Watertown, SD area?

[sarahmae1]

Hello. Is there anyone here from the Watertown, SD area? My dh is interviewing for a job there next week, and its looking good for him so far. I was curious if anyone could tell me more about the town. I'm familiar w/ SD because we are originally from the Twin Cities area MN, and have lived on the MN/ND border before as well. Right now we're in IN so it would be nicer for us to move closer to home and family. Thanks for any info.

[lilyka]

errr I had a big post and then my baby turned off my computer. I am in Sioux Falls but Watertown is very nice (about 1 1/2 hours from here and 45 minutes from Brookings all nice towns) It is growing quickly which gives it a nice balance of convinience and small town. there is a decent hospital, great Dr (the reason I go there) ample places to shop, nice museum, public library and parks, great homeschool group and I believe there is a LLL in brookings.

the weather around here is fair. Beautiful in the spring and fall, snowy but not insanely in the winter hot but not overly in the summer.

It is about 4 hours from Minn/St Paul, 3 hours from Omaha, 3 hours from Sioux City and 1-1 1/2 from Sioux Falls depending on weather.

It is nice. I would live there.

[sarahmae1]

Thanks! I'm glad to know its a nice place to live. I have a friend who lives in Brookings so I've been talking w/ her as well (but she doesn't have kids yet). I've also been trying to find out as much as I can about Watertown online, and there is not much out there... probably because its smaller. It's funny because I grew up in small town and didn't think I'd like to live in a bigger city, but now that I do I think I will miss all that is offered here when/if we move! I like to have "stuff" for my ds and I to do during the week because I sah and my dh works a lot, but there are not as many classes and groups and such offered in smaller places.

[lilyka]

I have friend from there, she has family there or something and seriously, she is the guru of free and educational stuff for families to do (i believe she used to publish a magazine in the town she lived, she really knows how to dig stuff up. She is amazing)

Anyway, I will ask her if she as any insights.

[sarahmae1]

That would be great! My dh was offered the job, so we will likely be moving there in a few weeks. I am pg so I'll need to find a Dr. for me, and my ds and the baby after we get settled too. Thanks again.

[pageta]

We may be moving to Brookings. My dh is expecting a job offer. I hope he accepts it as I think SD is a great place to live. I'll miss all the AP friends I've made here in Nebraska, though.

[sarahmae1]

Tana,

I've visted Brookings before, its a nice town... the college is there and all, lots of trees. I will miss all my friends and my ds' little friends here when we move too. With Watertown and Brookings being so small I'm not sure how much support and other AP moms we will find there, but they do seem like very good places to raise your children.

[OrganicHideaway]

These are some old posts, but i was born and raised in Brookings. :D I live in Sioux Falls now. Both are great places to live and raise children.

[lilyka]

You live in Sioux Falls!!!

We should get together sometime! I would love to meet someone from these boards. Our Homeschool group will be getting to gether at Mckennan park on Tuesdays should this freaking snow evr go away (what is up with this? I suppose it is always this way but I was so happy to be outside yesterday :rolleyes: but I digress) If you are intrested in meeting us at the park PM me and I will give you the details and let you know when we will start our little play times :)

[OrganicHideaway]

Sounds like fun! My Daniel is a May 2000 baby. :) I'm teaching Dillon at home tihs year. We don't follow any lesson plan since he is only 5. He's a wild man and doesn't sit still well yet so i follow him around a lot. lol
:wild

[jengi33]

My best friend is in Watertown and pregnant with her 2nd child. She has a female doctor, not completely happy with her though.

[lilyka]

Lesson plans :laugh:

yeah you should hook up with us.

here is this http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SouthDakotaHomeschool/

and here is this
www.southdakotahomeschool.com

feel free to show up to anything and just tell them that Sandra invited you.

Park days are Tuesdays from 11:00-1:00, feel free to bring a lunch. Once it all starts Storyland Childrens Theater will be before and free swimming and supervised playgrounds will be after. I htink we are going to start meeting at the parks in a couple of weeks. I will be late until my current tuesday morning commitment is over but I will be there. Oh! At McKennan Park (right smack in the middle of town by McKennan Hospital)

[sarahmae1]

Originally posted by jengi33
My best friend is in Watertown and pregnant with her 2nd child. She has a female doctor, not completely happy with her though.

Hey, there is someone here! What does she like to do for fun around here? I have a (male) Dr. that I like. How old is her first child? Ask her if she'd like to email me - my address is sarahmae22@hotmail.com and maybe get together sometime! Thanks!

[sarahmae1]

lilyka-

I wish we were in Sioux Falls, it sounds like there is more to do there ... and maybe even more AP type people there too. We're hoping to come and visit sometime after the baby is born. We are from a larger community, so we are soo bored here in Watertown and I really miss all my mommy friends that I had in IN. What's good to do and see down there?

[lilyka]

Oh no. we are pretty much all the AP people in town. We are just organized. (OK my friend is organized but she always invited me to play.) The people taking over the homeschool group are soooo not AP (on was complaining because she wasn't getting everything she needed done for the day because her son - 10yo wouldn't sit still through the 6 hours of lessons she had planned so instead it was taking 8-10 hours) yeah we are just stiking with them for thier discounts. But hey, we are friendly and will invite anyone to play so if your ever in town look me up.

[OrganicHideaway]

I have to agree. I don't know any AP moms here. :) There are still many nice moms in the area though.

[lilyka]

I don't know if you are still looking for a Dr. but i think it is worth the drive to Sioux Falls to use Lisa hansen. She is awsome. If you have short labors it might not be the best plan. It is about 1 1/2 drive but I would do it. Of course I llive 5 minutes from the hospital and still didn't make it in time. But it was a good thing. :LOLAnyway she is a midwife and oddly enough she marched into the hospital and changed everything and with a little arm twisting theymet every one of her demands and it is a poretty cool place to have a baby now. That from a former homebirther. If you friends wants a home birth I could maybe hook her up to. I know people but it is pretty for midwives so it isn't exactly advertised. more like pulling teeth.

Organic - we should get together sometime. I have no life. so anytime is good for me. Also if you are intrested in homeschooling we are having a little homeschooling fair where kids kinda get to show off thier stuff. It is free and way low key. It would give you a chance to meet the other two crunch families in Sioux falls (just kidding there are more. But they all can b e found in a LLL meeting or homeschooling event. :) )

[OrganicHideaway]

Organic - we should get together sometime. I have no life. so anytime is good for me. Also if you are intrested in homeschooling we are having a little homeschooling fair where kids kinda get to show off thier stuff. It is free and way low key. It would give you a chance to meet the other two crunch families in Sioux falls (just kidding there are more. But they all can b e found in a LLL meeting or homeschooling event. :) ) [/B][/QUOTE]

I still don't believe that there are other crunchie moms in SF. lol I know a lady close by who is so sweet and wonderful...but she lives in Omaha and we have never met. :p

I don't drive so I will have to drag my sister around with me so we can meet. Are you still planning on getting together and *M* park? I'm in the SE side of SF so we can get to the bike trails but not that far. Not until i get a new bike anyway :D

[lilyka]

Hey I happen to know a great bike shop that is currently haveing a sale :wink Go to spoke-n-sport :LOL

IS there a park near you? We could meet at one of theose. We aren't officially starting at M park until May because of a homeschooling event the last two weeks of April but if you just wanted to get together some time let me know. There are 10 million parks in this town 20 if you count elementray school playgrounds. there has to be something you can walk to, So SE where is that exactly? by Laurel Okes pool and the library? or further south?

[OrganicHideaway]

Very south east...Like Welness Center south east.

I'm going to have to check out that sale. Where is that shop? We have tax money coming back (woohoo). How long is the sale going on for?

[lilyka]

McKennan wellness center. If you wanted to get together we could meet at the park across the street. i forget the name but it is nice. We used to cut through there to get to the rest oftown. That was my biggest beef with living over there. There are no grocery stores, no convienice stores or anything. Althoug it is nice now that Hell-mart is over there and I have he3ard rumors that there will be a target. And Old Navy (sorry, that last one is a joke, not sure how long you have lived here but for the last 10 years everytime big building opens up the rumor, on good athourity, is that old navy is moving in.) Anywhoo, we used to live in these crappy crappy apartments on 41st and sycamore? Southeastern? I hated it. I think we were there for about 9 monthds and moved back to the central part of town (and got our old phone number back :LOL I could never remember the one out there.) So if you want to get together call me. I will pm my phone number to you. No car, you sound like you need to get out of the house. :LOL

[OrganicHideaway]

I've heard the Old Navy Rumors for YEARS! I wish it would just get here already!! I like Target but I have had some bad experiences with it. There are some rude shoppers there that I end up having to yell at :p

If I'm thinking of the right apartments those are in our walking range. :) I pass by them just about every day.

[jengi33]

Are you still there Sarahmae? Sorry, Forgot I replied to you. I will send Yvette to this site and have her get a hold of you. She works part time and her daughter is 2 1/2. Take care!

Jenny

Hey, there is someone here! What does she like to do for fun around here? I have a (male) Dr. that I like. How old is her first child? Ask her if she'd like to email me - my address is sarahmae22@hotmail.com and maybe get together sometime! Thanks!

[lilyka]

We moved in befor construction was finished (we were the finishers and management) sothey finished ours quick. Ava was about 4 months. It was nice to live some where knew but the quality was so bad!!!!! Nevr ever buy anything butl by Equity homes orr BBR LLC. The quality is shotty (the fire inspector wasn't one bit surprised when 50% of the fire alarms didn't work or that there were electrical problems in several buildings. several out of 6 - he said it was par for the course.) we lived there for about 9 months and had over 20 units break thier lease. there were not enough parking spaces for everyone. There werte holes in the walls where they didn't cut streight but didn;t bother fixing it. And litereally no circulation. At least 8 units had problems with black mold by the time we moved out. I could go on but I will spare you. I know they build alot in that neighborhood though, so stear clear if you can.

[my2girlz]

These are some old posts, but i was born and raised in Brookings. :D I live in Sioux Falls now. Both are great places to live and raise children.

Did you graduate from Brookings? If so, what year? I live in the Twin Cities now, but I was born and raised in Brookings. We go back several times per year and frequently visit friends in Sioux Falls.

[OrganicHideaway]

Did you graduate from Brookings? If so, what year? I live in the Twin Cities now, but I was born and raised in Brookings. We go back several times per year and frequently visit friends in Sioux Falls.

I graduated in '98. :o)

[my2girlz]

I graduated in 98!

[MyLittleDs]

Hey! This is Hannah. i switched my user name since it was also the name of my business. Ooops...should read the rules before signing up. ;)

Just wanted to say hi and see how the SD moms are doing. Hope everyone has been able to stay warm the summer. haha
Oh Sandra! Your shop is a few blocks from dh car lot. lol Are you by Z'Kota (sp whatever its called)? Go a little further toward 41st street and look left. There's a sign with a huge "P". That's it.

Take care!!

[sarahmae1]

Reviving this post because I've lived here (in Watertown) for a year now and I still don't know anyone! I've decided that I'd like to start a playgroup.

I graduated in 98 too and I grew up outside the Twin Cites area. My dh is from 'the cities' but we've also lived in ND and IN during the past 5yrs.

[ShelleyMom2in2]

Just wanted to say hi to everyone it watertown- DH and I were married there in 2000- we live in AZ and are going to be moving up there in 3-4 mos. As soon as we can get our land sold.

I am Shelley-23 Mom to Aaron- 2 years old TOMORROW! and Chase almost 9 months old!

Arfe there any midwives in WT? I want to HB my next baby but dont want it UC.

[sarahmae1]

Just wanted to say hi to everyone it watertown- DH and I were married there in 2000- we live in AZ and are going to be moving up there in 3-4 mos. As soon as we can get our land sold.

I am Shelley-23 Mom to Aaron- 2 years old TOMORROW! and Chase almost 9 months old!

Arfe there any midwives in WT? I want to HB my next baby but dont want it UC.


Hi Shelley! I don't know if there are any midwives here, but I do know that there are doulas. Are you from Watertown? I'd love to chat more, esp. if you are going to be moving here! You can pm or email me if you'd like.

[jengi33]

Shelley
The homebirth situation is not good in South Dakota at this time. We are working towards getting legislation passed, but it doesn't seem to be getting done. Very frustrating. With my baby last winter, I was meeting a midwife out of state. Of course Watertown is closer to MN, so that may be a possibility for you! The one experienced midwife in SD, had to spend time in jail a couple of years ago and agreed to not practice in state anymore. She does go out of state though. HTH!

And welcome to South Dakota, by the way! I'm in Pierre, but my best friend is in Watertown!

[ShelleyMom2in2]

Thank you Jenny!! I so appreciate that!! Its been a toss up between watertown SD and Newark OH since Newark has excellent midwives Im going to be pushing hard for newark OH. Too bad so sad, the state of SD wont be getting any of our money. Hopefully more people in the future will have the luxury of this choice and will make it accordingly. If enough people do this law makers will ave to get off their butts and do something.

[MyLittleDs]

Trailing on the end of this post. I have 2 little boys (ages 5 and 7) and had no idea about midwifes when i had the. South Dakota is still in the dark when it comes to those kind of things. (I'm in Sioux Falls so you would think the bigger city would have bigger choices but no, we don't)

I have a love hate relationship with SD but I hope you enjoy it! :)