Queer Mamas Gathering in Seattle?

[karuna]

Queer mamas, wanna be mamas, even wanna be queers, in the Puget Sound area, want to have a gathering sometime soon? I'm noticing lots of people posting in QP who live in Seattle and nearby, and thought it would be fun to meet sometime.

Anyone interested in meeting at the Zoo, or a playground, or an inside venue if the rain starts again (though the sunshine today made me hopeful!). Our apartment is too small for a big group, but I'd love to do it here if it's just a couple kids and parents. Or, libraries and museums work well! And afternoons are best for us, but not absolutely necessary. Weekdays, weekends, whatever.

I have a 2.5 year old, and we live in Wallingford/Fremont, by the way.

[I should mention, I guess, that while I identify as queer very openly and dated women exclusively for years, my current partner is male. I feel pretty out of my element, though, with many of the het families we've met, because of all the sexist dynamics, and gender stuff that goes unexamined. Plus I just don't relate to straight women as well! I miss my dyke friends back east, and I miss hanging out with folks who just get it, you know?]

[bjorker]

I am interested!
I am partnered with a male too, go fig. :p
I almost immediately mentally ostracized myself from the group before I read your remarks at the bottom - d'oh! I need to remember that it's how I view myself, and not how others might view me.

Maybe this should be crossposted in the local tribe? I think that it gets more traffic than this little corner of MDC :) Your call though!

My dd is alllllmost 1, btw. Not walking yet, but loves to meet new kids and be out & about!

I'll check back and see if we get more people! This was a good idea! :love

[megan sacha]

We'd be interested too....as of today we're now for the first time ever possibly on our way to motherhood! Go swimmers go!

[bjorker]

Ooh, yay! Good luck! Crossing my fingers for you both! :love

[karuna]

Yeah, cool, GOOD LUCK to you two!

So, do you all want to come play sometime? What are people's schedules like? We could do a potluck lunch kind of thing on a weekend day, if Megan and Sacha are both working full-time??, or a weekday playdate if afternoons work for everybody.

Hey, where is everyone else? That new-to-MDC couple? :)

[megan sacha]

We're open every other weekend and usually Mondays and Fridays during the day too. I work 1/2 time, Sacha works nearly full time but is a nurse so she doesn't work that many days.

[Sierra]

We might want to join in, depending on the day and the details. We'd be bringing our 9 month old dfs (hopefully almost adoptive son) with us. I used to live in Fremont/Wallingford area, so prefer going somewhere there because I know I can find my way around. I have a tendency to get lost. Saturdays are somewhat hit or miss, but honestly the best day for a longish drive up to Seattle (we sadly no longer live in the city).

[bjorker]

I'm in Lynnwood, but I don't mind where we go! I don't know the Fremont or Wallingford area enough to know where to meet, but if someone tells me where to go, I'll be there. I'm a little lost-prone myself, so as long as I can find it... :p

My own schedule is a little hit-or-miss the next few weeks (my dd's bday is almost here!) but after that I should be available most any time. I've been temporarily working PT, but as of Feb 1st I'll only be working on Sundays. So yep, weekday afternoons would work great for my dd & I. :love

Sierra: where are you coming from (if you don't mind) ?

[karuna]

So, Saturday's are best for Sierra, and every other weekend for M&S. Would a week from Saturday work for everyone? That'd be Feb 4th. How about Wallingford playground at 10:30am, or my apartment if its raining? I can PM you all directions and my number. Or email me: emibarkus@yahoo.com

Bjorker (is that your real name?)-- I'd be open to meeting on a weekday afternoon, too, if you can't do a weekend. ??

Megan and Sacha-- any pregnancy news? I'll go check the other threads now!

Peace,
Emi

[megan sacha]

So, Saturday's are best for Sierra, and every other weekend for M&S. Would a week from Saturday work for everyone? That'd be Feb 4th. How about Wallingford playground at 10:30am, or my apartment if its raining? I can PM you all directions and my number. Or email me: emibarkus@yahoo.com

Bjorker (is that your real name?)-- I'd be open to meeting on a weekday afternoon, too, if you can't do a weekend. ??

Megan and Sacha-- any pregnancy news? I'll go check the other threads now!

No, sorry, but that weekend won't work for us, but the 11th/12th would work. No news yet...we'll be at 8dpo tomorrow and are trying to hold off on testing until Monday. There have been many "symptoms" (see chart) which Sacha's convinced are real most of the time and other times thinks she's making up. Hoping her temp goes back up tomorrow...would give us more hope.

[bjorker]

Saturday the 4th doesn't work for us either. Most Saturdays probably would though (just not Sundays). The 11th would work as far as I know. 10:30 is also pretty early for us, dd doesn't usually wake up until 9-10 & sometimes later, so I wouldn't know for sure if we'd even be able to make it at that time until the day of. Sorry to make this difficult!

-Kayla P. (there's my real name :love )

[karuna]

OK, the 11th sounds good, and let's do it later in the day, that's better for me, too. It's just that my daughter has been napping later (like 2-ish instead of 12-ish), and it'll get hard if she's all nappy and tantrumy and people are over-- BUT, a Saturday means that my partner will be around, so he can just take her out for her nap in the bike trailer or car. Sooo, how about meeting (or coming here) around 12:30?

If any one else in reading, who hasn't piped in yet, you're more than welcome to join us!

[bjorker]

Sounds good to me!
My daughter's naps have been changing around as well, so I'll just have to play that by ear. Sometimes she's ready for one by 1, sometimes not until 5 (!). I sitll can't figure out where the difference is coming from. :nut She should be okay if she's out and busy, though. I see that your daughter is 2.5-- I'm sure mine will absolutely adore yours! She loves watching bigger kids do their thing.

Anyway, we'll plan on the 11th & hopefully the weather will be decent!

-Kayla P.

[megan sacha]

So, if we're going to do this I want to get it on the calendar. Do we have a time and location set yet? Are we the only ones TTC? Wish we had a little one to bring too. :) Insemination cycle number one was a bust and it sucked. Now we're already on CD4 of attempt number two and will be inseminating next week already! Back in the saddle! At least with this ttc stuff you don't have too long to grieve before you get to try again.

[karuna]

I hope this cycle works for you! Maybe you'll have a *very* little one along with you next weekend.

I hate to do this, but can we change it to Sunday the 12th? Same time and place. Around 12 or 12:30 at the Wallingford playground, or my house if its raining. I'll have some lunch ready (vegetarian).

[megan sacha]

We won't be able to make it on the 12th as we're having friends over that day.. .I guess we'll have to just plan on coming next time.

[bjorker]

I doubt that I could make it on the 12th, either. That's my day to work. :(

I'm unsure of the timing on my work that day, though, so it's somewhat possible. However, it sounds like we lost about half our group, so should we try and make another date? :lol

[karuna]

Alright, sorry to throw in the wrench and confuse the plan. Let's just keep it for Saturday the 11th!! Still cool with folks?

[megan sacha]

We should be able to come for a while. Where are we meeting and what time?

[Sierra]

dfs's nap schedule is also somewhat ever-changing, but as long as dfs is awake and up for the drive (not tons fussy), we can make it on the 11th.

This will be great!

~Sierra

[bjorker]

Woohoo! So it's noon (or 12:30?) at Wallingford playground, yeah? Or Karuna's house if it's rainy? Shall we email you for an address?

[Smithie]

"I miss my dyke friends back east, and I miss hanging out with folks who just get it, you know?"

Me too! Me too!

I'm het though, so I will understand if this is not a party for me. My ds is 20 m.o. and has many queer aunties back home who send him cool presents, but no IRL role models of women who aren't... well... you know. Superstraight. We'd love to get to know you guys if you'd like to get to know us...

We live on the Eastside, and we're free for a noon playdate on the 11th. LMK. It's OK if you don't want a het messing with your vibe.

[karuna]

Yeah, cool, I'm glad y'all can make it. Smithie, come along! Anyone object?

Call or email me for directions to my place if its rainy-- 206-722-3837. Otherwise, Wallingford playground at noon.

Emi

(karuna's not my name, just a Pali word I like)

[Smithie]

Is this the right place?

http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/parks/parkspaces/wallingf.htm

I am a pregnant lady with glasses and a chunky blond toddler. I'll be wearing a red backpack that says James, even though my name is Lydia.

[Sierra]

Ugh...there is a good chance we won't be able to make it, about which I am severly disappointed. dfs has had a respiratory infection for the last three weeks (it seemed like it was pretty much gone for a while), which has really exaserbated his asthma. Today it got so bad the doc had us do chest x-rays to rule out pnemonia. Turns out there is no pneumonia, but his asthma is bad enough right now that I am hesitant to do a longish car trip with him. The doc gave me instructions to call 911 if he turns blue :(!

I might leave dfs at home with dw and drop by on my own, since I have to go up to Bellevue tomorrow to drop off my laptop at the Toshiba service center. I'll see what the morning goes like.

Have fun! And I hope to have the chance once more to meet up with all of you.

~Sierra

[Smithie]

James and I had a great time meeting y'all. He is sleeping very soundly now, and his lip didn't swell up too much from the headers he took off the slide. :)

The Eastside mamas will probably meet in the next couple of weeks, possibly at my house. Keep an eye on that thread!

[megan sacha]

Yeah, it was fun to get together...even though we don't have our little one quite yet. Glad James survived his wild adventures with the big kids!

[Smithie]

BTW, megan and sacha, here's the blog of my friends who just had a baby:

http://namethatmama.blogspot.com/

[Sierra]

Well I am sorry that I had to miss. I didn't even make it up to Bellevue for the computer thing. I hope we can catch you all next time, and glad to hear you had fun.

~Sierra

[megan sacha]

BTW, megan and sacha, here's the blog of my friends who just had a baby:

http://namethatmama.blogspot.com/

Wow, do you know them IRL? I've followed their blog periodically over the last year and knew that they had their baby. Just saw the adorable pics now. So funny that you were talking about someone I "know" as well. : )

[karuna]

Great meeting you all. Sierra-- I hope your baby's feeling much better now! How scary for you. Sorry we didn't get a chance to meet, but maybe next time? I'd be willing to meet somewhere closer to you.

James was so funny, and so darn resilient! What a tough little toddler he is.

Sorry my partner crashed it for a while, it was the thing with my daughter's nap and all. If it makes it any better, in college his female friends gave him an "honorary uterus."

[Smithie]

I thought your dp was very cool, karuna.

megan, I've "known" Emilin for about six years online, we "met" before she was married and WAY before ttc. So it's very cool to see her become a babyblog celeb! :lol