Mother Talkers

Monday Open Thread

by Elisa

Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 09:31:35 AM PDT

Via Parents magazine: I thought the baby Star Wars wear on this site was adorable! I may have to surprise Eli -- okay Papi -- for Christmas.

”When Is the Next Baby Coming?” Parenting magazine, not to be confused with Parents, came up with clever comebacks to that nosey question, “Are you having another baby?” The mag’s three pat answers:

”For now, we’re just trying to get used to the new one.”

“The shop’s closed for the season. Check back next spring.”

“How about those Mets?”

Use the last one only if you really want to tell someone to buzz off. Do you have other witty comebacks to that never-ending question?

Celebrity Gossip: I can’t believe I missed this one. The biological mother of Angelina Jolie’s Ethiopian daughter Zahara dismissed a recent In Touch article that she wanted her daughter back.

  • ::

(Mentwabe) Dawit also repeats what she told the magazine about the circumstances leading to the adoption, specifically, that she bolted from home five months after giving birth because she couldn't feed her infant.

"I decided to flee rather than watch her die," she admitted.

She left the child in the care of her mother, who reportedly searched for her for several months before finally presuming her dead and putting the baby up for adoption.

Dawit, for her part, stresses how glad she is the tot is living with a movie star, a point she emphasizes by kissing a picture of Jolie, according to Reuters.

"This is to show I have no ill feelings towards her," she said. "I think my daughter is a very fortunate human being to be adopted by a world-famous lady. I wish them both all the success they deserve."

Dawit’s story is so heartbreaking. I shudder at the thought of not being able to feed my children.

What else is on your mind, MotherTalkers? Welcome back from holiday break. Hope you have a good rest of the week!

Tags: open thread, baby, Angelina Jolie, Zahara, Star Wars (all tags)

Permalink | 17 comments

  • OMG Mr T Booties! (0 / 0)

    ....it's wrong to have another baby just so I can purchase these, right?

    http://www.tacomamama.com

    by jenyum on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 10:28:45 AM PDT

  • Hey Elisa, I googled 'wi fi" spots in southern NH (0 / 0)

    for you and the Barnes and Noble in Manchester does indeed have wi fi in its in-store Starbucks-- there are some coffee shops in Manchester that have it but none that i coudl find in Derry or Londonderry sorry..
    There's also finally a Starbucks in manchester (there are 2 in Nashua I think) and I think they have wi fi too.  

    hope this helps!

    by MKatherine1966 on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 10:30:24 AM PDT

  • Yeah -- right across from the southern Mall (0 / 0)

    entrance on south Willow Street.  We'd love to meet you!

    by MKatherine1966 on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 10:45:04 AM PDT

  • oy (0 / 0)

    Over the weekend we were moving some furniture around in DS's room and discovered black mold.  He shares a wall with the kitchen and apparently a drain is dumping into the shared wall -- we'll find out more when the wall is taken down and the plumbers get a look at it.  At the moment we have several industrial strength dehumidifiers sucking out moisture, put in place by mold specialists because we're afraid to get near it.

    I'm glad we found out about it, but, YUCK!  I have been concerned about DS's health the past few months and am wondering if the mold may have contributed to fatigue and headaches.  And we scrapped our Christmas travel plans to see family due to this unexpected expense.  

    Do any of you have experience with mold?  Any advice?  Thanks.

    by mamacita on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 12:37:37 PM PDT

    • What kind of heating/air conditioning system (0 / 0)

      do you have?  I would just suggest getting all of the venting professionally cleaned, too, if you have forced air.  

      We've only had mild mold in the basement following a sump pump failure. Easy to clean up with bleach, although I had to leave the house for awhile while this was going on.  

      by tjb22 on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 01:04:01 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      • very good point (0 / 0)

        I will bring this up with the mold guys and the insurance folks.  Thanks.  

        We were told not to take the bleach route in this case. I think that's partly because we'll find much more inside the wall, which may also have asbestos in it.  So we're leaving it to the experts.

        by mamacita on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 02:03:50 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        • Yes, if you're into the walls, thats an (0 / 0)

          altogether different thing.  Fortunately, our problem was confined to flooring...cement floor underneath the carpeting.  After that and the washing down with bleach, we did have the vents cleaned...if there are fumes of any kind, I pick up on them.  Anything that diminished the amount of oxygen in the air really sets me off.  It did get better after we had the vents cleaned...makes sense since our furnace is in the basement, too, and all of that bad air was being pulled up through to the rest of the house.

          by tjb22 on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 02:08:24 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

  • I think I'm driving my friends crazy these days, (0 / 0)

    because I'm getting so active locally. I'm grant writing and attending public hearings about lamo EIR's that neglect to say how bad projects will impact the commuity, I'm rallying people to get busy to fight global warming, and I'm harassing my family into paying attention, critical attention, to all the Democratic candidates for president.

    I thought I would get burned out, but my interest is just getting bigger. The more involved I get, the more I want to do. I'm just biggering my activism, and I have you guys, Dailykos, and others to thank for this. Thank you, but YIKES! Watch out.

    by tarantula on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 02:04:08 PM PDT

    • You go, Tarantula! (0 / 0)

      I hear you. I am incapable of doing nothing politically. If I am not reading and talking about it, I am volunteering doing something. Keep in mind, I have no time for this crap. But I can't stay away. Run, T, run! :-)

      by Elisa on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 02:20:23 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      • Running and Running! (0 / 0)

        I'm using myself as a case study, though, mentally noting how long it has taken me to actually take action. I'll have to remind myself of this when I watch otherwise smart people drag their feet toward understanding a cause that affects them.

        You, from what I understand, have always been politically busy, right? You are ahead in the marathon, for sure!

        by tarantula on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 04:46:48 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

  • My favorite comeback.. (0 / 0)

    ...to the next baby question is "When God decides I can have one."  It tends to shut people up.  I'm not even religious, but its effective...

    by tessajp on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 04:40:20 PM PDT

    • Oh (0 / 0)

      I would step back and look at you funny if you said that. Then I would try to recover. Pokerface is not in my genes.

      by tarantula on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 04:48:27 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      • Aha! (0 / 0)

        Yes, but that's what I'm GOING for here!  Utter confusion and mind disconnect.  Among people who vaguely know me as a wildly progressive liberal, this would REALLY throw them.  ;)  Serves 'em right for asking such a stupid question.  

        by tessajp on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 05:08:23 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        • Yep, (0 / 0)

          I knew that my reaction was the right one.

          I just had that reaction when a woman I met recently was casually mentioning how her newborn baby exploded from all ends during the right-to-life meeting the other night, as if everyone would go that kind of meeting. It was wierd. I think she gathered that I'm pro-choice from my reaction, because now we only talk cooking, knitting, and our own, specific kids.

          by tarantula on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 05:14:55 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

    • ooohhh... (0 / 0)

      I think I'm stealing this one. Will be especially useful with my MIL, who claims everything including nice weather is a "blessing" from God...

      Which will beg the question, what's taking him so long to bless me with another baby?? :-)

      by Erika on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 06:47:40 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      • well, a neat comeback (0 / 0)

        if MIL pursues with that question is: "who are we to question Him, right?"

        I feel ya on the "waiting for the blessing" situation, though, Erika! Seems like our second children will be a lot closer in age than Maya and Jess are!

        by Rachel on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 07:39:59 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

Permalink | 17 comments