DDA Chapter 27

[PNO4TE]

Anne Marie - How adventurous are you? I have a new recipe for Gingerbread Trifle that will feed a ton of people and was actually quite wonderful.

ETA: I was going to get you the recipe and found this one I think I would like even better than the one we had at Thanksgiving. It is easier too!

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Gingerbread-Trifle

 

[mommykds]

Anne Marie - How adventurous are you? I have a new recipe for Gingerbread Trifle that will feed a ton of people and was actually quite wonderful.

ETA: I was going to get you the recipe and found this one I think I would like even better than the one we had at Thanksgiving. It is easier too!

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Gingerbread-Trifle

Thank you Elin! That sounds like the perfect thing. There are also some other ones my kids would like for Christmas.

 

[PNO4TE]

Good morning, DDA!

Glad you liked the recipe, Anne Marie. We loved the one I did for Thanksgiving but I would use this one the next time I made it. We also discussed using lemon pudding or even using eggnog to make the vanilla pudding (can you buy eggnog flavored pudding?!?) You could certainly garnish with dried cranberries for a festive look!

 

[PNO4TE]

Good morning, DDA!

It is very slow on this thread these days...

 

[Glynis]

Thank you Elin! That sounds like the perfect thing. There are also some other ones my kids would like for Christmas.

Anne Marie - I make this trifle every year for Thanksgiving and for Christmas. It is so easy, and yummy!!! Seriously, it's a "no fail" recipe! Thanks for posting it for her, Elin! Everyone should try it, as it is so addictive!!! I've even made it with sugar free pudding, and sugar free cool whip, and it's still incredible!!!

 

[Glynis]

Ok, I'm making my New Year's Resolution a bit early... I promise to check in on this thread at least once a day! I can't believe that I haven't posted here lately! My only excuse is that with Alan in school full time, and working full time, I'm pulling double parent duty. I know it's not really a good excuse, but I'm finding that it's a lot harder than I thought it would be. I also find myself getting very angry with Alan for not being here. I hate to inflict my bad moods on anyone else, so I'm just not posting much. I have been reading along... or at least trying to.

I'm slowly getting things gathered for Christmas. Stockings are taken care of, as are Christmas eve pj's and ornaments. I've ordered Katie's Kindle, and Jacob's MP3 player. The other kids big ticket (from Santa) presents are getting ordered this afternoon, since I just came up with an idea for Timmy. I've also got about 1/2 of the presents from the kids to the kids purchased and wrapped. Alan and I are not really doing much for each other this year, as we are counting the new furnace as our Christmas (and birthdays and anniversary, etc.).

I started making and freezing cookie dough a few days ago, and that is really helping me get in the Christmas spirit. I just need to pull myself up by my bootstraps and get on with getting on!

 

[bethbuchall]

Ok, I'm making my New Year's Resolution a bit early... I promise to check in on this thread at least once a day! I can't believe that I haven't posted here lately! My only excuse is that with Alan in school full time, and working full time, I'm pulling double parent duty. I know it's not really a good excuse, but I'm finding that it's a lot harder than I thought it would be. I also find myself getting very angry with Alan for not being here. I hate to inflict my bad moods on anyone else, so I'm just not posting much. I have been reading along... or at least trying to.

I'm slowly getting things gathered for Christmas. Stockings are taken care of, as are Christmas eve pj's and ornaments. I've ordered Katie's Kindle, and Jacob's MP3 player. The other kids big ticket (from Santa) presents are getting ordered this afternoon, since I just came up with an idea for Timmy. I've also got about 1/2 of the presents from the kids to the kids purchased and wrapped. Alan and I are not really doing much for each other this year, as we are counting the new furnace as our Christmas (and birthdays and anniversary, etc.).

I started making and freezing cookie dough a few days ago, and that is really helping me get in the Christmas spirit. I just need to pull myself up by my bootstraps and get on with getting on!

Glynis, I am sorry that things are a little rough right now. I am glad that you will be posting more. It sounds like you are really making progress with Christmas.

I read along every day. I just don't feel very positive these days, and so I don't have anything to add. I do keep the DDA in my thoughts!

 

[bethbuchall]

Good morning, DDA! Despite the snow (not much here), I am feeling better than I have in a while.

Have a great day, DDA!

 

[my3princes]

Good Morning DDA. Sorry that I haven't posted much lately. I've been sick for about 7 weeks now. Anxiety issues. I went to my doctor when Chris got hurt as I knew that I had to much stress at that point. They put me on an antidepressent and gave me somthing to help me sleep. Since that time I've been vomiting almost every day and just overall felt like crap. I was in contact with my doctor and he tried to tweak things to make it better. It wasn't helping and frankly I was sick of being sick. After not keeping anything down for 24 hours I decided enough was enough and saw someone else yesterday. She thinks that the antidepressent just wasn't working for me and the sleep med was causing withdrawl during the day making me nauseous or worse. So I have a new anti anxiety med and a new sleep med. I still am nauseous and am not convenced that it was the med causing me to be sick as much as the anxiety. In any event I am taking an anti nausea med and the new meds and I am hopeful that I'll feel terrific by monday

 

[Glynis]

Good Morning DDA. Sorry that I haven't posted much lately. I've been sick for about 7 weeks now. Anxiety issues. I went to my doctor when Chris got hurt as I knew that I had to much stress at that point. They put me on an antidepressent and gave me somthing to help me sleep. Since that time I've been vomiting almost every day and just overall felt like crap. I was in contact with my doctor and he tried to tweak things to make it better. It wasn't helping and frankly I was sick of being sick. After not keeping anything down for 24 hours I decided enough was enough and saw someone else yesterday. She thinks that the antidepressent just wasn't working for me and the sleep med was causing withdrawl during the day making me nauseous or worse. So I have a new anti anxiety med and a new sleep med. I still am nauseous and am not convenced that it was the med causing me to be sick as much as the anxiety. In any event I am taking an anti nausea med and the new meds and I am hopeful that I'll feel terrific by monday

Deb!! That is awful!! I really hope that things get better for you! I can't even begin to imagine the anxiety you have been feeling. I feel like such a rotten person, not to have checked in with you. How are Chris and the boys doing? I'm sending along all my good thoughts, and prayers that this all works out and you feel 100% soon!

 

[mommykds]

Deb,
Hope the new meds work better for you & you feel better.

 

[bethbuchall]

Good Morning DDA. Sorry that I haven't posted much lately. I've been sick for about 7 weeks now. Anxiety issues. I went to my doctor when Chris got hurt as I knew that I had to much stress at that point. They put me on an antidepressent and gave me somthing to help me sleep. Since that time I've been vomiting almost every day and just overall felt like crap. I was in contact with my doctor and he tried to tweak things to make it better. It wasn't helping and frankly I was sick of being sick. After not keeping anything down for 24 hours I decided enough was enough and saw someone else yesterday. She thinks that the antidepressent just wasn't working for me and the sleep med was causing withdrawl during the day making me nauseous or worse. So I have a new anti anxiety med and a new sleep med. I still am nauseous and am not convenced that it was the med causing me to be sick as much as the anxiety. In any event I am taking an anti nausea med and the new meds and I am hopeful that I'll feel terrific by monday

This made me realize how incredibly selfish and self-centered I have been lately. I am so sorry that you have been going through so much, Deb. I hope that you are feeling terrific by Monday!

 

[my3princes]

Don't feel bad ladies, life happens and we have to roll with the punches. I stayed home again today as I am still feeling weak and nauseous. The nausea meds are horrible, it dries out the mouth and throat so much that I'm not sure that it's worth it.

I wrapped the rest of the presents after I got up so at least one thing is off my to do list.

 

[mommykds]

Good morning,

Sounds like we have a lot of the same feeling going around.

This holiday season has snuck up on me.

I am still sick & now 2 of the kids are. Other various annoyances of life getting in the way but what can you do.
Doggy is still a work in progress, her training helps but shes very mouthy. Vet says with the training it should stop by 1 year old..gee only 6 more months of this...??????

Glad to see some more postings!!!

Happy Friday!!!

 

[PNO4TE]

Glynis -I am glad you are getting ready for the holidays. I think that, along with Alan's absence, would put a lot of people in a funk. As much as we all love the holiday season it does add to our stress levels whether it is because we miss loved ones or there is too much work to do to make it perfect or because we are sick. We just have to take a bit of time for ourselves and try to let the joy of the season bring us back where we need to be.

Deb - You poor thing. So much going on and dealing with it mostly on your own. I understand completely and am very glad you have gotten a second opinion. Hopefully as your body adjusts to your new meds you will begin to feel better. The nausea can be a direct result of the stress you are under. I hope that continues to improve.

Beth - I am glad that you are feeling a bit better!! Your kids will be home soon!!

Anne Marie - Again, with the sickness. Are you trying to make a perfect Christmas too?? Hope your packages stay wrapped with your "mouthy" pup.

I seem to be handing out hugs today. Anyone else??

 

[PNO4TE]

Good morning, DDA!

I found time yesterday to get my hair cut (hadn't been done since the end of September!) and while I was sitting there I was thinking about my father. Daddy died 19 years ago yesterday and that was the catalyst for our Christmas trips to WDW. We were all together in Pennsylvania that year, of course. And we tried again in 1993 and 1994, but it just didn't work. He "was" Christmas in our family and with his absence we just couldn't make it work right in Pennsylvania any longer. We tried a year here in Virginia but it was so quiet that we couldn't stand it. But the summer of 1996 we took our first trip back to WDW to celebrate the 25th and I found the AOL Disney Boards and read about all the wonderful things that happened at WDW during the holiday season. So, I booked a trip for the girls and me to go back in December. Bob wouldn't go "twice in one year" so we went without him. What a magical time! We did the Christmas Party, the Candlelight Processional and the Jolly Holidays dinner at the Contemporary ballroom. I was emotionally ready for Christmas that year for the first time many years.

We came home on Christmas Eve afternoon and Bob picked us up at the airport. When we got off the plane Kristin said, "Daddy, we are going to go back next year but we are not coming home until after Christmas. So you better decide to go with us!"

Thank goodness he did. Our past 15 years of going to the most magical place on earth have been so wonder-filled. I cannot imagine how we would have made Christmas right again without those memories.

This year we are having a different Christmas again. It will just be three of us since Kathrin is going to Portland, Oregon with Chris to meet his family. She had planned to make a stop here on her way back to Boston, but airfare costs are just too high, so we won't see her at all. That is going to be tough. We have been together for the past 33 years. A new "normal" begins, I suppose. Kristin and her room mate will spend time with us and we will make some new traditions.

I have had time to slowly decorate the house and shop for presents and do some holiday cooking. (Stress level is down!) And as I sat there yesterday thinking about my Dad I remembered how much fun he had having that 14-foot Christmas tree delivered to the house every year. And how much "fun" he had putting it up so the three of us kids could decorate it. I could almost smell that tree. Suddenly, I had to have a REAL tree for our Christmas. I stopped at our produce stand on the way home from the hairdresser and found just the perfect thing. He is about 7 feet tall and lopsided and had a grapevine twirled around his entire trunk. The young couple working there cut the bottom off the trunk (which is oval shaped!) and put him in the trunk of my car. I was able to get him onto the front porch and will set him up today. I cannot wait to have that Christmas smell of old in the house again. The memories will come flooding back and it will be wonderful.

 

[bethbuchall]

Elin, your post brought tears to my eyes in a good way. You have taught me so much more than you know about dealing with life's changes through your posts over the years. I wish that I handled them with as much grace as you do, but I'm learning. Thank you!

I feel like I am slowly slipping out of a fog that has been over me for the last few months. I'm not sure why it's lifting, but I'm not questioning improvement!

My older two are done with this semester's classes as of this afternoon. There is a two day reading period (the weekend), and finals are all next week. Laura is done at 5:00 pm next Thursday, and Matthew is done sometime on Friday. I'm picking Laura up either Thursday night or as soon as I'm done with work on Friday. Matthew will drive himself home sometime over the weekend. I can't wait to have my house full again!

I actually started Christmas shopping today. Once my husband sees the bills, he'll declare it done, but I really do have a bunch more to do.

Preschool is going very well, and it's nice to have the toxic teacher gone. I really enjoy teaching 5 days a week, too.

For some reason, I haven't been able to make myself decorate without the tree being up. It's silly, I know. I will try to get my decorating done this weekend. Next weekend, once the older two are home, we'll go out and get the tree. Then it will begin to feel more like Christmas. We've never waited so long on the decorating and getting the tree before. But normal is shifting all around this year.

I also need to get baking. I made cake pops to send Matthew and Laura in pre-finals care packages. I also included Smart Food, Smart Pop, and Smarties. I also chocolate dipped some Oreos for Laura, since she doesn't like the cake pops. One of her friends likes the cake pops, and they were too cute not to send, but I knew she wouldn't eat them. I made the little circle pretzels with the melted Hershey Kiss topped with an M&M, too. But that is all that I've done so far.

Deb, I hope that you are feeling a little better today and that the meds start working for you soon!

 

[PNO4TE]

Elin, your post brought tears to my eyes in a good way. You have taught me so much more than you know about dealing with life's changes through your posts over the years. I wish that I handled them with as much grace as you do, but I'm learning. Thank you!

I am humbled, my friend.

 

[PNO4TE]

Good morning, DDA!

 

[Glynis]

Elin - I agree with Beth! You have certainly shown grace under pressure, and have projected a positive outlook to the world. I'm sure that there have been many moments of "blue" for you, but you manage not to show them! You are an inspiration! Thanks, so much, for your kind words!

Things here are getting much better. The end of the semester is in sight for Alan. Finals are next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, so by Thursday, he'll be done with that, and will only have work to deal with until January 4th.

Last night, we took the kids to a nearby town to see a wonderful light display. We've done it every year, for the last 5 years, and it's just not Christmas until I can see those lights! We were in for a treat, last night, as the city has expanded the park the light display is in, and it's much larger than ever before! It was wonderful! The kids loved it as much as I did!!!

This morning, Alan and I are heading out to spend some much needed couple time together. Hopefully, we can get a handle on finishing the Christmas shopping, and have some wonderful time together!

Later today, the kids will cut out and decorate paper snowflakes to hang from our ceiling. We'll also make some tortilla snowflakes to munch on while watching a Christmas movie tonight.

Have a wonderful day, my friends!!!