Good Morning Ladies!

Was up reading some posts, and so I thought I would get this started. Yesterday was my first day of maternity leave. I was soooooooo bored. I got up and spent some time with DH before he went to work, did some cleaning, watched some TV and tried to take a nap. Why is it that the phone can not ring all day, and the minute I fall asleep, it starts ringing off the hook????? I shouldn't complain though I guess. My grandma was calling to see if I had gone into labor yet. She knows she will be one of the first ones called when that happens I feel like that by the end of the week, I am going to be crazy from being home all the time! I am sooooo not used to this! I am planning on going to town today to do some shopping in the afternoon. I just need to get out of the house!!! DH was laughing at me and saying what he wouldn't give to have some time off. He works about 70 hours every week, so I am sure to him it would be nice. I am just not the stay at home type of person! Hopefully this baby will make an appearence soon, and I am sure I won't be bored then! Well, sorry to ramble on and on...I hope everyone has a great day, and I AM sure I will be checking in much more now that I am home. You all are gonna get tired of me!

Lisa

Lisa: I never worked when I was pregnant. I even didn't work for 3 years after my youngest DD was born. Yup, I'm lazy Hope you find something to keep yourself from being bored. Knit or crochet or some craft??? It'll be great hearing from you and we're SURE to know when you've gone into labor this way

Well, stepped on the scale and no harm done from Sundays' pig-out session. So it's onward!!! Have pretty much all the gifts from us wrapped...except the "Santa" presents. My girls (yes, BOTH of them) still believe so we have presents from us AND from Santa under the tree. Of course, the more expensive gifts (keyboard and the camera) will be from Santa because of course WE can't afford stuff like that If they only knew!!

Morning everyone.

Took a vacation day yesterday....sat around with the blues all day Getting really tired of this. I hope that once Xmas is over I will snap out of it.

Feeling like a stuffed sausage in my clothes today...pigging out lately. Not to worry....January is a new start.

Start physical therapy today for my shoulder...hope I get some relief!

Lisa: I would LOVE!!!! to spend some time at home. Just think though...you have such a wonderful thing to look forward too. You will be wishes after she is born that you had that time to yourself again I bet

Brenda: You just made me think....I have 4 older brothers and I know that when I still believed they probably didnt....how sweet that they kept the secret.

Well, need to catch up on my calls from yesterday. Talk more later.

Hi Girls,

Lisa, when I first went out on maturnity leave I was bored too, I mean I worked for 20 years, it was all I knew. I took a total of 6 months off to be with dd when she was first born, by the 2nd month I got VERY used to it and when I had to go back to work I cried and cried. I loved being home, being a mom and taking care of the house. Once the baby's here, you won't be bored, trust me your gonna really enjoy it.

Brenda *HIGH FIVE* on no weight gain !!!!

Jane good luck on the therapy today, hope it makes you feel better

I'm off to the outlets, the weather is behaving today

TTYL

Love you all !!

Lisa: I'm the type that could definitely handle being off of work! Hope your able to keep from being bored. Shopping sounds like a great plan! I just looked at your ticker -- only 22 days left until she's here! How exciting!

Brenda: Glad no damage was done. We're going to start kicking some serious butt in this new year!

Jane: I understand the sausage feeling! I have definitely been pigging out, too. Like you said, Jan. 1 is a new beginning, and the year we'll reach our goal! (I'm feeling terribly optimistic, for some reason -- maybe to counteract all the bad things I've been eating!)

Leenie: Have fun shopping at the outlets!

Well, as I mentioned, eating hasn't been going well at all. My whole brilliant idea of losing 10 pounds by Christmas, resulted in a big zero pounds lost! While that upsets me a little, I've just got to look forward!

Well, I have been debating and debating about my dad's gift. I'd really like to get him a digital camera. He loves the idea of being able to look at pictures right after you take them and know you got a great one. But, he's a little technically challenged. I hope he would be able to use it! Surely, he could figure it out. But, I've got to make my mind up one way or the other... he gets here tomorrow!

I hope y'all have a great day!

Take care,
Jina

Good morning again everyone!

Brenda: Way to go on not gaining any weight. You are still doing great! I am thinking of taking up some kind of craft to help pass the time til the baby gets here. I may start cross-stitching again. Maybe make something for the baby's room.

Jane: Sorry that you have been feeling blue. I can relate with you. Hope that the PT helps your shoulder! I am sure I will be wishing I had this time after she's born too. Will probably be wondering what my crazy butt was doing complaining about time to myself

Leenie: That's the way I feel. For the past 18 years I have worked and never taken any time off except for vacations. I feel a little better today knowing that I am going to get out today and do some shopping. Tomorrow we have a Christmas get together at work, and I am going to that, so that should help pass the time also. Have fun shopping at the outlets!

Jina: Yep...only 22 days and counting. Although the dr told me last week that she didn't think I would make it til my due date. DH was picking at me last night because you can really tell the baby has dropped down. I carried her so high the entire pregnancy, and now she is so low Hope that you can decide on something for your dad. My dad is always the hardest one on my list to buy for. He has everything, and always says he doesn't want anything. I am sure that your dad can learn to use a digital camera. I got one a few years ago, and if I can learn how to use that thing anyone can! Have fun spending time with him over the holidays!

Well, I am feeling a little better today. It was kind of nice to be able to sleep in and not have to be worried about being late for work. I think Rocky is liking me being at home also. He has to stay outside fenced in when we are not at home. He's really enjoying being lazy and staying in the warm house. Only problem he is having is deciding which bed to sleep in He goes from the sofa, to the recliner, to our bed, to the guest room. Well, think I am going to get off here and get a few things done. I'll pop back in a little later!

Lisa

Hi All. just popping in to say hi and hope all are fine and well today.

Lisa, I just saw the name you have picked out for your little girl. It's lovely. Wow! Not that much time left either.

Brenda, Keep up the good work OP. What nice gifts from Santa for the girls.

Jane, Sorry to hear you're feeling blue. I'm sure your shoulder's not helping out with that either. My back does makes me blue when it goes on for too long. I hope the PT helps out a little.

Leenie, have fun at the outlets...sounds like fun. We don't have those near here and I've never been to one. I'm sure I'd go nuts with buying everything I saw.

Gina, A camera sounds like a very nice gift for your Dad. My dad is talking about getting a digital, but he seems to think he can't work it since he's over 70. I know he can.

DH and I made the cauliflower "stir fried rice" that's posted in the LC recipes here. It's delicious. Well, I'm not so sure the recipe was followed, since I told DH I wanted to make it and gave him a run-down of what was in it. (He had picked up the ingredients for me at the store). Before I new it, he had thrown it all in the fry pan and it was "done". It tasted so good, but it more like mashed potatoes. But I'm going to be making these a lot now. Very very good flavor.

I'm just dragging my feet on getting my last minute Christmas cards out. I just need to get it done. I don't know what's the big deal for me to do this.

Jane: You're lucky your older brothers didn't ruin it for you. My older sisters did. They delighted in torturing me one way or another. Don't expect the PT to give relief right away. It'll take a while to get it back into shape but it will Hope you aren't feeling blue much longer!!!

Leenie: You're a braver woman than me. I wouldn't be caught dead in a mall or outlet store right now. Bad enough I was at the grocery store today Forgot I was supposed to make a green bean casserole (Why the I got stuck w/that one I've no clue--never made it before!!) for the in-laws on Christmas Eve. GRR

Jina: There are simple digitals out there. My first one was simple. Point and shoot. Then connect to computer and away ya go--it gave directions on the screen of what to do. No way to screw it up. He'll enjoy whatever you get him

Lisa: Wonder if you'll have a Christmas baby!!

Sonnet: Wow!! Your DH actually put something together for supper?!?! I'd love it if my DH did that once in a while!! Have fun experimenting!!

Well, another day of work down. Didn't get much accomplished because the 'net was down so couldn't do much. Just pretty much sat around trying to figure out how to get it back up and running. Then the boss finally called tech support from the ISP and they told her to do everything we'd already did so that killed some time They said it had to be our router because it wasn't a problem on their end. BS!! It was so! For some reason they didn't want to say so. Well, it's off to go wrap some Santa presents. Trying to figure out how the we're going to get them under the tree on Christmas Eve w/out the girls knowing about it. After all, it's not like the keyboard can fit under our bed (well, it probably would, but if you remember childhood and trying to find the presents to PROVE your parents weren't santa??)....anyway, have to figure that one out. And best to wrap them now to make sure I have enough wrapping paper

Hi everyone!

I've been very busy these past few days trying to get "things" in order so I can do other "things". Like wrapping Christmas presents and such tomorrow I am planning on baking Christmas cookies, say a little prayer please, and hopefully come away from Christmas without too much damage.

Sonnet- glad someone tried that stir-fry I was curious about it, I will definitely try that one! Thanks.

Lisa-This last month, well days are the hardest especially when you don't keep yourself mentally busy. The days are so long and the nights well... I won't even go there. Hope you are feeling good and no over doing it. Brenda's right, make something for the baby's room or a keepsake. You'll never regret it. You won't have the time later, really!

Jina- Digital camera is a great gift! You sound like such a nice daughter! He figure it out even if he doesn't get it right away. Kinda like me with the computer, I can't do what I want, then one of my children helps me out, just not funny when it's someone under 8. Only then am I insulted.

Hi Leenie- are you all better today? hope so. Ha, ha, Motherhood is God's way of making sure you're never bored again. Ay least for a loooooong time!

Jane- sausage clothing! Yes, I have a line of those, lately my sausage casings are getting a little looser, but well, it will be awhile before I'm outta those. Don't be discouraged, hope your blues go away. It's not fun feeling like that, I was there last year.

Brenda- glad that your "pig-out" didn't take! It's so sweet when the little ones are excited over Christmas! I heard one of my older children telling a younger one that I was really the toothfairy. She said I had tiny little wings on my back so I could fly...then burst into peals of laughter! Yeah, kids are great. They keep us humble.

Well, I just laid down a couple of trouble makers so I maybe could go downstairs and wrap, we'll see...I have to make sure they are really asleep!
They are tricky sometimes.

~Roxy :snf:

Back from PT.....got some electric shock treatment for it! She said after a few of those that should help. She confirmed that it is just bursitis but because of the something or other bone that is digging into my muscle, PT may work but at some point I may have to have the bone corrected. Oh joy. She did sound confident though that the PT would help. I go back on Thursday...twice a week for 6 weeks.

Sonnet: Cauliflower is cauliflower in my book....doesn't matter what you make with it it is still cauliflower Can you tell I don't like cauliflower?

Mrs H: I can picture Rocky moving from room to room trying out each spot! I just love dogs!

Jina: Go digital...he will figure it out. Just make it a simple one...but not too simple...some of them do really cool things. I have all kinds of setting on mine...still haven't figured them all out yet though

Leenie: We have some outlets around here too....I don't go too much though...no big buys. I guess if you wanted a Hugo Boss suit or something and didn't feel like paying $3000 for it and the outlet had it for $2000 then I guess it is worth it but otherwise And the one by me is an outside mall!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let me tell you it is FREAKIN cold shopping there in the winter. They have it set up like a little town and the wind WHIPS down those alleys like you wouldn't believe.

Brenda: I wish we still had some little ones in my family who believed in Santa. Your hiding of the presents though made me think of a really cool xmas story......

My dad was usually pretty good to my mom as far as gifts. He didn't have a lot of money but he always got her something nice. Well one year when I was probably around 20 or so, he asked me to help him out when I got home from midnight mass (yeah right!)......he had gotten her a bunch of little gifts and asked me to take a ribbon and tie it to the end of her bed post and run it through the hall and down the stairs, down that hall and attach it to the big present he bought her under the tree. Along the ribbon I was to tie all the little things he got her. How cute is that! Oh by the way....he was in bed when I did this!!!!!!!

Hey Ladies,

Made it back from shopping just fine, the outlets were not crowded at all. Brenda I had no choice but to go now, its hard during the week with work and all and on the weekends w/trying to catch up on housework and laundry, I have very little time. Besides, I really didn't mind b/c I knew I could take my time. It was cold (the outlets are outdoors) but nice

Jina a digital camera is a good choice, thats what we are getting my inlaws this year. They are in their 80's and it would really give them something to do other than look at each other. Now they can photograph each other and send it over the net LOLOL !!!! Guess who the recipeints will be ROFL !!

Roxy, good luck with the cookie baking..... I'll be starting tomorrow as well OY! lol

Sonny, I love cauliflower, any way its made, I can eat an entire head all by myself. I'm glad your stirfry came out well. You've given me a few idea's hmmmm lol.

Jane, I wasn't to impressed with the prices at these outlets either. But MIL needed a certain kind of sock and well, thats the only place that carries them. Its either the outlets in NY or PA. It was fun nonetheless

I ate like a pig today. I had mexican for lunch. It was a rice bowl w/black beans, onions, sour cream and chicken, ohh cheese too was so devine, and tortilla chips w/black bean salsa MMMMMMMMMM!!!! then for dinner I made philly steak sandwitches....oy.

Sigh ~

Talk to you all tomorrow !!!!