May 10, 2008 Ship of Thieves! Stealing the Magic..AGAIN!!! Panama Canal FL to CA!!! Part 7

[nskjerven]

I was born in Pasadena, lived there until I was almost 9 and my parents both worked at JPL in Pasadena.

that's what I thought I remembered, my parents lived in Pasadena before moving here in '58.

 

[lillygator]

Oooooooh!! I love the jar of advice or jar of memories because I'm sure I could adapt that for a good friend of mine who is my shoulder to cry on and my endless supply of hugs through Tyler's situation (Libby). She has her own similar problems with her son (Tyler's best buddy since they were 3), so we sort of lean on each other lots. Her jar could be a jar of uplifting thoughts or messages of faith or something along those lines. Hmmm.....I'll have to give it some thought.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the chocolate bowl idea!

I am trying to find the exact recipe. I read it on the DIS.....but since I am no baker....it was something about blowing up a balloon, covering it with melted chocolate and letting dry to form a bowl.

 

[lillygator]

ok enough of my drama llama stories!! Come on Tribe!


(and please Shockey --- score one for my fantasy team!)

 

[birkner]

for me, this is what I cannot comprehend. My mom has often commented on my Grandparents love for me, and also having a loving husband and caring father.....WHAT? As a mom, I want all I can for my girls, happiness, love, trust, family - no matter what form this comes in. Sometimes I can just hear the jealousy in the sighs on the phone and choose not to share what good things are going on in our lives.

It sounds like your mother was very much like my mother. She wanted so much to feel loved by her parents and for whatever reason did not. Instead of being happy that I was loved, she was angry. Her cup was always half empty, mine is always half full. You just can't change her, love her but you do not have to tolerate her jealousy. I used to share what I could but when she would start in, I would find a reason to hang up or leave. Never made it easier to deal with but I just set up the boundary and if she crossed it, I was out of there!!

 

[lillygator]

ok I am just looking, but for goodness sake - I need a sewing machine.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Boutique-JAYNES...1505376QQihZ009QQcategoryZ79714QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Boutique-JAYNES...1813996QQihZ009QQcategoryZ79714QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Boutique-JAYNES...6783294QQihZ009QQcategoryZ79714QQcmdZViewItem

 

[birkner]

that's what I thought I remembered, my parents lived in Pasadena before moving here in '58.

Isn't it amazing that my parents came to San Jose in 1959, just a year later so they could work at SRI in Menlo Park. Small world is it not???

 

[lillygator]

It sounds like your mother was very much like my mother. She wanted so much to feel loved by her parents and for whatever reason did not. Instead of being happy that I was loved, she was angry. Her cup was always half empty, mine is always half full. You just can't change her, love her but you do not have to tolerate her jealousy. I used to share what I could but when she would start in, I would find a reason to hang up or leave. Never made it easier to deal with but I just set up the boundary and if she crossed it, I was out of there!!

Noel, you are so right.

 

[lillygator]

Isn't it amazing that my parents came to San Jose in 1959, just a year later so they could work at SRI in Menlo Park. Small world is it not???

Have you pretty much been in CA?

 

[disneylover5]

I am trying to find the exact recipe. I read it on the DIS.....but since I am no baker....it was something about blowing up a balloon, covering it with melted chocolate and letting dry to form a bowl.

How about this one?



USING INFLATED BALLOONS TO MAKE MOLDED CHOCOLATE BOWLS


1. SEE TIPS: For this procedure, you'll need balloons, the smaller and rounder the better. And, tempered chocolate is essential. Keep chocolate in temper or warm. And the chocolate has to be thick enough around the balloon to keep its shape when you pop the balloon.

2. Before you begin the tempering process, you'll need to blow up a number of small balloons to about the size of coffee cup.

3. Holding where the balloon closes, dip balloon's bottom into the chocolate to coat it. You can also marbleize the chocolate before dipping.

4. Place the balloon on a lined cookie sheet holding it at the top so the excess chocolate starts to settle to create a bottom. The balloon will eventually stand on its own. Repeat the process for as many cups as you'd like to make. Then place the pan into the refrigerator for 5 to 8 minutes. When you remove the pan from the refrigerator, the chocolate surrounding the balloons should be hard.

5. Prick the balloon with a pin to deflate it. Carefully remove from the chocolate cup. If the room is warm, store in the refrigerator before filling.

6. When you're done, you can fill the cups with fruit (berries work well) and whipped cream, chocolate ganache mousse, cold pudding or ice cream.

 

[lillygator]

How about this one?



USING INFLATED BALLOONS TO MAKE MOLDED CHOCOLATE BOWLS


1. SEE TIPS: For this procedure, you'll need balloons, the smaller and rounder the better. And, tempered chocolate is essential. Keep chocolate in temper or warm. And the chocolate has to be thick enough around the balloon to keep its shape when you pop the balloon.

2. Before you begin the tempering process, you'll need to blow up a number of small balloons to about the size of coffee cup.

3. Holding where the balloon closes, dip balloon's bottom into the chocolate to coat it. You can also marbleize the chocolate before dipping.

4. Place the balloon on a lined cookie sheet holding it at the top so the excess chocolate starts to settle to create a bottom. The balloon will eventually stand on its own. Repeat the process for as many cups as you'd like to make. Then place the pan into the refrigerator for 5 to 8 minutes. When you remove the pan from the refrigerator, the chocolate surrounding the balloons should be hard.

5. Prick the balloon with a pin to deflate it. Carefully remove from the chocolate cup. If the room is warm, store in the refrigerator before filling.

6. When you're done, you can fill the cups with fruit (berries work well) and whipped cream, chocolate ganache mousse, cold pudding or ice cream.

thanks - now what the hexk is tempered chocolate?

 

[disneylover5]

And here is the Choc covered oreos, these are beautiful!!!

http://teachsoap.com/oreos.html

 

[HollyTyler]

I wouldn't worry about WW3 with Tyler's Dad. Your focus (correct IMHO) is on Tyler. You should show up at the counseling appointment and bring a copy of your email and Tyler's pediatrician's number. Best of luck, Holly!! I know these are hard times but we are here for you to vent, share and do whatever we can!!

Holly...although it is not often, I do have experiences where parent's are at odds about treatment of their child(ren). My advice is always the same...this is all about your child and not you, let's refocus on him/her for the time being. You are doing the right thing and hopefully Tyler's dad will realize that sooner rather than later and join in and help with the treatments/evaluations.

You have done the right thing Holly and I agree with Noel that Tyler is your focus, so keep going along this route.

Come here for some .

Holly....I also would not worry about starting WW3...you have Tyler's best interests at heart and that is the main focus.

YOU GO GIRL......GIVE 'EM EVERYTHING YOU GOT!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are so diplomatic yet agressive.....you're going to make a great lawyer! You'll win this one eventually....it's not going to be easy though....but you will win in the end. Don't give up! Stay firm! You're doing great!!!!

Holly - Thank you so much for the update on the dr's appt this morning. I think you did a great job in that email to the ex. I also agree with everyone that has said to crash the appt that the ex made. You are doing a terrific job keeping Tyler as your focus and knowing that you need to do what is best for him (no matter how uncomfortable or embarassed you might feel).

Thank you for the support everybody! It really helps! Later in the day I spoke with the neuropsychologist Tyler's peditrician strongly recommends. A couple of problems arose: she's not a participating provider with his insurance carrier, so she says I'd have to pay up front and then submit the bills for partial reimbursement (but I'll find a way to make that happen), and she requires a signed consent from both parents since it's a joint legal custody situation. But there are a couple of good things that came out of our conversation: she just had a cancellation for an evaluation appointment, so she could see Tyler on 10/30 (but would have to meet with his dad and I beforehand - next week she says would be best), and it turns out her office is in THE SAME BUILDING WHERE I WORK. I don't think that's a coincidence. She does the evaluation in 3 appointments - 1st she wants the parents and caregivers for 45 minutes, 2nd would be an extensive battery of "tests" for Tyler alone (3-4 hours), 3rd is another meeting with the parents for 45 minutes to go over her report and make whatever recommendations for treatment she comes up with.

So now the next step is asking him tomorrow to sign the consent form. If he doesn't, I'm fully prepared to take the matter to court. The threat of court might just cause a change of attitide. Our phone conversation this evening wasn't very pleasant, so I'm done being bullied.

 

[birkner]

Have you pretty much been in CA?

I was born in Pasadena, California and have lived either in northern or southern California all of my life.

My mother was originally from Michigan. After graduation from the University of Michigan, the only job offer she had was from California, so she headed west and the rest is history.

 

[HollyTyler]

I just received an email from my Aunt in FL....Turkey Day tradition changes this year because it's the first not going to mom's....I'm going to be with my Aunt and cousins in FL....my one cousin is my most favorite person in the world after DH. When I got the email, it hit me that things are going to be different now and that mom is really gone....I finally cried hard....the first time since July 30th.....oh, the holidays are going to be rough this year.

So, I have no idea what we're having for Turkey Day dinner. I know I'll be in FL with my Aunt Jesse, my cousin Mike and his wife Barbara, my favorite cousin Doug and his son Kyle and Kyle's mom and her husband and Kyle's half brother.....Kyle's mom and my cousin decided to have Kyle and not get married....they share time with him like Holly does with Tyler's dad....Cara has since married and had another child. They all live nearby in FL and share holidays and birthdays together for Kyle's sake....and everyone has remained friendly with each other. It works out great!

I'll be sad and miss not being with mom....but I'll be happy and comforted by being with my favorite family people.

I can only imagine how hard the holidays will be for you Deb. I'm so sorry.

 

[EllaEnchanted]

Be prepared. I could be a Jerry Springer show!


we are 10 years apart...when my mom remarried and picked me up it was with my sister's father, he absolutley did not want children. Could not handle the diapers, baby thing. He really liked me as I was potty trained, not much work. He was a VP at Pepsi at the time but had to entertain a lot. So he was gone a lot. We were in Melbourne and one day we came home to a note that he was gone. Immediately she took me back to Grandad's and she stayed put trying to repair the damage??! I really liked him and I don't remember any fighting at all. So I am not sure what happened. We are on great terms...he is always begging me to bring the family to Texas....the fact I talk to him makes my mom mad so I don't tell her. Gosh, writing all this out, I am really on eggshells!!


Eventually she became pregnant with my sister in hopes to keep him, but it did not work. She came back home and then my Grandparents moved to South Africa...they kept their home here so I could stay and she and Amber and I lived together. I have felt I was like a live in nanny. As soon as I could drive she was with me all the time. I did go to SA for a year. Then they moved to Pasadena. When I graduated high school I was out of there.

Thanks for sharing that V....I can see that you and Noel did not have nurturing mothers....I have to consider myself lucky to have had a mom that only wanted to mother and never work. That's why I called her Doris for Doris Day and all the old movies. That was my mother.

Despite that, me and mom were very different....she and my brother are more alike. I was always more like my grandmother and my mom hated her mom so couldn't understand me and my relationship with my grandmother. But we were always able to work it out because we loved each other unconditionally and agreed to be different and just accepted each other's differences.

I'm very fortunate to have been close with my mom and grandmother. I miss them both very much.

 

[birkner]

Thank you for the support everybody! It really helps! Later in the day I spoke with the neuropsychologist Tyler's peditrician strongly recommends. A couple of problems arose: she's not a participating provider with his insurance carrier, so she says I'd have to pay up front and then submit the bills for partial reimbursement (but I'll find a way to make that happen), and she requires a signed consent from both parents since it's a joint legal custody situation. But there are a couple of good things that came out of our conversation: she just had a cancellation for an evaluation appointment, so she could see Tyler on 10/30 (but would have to meet with his dad and I beforehand - next week she says would be best), and it turns out her office is in THE SAME BUILDING WHERE I WORK. I don't think that's a coincidence. She does the evaluation in 3 appointments - 1st she wants the parents and caregivers for 45 minutes, 2nd would be an extensive battery of "tests" for Tyler alone (3-4 hours), 3rd is another meeting with the parents for 45 minutes to go over her report and make whatever recommendations for treatment she comes up with.

So now the next step is asking him tomorrow to sign the consent form. If he doesn't, I'm fully prepared to take the matter to court. The threat of court might just cause a change of attitide. Our phone conversation this evening wasn't very pleasant, so I'm done being bullied.

Everything you have gone through today shows that you are taking the proper steps for Tyler. Tyler's best interests are all that should concern you and his Dad. It is a shame he is not willing to cooperate but I totally agree you should go the distance even if it means taking him to court!!

YOU GO GIRL!!!

 

[lillygator]

Thank you for the support everybody! It really helps! Later in the day I spoke with the neuropsychologist Tyler's peditrician strongly recommends. A couple of problems arose: she's not a participating provider with his insurance carrier, so she says I'd have to pay up front and then submit the bills for partial reimbursement (but I'll find a way to make that happen), and she requires a signed consent from both parents since it's a joint legal custody situation. But there are a couple of good things that came out of our conversation: she just had a cancellation for an evaluation appointment, so she could see Tyler on 10/30 (but would have to meet with his dad and I beforehand - next week she says would be best), and it turns out her office is in THE SAME BUILDING WHERE I WORK. I don't think that's a coincidence. She does the evaluation in 3 appointments - 1st she wants the parents and caregivers for 45 minutes, 2nd would be an extensive battery of "tests" for Tyler alone (3-4 hours), 3rd is another meeting with the parents for 45 minutes to go over her report and make whatever recommendations for treatment she comes up with.

So now the next step is asking him tomorrow to sign the consent form. If he doesn't, I'm fully prepared to take the matter to court. The threat of court might just cause a change of attitide. Our phone conversation this evening wasn't very pleasant, so I'm done being bullied.

Holly, your ex needs to just come to the realization that there could be something else wrong. The sooner the doctor's get to the root of Tyler's issue the better. Stick to your guns ---- for Tyler's sake!

 

[disneylover5]

As part of Vanessa's US Gov't class, she has to volunteer 15 hours in different campaigns. She has been trying like crazy to find a democrat to volenteer for, by they never answer the phone in the campaign headquarters. Tonight we spent 3 hours in a Republican for VA State house. there were 10 male campaign workers, age 22 -26 and were they cute!! We really had fun they gave my hours to Vanessa so she got 6 hours. Ihave not done anything like that since I was in my 20's..it was really great and I think Vanessa is starting to see the differences in the Democrats and Republicans.

 

[LisaG520]

since my mom has me thinking of Thanksgiving, what is on everyone's menu this year? Do you all feast on the same things year to year or do you add anything new?

We will have turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, rolls, cranberry sauce - all but the cranberry sauce will be from Boston Market! (The cranberry sauce comes out of a can) It's only the 2 of us so this works great! This wil be our third year doing this meal.

Certainly! All are welcome. I can't even count how many we have "adopted" over the years. I just have this "thing" that no one can be alone on Thanksgiving (I was alone the Thanksgiving that I was 16), so we drag home whomever we know that is without family in the area for the day. Lots of for everyone.

We have done this many times. When we live in IL I was managing a video store and my employees were all college students so whoever wasn't working would come for dinner and then I would run plates over to the store for the employees that were working. Plus the grad students who weren't going home for the holidays would come to. Made for some very interesting groups of people who normally would never be together but it always went well!

V...you're welcome to ask, I don't consider it being nosey....just friendly! My legs are so much better....the edema is down, the left leg is completely gone and the right leg only has 1/2 the size that it started at left to go. I'm feeling great with my new diet that works. I'm much more mobile again.

Great news!!

thanks for asking, it was fun, but it was camping...okay I'd rather be at a spa/hotel. I actually think Molly would too, is that a good thing to say about a 10 year old?

Can you tell us about Mousefest or was it called something else, mouseadventure?

MouseAdventure was great. This event was an Eyespy so all of the quests had a picture element. One of the quests was to match up balcony railings in New Orleans Sq to their picture then using the bldg # below we had to solve a word/number puzzle to get a question and then find the answer to the question. Plus there were also pictures to find and identify a character that was being blocked in the picture or the location of a Halloween decoration.

There were around 650 people participating on 192 teams. A lot of people wandering the park carrying clipboards. We must have had 20 people stop us to ask what we were doing. (And why...most didn't get the "for fun" answer, oh well)

It's amazing how much we learn about the park each time we've done this! You really get to explore areas you wouldn't normally see (we hardly ever go to Toontown). I totally recommend anyone who is into Disney and loves puzles to try this out. Next one will probably be in Apr.

 

[nskjerven]

Everything you have gone through today shows that you are taking the proper steps for Tyler. Tyler's best interests are all that should concern you and his Dad. It is a shame he is not willing to cooperate but I totally agree you should go the distance even if it means taking him to court!!

YOU GO GIRL!!!

ditto