Gawd...anyone got any tips on getting your enormous dog to NOT yank your arm out by the shoulder when you take him for a walk? Sheesh...I haven't been walking Junior since school was out a month ago and he's developed some bad habits. It used to be that he'd only do that if he saw a squirrel or another dog, but now it's just consant pulling. He's getting so big and strong...my hand is purple by the time I get home. We watch the Dog Whisperer on Animal Planet and he makes it seem so easy. :( One minute he has a dog barking and jumping and pulling and then all of a sudden the dog it as docile as a baby. And the jumping :mad: ... He's like Tigger!! He's so bouncy flouncy trouncy!! I love it because he's always so darn happy to see us, but at 60lbs during shorts/bathing suit season...it's just not fun.

Anyhow..any tips would be greatly appreciated...gotta run and fix dinner. I might be bad and have a pina colada after dinner...or maybe a margurita...DD is over at gramma's house :devil: . As long as my size 12's are still fitting nicely, the pina coladas count as marriage counceling after DH has been gone for a few days... :smug:

Anyhow...I still have a tentative goal to get to 155 by Aug. 1, but in reality, I've decided that size 12 is fine for the summer and that once the potato salads and white hamburger buns...and ice cream...are gone for the summer, I still have plenty of time to work on size 10 for November...my ultimate goal after my shameless bawling in Old Navy on my last birthday, growing out of my size 16's. After that, size 6, here I come...and DD can give me back my shorts!! :lol:

Okay...off to go work on my chicken and salad. I cut up my first green pepper from my garden..it was still a baby...only about three inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide...but I needed it for my salad. I'm shopping tomorrow and will leave the rest to grow to adulthood before picking anymore :lol: I've had quite a few green beans...but how long do I have to wait for my tomatoes to get red? It's driving me nuts!!

Kris...replies later on...

GATOR: How about you meet me half way?

JACK: Walmart sells an Omron pedometer for about $10. I have two...one needs a new battery and I have been too lazy to find one, so I just bought another pedometer. It works well, and you can adjust the sensitivity on it, which I find helps a lot. It comes in a number of nice colors too. I have a purple and a blue one! :)

KENG: I would say your wonderful thing to share is pretty wonderful!

TECH: On the tomatoes getting ripe, I would venture to guess the next time you plan to go away for the weekend they will all get ripe. Mine are ripening in groups...I think the stinkers planned it to drive me nuts! And if it rains, like it does almost every day here in the summer, they split! Grrr! Seriously, it took mine about two to three weeks to start ripening after they all formed on the vines.

Hey Everybody. Duer to all of the car trouble, I'm stuck at my mom's house in Marietta for the last 3 days. I'll get on a little later with more details.

Happy Thursday!

Wish it were Friday.

Had my echocardiagram today, but of course they can't tell you anything. Have to wait 3 days for the doctor to get the report. Lovely.

Went off and forgot my lunch today. Yesterday I forgot my purse. Geez, te chemo brain is really bad this week. So now I have to figure out something legal and low cal to go get. Probably a salad from McDonalds.

Got my wt training in last night and the TM this morning. 4 days of 2 times a day. Hope I can keep it up.

I made the prettiest pizza dough last night. I don't know what I did, but it was the best I have ever made. Now I have to figure out how I can find the calories in it. I can figure the toppings.

Gator, I got my pedometer for Christmas last year so it is new. It is probably me. I'm not too swift with electronic things. I will probably lower the calories next week I wanted a week on checking them to see how I am doing. Not losing on vacation is a great thing, it's the gain that kills me.

Tech, maybe try obiedience training. I love the pina colada is considered "marriage counseling" I totally agree.

Julia, Jess is so cute. Their minds are always working.

Bob, since you have not posted, I assume you are at the docs or back at work. Hope you are feeling better today.

Monet, where is Country? Have a great day :wave"

Good Thursday morning:

I hope you all are having a good day so far. The bugman just left and the kids are playing with some new toys Lane got yesterday.

I am glad to have a pretty laid back day today. We have to return some books to the library and some videos to Blockbuster, and then I'll take the girls out for frozen yogurt. Yesterday was really busy. We went to Old Navy to shop for school clothes for Britt; we found almost everything we needed. The have the skorts/shorts/pants with adjustable waists there, which I need for Britt because she is so thin. She fits into a size 6 perfect, but they are way too short, so we have to get a size 7 and adjust it to the tightest around the waist. I was able to get her 3 skorts, 1 pair of shorts, 3 short- sleeved polos and 3 long-sleeved polos. We also got her some socks and underwear and a new pair of shoes. She still has some clothes from last year that are in good condition still. So, she should be set now. We then went to Toys R Us for Lane to pick out some stuff (her grandparents sent her some money for her birthday). We then went to Lane's dr. appt. and then to the grocery store...it was a long day.

Delaney was a trooper at the dr's office yesterday. I told her about the shot right before they came in to do it, so she wouldn't be upset for too long. This is such Delaney behavior. I hugged her while they gave her the shot, and she tightened up a bit, but never cried. The nurse then said, "now we'll put a pretty Little Kitty band-aid on here." She then started whining, saying that she didn't want a Little Kitty band-aid. She is the most argumentative child I've known, and she is only 3. She is so defiant and argues for the sake of argument. You could tell her the sky is blue and she'll tell you it's purple.

I got a call from the cardiologist office yesterday saying that all the tests so far have come back normal. I still have to get the echo next week, and I'm still wearing this annoying event monitor, but hope I can take it off after the echo next week.

Jack: I am so impressed with your exercise; keep it up!! I can't wait to get back to a normal exercise routine again. Congrats to DD on the sale of her house. I have been drinking lots of water to flush out my system, and I took another epsom salt bath last night. Most of those heat related deaths that you heard of are homeless people; I'm surprised the count is not higher. I think we should see some remnants of Emily by tomorrow or Saturday. We really do need the rain for the fires. I'll keep praying for good echo results for you.

BOB: Sorry you ended up at home again; I hope you can get to the doctor today.

Gator: How was the new bed? Where are you going this weekend?

Monet: I wish I was there to help you eat those tomatoes; I love fresh tomatoes!!

Ken: I loved the Jess story. Britt was giving birth to her baby dolls for months after Lane was born; she and Lane still do it. We used to watch Baby Story on TLC together.

Tech: Sorry JR is getting to be so much trouble walking lately. I really think a good obedience class would do him good; I think Petsmart even offers them; do you have one of those closeby? The obedience classes really helped our Golden Retriever a lot. She learned some basic commands and walks on a leash well, and also obeys the other commands (sit, stay, down, off...etc..). I love your son's telephone etiquette....I think I'll borrow him for awhile :lol: .

Talitha: Hang in there.

Teensy: How are you doing? How's the pup?

Toni: Where are you?

Country: Where in the world have you been?

Heart: I hope you are staying hydrated!

Melf: How's that shoulder?

Cindy: How are you doing? How's dad?

Anyone else I missed...hello!!

Have a great OP day!
Nat

Well, guys, the bed was really nice. It was sooooo much easier to make than the water bed, and I actually made the bed this morning, which is something I normally didn't do with the WB. This temperpedic is sorta water-beddy in feeling, sorta soft and squishy, but underneath, a firmness that the waterbed did not have. We got the temperpedic Celebrity" bed, which has a softer foam "pillow top" and it was very easy to sleep on my side. No aches and pains this morning. Also, this new bed does not transmit any motion to me if my DH is restless and tossing and turning, whereas I could always tell he was moving on the WB.

Got my walk in this morning, and have had my good breakfast and lunch and am off to pick up some vitamins. We are leaving at the crack of dawn tomorrow, so I won't be on tomorrow, and will be gone for the entire week. May get to post at my sister's but don't know for sure.

I hope everyone has a good weekend and a great week.

Jess and I just came back from a playdate with some new friends we met at the Food Fair my county organized in May. We met while we were all waiting for our funnel cakes and I realized that I had some unused tickets so I gave it to them. We chatted and then exchanged phone numbers. They have a 5 year old dd and they played well together. The best thing is, we live so close to each other...like 5 mins away....lol. I had lunch at their house earlier and she made delicious fried rice and spring roll...yum! I didn't eat too much but it was so good I almost couldn't stop. That was a nice playdate and I invited them to my house fo the next playdate next Tuesday. It would be fun.

PANCHO : I have to agree...it is definitely wonderful to be a kid, you can basically get away with many things...lol. It is so funny to hear what comes out of kids' mouth. Lane is such a trip! lol. Jess has her fair share of "honesty". One day, while we were at Home Depot, she saw this cashier who is on the "large" side (her behind was facing us) and Jess just pointed at her "behind" and asked me "mommy, she has a big "b*tt*...LOL. I was shocked and embarrassed and prayed and hope that lady didn't hear us. I told Jess that it wasn't nice to say that about anyone but she replied that she was just being honest and she didn't say anything bad...LOL. I know she is right because her intention was just pure honesty and observation. She had asked me once why "that man has no hair"? LOL. Recently, she has learnt the word "fat" and started to use it. Now, when is this going to end? lol. Kids are so cute but can be so "deadly"...lol. Glad the tests have come back normal, keep us posted. Oh, you are not alone in having an "argumentative" child. Jess is a challenge for me especially the more she grows. She yearns for her independence so badly that she needs to be right and have her say, no matter she is right or wrong. When I tell her something which she might not know, she will tell me "I know". Lately, it has been quite a challenge to parent her but I am holding up...lol.

JACK : Congrats on the sale of your dds house. That is be a relief for them. Are they going to be looking at a house close to yours? Thanks for your reminder, I am resting well :) 1400 calories, I will definitely starve. I am such a big eater and would definitely go over 1400 calories.

BOB : Oh dear...I feel for you. You went thru so much already. I hope the antibiotic will work quickly and give you some relief. {{{hugs}}}

GATOR : New bed, how exciting. I am glad you and your husband loves it.

MONET : Yes, I estimate that it will take you an hour to get to Fayetteville. It usually takes us about 1 hour to visit our friend up north :) Fillise is welcome at my house too. Thanks for your offer, if I need anything from Harrys or Whole Food, I will let you know :)

TECH : Sorry, I am clueless when it comes to animals. I know when we have a pet (which shouldn't be long), I will be posting "help" messages here too :)

TALITHA : Hope your car get fixed soon :)


Julia

I just have a second...there is a nasty storm brewing. Big thunders...I need to go find my poor cats.

TECH: Have you tried a choker collar? You may need an electrical cattle prod! The big moose! :)

GATOR: I went and looked at that kind of bed. Sounds divine!

JULIA: When Fillise gets back, lets talk about getting together. I bet Talitha will be up for the drive too! :)

Ok, I have to run! <<hugs>> to everyone, oh, and:

BOB: Hope you feel better soon!

Just a quickie tropical update...

All my friends in Florida...Franklin's comin over to play!! (anyone with kids under 10 should know why I put it that way...from the Franklin preschool TV show... :dizzy: anyhow)...

Franklin is still 'just' a tropical storm, but they're saying that conditions are favorable for him to continue to develop. Right now he's pretty much loitering over the bahamas and is pretty well UNorganized, so who knows where it will go.

Okay...have to go pour more coffee...

I'm taking the kids to a place called Old MacDonald's Farm today...it's a nice small petting zoo about a half hour away. DD always has loved it and she still does, but at 11, she can't divulge just how much she likes it because we might think she's a baby...you know...that age. DS, on the other hand, is going to LOVE the cows and the goats and horses and pigs, etc...

Okay...I'm really going now...Kris

Good Morning! Tom is off today, so he can pack up and leave to go camping this afternoon. I am happy for him, but will miss him. I just woke up and he must be downstairs getting stuff together...I am wondering why my cup of espresso did not magically appear on my bedside table, so I will need to go check out the 'manchine' in a minute! :s:

TECH: You are up early! I hope you enjoy the petting zoo! We had one near here I used to love to take the kids to. Ruth would sit in the bunny area with multiple bunnies on her lap. There were deer that would getting ticked off at you if you did not have some food for them. I had a bag once and was feeding a little one, when one of the larger ones butted me in the arm! Nothing is weirder than wild animals gone overly tame!

Ok, Mr. Man just came up and was surprised to see me awake. He said I was sleeping rather soundly when he got up half an hour ago.... I am off to help him fix the espresso.

I slept in until 9am!!! I feel great! THe kids stayed at my mom's because I doing a project at the World Congress Center this afternoon. I'm going to spend the rest of the morning cleaning up my house. It's practically un-liveable! I've still got the lung infection hanging on.

I had a scary experience last night. I took my sister to the tanning bed and decided that I would try it for once. I know it's really bad for me. I used to be a hard core tanner, and I miss how relaxing it was. So I thought one time wouldn't hurt. They had samples of some tingling tanning lotion for $1 so I tried one. Half way through the tan I strated itching everywhere. It was miserable. So much for the relaxation... When I got out I felt sick to my stomach and my whole body was red, except for where I dodn't put the lotion. We left quickly and I decided that I needed to take a shower immediately to wash the stuff off of my skin. By the time I got to the shower I was shaking and even vomitting. I passed out in the shower, and my mom was about to call 911. I was only out for a second, and then I started washing my body off like crazy. I sat on the floor of the shower with the water going for over 1/2 hour and took 2 benadryl. I was fine after that except that the palms of my hands stayed red for hours from the lotion.

Monet- How long will Tom be gone?

Bob- Hope you atrat feeling better soon.


Everyone else- Have a wonderful day!! I have to go get something done while the kids are gone.

Talitha!! Wow...that IS scary!! What are you going to do about it? Did you tell the people at the tanning salon? Wow...I'd think I'd want to know if I were them. That is some reaction!! I'm glad you are better now. Thank Gawd for Benedryl!! About the products you sell...have you ever considered selling them on eBay? I looked it up and they appear to be selling moderately well...better than Avon, anyway.

Monet: I just love going to petting zoos with the kids. It's a nice, quick trip and makes you feel like you've done something without absorbing the entire day :lol: Enjoy your espresso!

PS...check out my ticker...down a pound. I think swimming has been fabulous exercise for me. Two pounds to go and I'm half way to my goal...even though I'm officially 'maintaining' for the summer. ;)

Good morning...

I woke up with a leg cramp this morning, I know it is pretty normal in the last trimester. My leg is still sore from the cramp :(

Jess and I had a fun day yesterday. Our playdate with new friends went great. In the evening, our next door neighbor invited us over for a BBQ. They have company visiting them from Virginia and they are having a BBQ for them because it was their last night there. We had a great time and Jess even get to swim in the pool.

Today, I am going to return some books and tapes at the library and maybe borrow some as well. I might also stop by a consignment store to see if they have any good used stroller and bouncer. Jess never have a bouncer and her stroller wasn't in good condition.

Some replies :

MONET : Sure, lets talk about getting together, hopefully before I get too big and uncomfortable :) My dh is off today as well but he has so much to do for his "building" business. The new buyer is taking over the house today and dh is going to miss his "baby".

TECHWIFE : Have fun at the petting zoo!!

TALITHA : OMG, your tanning incident sounds so scary. I am glad you are okay though. Take it easy today, if you can.

Got to go and start my day. Good day everyone.

Julia