I am here too Jen! I haven't been posting as much because there just isn't the time, nor anything new. I know I am pretty pathetic

Anyway I am glad you are here adn the thread hasn't moved. I have it set so I get e-mail notification if anyone answers this thread. This makes it foolproff that I keep caught up.

Today is Monday and I am off to a new start. I want to document everything I eat this week........I hope I keep to it! So far on this Monday morning I have just eaten a Go Lean bar and black coffee. I switched from coffee with cream to black because I figure I can cut some calories out there....however instead of 'breakfast in a cup' which is what I call my coffee with cream, I had a growling stomach. I guess I need to make sure I have food to eat too if I cut that cream out.

The weather has been great here, sunny but not hot. I am just itching to get out to work in the garden but I don't know how I will do that with the darling outside too. Maybe her big brothers will entertain her this afternoon. The garden seems to be the thing to go when I have inside things to do.

I still dont' know if I will be selling soaps, lotions and dolls at the farmers market.........hopefully I will hear about a jury appointment this week.

Isabelle is now a year old. She is such a sweetie. She was tickling me earlier today. She just loved to get a reaction from me. I had to fake it because those tiny hands are just not capable of tickling ........they are just too cute. It was fun to see her dissolve into fits of laughter over my giggles.

Today my boys (who a few months ago explained to me that French Kissing was when you kiss with your lips open) were telling me about French Kissing. They were pretty graphic and I think they are losing some of their innocense judging from their comments. I guess they were bound to learn these things. I was surprised to see they both had the same story so I guess they had already talked about it between themselves. Proof that they have a life seperate from me, and actually discuss things without me. I guess it is all part of negotiating the world and all of it's complexities. They really are sweet.

Ok back to other stuff!


Barb

Hi Jen, sorry! I though tI was th e last to post and have been kind of meaning to look for ages!
I'll blame it on teething...that's my excuse for everything these days!
Hows life??
Geneve

I'm here... totally stressed about starting back to work but even more stressed about the lack of a paycheck...

Tomorrow, (Tuesday) I start back... only 1 day this week thankfully, but I will be separated from Mya for the longest time since she was born... even when she was in the NICU I didn't stay away more than 2 1/2 hours at a time since I was trying to breastfeed her. Tomorrow will be at least 5 hours. Poor Brad... he's going to be staying with her while I work since he can go in later to work, and I've got little instruction notes stuck all over the place... and reminder notes too. I think I'm obsessing. I know he is great with her, but I've always been here to take over. Now I'll be a 1/2 hour drive away should I be needed.

I'm so stressed.

Lara

You have my total sympathy Lara. I treid to go back after having ted and it was awful. My job entailed long hours and lots of travel and even part time it was far too much. I used to be worried about him all the time, and I found my priorities had totally changed. I found it hard to get fired up about work stuff, I had made the jump from being responsible for someones budget to being responsible for someones life. I finished after about 6 months, and although I miss being able to spend time in the company of adults, and I miss the status I had (Mother apparently have none) and I hate having less money, I am glad when I saw the difference on the faces of the kids being picked up from school by their child minders and the look they had when Mum or Dad was there.
You will know what is the right thing to do. We were lucky in that with tighteniong the belt a few notches we can just about manage without me working, I know many simply don't have that choice.
Must go, Ted tells me the cat has found a frog in the garden. This is the bit where I pretend I don't find frogs leaping about even mildly disturbing!!! Last year the cat brought one in and I have to try and get it out from under the cooker! They scream if the cat actually gets it's paws on them and it sounds a lot like a baby crying...gviven me a few nasty turns before.
It's jubilee bank holiday here a 4 day weekend...did you get an extra day Jen?
Geneve

Hallo all.

Lara, I know exactly what you mean. I'll be going back in 3 months full time and it is freaking me out already. I haven't been away from Drake for more than about 1 1/2 hours since he was born. I'm sure it will be far worse for me than for him. My mom is coming up at the end of the month to look after him while dh and I go out for an evening with friends. I'm sure I'll feel a lot of anxiety the whole time.

Geneve, no we don't get any time off because of the Queen's jubilee even though we are still in the Commonwealth. We've had lots of tv coverage though of all the events.

Drake is doing well. He is teething on and off. I can tell when something is going on because he'll wake up around 4:30 every morning. When there is no teething he sleeps through the night. This morning he didn't want to go back into his crib so I sat in his room with him dozing on my chest. Luckily I did get him back in the crib after about 30 minutes and he slept for another 2 hours which was great.

WW is not going well. the past 2 weeks I have lost 0.8 and 0.4 lbs. It is $15 each week for that bit of information. I don't think I am going to go anymore. I will stick to the plan but just weigh in at home. I mean 0.4 lbs could have been because I wore shorts instead of pants and I was wearing no socks and sandals. So I think I have given them enough money already. actually I had decided even before I signed up that I would only go for a couple of months. I have already spent enough money over the years on trying to lose weight so I"m not going to spent a whole lot more. I still can do the plan without going in for weigh ins.

Take care all.

Jen, If it is any consolation I think the meeting rates are about the same in the USA, so if you consider the exchange rate you are getting what a 40% discount? Does that make you feel better?

Also a loss is much better than a gain, so congrats!




Barb

Well I still think my 0.4 lbs loss was because I was wearing shorts, no socks and sandals for my weigh-in. Yes it does make me feel a tiny bit better that I am paying less than in the US. Usually it is the other way around!

Drake's got more teeth coming in, these new ones will bring it up to 8 teeth. I figured something was going on as he has been cranky the past couple of days. he still isn't tolerating anything thicker than puree, I'm starting to despair that he'll ever eat table food. I know he will but it seems like such an uphill battle. He still isn't sitting up well by himself. He can go for a few seconds then he starts toppling over. He doesn't like sitting very much anyway. When I go to sit him up he'll straighten out his legs so he sort of slides forward, then I have to stand him up and start all over again. He's a sneaky little thing for 8 1/2 months old!

Take care.

Hi everyone...how's it going?
I must make more of an effort with my diet. Sometimes I feel like such a fraud posting here when I yo yo so much, and it irks me that I still weigh aboutt he same, although I guess with the exercise I'm a bit slimmer.
Yesterday was teeth day from ****. I had about 4 hours sleep and then Leo cried on and off all day...I was supposed to be going out with a group of about 8 friends I used to work with for a curry, and I made a huge effort to get there in the rain...and initially I was quite upset as one of the women had brought her other half (breaking the golden no partners rule which has ensured happy times for several years)..and I've met him before and I HATE him, he's so sexist and stupid and really foul mouthed. He got really drunk and was his usual charming self, I felt so sorry for her, she's a smart and beautiful girl and I can't imagine why she puts up with him. He called me 'just a housewife' ,,,,ggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Anyway, it all ended well and I got a chance to talk about some of the things I miss talking about. In a way I wish I could go back. BUT there's no way I could manage the hours so no point dreaming.
Jen, Leo really isn't eating much at all, and he's looking much thinner. It's all down to the teeth and the related pain when they eat. Leo's diet is shocking at the moment..almost as bad as mine!
The bit where they start doing things is very much leaps and plateaus (well, it was with Ted anyway, and Leo seems the same) usually about the time you get frustrated they decide to do something. You'll be putting away all the breakables before you know it!!
Enjoy the day...
Geneve

Geneve, I know what you mean about feeling like a fraud. I feel that way too sometimes, however I think this is still much more than a weight loss thread (or discussion) we end up supporting each other with kids, diet, exercise, and life. I tell myself that and I still feel like a fraud, but you know what? I have absolutely no desire to stop posting, nor stop reading the posts here. When someone posts I quickly read it and enjoy it -even if I don't always respond.

Knowing you, I bet you had some smart response to him. I think men in general, and expecially people who don't have any children, are clueless to what being home with kids entails. I was reading that to pay someone to do the jobs a mom does in a day it would cost more than $100,000 a year. I think if you see him again and he makes a statement like saying you are just a housewife, you should kindly offer him a day in your shoes. I think that would cure him.

It makes me angry when people make statements like that because those same people will be the first to complain about their lives when they do have children. Years ago my sister made a statement about me not having any money because I don't work (as in John's money is his and I don't work so I shouldn't have any). I THINK she sees it differently now, still what a mother does is considered free work while everyone elses labor gets rewarded with $$$

I know sometimes I get down on myself and think I don't have any work options, but I know I worked before I had kids. I also know I have an education and a post graduate degree. I AM able to work and to earn as much as my husband (well nearly) but we decided I would stay home. It makes me angry when people assume if you are home with kids you had no other options!

It looks like I will not be selling at the farmers market. At least not unless they change their policies. They do not allow lotions to be sold at the market atall and the woman said they already have enough soap makers. (actually I am not so sure why she thinks they have too many, they have one major soap maker and a at least one or two who incidentally have some soap in their booths. She told me there were four already -I haven't seen that.) Anyway I know my dolls would be fine, but I really don't want to sell only dolls. I don't think I would be able to make enough to make the daily payments, much less a profit. She tells me they have been talking about having a seperate group for cosmetic and toiletries and if they start that I might be able to sell them then. So instead of having them Jury my crafts, I decided to wait and see what happens. Meanwhile I have spend gobs and gobs of money on supplies and packaging (bottles and jars) and if I don't sell this stuff I am in a bad way. So I am exploring other avenues of selling. I might put up a website. I might also do some craft sales in the Fall. I have also though of having an open house and selling then. Something will happen and hopefully it will work out.

I am bummed because a lot of time went into making these soaps and toiletries look really good. I know they look more polished than the one's at the market now, and I think they would do well......... Grrrrrrr

Now about baby teeth! Isabelle was late to get them to begin with and I suppose she is late to get the following one's too. She still has only 6 teeth and she is a year old now. I guess she is just taking her sweet time with it. That is ok because she still eats everything, even if it does come out in chunks.

Working with kids, I think I have said how I feel. As long as you have good child care I think the kids do fine (mothers might not) because I think there is usually someone who bonds with the kids and nurtures them, as you would. I think manytimes we get caught up thinking kids need their mom when what they really need is someone who cares for them. We also need to support women who decided to stay home and those who decide to go to work -either one works!

I also think they need a parent home more important when they are middle school and high school. The teen years are tough and someone watching over them and guiding them is IMNHO more important. However this is also the time when mothers who were home go back to work, and when we let the kids handle more responsibility and be home on their own. I think kids feel a bit more secure knowing someone cares and is keeping an eye on them.

Ok my book is finished!




Barb

Hi again,
As always interesting to hear your comments Barb, and I agree about the site...I see posting here as a way of meeting the kind of Mothers who I can't seem to find elsewhere ( iMYhom normal lol).
Leo is a nightmare. As I write am pushing him in the pram with one hand to stop the screaming outburts.He is too tired to do anything and too poorly to sleep.I feel very sorry for Ted, his half term holiday hasn't been much fun.
At least this has helped me on the 'next baby' debate, although I did have a bit of a pang when Rachel had hers on Friends last night! I had a new IUD in yesterday which releases progesterone...my sweet Doctor says it will make my periods lighter, which will be great.nderactive but not enough to do anything about, and she did say (whilst putting the thing in) that I seemed very fit apart from 'a bit of extra weight' (yeah,like 50lbs!!!).
Sounds like your market is a touch over organised...I thought you were in THE capitalist country, so why can't you sell and compete? Very odd.
As yet I have no paintings.....the shop owner says she has had dozens of enquiries and people saying they will bring in a photo, but as yet no-one has.
Still keeping myself going with coffee and biscuits I'm afraid....
Oh well, I suppose it could be vodka and pills!
Must go,I need to change arms.
How about in a few weeks we three have a bash at a small weight loss goal...we could all use the WW plan or something?
Please feel free to refuse!
Geneve

Hi all.

Lara - sorry to hear about your soap selling frustrations. I hope you are able to figure something out. How about flea markets or yard sales?

Geneve - poor Leo! Thank goodness Drake is not having that much pain with his teeth, once they break through he seems okay, actually slept through last night.

I actually lost a couple of lbs this week though I ate terribly yesterday. Things are starting to look a little grim financially since the dh hasn't been paid by the company he is doing contract work for. They are behind in everyone's pay except of course the salaried workers. I mean the contractors and suppliers are not getting paid which makes no sense to me at all. I think at this point they owe him at least $2000 which would help things out a lot. If he doesn't get it soon I don't know what we will do. The daycare called and asked if I wanted to start Drake going in July as they may have an opening and I said no but I may call back and see if it is still available. I might have to go back to work if dh doesn't start getting some regular $.

I've been working around the house a lot, finally getting things decorated and arranged the way I've been wanting to for awhile but just never had the time.

I'm up for some sort of exercise/diet challenge. I'm not going to WW anymore, frankly I don't want to spend the $ as at this point I think I can put my $15 to better use. I'm still following the points plan though (well not yesterday and the day before that I overshot my range by about 20 points, darn cheeseburgers!!).

Well must go, drake is starting to fuss. Take care all.

Yeah, I know...two posts in one day...has the screaming baby finally driven her mad? NO...but England won the football. The country has erupted, DH let out of work 30 mins early, parents have offered to have ted for the night so he can watch the replay uninterrupted (how sick is that when I have been here with the screaming teether all day) and I may, at last get an early night.
Beer and skittles all round.

Well I'm glad to hear that England won a game, Canada doesn't even have a team in the World Cup. That's okay, we kicked butt in the Olympics in hockey so I'm not going to go nuts over soccer. Still there are a lot of people wear I live who are nuts about it. We have a lot of Italians in this city so you see a lot of Italian flags, also Brazil too though I don't know if they are Brazilians or just like the team. Hope you have a peaceful night away from screaming baby.

I'm feeling a bit blue. I haven't had the car all day, the dh took it because his truck is in the shop, so I feel like I"ve been cooped up all day with Drake. As much as I love him I like to get out and get some adult conversation once in awhile. We did go out for a walk but there was some shopping I wanted to do. Well dh rolled in around 8pm, just as I was putting Drake to bed with my car and his buddy has fixed the truck and is going to drive him back to get it then they are going out to eat. Well hey what about me? The past two nights my dinner has consisted of crackers and Cheez Wiz and an ice cream bar. So healthy eh? They were working on the truck last night as well. After he left I had a bit of a crying jag but I'm over it now. Drake has been so good today, I really can't complain about him. It just seems this time of the year dh gets busy with his friends and I'm at home a lot. Especially now with the baby and not being at work, I'm starting to feel a bit isolated. I'm okay though, just needed a bit of a moan.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend, take care.

I was browsing the forums and came across this one. I'm 2 years and 2 months post-partum, does that count?
I wanted to post because I'm also a soapmaker and saw Barb's post on her farmer's market experience. I will be at my first market this Sunday. Hopefully it will go well.
I'm a SAHM of 2 boys (4 and 2). Just started WW (kind of) and have been going to the gym regularly for the last 6 weeks. Lost 6# so far. I have a lot to lose from 2 pregnancies and a total thyroidectomy this January.

Jessica

Hi everyone, hi Jessica and welcome. Of course you can join us...I have a 4 year old and a 10 onth old, who I blame for my weight, but really we use this site to post about all kinds of stuff. A thyroidectomy sounds awful....I've never heard of it before? How does it affect you?
Jen, so sorry for you, you are having a rough time of it aren't you? Sometimes I struggle to believe how easy the men have it, and how quickly our needs get put on the back burner. We bought a new (to us) car today, to replace my poor old VW Polo. I am insisting it's in my name, I know it's pathetic but I need to cling on to every little bit of status I can.....it's like if I don't keep on saying 'I'm here too' I might just disappear. When I was a kid, my older brother and i used to row over stuff, and when I complained about anything he'd say 'It doesn't matter, it's only you' which I think sums up the way they see us......
I hear Ted howling, which means I must go and tend to it.
Hang on in there girls...
Geneve