Running into the Dingo Cafe - Page 2

[HomeBirthMommy]

I don't know exactly what happened with the little boy, but the note said he was in a wheelchair and had been sick for quite a while. It was a really sweet note with a picture of him at the bottom. They encouraged all of the children that knew him to write/draw about him and bring those to a box in the office to give to his parents. I thought that was really sweet of the school to do and hopefully with help his parents through this in a small way.

Plady-I will decide whatever exercise I do to you and Wendy tomorrow. I couldn't help that maybe she was somehow behind the flowing TP. Sounds exactly like something a little one would do. Just like she's saying "Hi".

While we're talking of dedicating runs...During rough spots on my last few runs I've though of Pumpkinseed and her dad a lot and also of Moonshine and the yucky stuff she's got going on. Just want you two to know you're thought about and loved.

[Megs_BK]

Got another Mrs. piggle-wiggle fan up in here! Holla!

I've heard Hunter Lovins speak. She looks very much the part of the Environmental Capitalist... straight out of a butch Sundance catalog ;-) It was very inspirational. And mad props to Eileen Collins -- gotta give love to my Air Force sistahs.

Oh whyyyyyy must babies zero in on the one thing in the room that is not safe for them to play with?

I can't believe it's 4pm already. Nevie and I have been nursing/snuggling/sleeping in bed for at least 2 hours. We went up there shortly after our return from the library & grocery store, so it might be closer to 3 hours. LOVELY!

I only got 15 minutes in on the rower this morning during a brief nap she took. Maybe more when Dan gets home in an hour.

[Megs_BK]

Oh... and I forgot to add that I'd be honored to do a run tomorrow in honor of Wendy. I will try not to cry through the whole darn thing. I'll either try and get it in before we leave for PDX in the morning, or after we arrive. good way to shake off the driving.

Plady -- big hugs. Wendy -- sweet girl, you are remembered and loved.

[wawoof]

plady - I'll be spinning for you and Wendy tomorrow

hbm - oh, my heart breaks for that family!

balancin - oh, abd is so stressful - hang in there, it will be over eventually!

1jooj - I'll be sending you early wakeup vibes!

mommabelle - scary about the lump! i have breastcancer in my family and lumpy breasts, so I have no idea how I could tell if i had a lump...

[kate~mom]

subbing,

[Plady]

HBM - You are so right! I was just talking to a friend of mine who had babysat for Chiara when she was only about 10 months old. Chiara was crying and crying until finally my friend handed her a whole roll of tp and showed her how to pull on it. I'm sure things like that run in families.

Megs - Thank you too. I will be thinking of all of you tomorrow too.

BBM - My official due date is Sept. 20 but I am preparing myself to push for an induction at 36 weeks if any signs of the liver problem come back. At first I thought Sept 20 sounded soon and then I counted back to 36 weeks, Aug 23! That sounds really soon! Grow baby grow!

Mommabelle - for your mama friend. That is so scary, it just takes my breath away to think of it.

Mandy - Hope you are having a nice relaxing flight home.

Anyone heard anything from Loftmama? I've sent an email or two but no replies and no action on her blog (not that I'm stalking or anything
Just curious, I know this is probably a pretty stressful time for her.

Also, where's Janessa? Hey J! If you're lurking around it's time to start posting, my mom asked me about those shoes!!!

Okay mamas, time to look in the fridge blankly while I pretend I'm thinking of making something real and not just reheating last night's soup.

[doctorjen]

Forgot to say my run tonight is dedicated to Wendy and Plady. I will think of her beautiful pictures and picture her rolling in a field of flowers and giggling about the toilet paper. Tomorrow I just won't have time to run, but tonight will be dedicated to you guys.

[Plady]

Forgot to sub in, again!

And thank you too, Wawoof and DrJen!

[Shantimama]

SECRET SPRINTERS

For all of you who want to join in the fun - please PM me with your real name and address. Next week I wil put all of our names in a hat and draw them and PM everyone I have heard from with another Dingo-mama's name and address. Send along litle Secret Sprinter notes or gifts throughout the month and then reveal yourselves with one last gift or note at the end of the month - we can pick the date.

This isn't something that requires a lot of spending, except postage maybe. If you want to buy something, great, but homemade things, favourite recipes, friendly notes, etc work too. The idea is to have fun opening the mail each week during this dreary part of the year.

Several people have already sent me their info - if you haven't yet, do it soon!

[Janessa]

subbing. Ran 2.5 tonight, was very slippery out yuck

Plady--I haven't been doing so hot, at best 2 runs a week. Shiah's having a rough time right now with school so been a bit overwhelmed. I shamefully haven't tried the shoes yet. Will get to that asap to see if they will work and if not pass them on

[moonshine]

Subbin'.

HBM, that made me all warm and tingly that you are thinking of me and sending me your warm thoughts. I have actually been doing better, thank goodness. I am not sure if it is because I took my nosering out, or what. I did have face rashes before I got the ring, but if I recall correctly, it did get worse after. So at least for now, it is out. That is just too high a price to pay for self expression.

Plady, I will be thinking of you and your family tomorrow. I won't be able to get a run in, but you will be in my thoughts. I love the idea of Wendy playing with the toilet paper.

[Geofizz]

Subbing.

J~ good for you on the run. I walked to the elementary school tonight and it was super slippery. I hope you had a constructive meeting with S's teacher. I hope to be able to come Saturday -- after the kids are in bed.

SO... I went to the elementary school for the kindergarten registration information night. We can choose "contempary" or "informal" instructional systems at the school. We go tonight to figure out how to sign the kid up for school and take a tour of dark and locked rooms, then we go next week to see a contempary classroom and then we go yet another time to see the informal room. : I tried asking some very reasonable questions trying to figure out what was the best fit for DD, and even a positively posed question gets a completely neutral response. Argh.

Plady for Wendy. I'll be running on the TM thinking of her tomorrow night.

[eksmom]

I just got home from the gym where I did (most of) the tempo run I was supposed to do yesterday. I probably would have done the pacing a little differently had I looked at the recommendations before I left home. Oh well, next one I'll do better.

Mommabelle, thinking of your friend.

HBM, for the boy at your girls' school.

Plady, my TM run tomorrow night will be dedicated to Wendy, and I will be thinking of your new bean and C as well.

Sally, the Love & Logic book I have is for early childhood, ages 0-6. I really think the best thing about it is it helps me keep my mouth shut and keeps my temper down. It's not the most GD thing out there, but it's giving me a concrete way to do something different than what was modeled for me when I was growing up.

I haven't heard from Loftmama in a while... I'm sure this is a tough time. I hope they are all doing OK. There is a picture of EK and Loftmama's D in our playroom from this summer and I think of them every time I see it.

Patti, it's so nice to "see" you. I love your personals. We are in a much better place and I am so glad and relieved. Thinking of you and Griffin and your mom.

lulu, we like Roanoke fairly well. My parents and I moved here right before my junior year of high school and they have been here ever since (14.5 years). That's the main reason we came back, plus my DH's family is down in Blacksburg and Giles Co. We moved here from Raleigh, and probably the thing I miss the most is lots of other people in my age bracket. Roanoke's population seems to be quite a bit older on average. I often wonder why I waited until we moved to the mountains to get serious about running and take up cycling, but I try not to let it stop me.

I have been following the school discussion with interest. I continue to be on the fence about what to do with EK. Her birthday is 3 days before the cutoff, so she would be 4 for the first month of school if we started her on time. I feel that socially she'd do better if she were older, not way younger, than her classmates, but I think she will probably be ready academically to start school on time. Frankly I think she will be bored either way, so it seems like I might as well at least give her an advantage socially by keeping her back a year. She is the oldest in her preschool class, which is referred to as the "older 2s", even though she is now 3 and 4 months. However, there are a lot of fall birthdays in that class so she is not really that much older than many of her classmates. Anyway, ... it is a very hard decision. I would homeschool in a heartbeat if I weren't the primary breadwinner.

OK... gonna call it a night soon. Thinking of all of y'all. I like when we start a new thread because it's fun to see everyone check in, even if briefly.

[HomeBirthMommy]

Plady-very weird thing happened a few minutes ago...My 7 year old is the "star student" of the week, which means I had to put together a poster of pictures of her over the years. I was digging up old photos and darned if I didn't find one of her in the middle of the bathroom floor with an entire unrolled roll of toilet paper. It must have been right around the one year mark. I had forgotten all about that. Strange coincedence!

[aguacates]

Plady, I'll be running for Wendy tomorrow. I have been thinking of you both quite a bit this week.

I did 5.35 miles today on the TM, a speedwork run
fast bits at 9.25 min/miles and slow bits at 11 min/mi
It felt really good

Eksmom, Dd has a mid August birthday, so I struggle with the same issue.

HBM, that is so sad for that family.

1jooj, we had our roof redone a year ago. The cost was staggering, all though insurance covered most. I understand :.

Sally, I love the name Noah!

Wendy, what is the difference between informal and contemporary?

Megs, in our house we always quote the first rule of babies: Something found is always better than something given, particularly if that item is contraband!

Okay, must go to bed so I can wake up refreshed when small dd wants to nurse a million times tonight

[aguacates]

Originally Posted by CherylAnn

MissBliss I so related to this, "What my schooling did for me, was to install a lifelong distrust of teachers, schools, and administrators." That's why I'm so intense about making sure my kids grow up loving to learn in a positive environment. I still can't stand school at 37! Everytime I take a class in some subject I love, I become disinterested and don't do the work like I think I should. I still do fine, but I feel antsy and never connect with the instructors. I keep thinking I'd like to go back to school and then panic sets in!

I am now back in school for the first time in 10ish years, and I have to say I am really enjoying a lot of things about it, although I totally struggle with the same issue of being antsy and not connecting. In fact, that is exactly my current issue with Abnormal Psych :, well, that and the powerpoint issue

[MonikitaUT]

All of this talk of education sure has me thinking, which is good. Maybe if I think enough over the next few years I'll know what route to take!

Our weekly Waldorf parent toddler class has an hour of freeplay. About half way into it, DD tends to unravel. She doesn't seem to enjoy it like you would think a child would, but actually gets to the point where she starts to lose it if I don't step in and try and give her some structure. Has anyone seen this with their own kids? The other kids in the class unravel during the structured portion of the class - can't sit still during the story, etc. but that is when Livi seems to be the happiest. It isn't as though she'll sit there for extended periods of time - she is a toddler, after all, but you can see her settle and enjoy. What is this a sign of? Anyone care to analyze? Am I over thinking this?

I'm taking a rest day tonight. My legs are sore, and I'm giving in to that drink tea & knit urge.

Megs - Whatcha knitting? Are you still working on your warshrags, or have you moved on to something more challenging? I finished another ballband dishcloth today and started one more. It has to be my last dishcloth for a while, or DH will most likely murder me. (We don't even use dishcloths.) So I guess I'm moving on to something more challenging.

Geo - It seems rather silly that they have the classrooms dark and locked on the night you are supposed to be taking a tour. What's up with that?

Patti - So good to see you! I hope you can find the exercise structure you are needing.

Plady - I'll most definitely run for you and Wendy tomorrow.

& to everyone else!

[Megs_BK]

I'm just going to dip my toe into the school discussion...

My entire family are educators -- mom is now a principal. Anyway, as my older sister and I were coming up through the ranks as talented kids in our public schools, "boredom" was never (EVER EVER) an option. We weren't even allowed (by our parents) to say the word "bored," or at least we knew that it wouldn't meet with a very sympathetic response. There were gifted/enrichment programs that my sister and I were both in, and they were OK, but honestly I felt much more connected to and challenged by my regular classrooms. Washington is just a great school state, though... anyway, I remember lots of kudos and lots of challenge. For me, maybe some of the academics were easy -- so the value of the classroom environment for me (and for many kids) is social education. How does my personality fit in, and what do I need to do to be more respectful of my peers (and vice-versa)? I learned plenty of things the hard way, thanks to my emotional and sensitive nature. But it was good for me and helped prepare me for each new step. So... all that to say: there's much more to school than just the 3 R's. I know you all know that. But I have to step in every now and then as a school (especially public school) advocate here on MDC. Call me the voice of the minority or whatever... but here I am :-)

[Megs_BK]

Originally Posted by MonikitaUT

Megs - Whatcha knitting? Are you still working on your warshrags, or have you moved on to something more challenging?

Woo hoo -- a knitting shout-out! I'm working on the Moss-stitch grid handtowel in Mason-Dixon. Don't think I'll make too many ~ I'm ready for more of a challenge, and linen is flippin' exPENsive. Sheesh. Maybe I'll make more with hemp if I ever feel like it. But, it's fun! I'm not terribly far into it, but it's coming along OK so far. I still have issues with tension and am still trying to figure out MY perfect way to hold the yarn. I feel like I waste a lot of time throwing it. Le sigh.

Next up is a toddler-sized scarf (called "Toddle" on Knitty.com) with lots of Aran cables. Ambitious for a gal who's never cabled before, but like the lady at the yarn store where I got the cashmerino said, "It doesn't take any skill to slip a few stitches off and on a needle..." They were out of cable needles that day, hence her speech on the ease of cables ("One time, I was outside on the porch and I was too lazy to go inside, so I just used a pine needle..."). At her advice, Dan made me my own out of a section of an old wire hanger.

[calicocj]

Originally Posted by Megs_BK

Anyway, as my older sister and I were coming up through the ranks as talented kids in our public schools, "boredom" was never (EVER EVER) an option. We weren't even allowed (by our parents) to say the word "bored," or at least we knew that it wouldn't meet with a very sympathetic response.

Oh. my. goodness. that is so funny the "b word" was not allowed in our house at all either. Not that I never felt that way, but we could not say that we were bored... my folks would just give us this look and start the spiel about how many opportunities we had to be outside playing or be reading/writing/talking or helping someone but again, one of those things where, hmmm, parents do know best...