Dingos after the Easter Bunny! April Runners' thread - Page 54

[Shantimama]

We had a GREAT family day today. Just what we all needed. dh had the day off and it was a PD say so the kids were off school too. We all piled into our bed and had a good snuggle this morning then came downstairs and made blueberry pancakes. Then we headed up north of here and dh visited my mother (the kids and I are still too germy to go in the nursing home) while the kids and I played at the park. They had so much fun togetehr, no fighting, just pure play and imagination and I read some of a novel. Not a school book, an actual novel, sitting on the shore if Georgian Bay. What a treat. We had a picnic there and then headed up to this abandoned ruin of a mansion that looked like an old castle - it was so COOL. We xeplored and hiked back there then came home. The only downer of the day was that dd had an eye exam and found out that she needs reading glasses. So far she is handling it well, but she's nervous. We had a yummy curry dinner, activities after supper, and everyone is in bed now.

Did we ever need this kind of a day. Tomorrow I plan to complete and submit two more essays as long as this computer co-operates. And go for a 5km walk in between the 2 projects.

[bec]

Originally Posted by Patti Ann

Got an Ergo carrier yesterday. I got it to take to Ireland. I really like it so far. I got the organic denim. Do any of you have the backpack? Do you use it? Is it worth it? I got the fanny pack. Not so sure if it is what I needed. We'll see.

Love, love, LOVE my Ergo. I don't have the backpack, but have heard from people that do, that they love it as much as the carrier. Oooh, and lucky you going to Ireland! Have a blast!

Kate~mom and 2BB - Great running! I nearly fainted just looking at that map! and great pictures!

RR - I think I'm ruined for the treadmill. I had to do a treadmill run this morning, and could barely make a mile and a half. I was so freaking bored! I know, just get over it, but it sucked. Oh well, I'm outside with the jog stroller tomorrow.

I spent the rest of the day gardening, so got good exercise that way, as well as preparing 3 beds for planting! Hopefully this weekend, things will be able to go in the ground.

Potty training - Emily trained herself at 2, Katie at a few months over 3. There were pros and cons to both. With E, of course, no more diapers, but, there were a lot more accidents. We also had strange potty anxiety for a few months. That seems to have mostly passed, but it wasn't anything we went through with Katie.

[kerc]

whew. we're moved. the guy who bought our house was an absolute a**. About everything. But there shall be no more traveling back to our old place. Our new place rocks.


Sorry for the extreme lack of personals
patti ann - I have one of those backpacks -- when do you need it? I'd sell mine to you (it was used a handful of times). PM me if you're interested.

[CherylAnn]

Whoa kerc!!! That happened so fast!!!

[Megs_BK]

Originally Posted by CherylAnn

Thanks for the ankle advice!! It felt so much better wrapped today! Except when I did a little squat and had it the opposite of pointed (what is that?) and it screamed a bit until I could get out of that position.

The opposite of pointing is flexing And it doesn't surprise me that it's easier for you to point (extend) than flex right now. You're probably compensating a bit when you walk to keep from flexing much, but in neutral times (like when you're sleeping), the foot falls foward and the extension has a chance to return (to the detriment of the flexion, sometimes). It sucks, but you HAVE to flex it and stretch it out in that direction or you risk losing some of that range of motion and leave yourself more susceptible to reinjury. You also should concentrate on not compensating. It really just prolongs the process and dorks around with your balance/spatial awareness. How's the swelling and discoloration?

A couple of the PTs with whom I observed recommended that some of their patients wear ankle braces to bed (and only to bed) -- that will help the joint stay stretched a bit.

Originally Posted by bec

RR - I think I'm ruined for the treadmill. I had to do a treadmill run this morning, and could barely make a mile and a half. I was so freaking bored! I know, just get over it, but it sucked. Oh well, I'm outside with the jog stroller tomorrow.

Personally, I think it's OK if you don't get over it :-) I hate the TM, too. I only semi-appreciated it when I was in Iraq and Okinawa because I hated running outside in those climates. Actually, Iraq was way better than Oki because at least the mornings were cool(er). I am sooooo not a humidity person. Not even a little. Not even at all.

Patti -- my SIL swears by her Ergo. Her DS2 has pretty much lived in it.

[CherylAnn]

Thanks Megs! I'll do exactly as you say.

Here are a few pics from the marathon.

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y42...unToFinish.jpg

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y42...nt=AllDone.jpg

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y42...dsMarathon.jpg

[doctorjen]

On potty learning - in general I think we underestimate our kids in the US. I think going diaperless and just putting up with some wetting accidents generally works. If they really aren't ready, then going back to diapers for a while is fine. My oldest dd was my oldest potty learner at 2 years 7 mos, the boy were both 2 years 3 mos, and with my littlest we did EC part time and she was done with diapers at 22 mos.

RR - I took yesterday off after running 3 on Sat and 6 on Sun. What should I run this week with my half on Sat? I was thinking maybe 3 today and tomorrow, tomorrow with a little "tempo" run in the middle of it, and then off until Sat?

NRR - I think I'm raising a bunch of screw offs. Not only is older ds not exactly distinguishing himself at college, but now my 7th grade dd got kicked off the academic team for being inelegible for the 3rd time due to failing science again. Science has no tests, all the grades are from homework/in class work and she just doesn't do a lot of it, despite being asked repeatedly if she has anything due and having good space and time to do it in. She lives for academic team, so you'd think knowing she would be removed from the team if she didn't turn in homework last week would have been a motivator, but apparently not. I don't know what else to do to motivate this kid, who is scary intelligent, but just doesn't care about a lot of things. This is the teacher I don't get along with either, so enlisting her help isn't really an option (her idea of help is to yell at me about my kid, criticize her, and insist we "make" her do better) And she has to have this teacher for 2 classes next year yet. If anyone has any brilliant ideas, I'd love to have them! (In fact, I'd like to have any ideas - brilliant, good, mediocre, not-great, you name it.)

[JayGee]

Originally Posted by CherylAnn

Thanks Megs! I'll do exactly as you say.

Here are a few pics from the marathon.

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y42...unToFinish.jpg

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y42...nt=AllDone.jpg

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y42...dsMarathon.jpg

CherylAnn ~ awesome pictures! What scenery too. You look so "fresh" considering you just finished a marathon. Congrats to you again. I hope to run one next year myself .

[mamabeth]

drjen, sounds like you are doing the best you can. my brother was a lot like that, and he (although nearly failing high school) is a wonderful adult, is an artisanal chef, and thinks he had undiagnosed ADD and other LD when he was younger, although he was clearly very smart. so, not sure if that's what's going on, but I know it is so very frustrating according to my mom.

we are going to REI this morning, finally, after our run, and I may try ds out in some of their backpacks and then buy one off craigslist if he likes it. there were tons on there yesterday and I just missed a $20 one :

ds is begging to go in his "slow-ty" (stroller) so I guess we must run!

[grnmtnmama]

cherylann - how do you look so wonderful in those pictures? you look like you just went for a brief walk, that's fabulous!

bec - i hate the treadmill too. so much that i've given them up forever.

DrJen - maybe your dd just wants to see what it's like to 'not' do well. to see what will happen. 7th grade is a hard time when your friends tend to change a bit and you start to try things that you'll end up giving up as you mature a bit. Can you take a special trip and see a science museum or do some special nature exploration?

Kerc - congrats on the move!

brought my shoes for a walk this afternoon. it's been raining for a couple of days so even trail running on the generally dry trails is out of the question (here it's customary to avoid sensitive trails until mid to late May to lessen erosion). yesterday i fell off the 'no sugar' wagon, but i'm getting right back on today.

my friend is being induced for #2 this morning. she's only 3-4 days overdue, and she was at the doctor yesterday and just told him she wanted to be induced and that today worked well for her and he said okay. i hope everything goes okay with it. for as much as I don't agree with that kind of thinking, she's my friend and i don't want to see any 'i told you so' things happen.

[grnmtnmama]

nevermind about the friend - turns out her water broke last night and the baby arrived shortly after they arrived at the hospital. everyone is healthy and happy. i'm trying to decide if i should go for a visit today instead of my walk.

[schatz]

Originally Posted by kate~mom

i'm in the orange hat - the pic of the guy waving is not dh, but our friend matt who i could NOT catch the entire race. he passed me at about 3 miles, and was a stone's throw ahead of me the entire next 10. grrrr.

kate~mom - may I say that you have very toned arms? : seriously - not flabby looking at all. Do you lift weights or are your arms naturally like that?

Originally Posted by MonikitaUT

I just bought a little potty for the back of my car. I'm not worried about when we're at home, but I am worried about the hours we are out and about.

We have a travel potty too. We've actually only used it a few times. It folds up an uses a plastic bag for the liner. We did the potty blitz (or boot camp) over a couple of days when we weren't going anywhere. Then after that, we would make sure she peed before we got in the car to go anywhere.

Originally Posted by Megs_BK

I am sooooo not a humidity person. Not even a little. Not even at all.

Are we identical twins separated at birth? I HATE, HATE, HATE humidity. When we used to race sailboats in the summer, I would just wilt in July. 90+ degrees with little wind and high humidity - ack! No thank you. I've always said in winter you can always put more layers on but in summer, once you're naked, that's it.

Drjen - I wish I had good advice for you about your kids. For your ds, do you think he's really a 4-yr college type of guy or more of a tech school person? When I was an academic advisor here at the U, I used to see kids who were so clearly being pushed into a 4 yr degree by their parents and very unhappy about it. I'm thinking in particular of a kid who was being pushed into engineering when he should have been studying drafting at a 2 yr school. But, then again, it could just be that your ds is finding his way, trying it figure out what's interesting to him, or trying to figure out how to study if his college work is challenging but high school was not.

For your dd, does she just not like science? Or is it perhaps more connected t to the teacher and she's not being challenged? I hated almost every literature class I had in school because I hated filling out the stupid question packets. I liked reading books and read a lot on my own but I didn't want to figure out the author's motivation for writing the story this way or that and I thought the question packets were just idiotic. Will your dd talk to you about this? Is there a way you can help her articulate why she doesn't want to do the homework?

I'm sure you've thought of all of these things. I just remember that when I was in school, I tended to get B's in classes that I found boring so I would do just enough to get by but I would work hard for A's in subjects that I liked or where I liked the teacher.

RR: I didn't run this morning. Both dd and ds were all stuffy and coughing last night so we didn't sleep well. My throat was scratchy this morning too but mostly I just slept a little too late for running. Ah well, I think this is supposed to be a light week in my schedule.

[Mommabelle]

I'm back and will have to catch up. Just read the last two pages here. We had a nice time although it was almost literally freezing. I did not take a coat. I took about 5 shirts and wore 3 of them each day with my sweater and a scarf. I had to buy a hat. None the less we walked around everyday for 4-5 hours looking at different parts of the city.

I took my running gear, but no way was I getting out there in the misty freezing rain with gusting wind to run..and I don't even own clothing to run in weather like that.

Came home last night and it was great to see the kids! I hear from my Mom that dd's teacher was on a raging tear last week...she was out sick 3 days and came back the day we left in a serious black mood. Well..I"m off to talk to the principal this week as soon as I can make an appointment. The bad thing is that the early years principal died and her funeral is on Wednesday...so there is no school that day and that's the day I was planning to talk to the elementary principal. I'm not feeling like complaining about that though because I am still alive.

Even worse..I can't run with MB and HBM on Wednesday now because there's no school! Friday???

I am coming back to do personals later!

[Geofizz]

DrJen I see a lot of college kids like schatz does, just in a slightly different role. I think it takes a lot of kids a year or so to figure out how to succeed in college. It's so different than high school, and a lot of kids struggle with the loss of structure. For your DD, I wonder if you can negotiate that she do independent study for those classes? Have her figure out what she wants to and needs to learn for those classes, make a plan, and have her do it with supervision from another teacher (maybe a HS science teacher) instead. She's got a great track record for working independently based on her science fair performance.

[Megs_BK]

Crud! Mamabeth -- forgot to tell you that we scored an older REI frame pack off our neighbors and have been LOVING IT. I gotta say, I think it's still pretty darn AP to have your child up high and happy, where they can see the world and talk to people. Dan uses it more than me and they are quite a team. Dan's *Dad* loves it, too. When my ILs were visiting, I think FIL took Nevie on three walks in one day.

I wish we had the Sherpani pack just because of the nice little stirrups that would take the pressure of baby's spine, but we couldn't argue with $50 for the pack when it was in near-perfect condition.

[schatz]

It's May Day mamas - come on over!

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=665617

[Megs_BK]

DrJen, I was one of those smart kids who needed a few good lessons from the school of hard knocks. Seems like 5th - 7th grade were those years for me, too. Love & Logic principles would suggest that your dd's teacher yelling or criticizing her only add to her apathy -- like the teacher is making it her problem instead of giving it back to your dd. If your dd can own her own situation with loving, sympathetic adults around (who don't "rescue" her or fix it for her), that might be a strategy worth looking into. Tough, though, considering that it's important for teacher & parents to be a team on this kind of thing and from what you've said, that relationship is a bit broken.

well, i'm rambling and I need to pack up the computer and load up the car. Nevie and I are off to my sister's house! I am not looking forward to the drive (Nevie + Car = not so hot lately), but it will be great to be there.

[moonshine]

Goodness, where is everyone?? So quiet now for hours!

Not quite as beautiful day as yesterday, but still seems pretty nice. However, instead of being out, I am heading to the library to find knitting books. I simply must find something new to make. I tried to start sewing today on the number of projects I have lined up for that, but found I didn't have the right color thread. So that is on hold for the moment.

Enjoy the spring afternoon!

[CherylAnn]

Moonshine, come on over here.

[kate~mom]

Originally Posted by schatz

kate~mom - may I say that you have very toned arms? : seriously - not flabby looking at all. Do you lift weights or are your arms naturally like that?.

i lifted a bit last summer, but now all i lift is ds (a lightweight at 25 lbs. ) and my bags for work