What’s up?
In celebration of Black History Month this month, check out this CNN story about a sit-in at a whites-only lunch counter 50 years ago. It still amazes me that this country had segregation only 50 years ago.
If you can stomach it, here is a depressing Newsweek story on children as indentured servants in Haiti.
Here is a game-changer in favor of abstinence-only education: At least one study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania has found that a third of 6th and 7th graders did delay having sex after taking an abstinence-only course compared to students in other sex education classes, according to the Washington Post. Officials for the Obama Administration, who have called for a scientific approach to sex education, have said abstinence-only courses like the one in this particular study could qualify for federal funds.
Laurie Puhn over at the Expecting Words blog cast a spotlight on a parenting philosophy of treating children like “little people” as opposed to babies and toddlers. In this case, a father let his almost 3-year-old daughter run around a high-end bar because she needed to figure things out on her own. Puhn viewed it as a lack of parenting while the father thought otherwise. What say you?
Starting in April of next year, fathers in Britain will be able to take 6 months — three months paid — of paternity leave, according to the Telegraph of the UK.
The taxpayers of Oregon just passed tax hikes on wealthy individuals and corporations to avoid a budget crisis in the state, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Here is an interesting article in Education World on how recess before lunch actually helps children eat more, behave better and gives teachers more instruction time. Who knew?
I, too, missed the Grammys Sunday night so here is a recap thanks to CNN.
Apparently American Idol will go on without Simon Cowell next year. Among floating names to replace him is former head of Sony Music Entertainment, Tommy Mottola, according to CNN.
What else is in the news? What’s up with you?
no recess for middle schoolers
but they do have PE every day. In elementary our kids had recess and lunch-recess — lunch-recess is the last 10 minutes or so of lunch period, once most kids are through eating, those who are finished get to go outside on the playground. Littler kids have recess in the morning; older kids have recess in the afternoon.
And, I’m sorry — a kid needs to figure out “on her own” that running around in a bar is not acceptable? I totally disagree. A kid needs to figure out on her own how to put together a jigsaw puzzle. A parent needs to keep a kid from running around in a bar. I vote lack of parenting on that one.
Oscar nominees came out this morning:
http://www.oscars.org/…
I’m glad to have reached the point in parenting that I have once again seen several of the nominated movies/performances.
Second your vote
Total lack of parenting, really lack of common sense in that father.
Not to mention that
the way she will “figure [...] out on her own” that she shouldn’t run around in a bar is that someone will make her stop doing it.
I would say
that if you’re going to adopt that style of parenting, you have to severely control your environment. No dangerous cliffs, no high end bars (or bars and restaurants at all), no museums, and countless other “nos”. You can’t just carry on as you always have while having children figure everything out for themselves. Let that bar catch on fire and daddy isn’t going to let his little girl figure out how to evacuate herself.
no recess for middle schoolers
but they do have PE every day. In elementary our kids had recess and lunch-recess — lunch-recess is the last 10 minutes or so of lunch period, once most kids are through eating, those who are finished get to go outside on the playground. Littler kids have recess in the morning; older kids have recess in the afternoon.
And, I’m sorry — a kid needs to figure out “on her own” that running around in a bar is not acceptable? I totally disagree. A kid needs to figure out on her own how to put together a jigsaw puzzle. A parent needs to keep a kid from running around in a bar. I vote lack of parenting on that one.
Oscar nominees came out this morning:
http://www.oscars.org/…
I’m glad to have reached the point in parenting that I have once again seen several of the nominated movies/performances.
Second your vote
Total lack of parenting, really lack of common sense in that father.
Not to mention that
the way she will “figure [...] out on her own” that she shouldn’t run around in a bar is that someone will make her stop doing it.
I would say
that if you’re going to adopt that style of parenting, you have to severely control your environment. No dangerous cliffs, no high end bars (or bars and restaurants at all), no museums, and countless other “nos”. You can’t just carry on as you always have while having children figure everything out for themselves. Let that bar catch on fire and daddy isn’t going to let his little girl figure out how to evacuate herself.
Recess
At Sally’s new school, she has a one hour class, then 1/2 hour free time, a one hour class, then one hour for lunch, a one hour class, then 1/2 hour free time, and then her last one hour class. It.is.awesome!
Sam has a sore throat so I’m taking him in today to rule out strep. A part of me hopes it’s strep as that only entails one shot of Bicillin and then he’s good. A run-of-the-mill virus knocks him out for a least a week AND runs the risk of a hospital visit if he runs a fever. Ugh. Sally has a cold, so I’m sure that’s where he got it. This is his first illness since we pulled him from school after Thanksgiving, so it’s been a nice break ( the two in patient stays for line infections not withstanding!).
So, I’m at the library right now killing time. Sam’s home care nurse comes on Tuesday morning for 3 hours. I usually drop Sally off and then go grocery shopping. We are so flat broke right now that I have to wait until DH gets paid on Friday before I can go to the store. We’re having “pantry week” at our house for meals…I’m sure it will be empty by Friday. Gah. Must.find.job.now.
Happy Tuesday, y’all.
We regularly do pantry meals
I even rob the kids piggy banks sometimes to buy a gallon of milk. But hopefully I will be going back to school soon and between scholarships and student loans we can make it through for a few years. Hubby has a good job that should make us more money once he has more experience and time under his belt. <crosses fingers>
Oh man
That sucks about Sam getting sick again. It seems harsh to say it, but here’s hoping it’s strep.
I’ve got a sick one today
too. Sinus infection, so not contagious, but not fun. He slept from 2 p.m. Sunday until Monday morning — pretty much unheard of — and we had hoped he had knocked out what was bothering him, but he was even worse afterwards. Two weeks of antibiotics.
My fingers are crossed that Sam keeps a sub-clinical profile with whatever this thing is he has. And enjoy your pantry meals! What’s the news on the job front?
I hope it’s strep too
Hey, Gigi this recipe made me think of you. Especially with it being pantry week and all. If you’ve got a couple of cans of black beans and some salsa, you are good to go! Black Bean Soup via Eating Well. I plan on making it tonight… sounds easy!
Thanks, Hil!
Not strep…damn it.
Damn!
So sorry to hear that J. Good luck in dealing with whatever is causing this infection. Sending good thoughts your way!
I hope, for all your sakes, that it is strep
and I send you bunches and bunches of love. Aren’t home care nurses the BEST THING EVER?
Sigh.
Recess
At Sally’s new school, she has a one hour class, then 1/2 hour free time, a one hour class, then one hour for lunch, a one hour class, then 1/2 hour free time, and then her last one hour class. It.is.awesome!
Sam has a sore throat so I’m taking him in today to rule out strep. A part of me hopes it’s strep as that only entails one shot of Bicillin and then he’s good. A run-of-the-mill virus knocks him out for a least a week AND runs the risk of a hospital visit if he runs a fever. Ugh. Sally has a cold, so I’m sure that’s where he got it. This is his first illness since we pulled him from school after Thanksgiving, so it’s been a nice break ( the two in patient stays for line infections not withstanding!).
So, I’m at the library right now killing time. Sam’s home care nurse comes on Tuesday morning for 3 hours. I usually drop Sally off and then go grocery shopping. We are so flat broke right now that I have to wait until DH gets paid on Friday before I can go to the store. We’re having “pantry week” at our house for meals…I’m sure it will be empty by Friday. Gah. Must.find.job.now.
Happy Tuesday, y’all.
We regularly do pantry meals
I even rob the kids piggy banks sometimes to buy a gallon of milk. But hopefully I will be going back to school soon and between scholarships and student loans we can make it through for a few years. Hubby has a good job that should make us more money once he has more experience and time under his belt. <crosses fingers>
Oh man
That sucks about Sam getting sick again. It seems harsh to say it, but here’s hoping it’s strep.
I’ve got a sick one today
too. Sinus infection, so not contagious, but not fun. He slept from 2 p.m. Sunday until Monday morning — pretty much unheard of — and we had hoped he had knocked out what was bothering him, but he was even worse afterwards. Two weeks of antibiotics.
My fingers are crossed that Sam keeps a sub-clinical profile with whatever this thing is he has. And enjoy your pantry meals! What’s the news on the job front?
I hope it’s strep too
Hey, Gigi this recipe made me think of you. Especially with it being pantry week and all. If you’ve got a couple of cans of black beans and some salsa, you are good to go! Black Bean Soup via Eating Well. I plan on making it tonight… sounds easy!
Thanks, Hil!
Not strep…damn it.
Damn!
So sorry to hear that J. Good luck in dealing with whatever is causing this infection. Sending good thoughts your way!
I hope, for all your sakes, that it is strep
and I send you bunches and bunches of love. Aren’t home care nurses the BEST THING EVER?
Sigh.
wait…
If a third of 6th and 7th graders delayed sex after the abstinence-only ed, does that mean that two-thirds did not delay sex? ‘Cause I am not ready for my son to be having sex next year, when he will be twelve.
Regarding recess, our school has two fifteen minute recesses in the morning and then an hour and a half lunch starting at one (so they always have two consecutive class periods followed by a break). There is also a recess at 4:00, when most kids get out but some (mostly high schoolers) have to continue until 6:00. It’s a long day, but now I feel lucky that they at least get their recesses!
The article’s interesting.
There are a ton of caveats, other things to bear in mind, and I’m nervous of the small sample size: 662 African American students, split amongst 5 different programs. So that means a sample size of little more than 100 for each option, taken from what I assume is roughly the same area and all the same ethnicity. What can we really glean from that?
The “abstinence only” option didn’t advocate abstaining ’til marriage, just ’til some nebulous later, and apparently didn’t disparage condom use, which is uncommon. But if it didn’t disparage it, and that issue is in there at all, were condoms therefore mentioned? And if they were mentioned, and not disparaged, does that means the students were told they were effective? And if they were, how is that abstinence only education at all? The whole thing just reads wrong, honestly. Could be bad reporting, could be a too short article, but it just… feels wrong.
In addition, we have to remember
that sex education, like algebra or reading, is not something that is supposed to get you only to HS graduation. It’s supposed to be for your lifelong needs.
Today’s highschooler will be tomorrow’s twentysomething, perhaps a young married twentysomething, and even young married couples need to understand contraception and safe sex practices.
A thousand times yes!
Somewhat related…
the DailyKos survey of self identified Republicans that came out today (?) finds that one third of them are in favor of outlawing contraception.
Can it be true that a third of them want to ban contraception? It is astonishing to me. I don’t know anyone personally who is not in favor of contraception’s being available for those who want to use it. I can see that some of them might want to ban particular forms of contraception (e.g. the Pill or the MAP if you think it is an abortifacient), but ALL contraception? Srsly?
whoa
This just can’t be true! We can only hope that people who self-identify as Republicans on DailyKos are not representative of the full population.
Link
It’s a phone poll of self-identified Republicans in the population as a whole, not just those on dKos.
Linky
I’m scared to read it
I saw Markos’ post earlier and just couldn’t get myself to read the whole thing – the intro was depressing enough as it was. It’s very scary I think.
well
Aren’t self identified republicans now below 30% of the voting population? (I did a quick google and saw the number 20%, but that can’t be right, can it?) Former moderate republicans tend to be calling themselves independents these days. And the population remaining in the core should include the vast majority of our religious fundamentalists. So a third of self identified repubs extrapolates to 7-10% overall.
Right.
But the problem is that to run a political campaign and get donations, you need to please the base. The independents don’t donate. Sure, they vote, but they won’t be throwing money at candidates. Which means that the Republicans in congress are having to pander to these people. That’s where the real problem here lies. The sooner the moderate former Republicans get their own party, the better.
wait…
If a third of 6th and 7th graders delayed sex after the abstinence-only ed, does that mean that two-thirds did not delay sex? ‘Cause I am not ready for my son to be having sex next year, when he will be twelve.
Regarding recess, our school has two fifteen minute recesses in the morning and then an hour and a half lunch starting at one (so they always have two consecutive class periods followed by a break). There is also a recess at 4:00, when most kids get out but some (mostly high schoolers) have to continue until 6:00. It’s a long day, but now I feel lucky that they at least get their recesses!
The article’s interesting.
There are a ton of caveats, other things to bear in mind, and I’m nervous of the small sample size: 662 African American students, split amongst 5 different programs. So that means a sample size of little more than 100 for each option, taken from what I assume is roughly the same area and all the same ethnicity. What can we really glean from that?
The “abstinence only” option didn’t advocate abstaining ’til marriage, just ’til some nebulous later, and apparently didn’t disparage condom use, which is uncommon. But if it didn’t disparage it, and that issue is in there at all, were condoms therefore mentioned? And if they were mentioned, and not disparaged, does that means the students were told they were effective? And if they were, how is that abstinence only education at all? The whole thing just reads wrong, honestly. Could be bad reporting, could be a too short article, but it just… feels wrong.
In addition, we have to remember
that sex education, like algebra or reading, is not something that is supposed to get you only to HS graduation. It’s supposed to be for your lifelong needs.
Today’s highschooler will be tomorrow’s twentysomething, perhaps a young married twentysomething, and even young married couples need to understand contraception and safe sex practices.
A thousand times yes!
Somewhat related…
the DailyKos survey of self identified Republicans that came out today (?) finds that one third of them are in favor of outlawing contraception.
Can it be true that a third of them want to ban contraception? It is astonishing to me. I don’t know anyone personally who is not in favor of contraception’s being available for those who want to use it. I can see that some of them might want to ban particular forms of contraception (e.g. the Pill or the MAP if you think it is an abortifacient), but ALL contraception? Srsly?
whoa
This just can’t be true! We can only hope that people who self-identify as Republicans on DailyKos are not representative of the full population.
Link
It’s a phone poll of self-identified Republicans in the population as a whole, not just those on dKos.
Linky
I’m scared to read it
I saw Markos’ post earlier and just couldn’t get myself to read the whole thing – the intro was depressing enough as it was. It’s very scary I think.
well
Aren’t self identified republicans now below 30% of the voting population? (I did a quick google and saw the number 20%, but that can’t be right, can it?) Former moderate republicans tend to be calling themselves independents these days. And the population remaining in the core should include the vast majority of our religious fundamentalists. So a third of self identified repubs extrapolates to 7-10% overall.
Right.
But the problem is that to run a political campaign and get donations, you need to please the base. The independents don’t donate. Sure, they vote, but they won’t be throwing money at candidates. Which means that the Republicans in congress are having to pander to these people. That’s where the real problem here lies. The sooner the moderate former Republicans get their own party, the better.
It’s “pop the hood” week in my house.
Had my annual this morning and the dentist tomorrow. Kid haircuts on Friday and a color-the-grey appointment for me as well. At least I get Halcyon for the dentist. I learned today (from my absolutely adorable OB-GYN, Fletch) that HPV is in 80% of the population and that that’s the reason why I can’t go to an every-other-year thing with my paps. (I figured it was worth asking, but the explanation of why skeeved me out the point that I’m still sort of freaked.) I also learned, once again, that I’m fat. Thanks, Fletch. That I could have done without. So I’m calling the trainer to today to make a new plan. Sigh.
Recess at my kids’ school is sort of random. Once you finish eating, then you can go out to play. I blame this for the starving kids and full lunchboxes I deal with every afternoon. The same goes for math work in 1st and 2nd grades. Math work not done, you stay in. Math finished? Out you go! Argh. Don’t even get me started on that.
Yeah, but I thought
if you were in a monogamous relationship for a few years you COULD go every other year? But hey I could be misinformed, I get to the gyno about every “when I am pregnant”. I never even went to my follow-up with my gyno after the first one was born. This has less to do with my cavalier attitude and more to do with a near constant lack of insurance.
That’s what my doc told me
I’m on the 2 year plan for annuals.
According to Fletch,
only if you’ve had a single partner in your life or had an HPV test. Since a positive HPV test (most likely in my case ’cause I’m barely in the single-digits number of partners let alone the single partner category) means my paps would get replaced with some nasty-ass other involving betadine and vinegar and a microscope and my cervix and…ick. I’m good with every year- just keep it quick and simple, thanks.
Better safe
Since I have had the insurance, I go every year. A good friend of mine had HPV-related cancer, and she’d only ever slept with her husband. So there goes the one partner reasoning! She was only going every three years on the advice of her gyno, and then was told if she’d been going every year, they would have caught it much sooner. She’s doing OK, but she’s a big advocate of a pap every year if you can.
That’s what I heard
My doc said every other year is fine, as long as you’re with the same partner and haven’t ever had an odd result. I skipped last year; I’ll go this year.
Yeah.
As long as your DNA test for the virus comes back negative, and you’re in a monogamous relationship, you don’t need annuals. I’m actually on a three year plan!
not quite
The prevalence is high, but not that high. From the NCI:
This is why I love this place.
I just knew someone would know where to look to see if Fletch was full of crap. :-)
It’s “pop the hood” week in my house.
Had my annual this morning and the dentist tomorrow. Kid haircuts on Friday and a color-the-grey appointment for me as well. At least I get Halcyon for the dentist. I learned today (from my absolutely adorable OB-GYN, Fletch) that HPV is in 80% of the population and that that’s the reason why I can’t go to an every-other-year thing with my paps. (I figured it was worth asking, but the explanation of why skeeved me out the point that I’m still sort of freaked.) I also learned, once again, that I’m fat. Thanks, Fletch. That I could have done without. So I’m calling the trainer to today to make a new plan. Sigh.
Recess at my kids’ school is sort of random. Once you finish eating, then you can go out to play. I blame this for the starving kids and full lunchboxes I deal with every afternoon. The same goes for math work in 1st and 2nd grades. Math work not done, you stay in. Math finished? Out you go! Argh. Don’t even get me started on that.
Yeah, but I thought
if you were in a monogamous relationship for a few years you COULD go every other year? But hey I could be misinformed, I get to the gyno about every “when I am pregnant”. I never even went to my follow-up with my gyno after the first one was born. This has less to do with my cavalier attitude and more to do with a near constant lack of insurance.
That’s what my doc told me
I’m on the 2 year plan for annuals.
According to Fletch,
only if you’ve had a single partner in your life or had an HPV test. Since a positive HPV test (most likely in my case ’cause I’m barely in the single-digits number of partners let alone the single partner category) means my paps would get replaced with some nasty-ass other involving betadine and vinegar and a microscope and my cervix and…ick. I’m good with every year- just keep it quick and simple, thanks.
Better safe
Since I have had the insurance, I go every year. A good friend of mine had HPV-related cancer, and she’d only ever slept with her husband. So there goes the one partner reasoning! She was only going every three years on the advice of her gyno, and then was told if she’d been going every year, they would have caught it much sooner. She’s doing OK, but she’s a big advocate of a pap every year if you can.
That’s what I heard
My doc said every other year is fine, as long as you’re with the same partner and haven’t ever had an odd result. I skipped last year; I’ll go this year.
Yeah.
As long as your DNA test for the virus comes back negative, and you’re in a monogamous relationship, you don’t need annuals. I’m actually on a three year plan!
not quite
The prevalence is high, but not that high. From the NCI:
This is why I love this place.
I just knew someone would know where to look to see if Fletch was full of crap. :-)
Yay!
66 and 67 passed! I’m so happy that our state views health an education as a common good worth paying up for!
Yay!
66 and 67 passed! I’m so happy that our state views health an education as a common good worth paying up for!
doing a little better this week
i am still tired as anything and spending most of the morning on the couch dozing on and off while my son plays. we both fall asleep watching a movie in the afternoon. i attribute that to the zoloft and being 36.5 weeks pregnant! but when i get enough sleep i’ve been feeling better and actually got one or 2 things done in between naps! my son has been very cuddly and i think he needs the snuggling and reassurance that mama is ok.
and he just picked up some random piece of something off the floor and put it in his mouth and ate it. i hope it wasn’t insulation or a wood chip (DH has been doing major renovation in the basement). i guess i’ll just hope it was a paper scrap and wait to see if he gets a tummy ache.
Good to hear!
that you’re feeling better, I mean. Not that your kid just ate something off the floor. In my house, that’s pretty common- though the odds of it being an old cheerio are much higher than a wood chip.
LOL
I’m starting to think DD actually prefers cheerios off the floor!
At least that way
they’re easier to serve!
Some might liken it to a salad bar
thanks laura
how are you doing these days, by the way?
5 by 5
as the kids say. Or as the kids used to say? Anyway, I’m good. No major health drama anymore and my shrink (god love her) pointed out that my self-diagnosed depression was actually boredom and that all the Lexapro in the world wasn’t going to change that. Then she told me that the reason I was bored was because I’d silenced my Badass, as evidenced by the lack of updates to my blog (yes, my shrink reads my blog. She says it saves her time updating her file on me). Then she told me that I have to have to have to write, no matter how much the process sucks ass right now, because otherwise I get bored and then I stop doing stuff ’cause I’m bored with it and then the anxiety- oy, the anxiety.
My shrink rocks.
winter?
what about winter? do u think that could be a factor?
It could be-
I’m certainly busier and more active in the summer, with the garden and all. I’m not much of a winter sports person so I tend to do a lot more couch time and navel gazing once the snow starts flying.
Yes
You must continue to be Badass. Your shrink’s comment reminds me of a movie quote where a character says “I thought I had mono for a year…turns out I was just bored.” Not that I’m making light of your diagnosis; I think it’s spot-on. I gave a presentation last Saturday, and spent the week before preparing it. For a few days, I didn’t snack all night, I stayed up late but wasn’t tired the next day, I wasn’t crabby even though I had pressure on, and I think it was because I finally had an engaging, fulfilling project to work on! I need more of those.
Yes
and my current work is very not engaging. I spend most of my time on administrivia and the whole school change thing, while certainly Good Work, isn’t exactly moving right now. There’s a lot of sitting around gazing into my magic 8 ball wondering what the feds are going to do next. There’s also a lot of money stress. I got into this gig to change the world and so far I’m spending most of my time chasing dollars and trying to stay under the upper-administrative radar. Badass was engaging, then it just got hard. Same with my book. It was fun to put together the proposal, but the revision? The writing? Meh. I want new and shiny. Apparently, I’m either a magpie or a 6 year old. Who knew?
As my BIL says,
If it was easy, everyone would do it. Now, I’m not trying to make light of your situation, just pointing out that you are in good company. It’s hard to keep up the momentum. I run into the same thing with my blog–it’s hard to be consistently creative week after week after week.
Hang in there and try to focus on the ways these boring tasks are moving you closer to what you really want to be doing.
I think the thing is
that what I imagined for the blog hasn’t come to pass. I wanted to actually learn to do all that cool stuff- think Julie and Julia, except with guns and motorcycles- but I’m having a hell of a time finding people who are willing to teach me without expecting either money or sex (no joke) in return. Maybe I just need a better marketing plan…or a more realistic sense of what is possible?
You come out to Portland
and i’ll teach you to ride a motorcycle (an automatic version, at least). Can’t help much with the guns, though!
I’m the same
I’m not a very good “finisher.” People have tried to put a positive spin on it by saying I should be a consultant, since I’m good at coming up with ideas and big-picture plans, but not real great with details & follow-through. Could be true.
Wayne’s World
(it’s embarrassing that I know that)
And oddly impressive…
Thank you!
I was thinking it was a John Cusack movie, but that didn’t sound right to me.
glad you’re feeling better
And it’s good to hear you being so chill about the object on the floor. A little fiber is not going to hurt him any.
hopefully it’s just fiber…
and not fiber glass!
glad you’re feeling a little better
and good for you for getting naps in. Rest the body for sure! And cuddles with the boy is awesome.
Hugs as always from Melbourne!
Glad to hear
that things are looking up. I hope it continues for the next few weeks. Enjoy yourself!
doing a little better this week
i am still tired as anything and spending most of the morning on the couch dozing on and off while my son plays. we both fall asleep watching a movie in the afternoon. i attribute that to the zoloft and being 36.5 weeks pregnant! but when i get enough sleep i’ve been feeling better and actually got one or 2 things done in between naps! my son has been very cuddly and i think he needs the snuggling and reassurance that mama is ok.
and he just picked up some random piece of something off the floor and put it in his mouth and ate it. i hope it wasn’t insulation or a wood chip (DH has been doing major renovation in the basement). i guess i’ll just hope it was a paper scrap and wait to see if he gets a tummy ache.
Good to hear!
that you’re feeling better, I mean. Not that your kid just ate something off the floor. In my house, that’s pretty common- though the odds of it being an old cheerio are much higher than a wood chip.
LOL
I’m starting to think DD actually prefers cheerios off the floor!
At least that way
they’re easier to serve!
Some might liken it to a salad bar
thanks laura
how are you doing these days, by the way?
5 by 5
as the kids say. Or as the kids used to say? Anyway, I’m good. No major health drama anymore and my shrink (god love her) pointed out that my self-diagnosed depression was actually boredom and that all the Lexapro in the world wasn’t going to change that. Then she told me that the reason I was bored was because I’d silenced my Badass, as evidenced by the lack of updates to my blog (yes, my shrink reads my blog. She says it saves her time updating her file on me). Then she told me that I have to have to have to write, no matter how much the process sucks ass right now, because otherwise I get bored and then I stop doing stuff ’cause I’m bored with it and then the anxiety- oy, the anxiety.
My shrink rocks.
winter?
what about winter? do u think that could be a factor?
It could be-
I’m certainly busier and more active in the summer, with the garden and all. I’m not much of a winter sports person so I tend to do a lot more couch time and navel gazing once the snow starts flying.
Yes
You must continue to be Badass. Your shrink’s comment reminds me of a movie quote where a character says “I thought I had mono for a year…turns out I was just bored.” Not that I’m making light of your diagnosis; I think it’s spot-on. I gave a presentation last Saturday, and spent the week before preparing it. For a few days, I didn’t snack all night, I stayed up late but wasn’t tired the next day, I wasn’t crabby even though I had pressure on, and I think it was because I finally had an engaging, fulfilling project to work on! I need more of those.
Yes
and my current work is very not engaging. I spend most of my time on administrivia and the whole school change thing, while certainly Good Work, isn’t exactly moving right now. There’s a lot of sitting around gazing into my magic 8 ball wondering what the feds are going to do next. There’s also a lot of money stress. I got into this gig to change the world and so far I’m spending most of my time chasing dollars and trying to stay under the upper-administrative radar. Badass was engaging, then it just got hard. Same with my book. It was fun to put together the proposal, but the revision? The writing? Meh. I want new and shiny. Apparently, I’m either a magpie or a 6 year old. Who knew?
As my BIL says,
If it was easy, everyone would do it. Now, I’m not trying to make light of your situation, just pointing out that you are in good company. It’s hard to keep up the momentum. I run into the same thing with my blog–it’s hard to be consistently creative week after week after week.
Hang in there and try to focus on the ways these boring tasks are moving you closer to what you really want to be doing.
I think the thing is
that what I imagined for the blog hasn’t come to pass. I wanted to actually learn to do all that cool stuff- think Julie and Julia, except with guns and motorcycles- but I’m having a hell of a time finding people who are willing to teach me without expecting either money or sex (no joke) in return. Maybe I just need a better marketing plan…or a more realistic sense of what is possible?
You come out to Portland
and i’ll teach you to ride a motorcycle (an automatic version, at least). Can’t help much with the guns, though!
I’m the same
I’m not a very good “finisher.” People have tried to put a positive spin on it by saying I should be a consultant, since I’m good at coming up with ideas and big-picture plans, but not real great with details & follow-through. Could be true.
Wayne’s World
(it’s embarrassing that I know that)
And oddly impressive…
Thank you!
I was thinking it was a John Cusack movie, but that didn’t sound right to me.
glad you’re feeling better
And it’s good to hear you being so chill about the object on the floor. A little fiber is not going to hurt him any.
hopefully it’s just fiber…
and not fiber glass!
glad you’re feeling a little better
and good for you for getting naps in. Rest the body for sure! And cuddles with the boy is awesome.
Hugs as always from Melbourne!
Glad to hear
that things are looking up. I hope it continues for the next few weeks. Enjoy yourself!
nesting here
Yesterday I got a great burst of energy. Babies R Us for a few last-minute baby items, walked 2 miles at the gym, cleaned out and organized Maya’s toys and sorted several bags of items to donate, hung the last of the photos on our new home’s walls, wrapped all of Maya’s big sister gifts, paid all the bills and balanced the checkbook, and cleaned for the cleaning ladies, who are here now to make our house spic and span before baby comes.
Tomorrow is my 39-week checkup… Maya keeps insisting the baby is coming TODAY.
Maybe she knows???
Because you are doing the classic nesting thing right now!!! EEEEE!
I don’t know
But I will say that burst of energy was quite uncharacteristic. Before that, I was all about lounging and naps. Even my husband was like DAMN, what got into you? LOL
OK
but before you birth that baby, you must get DH and go do this!
(it’s on my facebook page, too)…tee hee hee!
OMG
Wow, that’s… bold!
Wow
what were they thinking?
TMI
Just sayin’
ack!
That should be sent to STFU Parents.
hmmm?
Unless I saw the wrong thing, it’s more tame than I thought from the comments LOL.
I didn’t know you were in the Bay Area. I have a very good friend and several friends of friends at PBS. Small world!
Yeah, if I did that I probably wouldn’t
post it on the internet. But it seems nice enough.
Same here.
I wouldn’t blow it up to poster size and put it in the living room, but I don’t think it’s that weird.
Getting my husband to agree to pose naked would take some doing…
Ah, not alone
I was wondering what the fuss is too. I mean, one can discuss whether this nakedness has any real function, but I really do not see why this would be weirder for the man than for the woman. I guess nude pictures aren’t necessarily my thing.
Ooooh!
Maybe I’ll win the (empty:-) baby pool for once in my life!
can i have some of your nesting energy?
i put away some diapers for the baby today. meaning, i put the packs on the shelf in the closet. does that count as nesting?
of course it counts
You have a carseat, diapers, presumably someplace for her to sleep and something for her to wear. ‘Sall you need.
:-}
well, i do have all of that
carseat is still in the box. so is the bassinet. and the clothes are not washed. but my SIL is coming over friday to help me sort and wash clothes. i’m trying to get motivated to clear out a space for the clothes to go!
and at least we know how to install a carseat now, so that should be easy. i mean at least DH does, i am clueless about it!
I don’t think
it counts as nesting, but it totally counts as doing useful work.
I don’t think I’ve ever nested, or even considered doing so. Maybe I nested at work?
My nesting
Involved screaming at my husband to do things. It wasn’t that pleasant. But things got done…he was very afraid of me then….
Omg
Me too. I wish I had bottled some of that ‘essence of terrifying’
hormone, I need to get dh to clean the kitchen.
LOL
Your nesting is my daily life.
You are ahead!
You don’t really even need to buy them in advance — does your hospital let you take all of the ones in the room home with you? I think those lasted us a week.
yes, but
my son was so big he didn’t fit them by day 3, LOL! my mom bought me some size 1 and 2 of the chlorine free ones.
Oh!
One of the benefits of having small babies, I guess! Toby still wears size 3 or 4 diapers!
yes
whatever you can get done counts. I never did feel the nesting thing. I don’t know if it was because I had a scheduled c-section at 37 weeks and my body wasn’t in any way getting prepared to push those babies out — nothing was going on in that realm. So I suppose those things could be tied together.
As far as I’m concerned, though, if you put diapers on the shelf that is a good accomplishment for you at this point. Glad to hear you seem to be doing so much better. Your posts just sound so much more like you than they did for awhile. Hugs.
thanks lisa
i feel more like me. not 100% yet, but maybe 20% of what i used to be!
i didn’t nest at all before my son, but i also had some depression and anxiety/ OCD issues throughout that pregnancy. i figured that was the reason i never nested.
See, I never worried much
because I have absolute proof that if you don’t even buy a damn thing until after the baby is born, life still goes on.
nesting here
Yesterday I got a great burst of energy. Babies R Us for a few last-minute baby items, walked 2 miles at the gym, cleaned out and organized Maya’s toys and sorted several bags of items to donate, hung the last of the photos on our new home’s walls, wrapped all of Maya’s big sister gifts, paid all the bills and balanced the checkbook, and cleaned for the cleaning ladies, who are here now to make our house spic and span before baby comes.
Tomorrow is my 39-week checkup… Maya keeps insisting the baby is coming TODAY.
Maybe she knows???
Because you are doing the classic nesting thing right now!!! EEEEE!
I don’t know
But I will say that burst of energy was quite uncharacteristic. Before that, I was all about lounging and naps. Even my husband was like DAMN, what got into you? LOL
OK
but before you birth that baby, you must get DH and go do this!
(it’s on my facebook page, too)…tee hee hee!
OMG
Wow, that’s… bold!
Wow
what were they thinking?
TMI
Just sayin’
ack!
That should be sent to STFU Parents.
hmmm?
Unless I saw the wrong thing, it’s more tame than I thought from the comments LOL.
I didn’t know you were in the Bay Area. I have a very good friend and several friends of friends at PBS. Small world!
Yeah, if I did that I probably wouldn’t
post it on the internet. But it seems nice enough.
Same here.
I wouldn’t blow it up to poster size and put it in the living room, but I don’t think it’s that weird.
Getting my husband to agree to pose naked would take some doing…
Ah, not alone
I was wondering what the fuss is too. I mean, one can discuss whether this nakedness has any real function, but I really do not see why this would be weirder for the man than for the woman. I guess nude pictures aren’t necessarily my thing.
Ooooh!
Maybe I’ll win the (empty:-) baby pool for once in my life!
can i have some of your nesting energy?
i put away some diapers for the baby today. meaning, i put the packs on the shelf in the closet. does that count as nesting?
of course it counts
You have a carseat, diapers, presumably someplace for her to sleep and something for her to wear. ‘Sall you need.
:-}
well, i do have all of that
carseat is still in the box. so is the bassinet. and the clothes are not washed. but my SIL is coming over friday to help me sort and wash clothes. i’m trying to get motivated to clear out a space for the clothes to go!
and at least we know how to install a carseat now, so that should be easy. i mean at least DH does, i am clueless about it!
I don’t think
it counts as nesting, but it totally counts as doing useful work.
I don’t think I’ve ever nested, or even considered doing so. Maybe I nested at work?
My nesting
Involved screaming at my husband to do things. It wasn’t that pleasant. But things got done…he was very afraid of me then….
Omg
Me too. I wish I had bottled some of that ‘essence of terrifying’
hormone, I need to get dh to clean the kitchen.
LOL
Your nesting is my daily life.
You are ahead!
You don’t really even need to buy them in advance — does your hospital let you take all of the ones in the room home with you? I think those lasted us a week.
yes, but
my son was so big he didn’t fit them by day 3, LOL! my mom bought me some size 1 and 2 of the chlorine free ones.
Oh!
One of the benefits of having small babies, I guess! Toby still wears size 3 or 4 diapers!
yes
whatever you can get done counts. I never did feel the nesting thing. I don’t know if it was because I had a scheduled c-section at 37 weeks and my body wasn’t in any way getting prepared to push those babies out — nothing was going on in that realm. So I suppose those things could be tied together.
As far as I’m concerned, though, if you put diapers on the shelf that is a good accomplishment for you at this point. Glad to hear you seem to be doing so much better. Your posts just sound so much more like you than they did for awhile. Hugs.
thanks lisa
i feel more like me. not 100% yet, but maybe 20% of what i used to be!
i didn’t nest at all before my son, but i also had some depression and anxiety/ OCD issues throughout that pregnancy. i figured that was the reason i never nested.
See, I never worried much
because I have absolute proof that if you don’t even buy a damn thing until after the baby is born, life still goes on.
There was
an article in the NYT about recess before lunch last week. One of the things they mention, is that it doesn’t work so well in lower income schools where kids might possibly skip breakfast. Those kids are ravenous by the time lunch rolls around, so recess before is tough on them.
I sent an e-mail to our school principal about it. She said she had thought about it, but the other elementary school in our district did it and hadn’t seen the results they were hoping for. This school is lower income with many families below the poverty level. She said they might try it in our school when our new building opens in the fall of ’11.
Before lunch
At my older son’s school they have lunch and recess combined, with lunch first. I think the main result of this is that my kid barely bothers to eat lunch because he wants to spend all his time running around. If they had it before lunch maybe he’d actually eat his lunch. Who knows? But I can see that would be a problem for kids who hadn’t eaten breakfast.
milk break
My son’s school does recess before lunch for 5K and 1st grades this year. I think it’s good, although we still have issues with William not finishing his whole lunch. I don’t sweat it too much.
Our school does do a morning milk break each day. Parents have the option of buying milk (It’s like $20 for the semester) and/or sending a small snack. I know I like a small snack mid-morning and am glad my kid has the same option.
We had a break even in jr high
It was called Nutrition Break. 15 or 20 minutes in the mid-morning to have a snack.
my kids’ school does it
They shifted to lunch before recess a few years ago and are very happy with the change. They eat about 20 minutes later than they did before the switch.
The funny thing was that when we were hit with a slew of rainy days, they were stuck inside for recess and lunch (they usually have recess and then eat on tables outside) and DS completely forgot to eat his lunch because there was no whistle to tell him it was time to stop playing board games and go sit at his desk to eat lunch.
There was
an article in the NYT about recess before lunch last week. One of the things they mention, is that it doesn’t work so well in lower income schools where kids might possibly skip breakfast. Those kids are ravenous by the time lunch rolls around, so recess before is tough on them.
I sent an e-mail to our school principal about it. She said she had thought about it, but the other elementary school in our district did it and hadn’t seen the results they were hoping for. This school is lower income with many families below the poverty level. She said they might try it in our school when our new building opens in the fall of ’11.
Before lunch
At my older son’s school they have lunch and recess combined, with lunch first. I think the main result of this is that my kid barely bothers to eat lunch because he wants to spend all his time running around. If they had it before lunch maybe he’d actually eat his lunch. Who knows? But I can see that would be a problem for kids who hadn’t eaten breakfast.
milk break
My son’s school does recess before lunch for 5K and 1st grades this year. I think it’s good, although we still have issues with William not finishing his whole lunch. I don’t sweat it too much.
Our school does do a morning milk break each day. Parents have the option of buying milk (It’s like $20 for the semester) and/or sending a small snack. I know I like a small snack mid-morning and am glad my kid has the same option.
We had a break even in jr high
It was called Nutrition Break. 15 or 20 minutes in the mid-morning to have a snack.
my kids’ school does it
They shifted to lunch before recess a few years ago and are very happy with the change. They eat about 20 minutes later than they did before the switch.
The funny thing was that when we were hit with a slew of rainy days, they were stuck inside for recess and lunch (they usually have recess and then eat on tables outside) and DS completely forgot to eat his lunch because there was no whistle to tell him it was time to stop playing board games and go sit at his desk to eat lunch.
Abstinence only
I probably won’t actually read it, because the odds of it chancing my opinion on the subject are slim to none. Still, I have to question the idea that, with sex, later=better. Don’t get me wrong, I do not want my children having sex in sixth or seventh grade. But I’d rather they make a responsible choice at 17 than have unprotected sex at 19. I’m not necessarily working to make sure they hang onto their virginity as long as humanly possible. I’d rather promote a healthy attitude toward sex, and leave it to them to decide what to do with that. Is that overly permissive?
I don’t think so
I think that is very reasonable, Erin.
How many people have I known who married too young or too soon in a relationship because they had been told forever that it was wrong to have sex before marriage? And not just wrong, but sinful and disappointing to God. I can recall a guy my husband worked with who even said openly that they were getting married “or else there would be some serious sexual sin.” The marriage lasted maybe 2 years.
Yes
It’s just seems so strange to me that delaying as long as possible is considered some sort of measure of success. What about pregnancy, STDs, consideration for self and others, and even enjoying sex when the time comes(!)?
Like Ben Stiller’s mom in Meet the Parents saying “I did not raise a so-so lover!” While I don’t plan to worry so much about the details of my kids’ adult sex lives, I do agree that she has hit upon another end that could justify one’s means. It’s just that sex ed teachers haven’t been conditioned to care about that.
asdf
we’re planning on stressing abstinence before marriage with our kids. but that is our decision, not the school’s, and it’s based on our faith. for the school to teach that, without the faith element, is bizarre.
i don’t know what i will do though when the time comes for sex ed in public school. hopefully we will just use that as a jumping off point for discussion at home.
my parents
stressed abstinence before marriage [well, my mom. dad didn't talk about it] but my mom also told me about birth control.
And, yeah, I don’t usually share this but I am one among the very small percentage of people who didn’t have sex until I was married. So, I don’t think hearing about b/c changed the main message I’d been getting from them all along.
wow, good for you!
and good on your mom!
i was the opposite. my mom stressed birth control and choosing the right person but not waiting for marriage. i got a lot of mixed messages and had a lot of guilt about the guys i “hooked up” with. i confused sex with affection.
not to say that if she would have told me to wait till marriage, i would have not still acted the same way. but then again, my parents are not religious so for them to say that it would have rung hollow. i am hoping to send a more clear, consistent message to my son.
Me, too
My mom made sex before marriage sound like getting into bed with Satan himself, and I didn’t take sex ed in junior high or high school. However, I did take a human sex class in college before I got married, and still managed to keep to my decision to wait (new knowledge of condoms not withstanding).
But what exactly
does abstinence only mean to you? Does it mean telling your kids that this is the standard in your family; that you think waiting until marriage is the right thing to do? Or does it mean not telling them about anything but abstinence?
I’m asking out of curiosity, I swear!
I’ll tell my kids that
I think it is the best plan (and conveniently avoids some of the issues like teen pregnancy and STDs). I would really prefer that they wait, from both religious and other standpoints.
I will tell them about BC and allow them to do school-based sex ed because knowledge is power, and they may decide differently than I, and they won’t get kicked out or shamed if they do.
no, i don’t plan to keep them in the dark
obviously they will know that there is more than just abstinence out there, and i want them to be aware! but i do plan to tell them that it’s God’s plan for marriage.
and i will be honest about my own past, if they ask. i really regret not waiting. especially the guy i gave my virginity to, i regret that more than anything in the world.
and if my kids are anything like me…
telling them this
will only serve to ensure that they do just the opposite, LOL! i think that would only make them feel ashamed or secretive. i am going to present it as part of their relationship with God. but if they mess up, there is forgiveness!
LOL
Abbey has been so oppositional lately (seriously, if I told her not to run into the street, she’d take off sprinting) that I was thinking that my best approach might be to tell her that I think she SHOULD have sex…but of course, that would end up backfiring.
Isn’t that what OWL is for?
“Sex is an important part of life…here, let’s look at some slides…and talk about it in great detail…”
At our church we don’t have it in high school, and many of the middle school kids feel like it is more information than they want yet. But of course many need it then…
snort.
I think my mother’s version of that was leaving “The Joy of Sex” and “Our Bodies Our Selves”…the 70′s hairy editions…out in conspicuous places.
Mind you, it didn’t work. But I did read them both cover to cover. I was a very well informed sexually active teenager!
OMG!!!
Are you me! That is exactly how my adolescence went. Except it started at 8. (Well, puberty. Not the sexing.)
actually i know mainly succss stories
most people i know who waited to have sex ended up in successful marriages. i do know of a couple failures though.
one of my close friends is getting remarried this year. she’s been celibate since her divorce 3 years ago and it’s been hard for her! but she’s sticking to it and asking her friends to hold her accountable.
i guess i’m trying to say that sometimes the wrong people just get married for the wrong reason, sex or no sex. i know a lot more people who didn’t wait who are also divorced.
Yeah, I think
young marriage is a not-great idea. And marriage or serious relationships combined with not having really learned about and thought about sex is pretty bad. But thinking about how you want to wait probably fits the bill fine.
right — not all
but besides the man I mentioned above [husband's coworker] I have another close friend who got married, in part, because she had already had sex with this guy. I think if she hadn’t felt the religious guilt, maybe she wouldn’t have married him.
Of course, not all people who wait have unsuccessful marriages. I have been married almost 20 years so I think most people would call that a success. But I just have seen the other side, where there is so much focus and guilt put on people, they figure they have “failed” and now have to marry the person, whether they are the right person or not.
that’s true, too
my best friend got herself in that situation by getting pregnant, and then felt she “had” to marry the guy. luckily for them they seem to have a strong marriage. but she wouldn’t hear of not marrying him immediately because it was the “right thing to do.”
Abstinence only
I probably won’t actually read it, because the odds of it chancing my opinion on the subject are slim to none. Still, I have to question the idea that, with sex, later=better. Don’t get me wrong, I do not want my children having sex in sixth or seventh grade. But I’d rather they make a responsible choice at 17 than have unprotected sex at 19. I’m not necessarily working to make sure they hang onto their virginity as long as humanly possible. I’d rather promote a healthy attitude toward sex, and leave it to them to decide what to do with that. Is that overly permissive?
I don’t think so
I think that is very reasonable, Erin.
How many people have I known who married too young or too soon in a relationship because they had been told forever that it was wrong to have sex before marriage? And not just wrong, but sinful and disappointing to God. I can recall a guy my husband worked with who even said openly that they were getting married “or else there would be some serious sexual sin.” The marriage lasted maybe 2 years.
Yes
It’s just seems so strange to me that delaying as long as possible is considered some sort of measure of success. What about pregnancy, STDs, consideration for self and others, and even enjoying sex when the time comes(!)?
Like Ben Stiller’s mom in Meet the Parents saying “I did not raise a so-so lover!” While I don’t plan to worry so much about the details of my kids’ adult sex lives, I do agree that she has hit upon another end that could justify one’s means. It’s just that sex ed teachers haven’t been conditioned to care about that.
asdf
we’re planning on stressing abstinence before marriage with our kids. but that is our decision, not the school’s, and it’s based on our faith. for the school to teach that, without the faith element, is bizarre.
i don’t know what i will do though when the time comes for sex ed in public school. hopefully we will just use that as a jumping off point for discussion at home.
my parents
stressed abstinence before marriage [well, my mom. dad didn't talk about it] but my mom also told me about birth control.
And, yeah, I don’t usually share this but I am one among the very small percentage of people who didn’t have sex until I was married. So, I don’t think hearing about b/c changed the main message I’d been getting from them all along.
wow, good for you!
and good on your mom!
i was the opposite. my mom stressed birth control and choosing the right person but not waiting for marriage. i got a lot of mixed messages and had a lot of guilt about the guys i “hooked up” with. i confused sex with affection.
not to say that if she would have told me to wait till marriage, i would have not still acted the same way. but then again, my parents are not religious so for them to say that it would have rung hollow. i am hoping to send a more clear, consistent message to my son.
Me, too
My mom made sex before marriage sound like getting into bed with Satan himself, and I didn’t take sex ed in junior high or high school. However, I did take a human sex class in college before I got married, and still managed to keep to my decision to wait (new knowledge of condoms not withstanding).
But what exactly
does abstinence only mean to you? Does it mean telling your kids that this is the standard in your family; that you think waiting until marriage is the right thing to do? Or does it mean not telling them about anything but abstinence?
I’m asking out of curiosity, I swear!
I’ll tell my kids that
I think it is the best plan (and conveniently avoids some of the issues like teen pregnancy and STDs). I would really prefer that they wait, from both religious and other standpoints.
I will tell them about BC and allow them to do school-based sex ed because knowledge is power, and they may decide differently than I, and they won’t get kicked out or shamed if they do.
no, i don’t plan to keep them in the dark
obviously they will know that there is more than just abstinence out there, and i want them to be aware! but i do plan to tell them that it’s God’s plan for marriage.
and i will be honest about my own past, if they ask. i really regret not waiting. especially the guy i gave my virginity to, i regret that more than anything in the world.
and if my kids are anything like me…
telling them this
will only serve to ensure that they do just the opposite, LOL! i think that would only make them feel ashamed or secretive. i am going to present it as part of their relationship with God. but if they mess up, there is forgiveness!
LOL
Abbey has been so oppositional lately (seriously, if I told her not to run into the street, she’d take off sprinting) that I was thinking that my best approach might be to tell her that I think she SHOULD have sex…but of course, that would end up backfiring.
Isn’t that what OWL is for?
“Sex is an important part of life…here, let’s look at some slides…and talk about it in great detail…”
At our church we don’t have it in high school, and many of the middle school kids feel like it is more information than they want yet. But of course many need it then…
snort.
I think my mother’s version of that was leaving “The Joy of Sex” and “Our Bodies Our Selves”…the 70′s hairy editions…out in conspicuous places.
Mind you, it didn’t work. But I did read them both cover to cover. I was a very well informed sexually active teenager!
OMG!!!
Are you me! That is exactly how my adolescence went. Except it started at 8. (Well, puberty. Not the sexing.)
actually i know mainly succss stories
most people i know who waited to have sex ended up in successful marriages. i do know of a couple failures though.
one of my close friends is getting remarried this year. she’s been celibate since her divorce 3 years ago and it’s been hard for her! but she’s sticking to it and asking her friends to hold her accountable.
i guess i’m trying to say that sometimes the wrong people just get married for the wrong reason, sex or no sex. i know a lot more people who didn’t wait who are also divorced.
Yeah, I think
young marriage is a not-great idea. And marriage or serious relationships combined with not having really learned about and thought about sex is pretty bad. But thinking about how you want to wait probably fits the bill fine.
right — not all
but besides the man I mentioned above [husband's coworker] I have another close friend who got married, in part, because she had already had sex with this guy. I think if she hadn’t felt the religious guilt, maybe she wouldn’t have married him.
Of course, not all people who wait have unsuccessful marriages. I have been married almost 20 years so I think most people would call that a success. But I just have seen the other side, where there is so much focus and guilt put on people, they figure they have “failed” and now have to marry the person, whether they are the right person or not.
that’s true, too
my best friend got herself in that situation by getting pregnant, and then felt she “had” to marry the guy. luckily for them they seem to have a strong marriage. but she wouldn’t hear of not marrying him immediately because it was the “right thing to do.”
A little whine…
So I know it’s silly to whine but… I’m in Mexico right now with DH who has a conference here. His conference has been basically non-stop. He’s depressed because the job market sucks and he’s around all of these work people. So it’s good I’m here for him. But, it’s been rainy and I’ve had to be grading and basically in the room all the time (because of the rain I can’t even grade by the pool or ocean) and this is so not what I wanted… Anyways, I know I shouldn’t complain and at least I’m not wearing my down coat
It’s been nice to have some extra time to catch up on MotherTalkers and FaceBook and reading
Not whiney
That sucks. I’m glad it’s a comfort for your husband to have you there, but non-stop rain in Mexico? Major let down. I’d glad you brought some good reading material.
I agree
not whiney at all. What a sucky way to experience Mexico. Can you at least go the bar in the hotel and have a margarita or 2?
are the kids there?
if not, you can still have fun relaxing in the hotel room! Or getting pampered!
i also second the margarita idea!
Thanks all!
The kids are not here so that has meant better sleeping
And a much more relaxing hanging out. But the place actually seems pretty kid friendly so I’ve had to kick myself out of a couple “we should have brought the kids” moments. Not that we could have ever afforded that so it’s really a moot guilt trip anyways 
Unfortunately alcohol triggers my migraines but I’ve had a couple “virgin” daiquiris. Yum.
DH gave his talk this afternoon so hopefully he’ll be able to relax a bit more now. And if he could just get an e-mail with an invite for a job talk then I think he could really relax
Hope springs eternal!
I do think my parents are having a blast with the kids – my parents are staying at our place so that there’s somewhat of a routine. And daycare for the kids during at least part of the day
They have a bunch of activities planned and it seems to be going very well so that’s wonderful.
Nah
It’s a long way to travel for crummy weather! Try to enjoy the moisture in the air if you can — you’ll be back to desert-like (cold) arid weather soon enough.
A little whine…
So I know it’s silly to whine but… I’m in Mexico right now with DH who has a conference here. His conference has been basically non-stop. He’s depressed because the job market sucks and he’s around all of these work people. So it’s good I’m here for him. But, it’s been rainy and I’ve had to be grading and basically in the room all the time (because of the rain I can’t even grade by the pool or ocean) and this is so not what I wanted… Anyways, I know I shouldn’t complain and at least I’m not wearing my down coat
It’s been nice to have some extra time to catch up on MotherTalkers and FaceBook and reading
Not whiney
That sucks. I’m glad it’s a comfort for your husband to have you there, but non-stop rain in Mexico? Major let down. I’d glad you brought some good reading material.
I agree
not whiney at all. What a sucky way to experience Mexico. Can you at least go the bar in the hotel and have a margarita or 2?
are the kids there?
if not, you can still have fun relaxing in the hotel room! Or getting pampered!
i also second the margarita idea!
Thanks all!
The kids are not here so that has meant better sleeping
And a much more relaxing hanging out. But the place actually seems pretty kid friendly so I’ve had to kick myself out of a couple “we should have brought the kids” moments. Not that we could have ever afforded that so it’s really a moot guilt trip anyways 
Unfortunately alcohol triggers my migraines but I’ve had a couple “virgin” daiquiris. Yum.
DH gave his talk this afternoon so hopefully he’ll be able to relax a bit more now. And if he could just get an e-mail with an invite for a job talk then I think he could really relax
Hope springs eternal!
I do think my parents are having a blast with the kids – my parents are staying at our place so that there’s somewhat of a routine. And daycare for the kids during at least part of the day
They have a bunch of activities planned and it seems to be going very well so that’s wonderful.
Nah
It’s a long way to travel for crummy weather! Try to enjoy the moisture in the air if you can — you’ll be back to desert-like (cold) arid weather soon enough.
homemade “girl scout” cookies
found this link — for those of you missing GS cookies:
http://thethinkingmother.blogspot.co…
of course I have not tried any of them, but they purport to be homemade GS type cookies.
It’s dangerous to bookmark that link
but I did it anyway. After reading the GS cookie diary, I’ve been craving Thin Mints!
just realized
someone already posted a similar link in the GS cookies diary.
homemade “girl scout” cookies
found this link — for those of you missing GS cookies:
http://thethinkingmother.blogspot.co…
of course I have not tried any of them, but they purport to be homemade GS type cookies.
It’s dangerous to bookmark that link
but I did it anyway. After reading the GS cookie diary, I’ve been craving Thin Mints!
just realized
someone already posted a similar link in the GS cookies diary.
Not to sound…
…like an ungrateful b%#$, but what happened to the Afternoon Open Threads and the Late Night Liberties? Its hard to catch up on the Morning Open threads by the evening!
I have relaxed significantly–the buyers didn’t walk away, they just gave us the most ridiculous walk sheet in the history of real estate. Luckily, our agent’s son is a contractor, and the agent is paying him to fix a lot of the problems. We have to make it through a mold inspection and a structural review, but things are looking ok at this point. Just, expensive. But come the end of the month, we should only own one house, and I will be a significantly happier woman.
YAY!!!
that is great news! i hope it continues to go well!
i was wondering about the other threads, too. i figured we were giving erika a break
Hooray!
Hooray hooray hooray!
excellent news!
so happy there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Money stress is just the worst. Fingers crossed for the final inspections.
Great news!
So happy to hear that the house will likely sell!
Not to sound…
…like an ungrateful b%#$, but what happened to the Afternoon Open Threads and the Late Night Liberties? Its hard to catch up on the Morning Open threads by the evening!
I have relaxed significantly–the buyers didn’t walk away, they just gave us the most ridiculous walk sheet in the history of real estate. Luckily, our agent’s son is a contractor, and the agent is paying him to fix a lot of the problems. We have to make it through a mold inspection and a structural review, but things are looking ok at this point. Just, expensive. But come the end of the month, we should only own one house, and I will be a significantly happier woman.
YAY!!!
that is great news! i hope it continues to go well!
i was wondering about the other threads, too. i figured we were giving erika a break
Hooray!
Hooray hooray hooray!
excellent news!
so happy there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Money stress is just the worst. Fingers crossed for the final inspections.
Great news!
So happy to hear that the house will likely sell!
I get so very annoyed by people who assume
that since I have had children that I therefore will smile and nod at their children running around and say “Oh, isn’t that cute?”
No, it’s not cute. I avoided taking small children to fancy restaurants. Now that my children are not small, when I go out, I do not want to have to deal with someone else’s hellion playing with my hair.
(Yes. Grabbed my braid…this was back when I often wore it in a single braid and down and rang it like a bellrope. With hands that had been a moment earlier smeared with ketchup.)
I shoot mothers in grocery stores who are clearly attempting to not give in to temper tantrums a look of understanding and support. We have all Been There. But there’s a lot of places I just don’t think small children belong.
My youngest is the only one who has recess, and his is after lunch. But he doesn’t get to go out to it until the time is up, so he eats. He would eat anyway; he never does anything by halves, including food appreciation. He is ten and wants to go out for lobster for his birthday.
I had one daughter
who could sit quietly for a fancy dinner from birth onward. She was preternaturally good. But still we always went to the earliest possible seating and we ordered everything at once and came primed with goldfish crackers, quiet toys and books.
This new kid, well, she is more active and needs to run around a bit more, so we only take her to family friendly places (still armed with distractions) and one of us eats REALLY quickly and then takes her for a walk while everyone else finishes.
Thing is, I’d never get to go anywhere if we can’t take the kids. Can’t afford a babysitter AND a night out, so we stay in 99.99% of the time. And they learn good manners by being out in public too, so its a win/win.
And on the spectator end, well, you’re clearly
trying. Clearly trying gets you a lot of leeway.
It’s the people who park the kid in the high chair and then ignore them the entire time no matter what the kid is doing that drive me nuts, or the, “Isn’t that cute how she’s worked out how the ketchup bottle squirts!” types.
No, if some dirty fisted
no-necked little monster pulled my hair, I’d be livid!!! I’m just saying for myself I am torn between never going out at all/ dealing with a kid in public. Both are hassles, but I try not to inflict my kids on people when they are acting up.
I get so very annoyed by people who assume
that since I have had children that I therefore will smile and nod at their children running around and say “Oh, isn’t that cute?”
No, it’s not cute. I avoided taking small children to fancy restaurants. Now that my children are not small, when I go out, I do not want to have to deal with someone else’s hellion playing with my hair.
(Yes. Grabbed my braid…this was back when I often wore it in a single braid and down and rang it like a bellrope. With hands that had been a moment earlier smeared with ketchup.)
I shoot mothers in grocery stores who are clearly attempting to not give in to temper tantrums a look of understanding and support. We have all Been There. But there’s a lot of places I just don’t think small children belong.
My youngest is the only one who has recess, and his is after lunch. But he doesn’t get to go out to it until the time is up, so he eats. He would eat anyway; he never does anything by halves, including food appreciation. He is ten and wants to go out for lobster for his birthday.
I had one daughter
who could sit quietly for a fancy dinner from birth onward. She was preternaturally good. But still we always went to the earliest possible seating and we ordered everything at once and came primed with goldfish crackers, quiet toys and books.
This new kid, well, she is more active and needs to run around a bit more, so we only take her to family friendly places (still armed with distractions) and one of us eats REALLY quickly and then takes her for a walk while everyone else finishes.
Thing is, I’d never get to go anywhere if we can’t take the kids. Can’t afford a babysitter AND a night out, so we stay in 99.99% of the time. And they learn good manners by being out in public too, so its a win/win.
And on the spectator end, well, you’re clearly
trying. Clearly trying gets you a lot of leeway.
It’s the people who park the kid in the high chair and then ignore them the entire time no matter what the kid is doing that drive me nuts, or the, “Isn’t that cute how she’s worked out how the ketchup bottle squirts!” types.
No, if some dirty fisted
no-necked little monster pulled my hair, I’d be livid!!! I’m just saying for myself I am torn between never going out at all/ dealing with a kid in public. Both are hassles, but I try not to inflict my kids on people when they are acting up.