LA Moms February 2003!

[mary ann]

Sorry, I was just ITCHING to create a new thread!
:)

[lunarmomma]

Hey everyone...

ma- congrats!!! That is GREAT news...Too cool!!!

pom, I like the legacy outback (or the outback, what's the difference??) It seems to have a tad more room than the Forrester, plus the latter is some kind of SUV, no??? I don't like SUV...

merika, I've been trying to get on your site for days, glad it wasn't me, I wanted to come to class tonight but think I pulled a muscle yesterday AFTER yoga when reaching around to try to get my water bottle from behind my seat whilst trying to keep my foot on the brake... stupid me.... Might have to wait until next time, as it is just starting to feel better, 24 hours later......

Missed you all on Sunday.

The LA tour is going well, but busy. We did the Farmer's market on Sunday, then I brought my jet lagged friend's to a yoga class that afternoon.
Monday we did Pt. Dume and Malibu, (saw whales and dolphins, wooo hooo!!!
Tuesday we did the Getty, yesterday I brought my friend to Gurmukh's women's yoga class, , later they WALKED to third ST promenade from our house (which to me is rather far). Today we went to breakfast, then they went to Venice beach etc... walking of course. Crazy English!!

Anyway this weekend is a great yoga workshop, SAt and Sunday from 1-4, anybody want to come?? This woman is amazing and is only in town a couple times a year now. It is at SM yoga... good deep stuff....
Next week my friends go driving up north and I have my lactation ed class... It'll be a crazy week but at least it's just a week.

See you somewhere!!!

[MerikaR]

Lunar - sorry about the site. It is still down, but should be up this weekend. We had to switch providers. Still don't know what happened with the last ones, but I wasn't about to stick around to find out. At least my email is back! Sad, but funny too about your injury - I always injure myself doing the daily things, never the sports stuff!! :p

MA -looking forward to seeing you tonight! MG - it's from 7-8 tonight if you want to come "shake your caboose", and anyone else here too. Email me if you need info.

Yay, new thread!!!!

Ds is "talking" up a storm these days. Rubelin, signing rocks! I have even taught ds "belly dancer" as one of his first 10 words. :D

Merika

[christinla]

....but I suppose I should sign on the new thread!

There hasn't been much to write here. Just eavesdropping on you guys!

SORRY I missed Sunday. Nat was still getting over her cold, and I ended up feeling ill that evening. Plus, Mom sorta comandeered the day.

hmph. I forward this peace-oriented email (I don't forward many emails, but this one I liked), and someone wrote back a kinda nasty email comparing our current situation to WWII and Hitler. First of all, if you don't like my email, delete it. Second of all, I disagree. But whatever. Bugs me, tho.

:(

MA that is SUCH terrific news!!!!!

I hope everyone is feeling healthy.

LM -- MAN you're busy! Superwoman! I laughed about your English friends walking everywhere.

Rube -- oh I hope you're not really feeling guilty about preschool. I'm already thinking about preschool!! And you're not a SAHM, you're a WAHM! I don't know how you get anything done at all. Your ds needs to go be social!

Well, my weekly alone time is ticking away, so I'll go.
peace out...
c

[mary ann]

christin!! nice to see you, and i plan to see MORE of you soon!! :)

LM--you go, yogamama!! i'd love to do yoga, but i have bad knees and the one time i tried it, i had to ice my knees for a week! :eek

mer--fun class again but i am a spaz with the scarves!! :rolleyes: better for me to just try to shake it--easy to do since i got so much to shake!! :p anyway, my friend had fun.

just watche the first neena and veena tape--they are BOTH cyborgs!!! but the tape was fun, i think i will like these videos.

have a fun day planned tomorrow--hiking with a friend in malibu! dd will probably pass out in the baby trekker...that's the one time she's a good sleeper! :rolleyes:

i gave notice today and feel like a huge weight is lifted...YAY!!!!!

happy friday, everyone!

[moongloe]

hey all~

just taking a break from cleaning to get cyber-caught up...

ma...yaaayy to giving notice! impoverished lunatics of the world unite!

mer...wish i could have joined you. yesterday i was extremely busy spoiling ds rotten.

lunar...wow you are an amazing hostess! technically i am an out-of-town friend hint hint.

c...hope you and dd are all better now!

sorry this is such a short post. i have tons to do today. i'll try again later.
~peace Peace PEace PEAce PEACe PEACE :love mg

rube...he got your phone message..ty so much!

[Lisanaaron]

hi all,

just wanna say hello:) I'm busy studying for my exam which will be on the 22nd. Will be away from DS for 4 hours:( Hopefully I'll pass so won't have to retake it.

MA, glad you gave notice. WooHoo!!! You go girl!!!!

Christinla, hopefully you'll join us soon. Let's plan our Feb gathering.

Lunar...sounds like you're having fun:)

Pom, how's the car thing with my friend? Hopefully it works out for you.

Later,

[mary ann]

the boards are back up--wooohooooo!! but moving so sloooooooooooooooooow.............

pom sorry you're feeling craptacular again! is dd getting any better? fling poooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i have (not including today) 5, count 'em, FIVE days left of work!!! hurray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! can't wait!!!!!!!!!
i was thinking, it's going to be a bit of an adjustment, figuring out how to structure my days... plan things so i don't go nuts.... i will have to get savvy to all the fun kid things going on around town--libraries, etc. dd is SO SO social and LOVES to be around other kids and see new places, do new things... also likes museums...who's up for free museum days? i gotta get a schedule of when all the museums have their free days. dd LOVES looking at art! the more colorful and strange, the better! i will have to take her to MOCA for sure. (can a baby already have developed a taste for modern art???)
we went to the huntington library on sunday--had a blast! dd did NOT act like a sophisticated lady at tea, however.... :D

mer, see ya thursday! and my friend will be coming again--she really liked it! this time she and i are going out for a beer afterwards to celebrate the demise of my job! :)

LM--how's the tour guide life?

MG--how's ds? did he ever actually get sick or was it just the allergy sniffles? i've been sniffly myself, but it's just allergies...

oh boy oh boy oh boy does ANYBODY know someone who needs a nanny or cleaning person? i just GOTTA help place my nanny...she is great and she really needs the work--i hate to screw her over!

happy rainy tuesday, everyone! (as much as i normally hate rain, for some reason, i like the weather today! i brought my rain jacket and umbrella and am going for a walk at lunch!)
:)

[christinla]

MA you are just a RAY OF SUNSHINE of this rainy day! :) I'm so happy for you and the demise of your job!!! HURRAH! I'm up for museum days and zoo and stuff like that. Although life is all about chasing dd now (a year's worth of pro-rated sympathy to all the moms that have been chasing their kids while I sat lazily with my little one, btw!!).

I know I've been flakey about our weekend gatherings, but if anyone does want to try to do stuff during the week, let me know!

Did I mention that DDis just WEARING ME OUT? Geez -- she goes non stop during the day -- and she's either running out the door with out a look back at me, or she WAILS in agony if I turn my back on her while we're in the living room. And I'm the ONLY one who can calm her again. And any nighttime routine we had so tenuously established is just a happy memory. Bedtime is a surprise each night, and between teething and just being on overdrive (I think) she's up all the time. I suspect this is typical toddlerdom, and that all kids do similar stuff. But *yawn*

gotta go!
c

[lunarmomma]

Hey girls...
robing thanks much for the book. Let me know how you wanna work it out....
My guests have gone north for a spell... camping. (in the rain). But they don't mind, they're ENGLISH. They camp in the winter in their country, crazy people.
I am up to my ears in my lactation educator class this week. Wow. lots of info... good stuff but lots of homework, reading and sitting on your arse for 8 hours a day. Yeesh. I ain't used to this. It's been a Loooooooooong time since I have been any kind of student.
If any of you know of any new mamas that are under 14 days post partum I need a couple of community outreach clients. They'll get free lactation ed services!!
OK gotta go to sleep.
pom, congrats on the vehicle. you're in the club now.... you groovy girl.
hi christin, long time no see or hear!!
G/night everyone.

[mary ann]

so, LM, whatcha gonna do with all this schooling? are you planning in going into business? i forget if you said before.

christin, i gotta come see that wild dd of yours! the last time i saw her she was sitting up but not walking. i gotta see what i'm in for!!! :rolleyes:

pom, how does the new car drive in all this rain??!

ok, i am officially annoyed by the weather...today i went out at lunch--all but 2 vendors at the farmer's market had packed up. i walked about 2 blocks total, WITH a raincoat on and WITH an umbrella, and still got SOAKED!! the rain is comin' down sideways, i swear! and it is so windy, my umbrella blew inside out and flipped up about 6 times. now i am having the worst hair day in history!! but, guess what? I ONLY HAVE FOUR MORE WORK DAYS LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!!! :banana

MG you are suprisingly silent! not sick, are ya?? :eek

did one of the bellydancing exercise videos this morning, and then when i went to shower and looked in the mirror, was dismayed that i am not skinny yet. :rolleyes: i hope i don't raise my kid to be as impatient as i am!!!

hope you are all staying dry!

[moongloe]

hey chicas!

pom..congrats on the wheels!!!

ma...sideways rain sucks.

lunar...i hope you're happy with the stuff keeping you newly so busy.

c...ha! no more sitting serenly at gatherings for you. i'm always up for meeting mid-week.

ds has been sick since this weekend; today was the first day he was out of bed. i've got it too, but fortunately just a mild version. the nights are the worst, because he cannot stay asleep (cough and sore throat).
on a happy note...he was singing in his sleep the other night! it was the cutest damn thing i've ever heard.

don't float away anyone!
~can we just have peace? mg :love

[Pom]

So THIS is where you all have been! I didn't get the last post on the other thread and couldn't get on the damn site and I was finally just gonna post and lo and behold you're all HERE!!!! Hi!!!!!

MA - I am so damn excited for you. Is tomorrow the last day?!?

Lunar - I have a friend expecting in April...will you still need outreach then? She's in Burbank and so wonderful. I still haven't been to Malibu -- maybe I'll make DH take us this weekend. Hmmm...

I also have to get to the Freud exhibit at MOCA, and the Getty, too...sheesh.

Christin welcome back! Isn't it amazing what sort of fits they can throw when displeased???

Everyone can blame minipom for making poor sweet MG's DS a hacky boy. Glad he's feeling better! I don't think I can take one more winter cold with dd...this last one was scary and I sat up all night counting breaths and imagining the worst! Even started drving to the ER one night, but turned around and came home. Spent the co-pay on an ear thermometer instead so I could monitor her like the paranoid momma I am! Now that dh is working nights, it's easy to get freaked out!

Thanks for the car congrats -- it drives like BUTTAH in the rain! It's quiet and comfy and like a cloud. It's the nicest thing I've ever owned (or leased) by far. DD likes it too -- she's a wee bit higher, and now next to the window so can see more. Her carseat won't go in the middle! At least we love it. It's really a stretch for us, and if I didn't love it, I'd be really depressed. We're cutting corners I didn't know we had to cut to make it work!

Looks like we'll be flying east in April. My mom can't travel on her new chemo and so we're going to go visit -- possibly solo without DH. Cross country alone??? Ruh roh. I'm a wee nervous. We'd go to NY to see the moms and then to Maine to see my family. Which would be nice!

Ok, I'm just rambling now...missed y'all!

What should we do this month??? I really enjoyed Lisa's yard...so easy! Would it be lame to do it again?

[rubelin]

Geez, have I even posted to this thread yet :rolleyes: It's been so nuts here. I "opened" my biz again with new items and madness has ensued with everyone wanting the same thing and the cart not working and faboo stuff like that. It's all good in the long run, but I don't take well to transition, so it's hard and upsetting in the meantime while I iron out the kinks and get all my new databases and stuff set up.

We found out on Friday that Dan is leaving on Saturday for 9 days in Hungary :eek I am so not happy and have no idea how we will manage. My parents can't watch Ben at all next week and my sis can't help much either. I definitely won't be getting much sewing done, and I have to make sure anything important is finished up in the next day or so. what fun :rolleyes:

Congrats Pom on the new car! I have car lust almost as bad as baby lust, but our credit ourlook is about as bad as my fertility outlook right now, so both are having to wait :) I want a Honda Oddessy minivan, and I see them everywhere, just can't seem to turn off the radar. We should be ready to get one in about a year, but our Saturn sedan feels like it gets smaller every time I drive it. We put a little trashcan/tissue holder thingy on the back of the driver's seat and our little Mr. Monkey-Arms can reach into it and pull out all the trash! LOVELY :p

OK, I really have to get back to work and maybe have a moment to say hello to hubby. Sorry to be so whiny, but I think this shall be how it is for a while, maybe I'll go back tolurking until my mood is cheerier :wink

Hope you are all having a wonderful week! Let's plan a fabulous month-end thing, I need something to look forward to!

[christinla]

hey

Pom -- What car did you get? I missed that part of the car saga! Tell tell! Congrats no matter what it is!!

Rube -- Man! Hungary? What is it with all of the absentee hubbies? Night shifts, European business trips....mine has been gone alot more than usual, too. But not HUNGARY! Hang in there, chickie. It will go by quick. I can't think of what I can do to help, but if you can, let me know!!!! And you can whine here as much as you want....no need to lurk (says the recovering lurker).

Hope everyone's little ones are feeling better.

Happy Vday! :love

c

[Pom]

Hey Rube - Remember we are NEIGHBORS!!! Surely we can find a way to help you out while DH is away. P>S There's a thread on the board about minivans and largely about the Odyssey. My tip? If you're waiting til next year and want to treat yourself, get the Nissan 2004 Quest (very posh)!

Christin - We got a Subaru Outback ltd --- red with beige inside and a 6 CD changer!!! I've never had anything more than a broken tape deck so you can imagine my excitement!

I've been up since 4:30 with dd and have to try and get some work done...want to cut out early today and actually EXERCISE!

Happy valentine's day and smooches to everyone...

J

[Lisanaaron]

Hi all!

Pom, Congrats on the new car. Must be nice...don't you love the smell of new cars? 6 CD Changer, wow! I'm jealous. I never replaced mine that was stolen. Now I have a broken tape deck.

Pom, Traveling solo? I used to LOVE traveling solo. Take me with you, I'd love to visit Maine. I heard it's beautiful there. I'm itching for a vacation again SOON!!!

Speaking of cars, mine won't start yesterday so we had to miss story hour. AAA came not too long after that, so that was nice. I'm gonna have to have the starter checked out. I hate to put $$ in this car. It's been so good to me for the last 11 years. I'm coveting the Honda Civic hybrid:(

Rube, I'm sorry DH has to go for 9 days. But, time will pass so quickly and it'll work out. We're here to help:)

MG, how are you and DS? Feeling any better?

Later,

[Pom]

By "solo", I meant "with baby -- without help!" Maine IS beautiful, and April/May lovely.

I really wanted a hybrid. Seems silly to get otherwise anymore, but they're all small except the Honda SUV and now they've discontinued it. I think Lexus is going to put one out too, but that is another lifetime of budget!!!

Sorry about your starter. Funny, that's how our problems started with the Escort.

Lunar - I meant to ask, where's a good place in Malibu to go???

[moongloe]

:love happy valentine's day everyone! :love

pom...your new car is oohlala!

lisan...sorry about the car trouble! we're on the mend thanks.

this afternoon the kids decided to play 'i can yell at you louder than you can yell at me', 'he/she took my toy so i'm going to cry very loudly', and my favorite 'hold me on your lap but when he/she climbs up too, i'm going to throw a fit'.
happily one is now snoring sweetly and the other is eating chocolate. i think women who have large families must be taking valium.

~world peace, mg :love

[Lisanaaron]

Pom, oh solo with baby? I meant solo sin baby IS fun...ha..ha.. you get to meet people that way!! oh well, gone are those days.

Does anyone know if it's expensive to get a new starter?

Pom, so did you buy or lease? do you know that if you or DH will use the car for work, you can have a tax write off if it's leased? Well, just a thought, might save some $$.

Yeah, you're right about the hybrid Honda Civic is small. I've never owned any cars bigger than a Civic so I don't know. Is it nice to have a bigger car? Is all that extra space necessary?

[Pom]

I could not live without the extra space, but I've always been a wagon girl - cartin' stuff around. Thanks for the leasing tip (we did lease)!

we had to get an ignition switch and it ran us $300. Thought it was the starter, but it was not.

MG - OMG I AM SO SORRY> HOPE YOU ARE OKAY!!! :)

[lunarmomma]

WOO HOO I'm out!!!!
MAn was that an intense week. Very good, but intense and gone all day every day for 8 hours, except today we got out at 3 hooray!!!!
Yeah, i'm on the road to being a lactation educator. vEry cool. We got a lot of info. Now I just need to get out in the community and start being with people. healthy babies, normal stuff. we ain't trained to deal with medical issues and problems and all that....
but I learned some good tricks about latching and swallowing and a million other things.
pom... Cross Creek Park in the Malibu country mart... you can pick up lunch and the kiddos can play in the playground... or walk across the street to the beach to where the lagoon runs into the sea... it's nice. Just be prepared to see a lot of plastic surgery at Cross Creek :eek
Regarding your friend.. My assignments are due in April, if not then in August but I'm aiming for April. If I slack off I'll let you know!!

Rube, so sorry, can you go?? would you go.. mprobably kinda frigid cold over there right now... so sorry. that would suck.

ma, girl, have you been let loose yet??/ major whoops to you too!!!!That is so great.

OK folks- TOMORROW IS A PEACE RALLY AT THE BEACH.....
Here's the info. We will be there. hope some of us can show up .....

Event in Santa Monica. Saturday, Feb. 15th.

Wear dark blue or solid shirt for the aerial picture of the 'human peace
symbol' which we will create in the sand. Music, fun, food and lots of families.
PEACE ON THE BEACH PROGRAM
OCEAN PARK BOULEVARD BEACH
PEACE ON THE BEACH STARTS WITH TWO SIMULTANEOUS GATHERINGS:

Noon to 12:30 PM Silent Meditation Sit on Ocean Park Beach
(Where Ocean Park Boulevard Meets the Sand)

Noon to 12:30 PMPeace Walk from Venice to Ocean Park Beach
Meet at Windward Ave. & Ocean Front Walk
(South of Rose Ave. -- North of Venice Blvd.)

EVENT SCHEDULE:
1:00 - 2:00 PM SPEAKERS, SPOKEN WORD & MUSIC
SPEAKERS TO DATE:
Reverend Michael Beckwith, (Agapelive.com)
Blase Bonpane (OOA@igc.org)
Ron Kovic- Vietnam Vet. - Born on the Fourth of July
Eisha Mason (nonviolenceworks.com)
Kevin McKeown, Santa Monica Mayor pro tem.
Saul Williams, star of SLAM, poet & author.
Readings from several spiritual traditions and indigenous people.
2:00 PMFORMATION OF PICASSO INSPIRED PEACE SYMBOL
Aerial artist John Quigley will create human peace symbol.
** DARK BLUE OR SOLID COLOR SHIRT WILL HELP AERIAL PHOTO**
1:00 – 3:15 PMMUSIC PROGRAM FOR THE DAY INCLUDES:
Agape Director, Ricki Byars Beckwith and The Agape Sound.
Additional guest performers to date:
The Doors keyboardist, Ray Manzarek;
Acclaimed guitarist, SLASH; singer and violinist
Lili Haydn; drummer Ravi Jakhotia, guitarists
Stephen Fiske and Ed Munter, Western Shakuhachi
master David Zasloff, Janet Planet, and Drum Circle
facilitators, Ron La Pointe and Stephanie Buffington.

BRING THE KIDS...THEY WILL INHERIT EVERYTHING THAT COMES FROM THESE MOMENTS.

[rubelin]

ooh, LM, that sounds so wonderful! unfortunately, we'll be home helping Dan pack and then taking him to LAX :( No we can't go along, plane tix are $1200 a piece (more than our rent!!) and he'll be working non-stop. Very cool on the LE (LC, what will your new title be??) We'll ahve to talk sometime, I'm doing something along the same lines, but not with all the classes!

We had a nice date tonight. Went to the Howard Hughes center for dinner at OnThe Border. Waited about an hour and a half for our food on the cold patio, but they ended up comping the meal cause it took so long. Food was very yummy, and it being free pretty much made up for the rest.

OK, I must get some sleep, that is definitely something I can't afford to miss out on this week. Hope you all had a lovely V-day!!:love

[lunarmomma]

rube... smooth and safe journey to Dan...
The lac ed is a lac ed... the next class after that is lac consultant but one needs medical license of some sorts to take it. Though, even the lac ed one is a fairly medical model. You can look online at UCLA Extension under their maternal child health programs to get the idea... You're doing the LLL one no???
How do you like it??
Good morning everyone. Happy Valentines day. I forgot yesterday.
Today was my first day to sleep in and ds woke at 6. Most unpleasant indeed!!!
See you all.....

[mary ann]

oh boy oh boy, there is NOTHING i would like more than going to this protest today!!! DRATTED DH'S PARENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh, did i mention, DRATTED DH PARENTS?!!!!!!!!!! ugh. they are here this weekend, and AFTER dh and i agreed to only spend ONE day with them, dh committed us for the WHOLE WEEKEND!!!!!!!!! i had plans with a dear old friend of mine who i haven't seen in forever that i had to change for them. i am super pissed off. also i wanted to go to this groovy bellydancing convention merika told me about, can't do that either. :angry
AND i am SO looking forward to dh's dad freaking out when he hears i'm quitting work! i already have my speech planned about him staying out of our financial affairs..... :bang

pom--congrats on your smoooooooth ride!!! am i cool enough to ride with you??!!!! :D

LM wish i had you with me when i was having all that trouble with little missy's million nursing strikes!!! :eek hey, i have a friend who is a doula and super groovy...maybe you should hook up with her for clients?

rube, you KNOW how i cam totally empathize with your situation!!! i am so so so sorry to hear you will be left alone for 9 days!! ugh!!! i only narrowly escaped that myself.... i am even MORE sorry that i can't offer to watch your ds--so totally unsafe with my a-hole bitey dog. :( but i am certainly here for moral support!! and please, never, never (i think i can safely speak for everyone here) NEVER hold back on the whining, complaining, bitching, moaning and otherwise venting!!!! :D (i know I certainly don't! :p )

last day is thursday!!!! whooopeee!!! monday is a paid holiday, smart move on my part!!! :wink get that one last freebie out of 'em!!!

christin i am glad to see you have truly mended your lurker ways!!! :)

lisa, i think bigger cars are just safer, period. something we have been thinking about with dd...i am now carting her around in the jeep cherokee my sis gave us, has a lot more metal than my flimsy corolla (much as i love that car, it does fold up like an accordian when so much as TAPPED by another car). i think the only exception would be a small volvo or mercedes, they have excellent crash test ratings. SOMEDAY we will own a volvo wagon...... :rolleyes:

happy weekend everyone!!!! my wish for everyone is that NONE of you have to deal with IL's!!!!
and my other wish is that this war protest today gets some good press!!!

MG glad you guys are feeling better!!!

[MerikaR]

MA DO NOT GO TODAY TO BDUC Go tomorow they are not selling anything today.

Merika (via dh)

[moongloe]

hey all~

dang! i would have gone to the beach rally! i meant to log on a few times earlier too. i knew there were tons of rallies today, but nothing i felt comfortable bringing ds to. i hope it was a huge turn out!

pom...dh tried calling your pad, got a weird message.

ma...blech inlaws!!!!!

rube...glad your date went well. free is good.

we put the wee lad to bed, opened some wine, watched 'my big fat greek wedding' (due back tuesday, wanna borrow it?), read a little 'joy of nookie', then went to ahem...bed. :D

i think ds is having a relapse. he is very fussy today, no appetite, belly ache earlier, and his cough is back. aarrgghh.

off to surf the web.
~PEACE, mg :love

[Pom]

Hey everyone --

Laura - how was the rally? We went to Malibu per your suggestion -- grabbed a bite at the Market (skipped the playground) and took it across the street to the state park beach for a picnic, some pelican watching, and tide pool galavanting. While we were there a group of people came down to the water as part of the tail end of a funeral -- the man was a surfer, and about half of the group -- his buddies-- donned wet suits and leis -- took their boards out to the water, formed a circle (and did a ceremony of sorts out there), left the flowers, and then "rode" back in to shore (not much riding, more paddling truth be told). It was very sweet. We then tooled around Malibu and the Palisades checking out the neighborhoods into Brentwood, and then home. Our car took the hills with no problem! ANd for once, I didn't feel like the "gardner"! How nice not to smell clutch!! Then we all took a lovely family nap. Ahhh.

MA - Well, at least the ILs will be gone soon, no? Hang in there!

MG - DS and me, both. Today, half of Iowa is living in my head and nose!

[lunarmomma]

Rally good... lots of people. Good for the kids because of the playground right there at Ocean Park and the beach. There were a few too many kids there though so the little ones had to look out for the big one's who were quite rambunctious with little regard for smaller folk... mama antennae had to keep tabs every second.
But yes, nice and very child friendly.
I will try to post these things ahead of time in the future to allow for more notice!!
Pom. dontcha just love the outback?? Do you have the seat warmers??? We got them because it came with the one we were looking at, I wouldn't have ordered them but didn't mind- thinking ahead to Canada... we'd use them!!
goodnight all.

[Pom]

Laura - glad you had fun...saw all the coverage on tv...and yes, I do love the Outback, and it came with the seatwarmers ans am so glad we chose it over the others ( I wish it had come with the autodimming rearview mirror with compass, but it didn't and we asked for no extras to keep the payments down :( )! Funny you mention Canada, everyone makes fun of me for the heated side mirrors and the AWD, but, like a good Maine girl, I keep thinking how if we ended up back east it will all be necessary! Our friends are getting a new car, too, and are getting the Saturn L300 wagon -- it's quite luxurious with all the bells and whistles-- even more space in the back for the same price, if not a bit less. Lisa - if you guys need a new (or new/used) car you might want to check out those Saturns.

[Pom]

Where is everyone?

We went with the neighbors to the Rustic Canyon park today...so nice there with the greatest climbing trees ever! Lisa - didn't you mention interest in their co-op? Have you visited?

[moongloe]

hey all~

not much going on today. ds is complaining of pain in one ear, so i didn't want to have him out all day. we did make it over to goodwill though. got him some pants and a few things for me. it sucks to have to watch your pennies at a thrift shop...but i'm thankful i at least have some to spare.

who knows the meaning behind the different full moons? my book lists them and the dates they fall on this year, but nothing else. tonight will be the 'quickening moon'.

oh how cute! ds is drawing on post-its and sticking them up all over! i'm going to ignore the urge to remind him not to be wasteful this one time.

who wants to go out to lunch with ds and me on the 27th (thursday)?

~peace and love mg :love

[christinla]

hi!!

We just got back from visiting Leonis Adobe -- right down the road from us in Old Town Calabasas. VERY cool -- 1880's ranch house with animals and stuff. Dd loved the animals, and it's pretty cool for grownups, too. It's open wed - sun 1-4. If you guys ever wanna come up and go with us, maybe we can have lunch at my house and then field trip to the Adobe?

We didn't rally (went to a bday party instead...hmmm), but dh's brother and his girlfriend came up and went to Hollywood to sightsee, and ended up right in the middle of the Hollywood rally! So they rallied on our behalf.

Hope you all are having a nice weekend. Does everyone get tomorrow off? My dh doesn't. hmph.

At least we aren't in VA -- my dad is snowed in this weekend!!! :eek

c

[rubelin]

Well, so far our weekend is going pretty bumpy. We left Daddy at LAX in the afternoon and stopped for pancakes at IHOP on the way home. I decided to forgo any napping because it was a little late, but he was out in 5 minutes when we went to bed at 7. We both seem to be sick; he was coughing most of the night and I felt horrible and had the runs, though he seems fine now. He wet the bed early this morning (first time in forever) so we've been washing sheets and quilts all day. He wouldn't nap when we lay down earlier and I so needed to sleep, but he just wouldn't let me, kept yelling at me, pulling on my arms, climbing on me, etc. I finally got up when I realized he'd turned the light on and was takign the bed apart. I was soooo pissed, but I'm feeling a little better after sitting here zoning for a bit while he plays Lego behind me.

Dan called earlier, says Budapest is amazing and friggin' cold! He called from his hotel room at 8pm his time and was falling asleep as we talked, he'd been up for about 26 hours. Dang, I miss him :P

MG, I'd love to have lunch on Thursday, how about Govindas?? Christin, wanna come over the hill and join us???

oh, speaking of vegetarian food... DO any of you like Veggie Dogs (I think they're chef Yves brand) I'm trying to find a brand that Ben likes and these are NOT it! The fakey-smoke flavor about killed me with one tiny bite, and Ben's reaction wasn't pretty. So now I have the rest of the pack and I hate throwing away prefectly good food, so does anyone want them?? And can you recommend a brand that doesn't have that fake smoke crap?? Hot dogs are about the one thing that Ben will eat with any consistancy when he's feeling picky, and I'd prefer a lower fat version than the chicken franks we get (my apologies to you veg-heads for the mention of them)

OK, I think we're going to go get some videos and find some dinner, I do not want to cook right now :p Luckily there's less than 2 hours until bedtime :D My sister is coming over tomorrow, Wed and Fri, so I might actually get some work done this week and not go insane :wink Thanx for all the support, the venting helped. Have a good night all!!

[Lisanaaron]

Pom, Rustic Canyon is a bit far for us and it's more expensive than the others. No, we haven't visited. Thanks for the tip on the Saturn wagon. I'm coveting the Toyota Camry now. Maybe we'll get something later in the year:) I saw the Toyota Hybrid at Coop this weekend. This lady really loves hers and it looks cool inside and it is soooo quiet. I wish they make them bigger, but the crash test is not as good as the Honda hybrids.

Rubelin, glad that you're getting some help. Hang in there, DH will be home soon:) I agree, Budapest is a wonderful place. We were there in 1997 but NOT in the winter, LOL! I wouldn't want to be anywhere but LA in the winter, not even in my home country cuz it's so humid.

MG, would like to join you for lunch on the 27th:)

Christinla, I'm interested in the field trip and lunch at your house. That sounds like fun. Yes, DH gets a day today. He got last Wednesday off too. Nice to work for the State!

We got another carseat yesterday for my car and for my soon-to-be new car. YAY!!! I'm so excited:)

DS has been standing a lot, wonder when he'll walk....

Later!



:p

[rubelin]

Hey Pom, I finally took a look at the Quest, it is so COOL! I didn't think I'd find something I liked better than the Oddessy, but all those cool features have got me changing my mind :D The main thing I loved about the Oddessy was the fold away rear seat, but all the seats fold away in the quest! I wish there were more pics, I like 360 views where I can really look at things, but I guess I'll have to wait until the real thing is available :)

OK, I must get to work, but I had to thank you for telling me about it :D

Hope you're all enjoying the holiday!

[mary ann]

hello ladies! it's back to work for some of us today.... i am so glad this is only a 3 day week for me!! hurray!!

LM so bummed we missed the protest! sounded cool.

MG yes for lunch next thursday!! (with a disclaimer...gotta be somewhere cheap!)

christin, would LOVE to do that field trip!! i actually have a "thing" for old adobes, being from arizona and all.... i love that old southwest style. want to plan on sometime next week? lisa? MG?

rube, sorry no help with the veggie dogs--i LOVE those!!! yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm. they only keep for a week once opened, so maybe they have already gone bad on you... :( if not, and you're driving by my place, drop 'em by and give 'em to the nanny--we'd be happy to eat 'em up!! :yum

MG do you think ds could have an ear infection? i am making my own colloidal silver now (got a generator). i'd be happy to give you some if you have a dropper bottle to put it in... (dark glass bottle)

well, i survived the IL's...after all my pre-bitching they were surprisingly tame this time. totally stayed out of my face. only made ONE reference to me being out of work, and it was a nice one. :) wonder will never cease!!

spent the day yesterday at the new grove mall and farmer's market with dd and an old friend... WOW what a luxury mall!! not really a place to go to buy...only to look... but a really nice place. dd was not her usual easygoing self, was actually pretty fussy all day, so i ended up more stressed and tense by the end of the day... :(

the good news is that dd is sleeping MUCH better these days!! for about the last 2 weeks she's been getting up only 3-4 times a night , and going back down much easier than before. i am slowly starting to feel more human.... the WEIRD thing is, she goes against what ALL the books say... the less she naps in the day, the better and longer she sleeps at night!! and i have spent all these months trying to get her to take long naps during the day... now we just keep her out doing stuff all day...if she wants to nap in the stroller, fine, but we don't push the issue. go figure??!!!

[Pom]

Hey MA - Congrats on the napping! Go with the flow, babe. Go with the flow!

You know how to make your own Colloidal silver? I'd be thrilled to buy some off you...we're running out and the WHole foods stuff is so expensive. How do you make it?

[christinla]

I am completely intrigued by the home made colloidal silver! Can we have some too? How do you make it???

MA it's funny that you mention the nap thing, because we've been realizing the same thing here. For a while last week dd would NOT go to bed at night. Then Sunday we skipped the morning nap, and she crashed at 9:30pm and slept until 9:30am! Yesterday, same thing.

(extreeeemely grateful that we have the kind of schedule where the whole family can sleep until 9am!!!!!)

I must admit I love the Grove. Can't afford anything there, but it's worth it just for the Nordstrom's changing room! :)

Lemme know who wants to go on the Adobe Field Trip...a bit of Old Calabasas history, anyone?

Dd pretends to talk on the phone and has these really long conversations with her pretend (I HOPE) friends. VERY CUTE.

Have a nice day everyone!
c

[moongloe]

hey girlies~

c...yeah i'd be up for a field trip! how are thursdays for you? (not the 27th though)

rube...you make that man bring you back a present! i hope you and ds are feeling better.

ma...some kids require x amount of hours asleep. ds sleeps from 8-7. if he takes a nap, then his body adjusts at bedtime. (2hr nap = fall asleep at 10). i'm glad you figured out her system!! as far as books go...my opinion is read as much as you can, then be prepared for it to go nothing like you read.

yes lunch on the 27th must be cheap! we could even pack lunches, and eat at child's play! then we'd be able to sit while the kids wear themselves out! i have to be home btwn 3 and 330 though, cuz dh arranged to get off work early. (that day is my bday)

~peace peace peace peace peace, mg :love
edited to tell rube...try lightlife. they have a few different dogs. you can chop up the ones you have and mix it into a casserole or beans...maybe ds will eat them that way?

[Lisanaaron]

Hi all!

DS is still not sleeping well at night. He wakes up more towards the morning. He's got a ridge on the bottom of his mouth, wonder when that tooth will emerge? I'm pretty much doing all night nursing now. It's okay as long as I don't have to get up.

I got this weird message from someone who claims to be a nutritionist warning me that my child's growth will be stunted and everything else wrong if I don't give him animal products. He said he sent the message because he cares???? He said he'd bet that I was never on a vegetarian diet when I was small myself. I wrote him back and told him to get a life.

27th is good for lunch, what about Govinda's? It's pretty cheap and you can go cheaper if you get non all you can eat. I'd rather eat there than go to child's Play, which is another $8. That's just me, though!

Adobe sounds good, what about next week some time. Monday or Wednesday is good for me, what about the others?

My car is fixed. There seems to be nothing wrong with the starter. Perhaps the distributor cap got wet and that made the hard start. We got new brakes and CV boot and spent $500:( But, Yay! I probably won't need a new car till next year. Trying to forestall monthly car note for as long as possible. I hate them!!!!

MA, 2 more work days for you. Hooray!!!!

I'm so proud of DS. He knows the hand motions for the song the Wheels on the Bus and knows feet, hands, teeth, nose, and belly button.

My exam is Saturday, wish me luck as I need it very much.

Later,

[Pom]

Wow Lisa, that's AMAZING!! He is brilliant!!! How'd the weird emailer get your address? How does he know you don't eat meat? I'm creeped out. So long as you ensure they get enough B vits and all that stuff, iron, etc. Jeez!

Rube - we like smartdogs. I think they might be the brand MG mentioned. Kid next door LOVES them!

I have to go to an all day business meeeting tomorrow. ICK!

Christin - it's so nice to see you around again!!!

[rubelin]

MA, those veggie dogs are YOURS! We'll take a walk after nap and drop them off. they were opened on Sunday afternoon, so they should be good for a couple more days. Thanx for the other suggestions, I'll keep trying. This is one problem I have with eating veg, I can't stand fake smoke and it's in so many meat substitutes.

We went to preschool today :D There's a parent participation program in Inglewood, my mom taught for 20 years at one of the parks nad both my sister and I were in the programs. They have a 2 year old class, 2 hours on Tues & Thurs. It won't help with me getting more work done, but Ben had fun and I think it's a good way to ease into a longer program in the fall.

So is lunch for this thursday or next?? I'm confused now :confused:

Gotta go, I think Ben might be a little too wired for nap, so I've got to keep him occupied to keep away the cranki monster :wink

Hope you're all having a good Tuesday!

[mary ann]

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah have i found a way to have a home business? :) you gals who want colloidal silver, yes i will make it for you! i never thought about charging, though... but it WOULD be nice to get just a tad back, to help pay off the cost of the generator i bought... (does that answer your question? i bought a colloidal silver generator, that is how i make it) i bought one because i was tired of spending so much on colloidal silver, and figured the generator would pay itself off soon enough. anyway if you want to "buy" some, PM me i guess and we'll figure it out...but it will be cheap, cheap, cheap. my generator makes 8 oz at a time, which should last you forever....

rube, thanks for the dogs! :)

MG it's your birthday next thurdsay????!!!! well BY GOLLY you ought to pick where we go!!! :)

lisa, i'm surprised you responded to that person! that is kinda scary and creepy.... where do you think he got your email addy?
sorry your car was so much, but glad you don't need a new one!

monday works for me for the adobe field trip! (i go to the farmer's market on wednesdays)

MG and christin--funny how our babes don't go by the "book"!!! silly me for taking all of that stuff to heart!!!

just found out the nanny is coming down with a cold...

:angry just my luck if dd gets sick from her in her last week!!! ugh. i am going to give her some colloidal silver the MINUTE i get home!! (before dh can see--he thinks its hocus pocus!!)

[christinla]

wait! Adobe is only open Wed - Sun 1-4!! Sorry I didn't mention that earlier!! :eek Didn't anticipate such a response! :) So I guesshbn we need to rethink our dates?

&^N

dd is 6yhelping to yty[epe, so Il'l go!
c

[moongloe]

hey~

lisan...very cool news about not needing to get a new car yet. please never open mail from someone you don't know! good luck on your test!

rube...how are you and ds feeling? so the preschool...it is mama-participation everytime? i'm confused.

pom...yup smartdogs. but that company also makes a few other dogs, more to choose from i suppose. now i'm craving one dangit! oooh no! a boca brat with saurkraut(sp) and pickles! btw...did you like your 'letter of the week' craft? she was very proud of herself.

c...i can do a sunday. i'm always free on weekends, since dh works.

ma...i don't know much about homeopathy, so i need to ask what that is, and why you had to buy a machine for it. i use a big black cauldron for all my remedies ;-)

thursday lunch...emailing off board. if i don't have your addy, pm me!

~peace and love, mg :love

[baesyl]

I got hooked on this website called Neopets and I spend all my computer time there. Such a bad girl am I!

We are getting used to this new phase of our lives where Bill works more at home. It is very good. He continues to work on the main project and then all the others as well. It's very interesting.
Rube- many moons ago you mentioned an upcoming ST project- please let Dan know that Bill is up for it.

We did put Erin into preschool. Had too. Don't feel bad Rube. She loves it and it's been great for her and for us in terms of letting her get her yayas out.

A Co-op deal in Topanga Cyn. It is great. You work 1-2 days per month and it's a two day program right now. The more families we add, we lower our cost and increase the days. We like it a lot. Happy to pass along contact info if anyone is interested.

MA- Congrats on leaving bad place from hell!

Pom? Happy birthday ( I think that's you?) and I hope a good time is had by all!

[moongloe]

hey girlies~

pom...hope you're surviving your all day at the office thing!

baes...i used to be addicted to neopets too! then i got really busy, and my poor pet suffered, so i put him up for adoption. i actually felt sad and guilty! heehee.

ds is pissing me off today. he's on a mission to see how far he can push me before my head literally explodes.

~peace and love, mg :love

[rubelin]

Having such a day!! I wrote a long, awesome post and the freakin server burped and when I finally got back on I'd accidentally copied something over my post! NAd i foound out another of my favorite lists switched from smartgroups to Yahoo on the 1st and I never got the notice and there was no post in the archives. And I'm trying to work on one of my sewing machines and the bobbin case is stuck!!! ARG!!!!!:angry

Anyway, I'll try and recreate my great later, I just wanted to say hi and fling some POOOOOOO!!!!

ok, feel a little better now, I have to go to the Post office, see y'all later!

[mary ann]

where is merika this week? mer, if you are lurking... never got away from IL's long enough to get to the bellydancing convention! :( poo. but i have been doing my tapes! although the cardio one is kinda hard on my knees.... anyway thanks for alerting me to the no-sales thing! see you in class....

baesyl--so nice to see you!!! glad the work thing is going well for your dh!! we'll see where we are living when dd gets to preschool age... topanga is a groovy place. i think i have been hiking by that school you're talking about.

rube, thanks for the dogs!!! YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

MG try to keep your head on your neck!! :D
oh, colloidal silver is not homeopathy... check it out online, there is tons of info. bascially it can be used in place of an antibiotic and it is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and kills many viruses. ya can't go wild with it, though... gotta use it only when you need it. i used it for my mastitis and also for yeast. great stuff!

christin, is that place far from your house? just wondering about the drive.... i am clueless as to distance when i get on the other side of the hill!! :rolleyes: but anyway i am definitely coming to see you!!! :)

[christinla]

hi!

The adobe is two minutes from my house. (please don't laugh too hard when you see "Old Town Calabasas") So what day are we looking at now? Sunday? Better traffic.

I'm having a day, too. Had a fender bender with the GARAGE. (for godssake...) Bumped dd's head on the car, she smushed her finger in the filing cabinet.... Symptoms of SLEEP DEPRIVATION! She's napping now and I may join her.

I'm really curious to learn more about the Topanga Coop. Any info you could send my way would be great. Not planning on going in the near future, altho after today....is 15 mos too young?? :wink

Can't remember what else I was going to write...hmmm. I'll be back later then!
c

[MerikaR]

Whew! Gone a few days and there's a lotta reading to do here! We went to the Date Festival in Indio. That's food dates, not blind dates. :p

Rube- the key to enjoying vegetarian food is to NOT try to make it imitate meat. It will never taste as good as the original meat dish, because, well, it's not meat. Enjoy vegetarian items that were created to be vegetarian. Much tastier. :D

Ciao! Gotta catch up on some 300+ emails (OMG!!!)
Merika

[moongloe]

hey girls~

mer...welcome home!

c...oh no! sounds like you definitely need sleep.

ma....are you officially a bonbon eating, soap opera watching, lady of leisure????? i'll forget to look that stuff up, so the next time it comes up in conversation, i'll just ask again what it is.

rube...you forgot your wad of toilet paper heeheehee.

speaking of veggie meats; i got the most faboo cookbook from a minnesota used book store. it is called 'the new farm vegetarian cookbook'. last night i made 'meatballs'! the main ingredient was tvp. they were pretty good, tasted like the ones you can buy!

hi lurkers *waving*!

~peace and love mg :love

[Pom]

I totally agree with the non-meat veggie food. Skews your expectations!

DD had doc visit today -- she gained 3.5lbs and grew an inch!! Practically chubby at 26lbs!! And now no more well-baby visits for 6 months....seems a lifetime away...

[Lisanaaron]

oh the freak got my email from another list. he never wrote again so that's good!!!

uuh, ilove veggie meat, but i agree that some don't taste that good. i second merika to try dishes that were meant to be vegetarian. unless you go to real food daily, all the "meat" there taste soooo yummy, isn't that so MA?

DS gained 2 1/2 lbs after staying at 19 lbs for the longest time. I'm excited! It's all that avocado he's eating. The kid can eat one a day:)

Later

[moongloe]

hey~

glad to hear all the babes are gaining weight and thriving!

i've nothing of interest to post. just wanted to say 'hey'...so hey.

~peace, mg :love

[mary ann]

hello ladies! seems like forever since i posted...haha i am already losing track of time!!

last day of work was totally crazy, trying to get packed up and outta there while dealing with my boss' panic (where is this? where is that? what is the procedure for this? how can i find x file?), and many co-workers coming by to say goodbye... not to mention all the kids on the program i worked on calling and emailing...all in all very flattering but exhausting, somehow.... anyway, i managed to get out in enough time to get to mer's class so that was good!

MG i think you sent me an email that i never responded to and accidentally deleted.... :(

robin i second what everyone says about fake meat....unless you're like me and have no recollection whatsoever what meat tastes like, you're best to stick wtih veggie things that don't rely on fake meat for flavor.

mer, neena and veena's video makes my hips sore! must be working.... funny on some of their videos, they are chubbier than on others...i of course like the ones where they have bigger bellies... :)

lisa i heard avos are the most perfect food, people could survive on just that... reminds me i gotta get dd to eat more of them.

christin, weekends are never very good for me, especially now that it's not football season, dh and i like to hike and do stuff together... i still don't mind coming to the valley during the week, as long as i leave from outta there by 2, should be ok getting back....

went out with a few good friends from work last night--stayed out until 11--WHOOOPEEEE!!!!! and had THREE, count 'em, THREE drinks!!!! whoa!!! boy have i become a lightweight!! i had to wait awhile before driving home!!!! :)

SOMEBODY HELP ME--THE DEVIL IS LIVING IN MY REFRIGERATOR!!! they got me a cheesecake at work, and turned out it was too frozen to eat and they FORCED me to take it home, now it is in my frige!! and dh and i have already eaten half of it!!! I AM NEVER GOING TO LOSE THIS BABY WEIGHT!!!!!! :crying
please, gals, take one for the team and come over here and eat this damn cheesecake!!!!!!!! (oh, did i mention it is particularly delicious??? :yum )

[Lisanaaron]

I did NOT pass my exam. I totally relied on this guide and there are LOTS of questions that I totally had no clue. I'm so stressed and disappointed:( My ego is hurt, I've never failed a test before!!! It took me almost the entire 4 hours but when you don't know something, you just don't!!

I've got until March 11 to pass the exam or I have to reapply and that's a total pain. I'm gonna study the real estate bible now and hopefully pass the next time around. I scored 70 and needed 75 to pass:(

Hope everyone is well. Gotta go relax and take some tylenol for this huge headache.

:(

[mary ann]

oh lisa, i am sorry to hear that!!! i can imagine how bummed you must feel. :(
i hope dh is being extra nice and supportive!!! that is very hard. well, now you know what the test is like, so you know more about what to study, right? can you purchase a better guide? i know when i was taking the GRE there were some study books that came highly recommended and others that weren't so great... the one i got was good because a lot of the things were actually on the test... don't know if maybe you can go to a specialty bookstore and get a better guide? or is there a weekend study course you can take in between now and then?
ugh! what a drag! do you have to pay again to take the test?
please don't be too hard on yourself!! i am sure you will pass next time-- you were very close!!!
hope you feel better in the morning....

[christinla]

Oh, Lisa, that sucks!! But listen, my friend who took that exam failed the first time, and was COMPLETELY surprised and shocked. She was SURE that she aced it, and she wasn't even close. Then the second time she passed and is now real estating and happy. So now that you know what the exam is really like, you'll be able to study better, and you'll be fine next time.

I don't know how you are managing to study at all and be a momma! You're doing great!

Congrats on leaving your job, MA!!! :banana

Hope you're all enjoying this lovely weekend!
c

[christinla]

SNAP!
:wink

[moongloe]

heyyyyyyy!!

lisan...i'm sorry you didn't pass. i imagine you're quite bummed. dh said he's heard that many fail the first time. you'll ace it the next time.

ma...you deleted me?! whatevah. sounds like your last day was pretty cool with all the well wishes and such.

c...snap?

pom...how was your outing yesterday? :-( did you miss me?

did anyone catch that interview (seemed more of a debate to me; war and foreign policy) with janine garafolo this am? she is intelligent, and very well spoken. i wish i could debate that well...i get emotional and then everything vanishes from my head.

hope everyone has a good sunday!
~peace for our future, mg :throb

[lunarmomma]

So sorry Lisa, that does indeed suck. It took me 3 tries to pass my clinical social work exam.... sometimes it just doesn't happen. And think how many times people have a go at trying to pass the bar!!So you are in good company, I'm sure, but still is so frustrating.
When is the next one??

ma, many congrats on being a free woman, that is great.

Ds has a cold. hate to say it but I think he caught something at the kids play place last Thursday:(
It's a harbinger of germs. Bummed.
Tomorrow my DH and I have to go and give blood to give my dad for his hip replacement surgery next week. Better us then strangers you know?? Still, I've never done it before and am a bit wary.

Anybody ever been to/go to Follow your Heart in Canoga Park?? GREAT veggie burgers... called follow your heart burgers. It's been there since the 70'2 and I used to go there even then. It is still standing. It's also a store.
Anyway if anyone finds themselves out that way go check it out...It's on Sherman Way a couple of blocks east of Topanga.
ooh, I'm getting a craving!!!:p

Our friends left yesterday to go back to England. It was a long but good visit. I was really sad last night and still am. It was so hard to feel them not here anymore. Very special people.
Hope everyone is feeling good....
Laura

[MerikaR]

I've been to follow your heart. The food was ok at the restaurant, but then I went there and bought some stuff at the store, and it was moldy. Yuck!!! I've never been back.

Lisa - I'm with everyone else. You'll ace it next time!

MA - Are you stir crazy yet???? Oh, and sooo glad the nanny thing seems to be working out. My neighbor was so excited AND relieved!

C- let me know what you gals decide on - and I'll see if we can join you! :)

Ciao!
Merika

[moongloe]

hey girls~

lunar....i hope ds feels better soon! my dad used to drag me to 'follow your heart' growing up. i hated it cuz i wanted junk food. i'd love it now though.

ma...how goes your first official week as a sahm?

where is everyone?

i want a malted milkshake.
~peace, mg :love

[Pom]

My 10 day head cold has turned into a sinus infection!! (I think). Like an idiot, I'm putting ginger compresses on my face, taking colloidal silver, vit c, coQ10, vit B, goldenseal ( I can take that nursing, yes? I know you can't if pg, but I couldn't find anything that said not to) and praying it goes away before I have to go to the doc for antibiotics. I have no symptoms except sore to the touch sinuses and a wee headache. I can breathe ok, there's no green anything, no fever...weird.

Boring, too. Sorry! But that's where I've been -- compressing and working. And at a lovely baby shower yesterday in the Valley-O.

MG - we did miss you at the beach! had a nice time chasing seagulls.

Lisa - so sorry about the test, but think how sweet it will be the next time when you PASS!!!!

MA - how are the bon bons?

[Lisanaaron]

Hey gals,

thanks for all of your support:) I feel better about things now and am studying hard. The next one will be on the 8th! Hopefully I'll pass. Wish me LOTS of luck!!! I also realized several of the mistakes I made were due to not thinking. I should learn to think again!!!

Lunarmomma, sorry about ds being sick.

Pom, sorry you're ill. Hope everyone feels better soon.

My MIL is really losing her ability to move, stand so we're looking to hire a live in for her. The next few days we will be interviewing people. Right now DH is at her house giving her a bath cuz she's not able to stand all day and soiled the heck out of herself. Poor thing, huh?

MerikaR, good to "see" you again.

I went to Temescal Canyon to today to meet up with Childen's Nature Institute people to walk but couldn't find them:( how weird....what a waste driving there!!

[lunarmomma]

Hey Lisa,
A dear friend of mine is one of the docents for CNI. Did you call htem to find out where they were?? Or maybe there was a misprint.
Also, I might have a connection for caregivers... I can make a call tomorrow and get some names. write me if you want to and we can chat about it.

Pom- sorry about the headache. Not sure if the golden seal is OK. I'll look it up and get back to you....

[mary ann]

LM, goldenseal is a natural antibiotic, so i think that and the colloidal silver might do the trick. (but i know next to nothing about homeopathy so there could well be other things) POM, do you have a netti pot? best way to avoid sinus infections!! if not, you can borrow mine, provided i can find it--i can bring it by tomorrow if you like....you know, so much free time now!! :)

lisa, sorry about the hike! i guess i'm glad i didn't go! anyway it was kinda cold and icky out.. i never got out today except to trader joe's briefly... slept in with dd until 10 am!!! and then we hung out in our jammies until 2!!!!!! :p i was trying to teach dd how to sing "take this job and shove it"!! :D

MG--malted milkshakes are yummmmm but do not do nice things to my tummy!! :( whatcha up to the rest of the week?

mer, thanks a ZILLION for that hook-up!! former nanny called me today, SO SO SO happy about the new job with your neighbor. apparently it's going very well! i am so relieved!! i just hope your neighbor isn't like me and goes back to work and hates it and decides to be a SAHM!! :rolleyes: anyway what a GORGEOUS house!! wow!!! she has nice dogs, too.... wish i had a nice dog.... :crying i think the nanny will be so relieved to work with dogs who don't bite her every day!!!

off to bed with me!!

[Pom]

Lisa - It's so nice you are so close to MIL. I feel guilty being so far away...

Thanks for checking Lunar - I forgot, of course you'd be able to find out! Is the house still too quiet?

MA - Thanks for the offer, but neti pots freak me out. DH keeps trying to get me to do it, but I'm chicken. I am feeling a bit better, though. Hard to tell with this weather!

Hey, Did any of you deliver at Good Samaritan???

[christinla]

hi!

What's a neti pot?

MA you sound so happy! yay!

Lisa -- good luck caring for your MIL. I moved my grandma out here for the last two years of her life (those would be years 96 and 97!!!)-- she lived in a retirement home a few miles away. I'm so glad she was so close for many many reasons, but it was really difficult, too. Your MIL is so lucky that your dh is so close. I don't know how elderly people cope with out loads of help (and loads of money) -- the system is not made to make their life much easier. Anyway, make sure YOU have loads of support, too. Esp for your dh -- very difficult for him, I'm sure.

Sorry about all the sick people!! I feel like we are constantly fighting off little bugs before they become big sinus infecting creatures! Get better soon!

My week has turned super crazy b/c I've taken a couple jobs now (gigs, not day jobs! poo poo). I'll be in SM alot, but not sure I'll have time to visit you girlies! And I won't be there thurs, either :( But I'm still sorta excited/anxious about working some more. Altho I'm not too certain about the quality of this gig....oh well. Kinda starting from scratch again...

blah blah

Dh has learned to play twinkle twinkle on the guitar and is downstairs singing it. cute!

better go -- night night!
c

[Pom]

Christin - Do tell, what gigs?

[moongloe]

hey~

lisan...that must be rough for your dh and his mom.

ma...this week? ds has a check up tomorrow. other than that, and the thursday thang, i'm flexi. as for the shake... me too, but a girl can dream.

pom...i didn't know you were still feeling poorly. let me know if you need anything. i delivered at kaiser. why? are you pg?

c...bummed you can't join us, but how cool to have gigs! the boys and i wanna see you play again!

~peace, mg :love

[Pom]

I AM NOT PG! And my head is feeling better too. There's no drama, just still gettign over the evil head cold. :thumb

Per Good samaritan...A friend of mine is delivering there -- they have single rooms that are both delivery and post, and water tubs. Madonna delivered there, je pense. I dunno. Just wondering.

I may have to bail on Thurs :( ! Last minute visit from family -- he is in Pasadena, and if work doesn't come up from the depths and drag me down, I may have to go there instead of hang with you guys. But it all depends on a number of things, so hopefully I can still make it.

I picked DD up a coloring book at Albertson's today thinking it'd be cheap and it was 4 bucks! Not a million by any means, but more than Vogue or Vanity Fair Hollywood issue? WTF? I know I can print pages off the Internet, but dd seems to like things in books. Not just binders.

I soooo don't want to work today.

Can anyone tell me how I can get dd to let me put a diaper on her? She'll do it for the neighbor, for MG, but not me! It's become a huge problem...she thinks it's funny to squirm away and then run from me and hide. But then she pees on the rug. Or the chair. And I'm afraid to use too much force (don't want to hurt her!!) HELP!!!

MA - I got me a bottle...when can I get the goods????:love

[Lisanaaron]

I delivered at Good Samaritan, LOVED it!!! The delivery room is nicer than the recovery room though. Never got to use the tub because my water broke early:(

No, I'm NOT the one taking care of MIL, thank God!!! and DH does not want to continue cleaning up after her either, so that's why we're trying to hire a live-in for her or transfer her to an assisted living facility but we don't think they'll accept her there because she is not ambulatory.
I think live-in is the way to go for her, that will relieve a lot of burden off DH. My MIL is stubborn that it's quite annoying at times. pardon me for sounding unsympathetic but not wanting to hire anyone because MIL values her independence, but letting her son clean up after her everyday doesn't sound too cool to me. That is pretty selfish, I think.

I hope everyone is feeling well. Pom, get better soon!

Lunar, thanks sooo much for the caregiver info. We are interviewing one of your clients this Thursday.

[rubelin]

Pom, I was born at Good Samaritan, does that count?? :D I htink Lisa had A there. The midwife we're thinking of using has priviledges there and they were the first hosp in LA to allow daddies in the delivery room for Lamaze, so they might be more alternative than most, but it's still a hospital...

Well, my hubby is home and we are already fighting about everything. We really need a second vehicle or he needs to start using his bike, because all this fighting over transportation logistics is insane! It also doesn't help that he's getting over being sick and Ben got sicker over the weekend and now I seem to be losing my battle against this virus, so we're all big, sick, miserable babies :p So much fun to be around!

OK, gotta jam, hope you're all doing well!

[rubelin]

Jinx Lisa :wink FWIW, my Gmum was in a nice place in Alhambra when she got to be less ambulatory. It's run by the Episcopal church, but it isn't religious other than that, I can get some info if you want.

gotta go, Mr man is not napping and is such a pill today!

Ciao!

[mary ann]

hey, aren't we missing some people? where is PH? and where is 2boobs?

MG, i just found out yesterday that dd's surrogate gram is coming to town, so i am gonna spend the rest of the week with her until she leaves on sunday. (i will still come tomorrow!) so let's play next week!

christin, i wanna see you play too!! dd loves music.... do tell where you're going to be! oh, a neti pot is this cool thing that you use to irrigate your sinuses. it flushes out whatever is in there... works great in preventing sinus infections, helps with congestion, allergies. etc. it's kinda freaky at first but really not that bad...POM you shouldn't be so afraid! it just takes a little getting used to. it's really not that gross!!

lisa, i hope you guys find a suitable live-in for MIL. she seems so nice!! what a horrible position to be in.... whenever i think of getting old and helpless like that, i just shudder.... what a horrifying way to live. :(

POM, are you guys still all sicky and contagious? if not i can stop by and pick up the bottle... dd and i often walk by there. did you get a 8 or 12 oz dark glass bottle? if so maybe i'll just give you the bottle i made, and take your empty from you and make more for myself later. i can bring it by whenever...oh, that is, whenever i am not busy eating bon bons!!!

IL's got me a box of godiva for valentines that weekend they were here... dh and i ate a few and stuck the box in the back of the fridge... then yesterday i got a bad tempation and went to get it.... there was one small piece left!!!! the nanny ate them ALL!!!!! aaaaaaaaaaargh!!!!!!! oh well, i can't really be mad...i don't need all that chocolate anyway. but STILL, fling poo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

looking foward to seeing you gals tomorrow! MG, check your email....

[moongloe]

hey girls~

ma...oh no! i'd cry if i thought there was a box of godiva, and there wasn't! email has been checked and responded to.

rube...i'm sorry the sickies are upon your house, and that you're fighting with dh. i'm with you though...make him pedal since he wanted that bike so badly.

pom...i'll pm you re the diapers.

lisan...i don't think it is selfish of your mil to want her family to care for her. nor is it selfish for your dh to not want to do it. hopefully you can find a care-giver she feels comfortable with.

not much time for the internet today, so i have to cut this short.
~peace and love, mg :love

[Pom]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MOONGLOOOOOOOOOOE!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! :bouncy :bouncy :bouncy :bouncy :bouncy :bouncy :banana :banana :banana :banana :heartbeat :heartbeat :heartbeat :heartbeat :sunshine

[Pom]

MA - it was great to see you and dd yesterday! Thanks for dropping by and for the silver! We need to get together more often and walk at lunch!

[Lisanaaron]

Just wanna wish you a happy birthday, MG:):):)

And hope everyone is having fun at Child's Play!!!!

[mary ann]

happy happy BD, MG!!! :)

pom, nice to see you too!! dd just loves to flirt with your dh! you better watch out--i think she is movin' in on your man!! :p

lisa, what happened with those people you interviewed for MIL? did you find anyone good? have you been finding lots of time to study?

i am off to work downtown with dd's surrogate gram tomorrow and saturday. it's fun but always too too tempting to buy tons of stuff... since because i am with her i get everything wholesale. and stuff is sooooooooo cheap! but i must resist! i must! i must!! :eek

oh, forgot to tell you all the big news--dd is now officially crawling!!!! :banana
i'm so glad i was home to see it!!!! :love

[Pom]

Yay, crawling!!!

MA - What do you get wholesale?????

MG - How was your birthday?????

[moongloe]

hey girls~

thank you for the birthday wishes!!!!

ma...i'm so glad we got to spend some time with you! i found out later that dh stopped at cp after work, instead of coming straight home! we missed him by 15 minutes! the bummer is we could have played longer with you and dd :-( btw...my present looks divine on me!!!!!!!

i had fun at cp, and fun out to eat with my menfolk, but pretty much i spent the day depressed. mr rogers is a HUGE thing in our house! ds has been a faithful fan for a few years now. i got the news shut off when i realized what they were about to say, but still he found out. we were watching martha stewart, i left the room to get a drink, and during a commercial break, they announced he'd died!!!!!!!!!!!! i was livid! ds is heartbroken. he knows that the shows are repeats, and will continue, but he said to me 'so i cannot ever go see him now?'. so sad.

not much to post about today.
~peace and love, mg :love

[christinla]

http://www.misterrogers.org/families/

Check out the Mr. Rogers site -- they even have info about how to help children deal with his death. (altho it sounds as tho you handled it fine, mg) VERY sad. My mom emailed him and he emailed back just a few months ago, and we even got signed pictures for all of us, including my sis and dd! I'm just his hugest fan....

Happy belated bday!!! Disappointed I missed the party! Glad you kids had fun!

MA -- crawling! yay!!!!! Big girl!!!!!

Hope every one is feeling healthy! I'm feeling TIRED. Long week of rehearsals at night, and last night I even did a couple of massages. Tonight I have to practice, and I'm pooped. The opera I'm playing with is in Santa Monica, actually. if any of you are interested, it's called Opera Nova -- they have a website detailing performances and tix....Not a good perf to bring little kiddies, but if you grownups can get away, it's pretty good. Nothing fancy, tho. Good bassoon parts!

okay -- better go. Hopefully I'll talk to ya'll soon!
c

[Pom]

hey everyone... tis sad about Mr R but I think it's a nice testimony to the good he did that the news even bothered to highlight it...

Christin - opera sounds lovely! which ones are you performing??

MA (or anyone) are you using disposables? We just broke open a pack of 84 size 4 pampers the other night only to find dd has outgrown them. We only used 2 or 3, I think!

gotta run...dd is fussin' and Ihave to cook dinner....

[mary ann]

c, are you a massage therapist as well?? what a woman of many talents!!!

pom, yes i will take those pampers!! dd is about to move up to a 3, and soon enough she'll be into the 4's....

only ended up downtown on friday...big evy was sick and went home early. on friday i got 3 pairs of leggings and 3 pairs of bike shorts for a grand total of $16!!! i restrained myself and didn't buy anything else. big evy got little missy a cool new toy, a new outfit and a silly hat...OH and some red heart-shaped sunglasses--too cute!!

had to move dd into the big girl crib!! we just moved it in our room this afternoon, and retired the co-sleeper. it's going to be hard to get her in and out of it without waking her completely.... on saturday she made a jail break out of the co-sleeper so we had no choice. but i am not at all happy with her in the big girl crib!!! what happened to my little baby????? :crying :crying :crying

c, i know you have a big girl crib next to your bed, too... how do you lift dd in and out of it during the night? we lowered the mattress so it is even with ours... we lowered one gate to about half way (but that wouldn't be safe for her to nap alone in the daytime).

hope everyone had a nice weekend!! :)

[moongloe]

hey~

kind of in a funk today, but not in a funk...does that make sense? it seemed like there was something i dunno how to describe it.

pom...bummed to not join you today.

ma...awwww that is bittersweet hon! don't be sad...she is a very teeny baby to the rest of us. is big e feeling better?

another one for the books...ds proudly showed me how he'd made is penis 'grow big and stickie-outie' today.

according to 'whole life times', they are going to be screwing up our water even more. if you don't have the mag, it might be on their site www.wholelifetimes.com there is also a great shot of that beach rally.

ok, need to find out homeschool park info for tomorrow. sleep well.

~peace and love, mg :love

[Pom]

Where is everyone???

MG - sorry about yesterday...hope your day de-funked!

Dd has started animal sounds in full force...meow, mooo, chick chick! :)

Trying to just keep my head above water as mom is in hospital again.

Also in the office today. I want to be a lady of LEISURE!!!!!!

[mary ann]

MG, sorry about your funk! is it all this grey weather?
oh MY what is UP with ds and his penis??!! :eek silly boy!!

pom, sorry about your mom! :(
do you have to dress up when you go into the office?

dd has started a new thing... at night when we read to her, once we've finished a book, she takes it and throws it, usually hitting the dog, who is always curled up under us. he gets a very hurt look and sighs loudly and goes and curls up in the corner!

i think we are finally getting a handle on the big girl crib... it's an old hand-me-down and has some glitches... and a squeaky rail! gotta oil it or something.

i've been on hold FOREVER with DWP trying to find out why our electric bill is so high! :(

[moongloe]

hey all~

yeah i'm still in a mini funk, but thanks for asking. today i realized what was causing it, so that at least is cool.

pom...i hadn't been here to read, so when i saw you earlier i didn't know your mom is in the hospital. is she ok? what's going on?

ma...think about where on thursday!

where is everyone? HELLO! hello hello...ARE YOU THERE!? there there...

~peace, mg :love

[abimommy]

christinla do you play the bassoon?? I do too!! :D

[Pom]

Hi abbimommy, I didn't know you were in LA -- welcome to the board!

MG - what got cha down sister? My mom went back in to the hosp on Thursday -- not sure what it is -- a typical complication of ovarian that messes with your intestines, basically. Bile builds up and it looks like there is a blockage that could be anything. The gas pushes her stomach up into her chest and causes unbelievable pain and affects her ability to breathe, as well as sleep, eat, poop, etc. They are not sure if she has a new blockage or not. She seems to be doing better, but as she's so doped out it's hard to tell what the status is. Part of the game. I'm just relieved as it looks like there is no current need for surgery again...but that can change at any time. It's really just a big drag of a roller coaster ride, to put it mildly, without a lot of answers. She's had it for 5 years, and it only gets harder and more complicated with more meds and more side effects complications from those meds that cause their own problems. Her world is shrinking every day. Makes one grateful for what you have, ya know? I'm not mentally prepared to deal with her decline this year at all. I keep praying for just one more "good" year, one more birthday, one more trip together. Of course, she keeps saying she needs to see DD graduate high school and to see her brother "Harold" (her dad's name -- she's already plugging for the name of the yet-to-be-concieved next child, LOL, knowing you can't really say no to a woman with cancer in the hospital)... of course, I want that too, but can only seem to focus on this year. I feel guilty, I am far away, she has no one but her husband. She's tried alternative therapies but is afraid to go off allopathic meds completely b/c her friends who have died quickly. I generally don't like to talk about this much for all sorts of reasons, but thought I'd get it all out for you and the others who have asked.

Anyway, it's a sunny breezy day here in LA and I am surrounded by loved ones and friends, and life continues...

Smooches,

J.

[moongloe]

hey girls~

pom...that is a lot to deal with for both your mom and for you. i'll continue to think healing thoughts for her. i understand not wanting to talk about it, but if you ever need to, i'm here. i'm sorry your mom is sick.

my funk is due to my best friend moving away. she and i had been discussing her move for so many months now, that i just hadn't made the connection.

children are out to get me today.
~peace, mg :love

[abimommy]

I am not in LA....it was a random thread invasion....:o

[Pom]

Ah, well...who knew we were so interesting?? ;)

[abimommy]

LOL...I am supposed to read the threads anyways..heh

I am sure people are confused about where I live as I sometimes post in various areas ..:) But I am in Kansas City...

[moongloe]

hey mamas~

abi...i have a close friend in kc (the kansas one)! we visited her last april, on our way back to california.

girls....rube brought it to my attention that we are overdue for a gathering! i vote we invade lisa's again (heehee).

does anyone have info on that community garden on centinela, not far from national?

~peace, mg :love

[mary ann]

MG i don't know about that place, but community gardens are SO COOL!!! it would be so fun for your ds to grow stuff... my sister's kids did a lot of gardening when they were little, and they got such a kick out of eating the veggies they grew.

pom, that is hard about your mom.... really hard. i'm here if ya need to unload!!
hey, thanks for the diapers!!!! :)

how about a new thread for march? anyone mind if i start one? (i am asking pom and MG since we three seem to be the only ones posting here lately!! :rolleyes:

[Pom]

New thread is fine with me...this one is at its...last....gasp....!

[mary ann]

http://mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?s=&threadid=46353
follow meeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lunarmomma]

oops wrong thread