Happy Holidays April05 Mamas!

[JustVanessa]

I thought I would start our December thread. What are you going to get for your dc for Christmas (if you celebrate)?
I am going to get Byron a body pillow (he keeps stealing mine), a toy tool set and some trains. Nothing big because $$ is an issue this year. Maybe some new books too.

[AEZMama]

Hey Vanessa-hope things are better after the xdh incident.

We are not really going to do much for Christmas this year to save as much as we can for the move. We might get something small for Andrew, but since he still doesn't get the gift part of the holiday, we're still cool. Thankfully!

I'm getting a little anxious as I've waited over a month for 2 freelance checks that haven't been received. I hopefully will have some answers on Monday. That was our padding $$ to visit my sister & family in Orlando next week. I really want to see them all.

[JustVanessa]

Well something interesting has fell into my lap. A good friend of mine just moved in down the street. We live in a small village 7miles from town. She has 2 girls, almost 3 and 11. She works alot of evening shifts and her p works in camp all week. Right now for childcare she has a woman who watches her girls until 8pm then drives them home and the 11yr old puts the 3yr old to bed until mom gets home. This solution is not going to work for her because the lady won't drive out to her house now. Well she offered me the job.
It would be 4 days a week. A couple full days and a couple days 2pm to 730pm, and it pays &750 a month.
I think I am going to take it. Right now Byron goes to a daycare a couple of days a week just so he can socialize with other kids and give me a break from entertaining him, now he would have a little buddy to play with at home. I think it sounds great. I am going to talk to her more about it today.

Also with being off work I am super broke. The tax free money would really help.

[AEZMama]

That sounds great Vanessa!!

Well, we might put the move off for a few months to make sure we have enough $$ to just get our own place right off. After a chat with a friend the other day, it planted a lot of doubts in my head. Hopefully dh can get a little raise and that extra $$ can go to the moving fund. DH is also a little wary since we have this trip to Mexico planned for July and if we move & he starts a new job he won't get to go to sdd's first communion-which he's already promised her he'll do. Quite the conundrum.

Buuuuuut...I get to meet Dara next week!

[wombatclay]

subbing... back in a sec...dd1 just stripped.

[wombatclay]

So, holiday gifts...

Since the new house is so much smaller we can't really "do" single purpose or big toys. So we're making a sort of play center. One side is a play kitchen/stove, the back is a bookcase, one side has knobs for hanging play clothes and the other side has a hinged puppet stage. The two sides are painted with chalkboard paint so when the puppet stage is folded out that side is an art board. It's two feet deep (bookcase is 12 inches, stove is 12 inches), 18 inches wide, and 3 feet tall.

I'll post pictures once it's done!

Other than that we're planning homemade bean bags and felt foods for her stocking, a new toothbrush/toothpaste, and some dress up items (also home made). Add an orange and a few chocolates for her stocking and we're set.

I splurged on dh though. He's getting battlestar galactica seasons 2 and 2.5 and babylon 5 seasons 1 and 2.

[lalaland42]

Hi all!

I have big news. No, I'm not pregnant, I think Sophie has weaned. It has been a week since she last nursed and she doesn't seem to want boobie at all. :

Oh, and I think she broke my nose today with her thick skull. Seriously.

ETA: We are only buying one toy for DD for the holidays. We don't want to overwhelm her but we don't want her to feel left out either. -She is getting a Plan Toys Pirate Ship.

[wombatclay]

lala- wow. congrats about the weaning...our kiddos are getting so big! I get the bittersweet side though. Laia nurses 3x a day (more if there is a big bump, booboo, trau,a) and she'd nurse more if I let her so I know I'll have to be the active one in the weaning process and it's hard for me to think about it. But I wouldn't be crushed if she were done!

Sorry about the nose though. One of my best friends broke her dad's nose twice when she was a babe.

Milestones...Laia decided two days ago that she doesn't like diapers anymore. She's been wearing unders (dipes for naps, nights, trips out) and has had 5 accidents but she is committed to using the potty! All on her own. It's kind of nutsy.

[dara00]

I'm here! And will be meeting AEZ in 1 week (from tomorrow)! Hey what time are we meeting up?

gifts...well we are Jewish but we don't make a big deal out of Hanukah. However, I have a bunch of things for Gabbie so I figured why not give them to her on Hanukah? So she's getting: a doll sling and a doll mei tai, an elmo's world dvd (she has one but it's a different one), a knit pizza and sandwiches set, and a tie dye outfit which I also have a matching one for Zachary. I got all of these things through swaps on MDC! (I'm addicted). My brother also said he ordered gifts for both kids which is pretty cool.

potty...Gabbie is interested now, much more than before. she often requests to wear underwear, but she doesn't realize that she's not supposed to get them wet. So we're still using diapers at the moment...I have to get my act together with telling her to use the potty every so often. I'm not good at it! but everytime she sits on the potty she will pee, which is a big step - she used to just pop right up and say all done! we do go out a lot so it is going to be difficult to do this outside home too!

[dara00]

oh, is there a new thread for mighty mama, as the old one was removed? I'm about to go search but figured you all might know!

[mom2annika]

Hi...I have been lurking; I'm Karen, SAHM to one DD, an April '05 babe.

She got a bike from the gparents over the weekend (celebrated St. Nicholas's Day a little early; they're Dutch). It's 12" but she's still a little confused by it. She cried when I moved it into the garage though. Wants to go out and visit it all the time.

For Christmas proper she's getting some blocks, clothes, and books, and a scooter-type thing that she fell in love with at a craft show. Remember the scooters we used to play with in gym class in elementary school? That was so much fun!

[JustVanessa]

Hi Karen! Is your daughter's name Annika? I love that name. My baby sister's name is Anneka pronounced Ann-eh-KA.
Is is a real bike? Byron has a bike with no pedals that he thinks is pretty cool. I am probably going to get him one with pedals in the summer.
Nice to have you here!

[mom2annika]

Thanks, yes she's Annika, and yes it's a real bike. She doesn't quite have the push-with-one-foot-then-the-other thing down yet.

[wombatclay]

Welcome mom2annika!

Laia has a red radio flyer tricycle my mom got her last year...she was waaaay too short to use it last year but now it fits pretty well. They have pedal trykes at her playschool and that was really what helped her figure out the way to pedal (and for a while she could only make her tryke got backwards )

[AEZMama]

Happy Hannukah Dara! Let's meet out in front of the Aquarium (under the ray) say...10am? That has us avoiding residual commuter traffic. FYI-DON"T park in the Aquarium parking. Pass the Aquarium lot and you'll see a lot for the cruise terminal and Channelside. Park there-it's cheaper AND covered! Not to mention a lot closer. When do you arrive?

And yes-there is a new Mighty Mama thread...same title, new thread. I guess we are not allowed to talk about BM donation on TAO, so all mentions about donation are being deleted by the mods and the rest of the old thread will be merged in.

Welcome Mom2Annika!

Alathia-hope you are taking the harsh weather in PacNW in stride and all are safe.

Everyone getting snow...I'm jealous! My sister is happy tho-they are here in Orlando right now and BIL is quite happy not to be out snowblowing their extremely long driveway! We head over to Orlando to see them tomorrow.

I wish we had room for a trike or something. Ho hum-hopefully soon!

[dara00]

that sounds good Ursula. I'm arriving on Monday evening. I'll bring your cell number in case anything happens, but I do plan to be there!! thanks for the heads up about the parking too. last time I parked in the aquarium lot! what's the temperature there now?

[AEZMama]

It's in the high 60's low 70's today and it was in the mid 40's this morning, but it's supposed to warm up by the weekend so you're coming at the right time!

[JustVanessa]

Here is a glimpse of Smithers weather.

[AEZMama]

Whoa Vanessa-you are way up there! Snuggle up warmly!

Well, tomorrow is a big decision day for us here. If you didn't see my thread in TAO, dh might have a possible job opportunity here again. We're just waiting to see if he's going to get a call back. Supposedly he's going to know something tomorrow. Tomorrow is also our deadline for our lease renewal if we do it.

In the beginning I was so gung ho about the move, excited, etc. and now I dread the thought of moving. A friend-though I know her intention is to be helpful-just is very negative in conversations about dh, dh finding a job, etc. And when it comes to Andrew, I feel very pushed and rushed and very uncomfortable. I also am quite nervous since it will take a bit more than we have to just get an apartment ($$) and I don't feel comfortable with only having a month & 1/2 of security in a place for us to stay. :::

Anyone have any suggestions or thoughts? Vanessa, I do appreciate your input in TAO. Thanks!!

Hope everyone is ok otherwise.

Dara-80s this weekend...just in time for you!

[dara00]

woo hoo! I want to go swimming!

we may move too (I mentioned it before) and I know it's going to be hard...I'm sure we'll talk Ursula!