Mother Talkers

Weekend Open Thread

by Elisa

Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 08:24:30 AM PDT

For the first time in nine months, I feel rested. My parents have been awesome, entertaining the kids while DH and I take naps or even go out -- alone -- which hardly ever happens in California. I can understand why someone would move closer to home post children.

If only I could get my father to quit smoking and my mother eating healthier...There is always a flip side, eh? But overall, the trip has been great.

I have spent a lot of time with my grandmother upstairs. She looks wonderful. She has always looked young for her age, does not have a hint of a wrinkle and hardly any grey hair. But she is definitely forgetful and painfully aware of it, which is the hard part. She can't remember the recipe for dishes and must lean on others to cook for her. Also, she forgets from one day to the next whether someone has called or told her something. It has been sweet to see her hold Eli -- Eli adores her, too, BTW! -- and in that sense this trip has been worth it.

How are you spending your holidays, MotherTalkers?

Now for some celebrity gossip from -- People magazine!

Sean Penn and Robin Wright Divorcing: Actor Sean Penn and his wife of 11 years, Robin Wright Penn, are divorcing. No additional details of the breakup were provided.

On Paris Hilton's Inheritance: Paris Hilton's grandfather, Barron Hilton, just earmarked 97 percent of his heirs' inheritance for charity, leaving the remaining three percent to his children and grandchildren. Paris's share would be $5 million, which is $95 million less if her grandfather had passed on the money to her rather than given it away.

I am sure Paris will be just fine with royalties from her sex video.  

  • ::

Where are the Celebs on New Year's?: People gave the lowdown on who was going to be where on New Year's. Kanye West, Pink, Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Avril Lavigne, Lil' Jon will either host parties or perform in them in Las Vegas.

Ashlee Simpson, Eve and Mandy Moore will hit the scene in Miami.

Kid Rock will host a party in New York City, while Carrie Underwood performs in Times Square.

Where will you be on New Year's, MotherTalkers?

Tags: People Magazine, Sean Penn, Robin Wright Penn, divorce, Paris Hilton, inheritance, charity, New Year's (all tags)

Permalink | 61 comments

  • New Year's (0 / 0)

    Meh. I'm a grump about New Year's. Just can't get too worked up about it.  I'll probably go for a  New Year's Day run early in the morning, and if the weather is nice, maybe we'll take the boys for a nature walk (that's our code for a hike in the woods, if you say hike in the woods, Miles says no).

    Miles and His Favorites: The World As Seen By an Eight Year Old

    by Hillary on Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 08:51:15 AM PDT

  • Glad your family time (0 / 0)

    has gone well! While my kids are older and we can nap anytime we want [and can find the time], we did enjoy having  my inlaws here so DH and I could go see "Juno" on Saturday. But I'm glad you got to see your grandmother with Eli; that will be a nice memory for you to have forever.

    We have a very low-key New Year's usually. We fix "party" food but stay home with the kids. We play games or watch movies and sing karaoke. Then a bit before midnight we go up into the kids fort [it's 10' x 10' so it's big enough for all of us] and watch some neighborhood fireworks from there and talk about what our year was like, and what we'd like to do in the new year. We toast with champagne and sparkling cider at midnight.

    by Lisa in Austin on Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 08:56:03 AM PDT

  • No real plans for NYEve (0 / 0)

    Guess we'll let the kids try to stay up til midnight. 10yo might make it this year. I'm really looking forward to Wednesday the 2nd--Back to School day! ;-)

    Mary

    by Aug6PDB on Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 09:48:45 AM PDT

  • New Year's (0 / 0)

    I am giving DH a kitchen pass to go solo to the party we go to every year while I stay home with the kids.  I have given him the list of approved kisses, which is short.  Yes, I am a kind and generous wife.  And I expect plenty of sucking up in return.

    We put a contract on a house (FINALLY!) and it looks like we will be moving around mid February, so 2008 is already starting off right.

    by coobert on Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 11:30:27 AM PDT

  • I LOVE New Year's (0 / 0)

    Few things are more exciting than the thought of a New Year to start fresh with.  This year has brought many, many challenges and I just have such optimism for 2008!

    Hubby and I are going to Reno for a couple of nights to drink, gamble, have some alone time and ring in the New Year.  Can't wait!

    "In the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it."--Barack Obama

    by heathennextdoor on Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 12:18:46 PM PDT

  • No plans for NYE (0 / 0)

    or as they say in Scotland, Hogmanay.  NYE is a big holiday over there and pre-kids we did it up right.  Now, the idea of a hangover sounds bad to me.  Loud kids the next day aye-yi-yi.

    My brother and his family are still here from San Jose and will be here through New Years, so I suspect we'll probably have a few drinks at home and some champagne at midnight.  Nothing too crazy!

    "If it's not Scottish, it's crap!" ~Mike Meyers

    by 1plain1peanut on Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 12:33:17 PM PDT

  • New Years, so what (0 / 0)

    I have never been crazy about the New Year as a holiday. It all seems rather arbitrary. And overhyped. The past few years, we've opted out of parties to get a good night's sleep and an extra chance to sleep in. So we're boring, so what. This year, we told DS we'd take him to the Chipmunks movie. He's pretty psyched. We'll go to an early show and be home by 8. I am excited about a nice little bit of low-pressure family time. We've been doing a lot of work around the house (finshing the basement, installing new light fixtures, buying furniture) so it will be nice to just take a little break. Should be a good time.

    by minnmom on Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 12:35:50 PM PDT

  • Home (0 / 0)

    in bed! LOL! :) Hopefully I can stay up until midnight, but I've been so tired with this pregnancy there is no way of knowing.

    DMIL has offered to have DS sleep at her house tonight. Ah! Mommy gets some free time. Yeah! DH and I are going out for dinner tonight and then we plan to enjoy some quiet time at home.

    Have a good weekend everyone.

    Jen in NJ

    by littlepear on Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 12:51:39 PM PDT

  • Near wine country (0 / 0)

    We've rented a big Victorian house near the Russian River and another couple with two little kids is joining us. I never go out on NYE, yet we've never gone out of town either. So looking forward to it.  My friend's husband has offered to do up a NYE dinner. Yay, him.

    So a little wine tasting and a lot of hanging out over the long weekend. This last week has been nice and slow around here, I'm trying not to think about dh returning to work next week.

    by RachelD on Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 12:53:15 PM PDT

  • very low key (0 / 0)

    we're in the throes of summer now - 100 degrees today, 105 on NYE. We'll go over to the SIL and do something veeery calm I hope. I have realized again that I don't really like hot weather - what am I doing in this country!?

    by Rachel on Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 01:03:54 PM PDT

  • Nothing (0 / 0)

    Nothing much here.  Just stay in.  Probably watch TV a bit.  

    Kathy Griffin is supposed to be on with Anderson.  She's one of my faves, so that should be funny, unless CNN manages to find a way to suck the soul out of her too  : )

    by NJmom on Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 01:23:33 PM PDT

  • i'm staying in- don't know about my husband (0 / 0)

    i think he's going into nyc because a friend of his from england is still visiting

    i'll let the kids stay up till midnight (even though they won't be able to)  

    my ex husband always called new year's eve "amateur night" - we don't agree on much, but we agree on that

    i don't like exagerrated fun, and it usually feels like that to me

    also, because i used to work as a waitress and also at a hotel i probably have built up a negative view- new year's eve is the worst- there's always problems

    my ex husband and i met at the restaurant/bar his sister owns, and she always closed on new year's eve- she didn't want to deal w/ people's nonsense

    but she always opened the bar thanksgiving night, which i thought was nice- w/ everyone home for the holiday it was always fun

    this is silly, but i read somewhere you should never, ever go out the night after new year's eve because then people will know you didn't go out new year's eve

    but 8 years or so ago i did- my son was at his dad's so i went to my favorite comedy club- the comedy cellar.  i used to go all of the time, and if you're ever in nyc, you have to go- it really is the best one

    anyway, one of the waiter's said "i can't believe who's out tonight"  and he was right- the crowd was very difficult, and the whole evening was strange

    now i'm remembering y2k- remember that?

    an IT friend of mine told me not to worry, so i didn't, but as i was falling asleep new year's eve i thought "damn- i should have bought some cans of food or something."

    by thankgodforairamerica on Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 01:25:38 PM PDT

  • I'd like to be in the hospital (0 / 0)

    My baby is due Jan 8th but any time now is fine by me.  A baby on New Year's Eve or a little before would be a nice little tax break not to mention that I just want this kid out now please.

    by music teacher on Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 01:26:55 PM PDT

  • we'll go to the theatre (0 / 0)

    with DS.  It's become a tradition for us on New Year's Eve.  We'll see "The Color Purple."

    We can use some suspension of disbelief / magic about now.  Last week we learned that we had to evacuate our house because the strain of black mold inside is very bad.  So we moved to a hotel and while it's nice to have someone else make the beds, it's disconcerting not to be home.  Plus the allergist told us DS has asthma (maybe a reaction to the mold).  He doesn't cough or wheeze but after a breathing treatment in the doctor's office his lung capacity went up 21%.  Poor kid hasn't been properly oxygenated.  I am sort of scared to move back home!

    by mamacita on Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 03:54:33 PM PDT

    • oh, christ (0 / 0)

      it can't be helping you much, either; do you have asthma on top of everything else? Did your son's allergist have a look at your lung capacity, too? I hope that you can get your house expertly cleaned and taken care of ASAP.

      by Rachel on Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 04:02:59 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      • it's funny (0 / 0)

        I'm having some kind of respiratory problem at the moment, which is rare for me.  But I haven't been to the doctor.  I keep forgetting that adage about putting one's own mask on first.  I think I may try to see someone tomorrow.   The good -- excellent! -- news is that DS seems to be feeling better and better.  I'm sorry that he had to take his high school entrance exam at a physical low point.

        Thanks for your good wishes.  I keep thinking David Sedaris would have a field day with the situation, and that helps to keep my spirits up.

        by mamacita on Sun Dec 30, 2007 at 10:49:17 PM PDT

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        • it would be a glass half full/glass half empty (0 / 0)

          moment, wouldn't it? It would be lovely to find out that something fixeable was wrong, but dastardly to have the problem in the first place.

          You're so right about Sedaris. My mom gave me naked last year, and I just laughed and laughed and laughed. I love the way he portrayed his mother.

          by Rachel on Sun Dec 30, 2007 at 11:15:39 PM PDT

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    • sorry to hear this (0 / 0)

      what a huge inconvenience. Will they be able to eradicate the mold soon?

      by Erika on Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 04:24:50 PM PDT

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      • that's the question (0 / 0)

        I don't have a clear picture on what will be involved in the clean-up.  it turns out the woman we've been counting on to keep us informed -- a mold remediation specialist -- is not allowed to say anything that might "alarm" us, which is why we learned from a physician and not from her that we needed to move out. She came over yesterday and tested each room of the house with a little machine.  I am hoping the work will begin later this week.  If it's contained to Max's room and the kitchen, it should go pretty quickly.  The insurance company is estimating 3 weeks.

        by mamacita on Sat Dec 29, 2007 at 06:43:13 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    • Oh man, mamacita (0 / 0)

      This is a lot to take in. How long do you have to stay out of the house?
      I'm glad you're going to the theater. That sound lovely, and quite civilized.

      by RachelD on Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 04:41:11 PM PDT

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    • Oh my (0 / 0)

      Oh my word, mamacita.  I'm so sorry.  What a pain.

      How did you discover the mold, I guess you saw it?  So scary.

      I hope it all gets cleaned up for you soon and you'll be back home (as fun as getting the beds made for you is).

      by NJmom on Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 06:10:13 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      • we found the mold (0 / 0)

        when DS wanted to re-arrange his bedroom furniture and the back of his bookcase was black.  YUCK!  He shares a wall with the kitchen, and we figured out there was leak from the dishwasher that affected both rooms.  

        We've removed part of the carpet and the affected drywall in his room but the mold is still there.  The first people we hired to fix it were scammers of some kind so all they did was dry it out with noisy dehumidifiers.  You're not supposed to do that because it aerosolizes the spores :(  Now we know.

        by mamacita on Sat Dec 29, 2007 at 06:46:13 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    • gee whiz! (0 / 0)

      That's scary. Can they eradicate the mold sufficiently?

      Miles and His Favorites: The World As Seen By an Eight Year Old

      by Hillary on Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 06:47:45 PM PDT

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    • I'm so sorry! (0 / 0)

      Living in a hotel with no set going home date sounds awful.  I'd be scared to go home if I were you, too.  

      That sounds like a great New Year's tradition, though.  I'm getting lots of steal worthy ideas in this thread.

      by Erin on Sat Dec 29, 2007 at 10:16:24 AM PDT

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    • sorry to hear this! (0 / 0)

      i hope it doesn't take too long to get your house back.

      by Stacey on Sat Dec 29, 2007 at 12:54:04 PM PDT

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      • thanks everyone (0 / 0)

        for your support!  Fortunately this is happening during winter break so our lives aren't too horribly disrupted.  And our insurance company has been great.  

        by mamacita on Sat Dec 29, 2007 at 06:48:44 PM PDT

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        • I'm just reading my way (0 / 0)

          through this thread and am so sorry about the mold in your home.  You are right to get it completely taken care of and very lucky to have found it before any of you became  sick.   What an ordeal and inconvenience.  That the insurance company has been good sounds fantastic to me since having just been through insurance turbulence with my knee surgery.

          I wish you heaps of good luck and a fast fix and return home!

          karen

          by karen m on Tue Jan 01, 2008 at 09:21:45 AM PDT

          [ Parent ]

  • well... (0 / 0)

    i had only the simplest of plans to go to a friends party at a lounge walking distance from my house.

    but in the last two days i have been asked to play two different gigs. so i will play the lobby of the Westin  Hotel here from 9:30 - 12:30, then break down soundsystem really fast and then hurry to my other gig and play from 1:30 - 3am, or longer, if people want to stay around.

    whew! it sounds like a big pain - but i love being busy doing what i love.

    We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home. - E.R. Murrow

    by lorin on Sat Dec 29, 2007 at 12:52:59 PM PDT

    • it's good to be busy (0 / 0)

      like that. Sorry that it means not seeing your friends, but work is ... a good thing!

      by Rachel on Sat Dec 29, 2007 at 01:25:51 PM PDT

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    • Oh God I remember that. (0 / 0)

      I once played seven gigs on a New Year's Eve, from 5 pm to 4 am. Some of them were in the same place, but not consecutively. Really fun to look back on, but madness.

      This year, I'll be doing as little as possible for New Year's Eve - DSO is in Australia, and neither I nor Ex has any plans, so wherever DS wants to stay is fine with both of us. New Year's Day, however, some friends have a huge party with food and a jam session. Fun!

      by Rick Massimo on Sat Dec 29, 2007 at 09:02:15 PM PDT

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      • are you a deejay or a musician? (0 / 0)

        I think NYE is highly overrated, personally. Although growing up, close family friends always had a NYE party in their NYC brownstone, and my folks hosted a NYD brunch/recovery. Great fun for everyone not throwing the party, but my mom and the other hostess from the night before needed, like, a week to recover each time!

        by Rachel on Sat Dec 29, 2007 at 09:48:05 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

Permalink | 61 comments