It's been awhile -- and I won't even try to catch up. It's great to be back and see the familiar names. Hello to all the newbies.
My big news is in a separate thread. We have an amazing and beautiful baby daughter. She is almost 6 weeks old. She came to us when she was ten days old and life has been radically different since she came. We're a family now, after nearly seven years of trying. We are so blessed and so fortunate.
Needless to say, menu planning, shopping and cooking have not been priorities. Still I've managed to continue exercising and have stayed core most of time. Thank goodness for frozen vegetables and canned foods. Melissa's quick recipes with canned chicken have been my dinner many times.
Oh and the day I went back to work, I was let go. So I'm job searching while enjoying the wonders of my little girl. Okay, I'm supposed to be job searching, but it really is amazing how little you get done when you have a baby in the house. I find myself just looking at her and time seems to get away from me. And she has her daddy wrapped around her little finger already.
I've got my home laptop set up now, so I should be able to pop in regularly again. It's good to be back.
Finally it has arrived....Friday!!! Thank Goodness! I do library with the boys on Fridays. I really enjoy this time with them. It is so funny, cause most of them haven't been in school for a long time, but with nothing but time on their hands....they become readers. I take all of my books to the library as it is very small, but it is growing slowly.
Sandra! I had a good feeling that you would be down.
Frouf, Is your dh, depressed? Maybe he needs to see about some antidepressants?? Sounds like he is sleeping alot and not really interested in life those are both symptoms of depression. I guess I am searching for the "magic pill" that could help you feel better, even if it is one for him. Maybe he will surprise you this weekend by acting as he should. I will keep my fingers
Melissa, for weigh in today.
Terry, I know everyone will be glad to see you back. Enjoy your time with the baby. They are so precious. I do believe God makes them so loveable as babies, so that we can still love them when they are teenagers. I know you must be so proud. Everytime I see a baby, I still think I want one. At 43, thankfully this thought passes quickly!
Well here I am at home - tired but not sleeping - I have been up and tossing since around 6:15 am - even tho I did not fall asleep til around 12:30 am!!
Dh has taken ds to sitters and has already advised me that he is so tired that he will have to "nap" when he comes home as it's a long drive (like 2.5 hours) and check-in isn't til like 3 pm - but I'm pretty sure if we got there early we could get in. Besdies I would just park the car and walk around the resort/moutain village - lots of people and things to see! He could always just sleep there! Ya I know I"m a bit bitter!...not a good sign. I am just so tired of him always sleeping and I agree Rita I'm sure he is depressed, but he would never take anti-depressants!
He still hasn't packed either - I have my stuff laid out - just need to add makeup, toiletries, etc.
Terry - Congratulations again - I am so happy for you and glad that you are enjoying parenthood. As for the job - are they allowed to do that? Do you get severence pay or something? How about maternity/adoption leave?
I have always been shocked at the maternity policy in the US which is usual a very forward and modern thinking country - yet has one of the worst situations for new moms. Here in Canada until a few years ago moms got 6 months paid leave - and now it's increased to ONE YEAR off - which I think is the right thing to do (I think Sweden has the best situation with 18 months off).
From what I understood you only get like 6 weeks in the US? then have to use sick leave or vacation leave presuming you have any - then back to work. What if you're breastfeeding? Very non-conducive for new moms if you ask me! Okay enuf ranting about that!
So do you really have to go back to work now? or can you take time off to stay home for awhile? If not good luck w/the job hunt and I hope something super comes your way? Do you have daycare or sitters near you?
I am very impressed w/your eating - and yes anything that is fast and easy works well with a new baby in the house!
Rita - have fun at the library - I love libraries by the way - my prerequisite is always living close to the library - and I intend to retire VERY CLOSE (walking distance?) to a library so I can read and visit to my heart's content!
Sandra - I don't know what to tell dh really? I don't want to put any pressure on him and say you know we are doing this to try and save the marriage? I don't think that would work! I do want to get the "message" across somehow - I'm sure I'll figure it out! Maybe words like "reconnect" and "have fun together as a couple" would work better?
I am itching to get going but probaby will be stuck here til noon if not later! I would prefer to be sitting by the pool than here - altho it is a bit cool here these days - you can tell fall is coming. This morning you could wear long pants and sweater instead of just shorts and t-shirt altho I'm sure it will warm up later. We are heading north, high up into the moutains (http://tremblant.com/index-e.htm) so it will only be cooler there (I packed one pair of short and my long jeans).
Well if I don't "see" you guys later HAVE A FABULOUS WEEKEND - will report back on our return!
Froufie
P.S. Just checked out the schedule on the moutain - they usually have different musical groups/shows every weekend outside at different stages and this weekend's theme is R&B and MOTOWN - both of which I love! I am now looking forward to it more!...and I know dh will too!!
Frouf, I hope you get gone soon so you can get there and start having some fun! Have a great time!
I agree about the maternity policy here. I always had to save up my vacation and sick time to use, and even then it wasn't enough so the rest went unpaid. For the third child, I went back to work after 4 weeks instead of 6. Back then, we barely had anything and were already down to bare bones, so there was no question that we both had to work. Bless our pitiful hearts, we had 5 people in a 1,000 sq. ft. house with one bathroom. I am soooo glad those days are gone!
Again, Terry, I am just thrilled for you all. I am so glad that you were blessed with this miracle! What could have been a very tragic story turned into something beautiful.
Rita, have fun with your library boys today!
Melissa, good luck!
Vickie, where are you?
Everyone else, have a great day! Yippee!!! It's Friday!!!
Today is weigh day for me and I wanted to show my 1.8 weight loss. Shucks though I thought it would be more as I cheated the other day and it was down more. Oh well, at least it is down.
Froufy, I hope you are able to really enjoy this trip. Maybe it will be a big help to DH. Since I am just jumping into this group, I don't know all the particulars about your situation, but it sounds like you both really need this week-end. And uh, I have the flip flops in pink
Monkeypoodle, enjoy that little baby. I know you just want to kiss all the sugar off of that sweet face.
Sandra, wallpaper on the ceiling???? What was Curtis thinking? I know he needs you to keep him looking good . Well, Paul looked like something the cat dragged in when I met him. I had to revamp all of his clothes slowly and secretly. You know what I mean. I had to encourage him to try this and that and "How about this haircut? You would look so good." I knew he was a diamond in the rough.
Good Morning! It has been raining cats and dogs here this morning with lightening and thunder. Finally the worst of it is over and I can get online. We just returned from visiting our daughter and her famiy at a cottage they rented on Balsam Lake. Froufy, do you know where that is? It's probably half way between here and Ottawa. We had beautiful weather and a great time playing with the grandbabies. Today was my weigh in and I stayed the same, which is a blessing! We had a good time away, what more can I say.
I'm also new to this group and as I'm a gently aged lady, it will take me a while to get everyone straight. I do recognize Billie here before me. BTW, I loved your picture, Billie.
Froufy, I hope you enjoy your weekend get away. My heart goes out to you as your post sounded like you weren't too excited about going away with your DH. I'll hold good thoughts for you.
Sandra, Rita and Billie, congrats on the great weightloss. You are all amazing!
Terry, I'm so pleased that that beautifu pink bundle of joy has arrived. I'm sure she will bring so much love and happiness into your lives. Sorry about the job situation. What a bummer!
Well, I need to get something accomplished today. It's always a bit hard getting back into the groove after being away.
Oh, I almost forgot to wish Donna a Very Happy 50th Anniversary. Today is the day of the big party and I know you will enjoy every minute of it. Remember, we want to see pictures! Best wishes for many more years of happiness!
I’m off to pool therapy, errands and then work. I’ve done quite well watching my portions and eliminating sweets and junk foods. Congrats to those who had weight losses. Life is good, right Sandra!
Terri: Nice to meet you and congrats on the arrival of your little girl! What a story. What is her name?
Kathy: Thanks so much for sharing the article about Terri’s baby.
Rita: I feel the same way about babies too, but since I’m 48 I’ll just wait for the grandkids to come along. Then I won’t have to be up at night!!!!
Frouf: Enjoy your weekend. I love R&B and Motown, too!
Betty: Sounds like you had a wonderful time at the cottage.
Donna: Happy Anniversary. Have a wonderful time tonight!
Hey everyone. Today is super busy here at the office and I've got no time to chat. But I just wanted to report that I stayed the same this week. But I am okay with that, because I really believe that it is closer to 189. It did that stupid thing where it stopped on 189 and then flipped to 192. Silly machine. But when I got up this morning my hands and feet were painfully swollen, as the meal I had last night apparently had much more salt than I thought! So I'm blaming my non-loss on that. I am hoping to hear from the doctor soon (well it will probably be next week) so maybe I can take some action to alleviate the fatigue and get back to myself some more.
Frouf, I hope that you have a good time. We'll be thinking about you.
Sandra, You go girl!
Everyone else, have a great afternoon and I'll BBL.
Hmmm. It still shows up for me. Anyway, you can see some views if you Google "Sunset Cliffs, San Diego." That's what it's a picture of. The link above isn't my picture, just one I found.
Just found out yesterday that they cancelled morning and afternoon care for the kids' last week of camp. Fortunately, my supervisor is very good about giving me some flexibilty, so I guess I will be working from home part of the day.
Hi Chicks! I cant' stay but I wanted to pop in and let you all know I'm ok and on program. I'm just really busy with cleaning and putting my family room back together. It's taken most of the day. Jim and I decide to go through all the junk and not put back anything we really didn't want to keep. I am a fanatical cleaner which is why no cleaning lady ever makes me happy. No one cleans as good as me. Problem is I hate to do it! The whole rest of my house needs it too. Oh Well, one room at a time. And, it's great exercise.
I haven't even had time to read everything so I'll have to come back later. The only one I did peek at was from Terry. OMG!!!!! I cant' wait to come back and celebrate that little miracle.
I don’t know if this is old news to you chickies or not….but today I found WW candy which is made by Whitman’s at the grocery store. There are two different kinds. One is choc with caramel. They look like little drops and are 3 points for 7 pieces. The other package had individually wrapped choc crisps—like crunch bars. I think they were 1 pt ea…can’t remember as I bought the choc/caramel ones. Well, let me tell you they are delicious! Really take care of the choc craving HOWEVER I see it would be very easy to eat all of them at one sitting! So, I took a couple and then taped up the package real well and hid them from the rest of the family!
The company I worked for had to allow people to take family leave (by law), but it was unpaid, so I ended up taking two and a half weeks (my vacation) under family leave. Technically, they have to give me my job back or offer me another one. They did neither, and while they offered some severance, it wasn't much.
My dh and I are looking into our options -- but regardless, I've got to get a job. Ideally, I'd like to have another month with the baby, but if someone will let me start tomorrow, I should probably do it.
I'm up to 20 miles on the marathon training. Thankfully, last Sunday when I did it, the weather was mild. I'm going walking today -- and it's brutally hot. Claire is good in the stroller, so I bring her along on walking days. She usually sleeps, but occasionally will look at the trees and such. I like the idea that she's being exposed to the smells and sounds of the woods.
BTW, I went on my Asheville getaway with my girlfriend and it was fabulous. I was really torn about going; we'd had the baby for a little under two weeks and it was so hard to leave her. I'm glad I went (it was the last full night's sleep I've had!). The drive down was just wonderful (I love road trips); the cabin was awesome. We had a hot tub and a beautiful view of the mountains. We did a little hiking, horseback riding, shopping and enjoyed a huge outdoor festival. It was good to get grounded.
I'm going to try to figure out what to make for dinner since my angel is asleep. Or I can just sit here, watch her sleep and pop open a can of chicken. . .
I had to do the same thing with my son, Terry. Luckily for me my dh's schedule was flexible at the time and I was also able to bring him into the office sometimes, so we got by until he went to our babysitter at 5 months.
Don't feel guilty about having time to yourself, though. Babies enjoy getting time with their daddies and other folks, too. Our former babysitter is still like another grandma to the kids.
kiss! kiss! kiss! kiss! terry, what a wonderful surprise seeing you here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! welcome home, dear friend. you sound soooooooo happy with your new little bundle of life. what a blessing!!! i have to tell you i'm very impressed you've stayed on core and have kept up with the exercising. what a woman!!
rita, it sounds like you had a good day at the library with the boys. that's good. i had an ex-student in prison a few years ago. i would have barnes & noble mail him books. he was characterized as a non-reader when he was in high school. no way! the guy could read and was very smart. i remember one time walking by his desk and leaning over his shoulder and whispering, "i wish i knew how smart you really are?" and he just smiled. getting him to write anything was like pulling teeth. but when he was in prison, he wrote me the longest, most beautiful letters. and i think he read everything curtis and i sent him. curtis insisted on sending him some self-help books. i hope they've helped him. i haven't heard from him since he was released. (i knew i wouldn't. but that's okay.) sure got to rambling here, didn't i? sorry about that.
frouf, i'm sending you my best wishes for a good "reconnecting" weekend.
hi there, kathy. are you still making potholders? i may go to michaels to see about getting a kit. you've given me the bug.
billie, congratulations on that weightloss. i'm proud of you. i think 1.8 is good. i lost 1.4 this week. you're ahead of me. yep, curtis was a diamond in the rough, too. his house anyway. you wouldn't believe how it looked--and there were NO flowerbeds at all. just grass and fruit trees and pine trees. now we have 108 rosebushes. it's sort of pretty and smells wonderfully outside. i'll bet paul was proud of everything you helped him do. curtis was, too. guess they just needed that feminine touch, don't you?
betty, congratulations to you, too. turtling while vacationing is fantastic. i am proud of you. i'm "gently aging", too. you are going to love everyone here. this is a wonderful group.
donna, i have my size 8 slinky dress on and am ready to dance. have a great time. (she and i were doing some dreaming. i told her if i was going to dream about being at her party, i'd dream myself into a size 8 dress.)
vicki, sounds like you have a full d ay today. what did you think of bb last night? i can't believe jennifer believes she did nothing wrong. oh, well. life goes on. you're right, though, life is good.
melissa, i weigh 192 now, too. isn't this something? i hope you weigh 189 next week so i will, too.
cher, thanks for the google info. i still can't see your photo either but will check it out with the googling.
vickie, you have to be earning some ap's today for sure.
vicki, thanks for the tip on the chocolates. that's a good idea about taping the package.
we've had a good day today. we had a walk in the woods and put up 2 treestands. i climbed into mine. i was afraid i wouldn't be able to climb a tree with my old injured tootsie, but it held up fine. would believe i was sitting about 14 feet off the ground. i love it up there. there was a squirrel in the tree next to me. we bonded.
got to go. i have oodles to do. i'll catch ya'll later.
I'm ba-ack
Finally it has arrived....Friday!!! 
Thank Goodness! 
I take all of my books to the library as it is very small, but it is growing slowly.
Sandra! 
Maybe he will surprise you this weekend by acting as he should. I will keep my fingers 
I do want to get the "message" across somehow - I'm sure I'll figure it out! Maybe words like "reconnect" and "have fun together as a couple" would work better? 
Bless our pitiful hearts, we had 5 people in a 1,000 sq. ft. house with one bathroom. I am soooo glad those days are gone!
Shucks 
Silly machine. But when I got up this morning my hands and feet were painfully swollen, as the meal I had last night apparently had much more salt than I thought! 
So I'm blaming my non-loss on that. I am hoping to hear from the doctor soon (well it will probably be next week) so maybe I can take some action to alleviate the fatigue and get back to myself some more. 
You go girl!
