full and couldn't take anymore. But I'm really liking it and am looking forward to catching babies next quarter!

OK, off to organize my stuff for school tomorrow. Have to get up at the a$$crack of dawn (6 am) so I can fit in a workout before class. Aw yeah I'm a bada$$.

S.