The new "New Moms" thread!

[k_reile]

Becky - I feel for your SIL - that is terrible!

Kelly - Congratulations on converting your DH!

Meredith - welcome back, glad the trip went well!

*********************

So I finally pinpointed when I will have to go to LA for work - 6/8 - 6/12. 6/8 is a Monday and 6/5 the Friday before is my b-day. I'm seriously considering going out a few days early to get in Disneyland free for my b-day, but I'm not sure. DH probably can't get off work for the weekend (and even if he could, he wouldn't get paid), and I wouldn't want to go by myself. I could possibly see if my mom wanted to go, then she could fly back on Sunday with Alex. Hmm, I will definitely have to think about this. I've never been to DL before....

That would be cool if you can do it...too bad you won;t be there at the same time as Becky!

 

[beckmrk04]

That would be cool if you can do it...too bad you won;t be there at the same time as Becky!

That's what I was thinking. We could do a super-mini-DIS meet. You could meet your son's twin.

Well- I've been shopping the past couple of days. Got the travel wheels for the carseat (THANKS Pollito- great idea, and I never would have thought of it). Bought the Monkey harness (it was only $10 vs. $36 for the Minnie harness, because I'd have to pay for super-fast shipping). So, I figure that's $26 more to spend in Disneyland. I also bought 2 new pairs of Crocs Cleo sandals. I have a pair of Athens flip-flops in White/Orange, but the white was looking super-grungy. SO- I soaked them in bleach water tonight and scrubbed them with a toothbrush, and they look pretty good!

And... I purchased my birthday present to me from my husband. "He" bought me a new purse. Ok- it was his idea to buy it, which was really nice, but he really had no plan on when he was going to go get the darn thing, and there weren't that many left. I was pretty sure by the time he got around to it at the very last minute, it would be gone. So, I just bought it while I was at the mall.

It's cute- it's a Kathy Van Zeeland purse, and usually I'm not that crazy about her purses, but I really liked this one! Here's a picture. I thought the blue was pretty for spring/summer. Now, I'll have to get something for fall/winter.... I do already feel guilty about spending the money on it. Even though it's supposed to be my birthday present. That I bought. Myself.

 

[Pollito916]

Becky - It's too bad we'll be missing each other by such a short amount of time - I'm sure the twins would have hit it off (or hit something anyway!)

Cute purse - I was looking at it at Macy's on Mother's Day (when I bought my own Mother's Day present so don't feel too bad), but I just bought this one a month ago: http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=363578&CategoryID=42937. Looks like we have twin kids and twin purses!

Have you found out anything I need to know about DL yet? I'm pretty sure Alex & I are going to go w/my mom since DH has to work. Neither of us have been before, and I'm an obsessive WDW planner. I almost don't know how to handle this trip on such short notice and without any DL planning books in my house! Where are you staying?

 

[k_reile]

i too bought my mothers day gift. my new nikon camera!

 

[kellyf2626]

Becky and Pollito - That stinks you will miss each other by just a few days!!! You both are going to have a blast! Have either of you ever been to DL? I couldn't believe how different it was from WDW. I loved how even some of the "same" rides were really different...made it super fun. I know some people love DL more than WDW, but to me there is just no comparison! DL (especially the MK portion) seems soooooooooooo small. But, it is super fun to visit! Can't wait to see pics!!!

I also purchased my Mother's Day gift!! I got some sundresses for our Disney trip. Love the Kathy purses!!

I am trying to decided what I want to carry with me in the parks when we go. I can't even remember what I did prior to hauling around a huge stroller with a diaper bag! What do you ladies usually bring with you into the park (when you aren't with kids). I feel like before we used to shove most stuff in our video camera bag. But, now our video camera is so small, nothing would fit in the bag!

Becky - I just sold me go-go kidz travelmate (to wheel the carseat around the airport) a couple of weeks ago on Craigslist! I would have sent it to you!!

5 more sleeps at home until Disney for me!!! I can't believe it!!!! (Still a tiny bit sad about leaving Brady. I wish I could just get there and bypass the whole dropping him off and flying part!)

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

Too funny with everyone buying their own Mother's Day/Birthday gifts! DH gave me a book and a game for my computer, but the real present was that he watched Owen for a few hours on Sunday while I went out and got a mani/pedi then sat at a coffee shop for over an hour. I paid for my own day out, but it was marvelous to just have some time to myself!

I love hearing about everyone's Disney trips!! Makes me want to go sooooo much, but my Disney fund is practically empty. I need to find a way to earn some money to start filling it back up.

Sara, let me know what Disneyland questions you have, and I can try to help. I agree, it's a bit shocking how small it is compared to WDW, but the good news is that makes it easier to do more in one day (as long as crowds aren't too horrible). I still like the wider range of options at WDW and the feeling of getting away from everything, but I like the smaller size of DL, too. I wasn't quite so tired at the end of the day from walking miles and miles! Oh, and get a hotel as close to the crosswalk by the entrance plaza as you can...it's SUPER easy to get back and forth.

I've thought about getting the wheels for the carseat, too, but I can't find them anywhere for less than $70 and I just don't want to spend that kind of money on it. I may regret that later...we'll see!

Well our vacation to Canada just got a little weird:
DH's dad & step-mom have the house outside of Banff, and they're always inviting us to come up for a visit. We've tried to go every other year, since they really seem to want the family to use it as a vacation home. It can be a little much to be there with just the two of them for a week, so the last two times we've had some of my friends or family from the Midwest meet us up there, and FIL&SMIL have enjoyed that, too.

Well SMIL's lung cancer has come back, and she's decided to try various non-chemo/radiation approaches this time, since the drs have said that it's just a matter of time and the chemo/radiation might extend her life by a few months or a year, but nothing will totally get rid of the cancer now. So more than ever we wanted to make a point of taking the week vacation with them and my dad & step-mom will be there, too.

Only now SMIL has decided not to go to Canada this year, so FIL has driven up there with the dog and is up there by himself, just waiting for us all to arrive! So it seems a little awkward now, more like we're using the home as a vacation rental than taking a trip to visit with them. We told FIL that if he needs to stay home with SMIL to do that, and we'd make other housing arrangements, but he's insisting that it's fine.

Does make me sad, though. I mean, SMIL is a character, and can be a bit draining to be around for more than a few hours at a time, but she's still family and a decent person, and I'm pretty sure she's doing worse than they've been letting on. So I was thinking that this week would be good to have so Owen could spend some more time with her, even if he doesn't remember it when he's older.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. I'm busy packing for the trip - well, mostly doing laundry so I can pack for the trip - and trying to think about temps in the 50's when it's been in the 90's here! I'm trying to find DVDs that are just footage of assorted trucks for Owen to watch on the trip. He's OBSESSED with trucks all of a sudden, and constantly asks to go for a walk to look for trucks. Fortunately we live downtown in a big city, so it's pretty easy to find trucks to watch, but there won't be so many options where we're going.

 

[beckmrk04]

Sara- we're staying at the Howard Johnson Anaheim- right across the street. If you use the promo code LNLR on their website, you can get 15% off rooms, which is a pretty decent deal. It's not the cheapest available, BUT, from what I have read/researched, it gets the BEST reviews (I checked tipradvisor.com, hotels.com, mousesavers, yahoo travel, etc). plus, go to their website and check out the kid pool playground- it looks awesome! http://www.hojoanaheim.com/ We booked a premium room (pillow top beds, Disney view) and it's $282 for 2 nights with that discount. So, a little pricey, but we are staying with my friend for the rest of the week, so we splurged a little. The Portofino Inn and Suites also gets pretty good reviews. And I HEAR ya about the WDW planning vs. DL!!! I am soooo lost. BUT- good thing is that I was able to get priority seating for Goofy's Kitchen and Ariels' Grotto with NO problem- got to pick my times. And I feel like 3 days will be a decent amount of time (although I panic still, because I feel like a Disney trip should involve at LEAST 5-6 days, to do it properly ).

I decided to take the Disney Express bus from SNA to the hotel- not too expensive, and I think it will be easier than a shuttle. The buses leave every 30 minutes from the airport during the day, no ressies needed.

Bethany- we bought a set of "wheels" for the carseat- just a generic luggage wheel set (looks like this) and we're going to strap the carseat to it- Miss Pollito gave me the idea! The one we bought was $34 at my Target. I also got a super cool SwissGear travel bag that we will be using as a small travel-diaper bag for the park! I love it! It's called the "Vertical boarding bag" and gosh it is PRACTICAL! Couldn't imagine carting my big ol' diaper bag around, much as I do love it. And that's crazy about your SMIL. I hope you do get to enjoy your trip. Maybe take lots of video and mail them to FIL and SMIL when you get back, so she doesn't feel like she missed it?

Kelly- I think I am not as excited about DL as I get about WDW; I'm scared I'll be disappointed. But alas- some Disney is better than no Disney, right? You are going to have such a good time on your adults-only trip! And when I went pre-kids, we had a small camera bag/backpack thingy that we carried. I shoved in my ID, ticket, camera, moleskin for my feet- just in case!, and that's about it: away we went! It's a whole other story with kids, though.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm thinking about taking the purse back. I feel bad spending $100 on a purse when I am getting ready to go to Disneyland. Plus, I am SURE I can find $100 worth of stuff to buy while I am in California...

Stupid buyer's remorse.

 

[exwdwcm]

I'm back- I'll post about our trip in a bit, i wanted to catch up first

ASH- how did the job interview go?

Bethany- Owen is such a cutie with his haircut. How is the binkie challenge going?

Becky- LOL about Vaylie and her china. and who knew there was even a 'handout' for toddler self love.....oh the things i learn from you guys! oh and your poor SIL and her trip from he!!. wow, i would be so upset. My niece got sick on our last trip a few years back and they immediately took her to urgent care, so that it could be taken care of right away. that helped some. I pray none of us get sick on our Dec trip. especially when you anticipate and plan so much, it is really a bummer for that to happen. i hope the weekend is better for them. let us know! I saw the pool movie screen at our local Sam's Club (Walmart warehouse) and i immediately thought of you Becky- so you still haven't found one? they actually had it on display. I hope your trip goes well- i am sure it will, i know you will be prepared and keep Vaylie entertained!

Pollito- so cute that Alex looks at WDW pics every night, that is just so cute. My niece does that too.


Meredith, glad you guys had a good trip- you have pics on facebook? I'll have to check them out!

Stacy- I just saw a commercial for a new EA sports or something Wii game with boxing, aerobics, pilates and more. it looked pretty cool. i haven't tried my wii fit yet, i have to find time when Will won't interfere and try and jump on the board or something too. lol Congrats on the weight loss!!!


Kelly- so you leave in just a few days- how exciting!!!! I know you will miss Brady, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I was so busy that i hardly had time to miss Will a lot. don't get me wrong, i missed him terribly- i brought some photos to look at of him on the trip and kept on the nightstand, but it wasn't so bad. it was actually nice to have a little break. Okay, what is your secret Kelly- for turning DH into a disney lover? I need to know! actually my DH doesn't hate it, but i did leave him for 5 months back in 96 to do the college program. We were living together at the time, so he was pretty peo'd at disney for taking me away. of course, we obviously stayed together. But since having Will, i notice he is more excited about Disney now. I think going in Dec will change him, seeing it through Will's eyes. so i can hope, right? I am lucky he doesn't question my passion for disney and even helped paint the peter pan mural in the nursery. that's a step! right? lol- glad that your DH is on board now- that is awesome and should make your trip that much more special!!!!!!! are you doing a trip report on the boards? or the blog?

taking items to Disney- Kelly- i usually take a backpack, not a purse. just a small one, although travelling with Will in the future, i will have a bigger one. i take my credit card, some cash, camera, some basic medicine (pepto, tylenol, immodium etc.), some wipes (never know when you need them), sunglasses, a hat, a hoodie (if in fall/winter), a small notebook for trip notes, my itenerary, gum (they don't sell it!), phone etc. Of course i wear a lanyard and keep my key to the world card in that for easy access too. I got a DIS Unplugged lanyard on the cruise to wear now!


on the whole harness- i really have no real feeling either way. before kids, i thought it was crazy, now i understand. just not sure we would really use it though. Will won't even wear a bib anymore, he rips them off, he HATES being restrained like that. We either keep him in the wagon, stroller, carry him or hold his hand. we just watch VERY carefully if we let him run free. so far, so good. so just don't think it is for us, although i TOTALLY understand it now!


everyone else- HI and hope you had a GREAT mother's day!!!

 

[exwdwcm]

so i am back, getting back to work and the routine....BLAH! did i say BLAH yet>? BLAH!!!

Trip was good, but it was hard. Not as relaxing as I expected. THe DIS podcast team had so many events planned, that between their events and the dinner shows, dinner and cruise events, it was just go, go, go. Not that that is bad......I go commando at the parks usually that way, I just expected this to be more relaxing, it is a cruise after all, right?

Part of the reason for it being hard was my mom. As you know, she had brain surgery about 5-6 weeks ago. They removed a tumor growing on her left optic nerve and in the empty cavity where her pitutary was (they removed it 4 years ago due to another brain tumor). so she came out of surgery with no vision in her left eye. She didn't expect that, she was losing her vision some, but she didn't expect to be blind in that eye following surgery. it is slowly coming back, but very slow. She can sort of make out some colors, but that's it. her other eye isn't great either. She has NO peripheral vision, so like blinders on both sides and only has one eye she can see out of and it is blurry. She can watch some tv and read a menu up close, but it is hard. So anyhow, her vision is supposed to come back as the optic nerve heals- in 6 months or so we hope (before our Dec trip??? we pray!!). So we had a wheelchair for her the 2 days in orlando and got one on the cruise, but it didn't work on the boat, too difficult, so i led her around with her cane. It meant walking slower (I am a FAST walker) and ensuring she always had me there. So that was tough. I am sure it was more frustrating to her. She fell once near the elevator and cried many times out of frustration.

So that made it quite a challenge. as i said, i know it was much harder for her, so i shouldn't even think of complaining. My dad was a huge help too. My cousin, who I shared a stateroom with, got sick and stayed in her room a lot. She is sort of a loner anyhow and likes to do her own thing- so that meant dad and I were taking care of mom.

We did have some great highlights- we had a nice spa treatment, really enjoyed Castaway Cay (my fav!!!!!) and enjoyed the DIS unplugged live podcast and all the events they had planned, including a presentation from the Disney Institute and from Lee Cockrell, ex VP of Operations for WDW. they shared some interesting stories on WDW. Plus we did the Keys to the Kingdom tour before the cruise. It was all great. I just felt like i never had a chance to relax. I spent one hour out by the pool on board, but that was it. I did spend hours at Castaway Cay just relaxing in the water, but that was the only day I did that. The other days were packed full of events. I was up at 7am each day. I couldn't even make the nighttime actitivies after dinner (10:30pm) because i was so tired. anyhow, so it wasn't restful, but fun. It was great meeting all my online friends from the Unplugged forum. Plus i met Pete, founder of the site and all of his team. Great people! Our waitstaff didn't live up to the high expectations I had, so that was a disappointment after hearing of all the great servers on board prior to my trip. oh well.

so in all, I had a great time. I did miss DH and Will and i really wished at certain times they were there to share the magic with me. anyways- you can read my trip report on my blog--http://williamreed1.blogspot.com/


I am just now starting on the cruise part. We had 2 days in orlando first, then 4 days on the Wonder. I came back on Thursday night and stayed home on Friday to sleep in and clean, then spend time with Will! i had a relaxing weekend too, which was nice.

looking forward now to our December trip- 15 of us. We hope mother will be better by then. at least able to see more. We are spending 10 days at Wilderness lodge. my BF is coming and sharing our room with us- she will be a big help. so 7 months and counting~!

 

[Villain-lover]

Welcome back Michelle! I don't have pics up yet on facebbok, but will get them there this week!

So, we have decided to do a WDW trip next fall. The twins will be almost 3 then, and we feel it is a good time! We haven't been in like 3 years, so we are way past due! We won't be able to make reservations or anything until we get the time off books from DH job after the first of the year. This will be the first time we will stay on property, since we have lost our Disney connections (DH mom and Sisterboth retired from disney, and we would just stay with them and big bonus..we got to do almost everything we wanted to do free!). I will probably need many tips from you guys about planning..so don't say I never warned ya!

 

[Pollito916]

Bethany - thanks for the offer for tips, I'm not sure what I'm looking for. It probably won't be too different from WDW, mostly smaller. Where did you stay? Sorry to hear about your SMIL, that does change the trip a bit. Try looking at your library for videos of trucks. I know there's a show on PBS about trucks & construction, but I don't remember what it's called.

Becky - that HoJo's does look nice, but the website says there's no availability for my dates. I'm kind of worried about being disappointed in DL too, but I think you're right that some disney is better than none!

Michelle - welcome back from your exhausting trip! Sounds like you need a vacation from vacation! I hope the December trip with Will is a little more relaxing and helps convert your DH!

Meredith - yay on planning a WDW trip! You have to get at least one trip in before you have to start paying for the twins! Ask any questions you want - obviously we all love talking about WDW here!

*****************************

Alex has been saying the funniest things lately, and I don't know where he gets some of them. He says, "Oh my gosh!" about 20 times a day, and also, "Hey Mom, I got good idea" sometimes he adds to that one, "like Mickey!" I guess that one comes from MMCH, but I don't know about the other one.

He also tried to order chicken nuggets and french fries when we drove through CVS last night. They didn't have any, but he got a lollipop instead.

 

[beckmrk04]

Pollito- Vaylie says the funniest things too! "Oh gosh" is a fav! Also, the other day at Target, she whipped out, "Oh, ****" (I'll give you a clue: rhymes with "it" and is another word for poop.) Neither one of us had said it!!! I don't know if she heard another customer say it or what- but it was funny AND embarrassing, and she caught on, she she said it from Electronics to the checkout. Nice. Then Sunday morning she was watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and she tells me, "Toodles gives me pwesents. So nice! Happy Christmas Day!" Wth? Ok, kid.

I would maybe try calling the HoJo because they allow late cancellations AND don't charge anything for ressies, so I bet a lot of people reserve rooms, and then just cancel them if they don't need them or if they find something better. Otherwise, there are a lot of hotels around that get pretty decent reviews. DH bought me the book "Disneyland and SOuthern Calif. with kids" and it has a lot of good info.

Michelle- glad you had a good trip! Sounds like fun, although I gotta admit it made ME a little tired reading about it! And so sorry about your mom- I'm sure it was difficult for all of you. I'll be praying for her so that the next trip is more enjoyable for all of you!

 

[beckmrk04]

Today is a gorgeous day! SO beautiful and I am SOOOO thankful to have the day off- usually I'm stuck in the bank looking out at the beautiful day.

Today I am going to get my eyebrows waxed (I had been letting them go since I knew I was getting them done this week, and they are starting to resemble caterpillars). Last night I gave myself a mani-pedi, so my nails look pretty. I'm meeting my best friend Kristin for lunch today- and she's bringing me a surprise birthday present- can't what to see what it is! Then, this afternoon I'm headed home to continue cleaning house and packing for the trip; 5 more days! and 8 days til my 28th birthday on May 28th in DISNEYLAND!

 

[k_reile]

Becky...you are only 18 days younger than my husband. His 28th was on may 10th!

Caleb hit a big milestone last night. He was laying on his back and he sat up all on his own. He just got this look on his face like he just did something good!

and in other news...I was just offered a new job. It pays more and has a lot better benefits. I have not officially accepted yet but I will probably sometime today (I wanted to talk to DH first) but that means i won;t have vacation until Nov...so my jamaica/dominican republic (haven;t decided which one to go to yet) trip will have to be put off until Nov...thats ok...gives me more time to save for it.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

We got back last night from WV (left at 3:30am)!!! I am NOT happy about being back at all. We only had four days there and it just was not enough time.

Spencer was awesome in the car, although last night he did get fussy. He watched movies, played with toys, and slept.

My family couldn't get enough of him; he had a fantastic time there. On Saturday we went to my dad's and my cousins had their kids there. The little boy is 20 months and Spencer went right up to him and started talking. Then, Spencer gave him two hugs. After that though, Aiden had enough and pushed Spencer away. They did walk around together a bit. It was the first time Spencer has really been around a kid his age, so I think he did great.

Gotta catch up!

 

[kellyf2626]

Good evening ladies!

So who is going to win tonight on Idol?!?!?! I think Adam will win, but I really like Kris better. Much more my speed as compared to Adam's style. But, can't take away that Adam has quite a set of pipes on him and is very talented! Should be a good show!

Bethany - Sounds like your trip did get interesting, but I'm sure you will all have a great time. Take lots of pics!!

Becky - Keep your purse!!! It's really cute and you DESERVE it! Looks like you got a great deal on your hotel room. You are going to have such a great time! Funny, I got my eyebrows waxed today too! My usual lady wasn't there, but I had to get them done because I had been growing them all week knowing I would wax them before we went away. She went a little over-board, but they look ok. I like the more "natural but neat" look and they look kinda "thin and curvy" now. O well, they will grow. At least they look clean!

Michelle - I have been reading your blog about your trip! I will probably do a trip report on my blog too! Looks like you had an awesome time!!! I am sure even though it was a lot for your mom, I am sure she appreciated your help and being able to go, regardless of the tough times. I am sure since we will be really busy, it will make being away from Brady a bit easier. Once I get there, I will feel better! As for turning DH into a Disney-lover, we purchased DVC in 2001 when we got engaged, so that enabled us to visit every year, sometimes a couple times, for the past 8 years. He now has so many awesome memories of us, and now with Brady....that I think it really is a special place for him too now! Funny, I met him the semester after I did the college program!! DH is also the type that likes to do things on vaca - not just sit on the beach and relax. So, being able to do be "busy" all the time in WDW is what he likes too!

Meredith - That is so exciting that you are planning a Disney trip!!! The twins will be at such a fun age!

Kara - Go Caleb!!! What a big boy!! And congrats on the new job...sounds great!!! Worth pushing off your trip for a bit!

To anyone I missed...hope all is well!!!

 

[Jen_in_NH]

Hi everyone! It feels like I haven't posted on here in an age.

Becky - You'll like DL, trust me. The first time I went, I wasn't sure I would like it. I'm a WDW girl. It's definitely more compact, but it seems cozier.

Kelly - have a great trip!

Michelle - welcome back. I'm glad your mom is doing OK.



So Christopher had his 2 year physical the other day. Apparently he's shrinking again. 32lbs and 35 inches. I keep telling him he needs 8 pounds and 5 inches before we leave for Disney (8 pounds so I don't need to bring a carseat on the plane, 5 inches so he can ride on the 40" rides) He's trying really hard to talk - I would guess he knows about 30 words now. He's still doing speech therapy, and tomorrow we have our first meeting with the Early Intervention folks and the school. YIKES! We'll see how that goes.

jen

 

[ShootingStarMom2]

Hi everyone,
I've been here and there and totally forgot to stop in. I caught Bry's cold last week and thought I was going to sink into the couch. All he wanted to do was play, and all I could think of was taking a nap! Luckily my dad came over and played with him for a little while so I could get rid of a headache.

We've been going to the doctor every week now and have NST for each visit just to make sure Cam is ok. I think he's getting tired of living in there. He's got his feet all tucked up under my ribs. I think he's practicing yoga in there. I will be sad when this pregnancy is over, but so happy to finally meet the little guy.

Yeah for Caleb, Kara!

Thanks Becky for reminding me about eyebrows. I totally have to get mine done too. I feel like a new person when they look right.

Jen, I hope your meeting for Christopher goes well.

Pollito, too funny about the chicken nuggets and the drive thru. Bry has been saying "all better" and this one: "oh buddy". Where he got that from, I have no idea! I thought maybe he was saying oh baby, but it's oh buddy for sure.

Michelle, how was the 4 day? We are doing one in December (just a small get together... all 18 of us!). I've only done the 7 day. I was bummed that there is no big formal night. I was all set to order the boys little tuxes to match with DH. Oh well. I guess we could always do a 7 day to make up for it. That sounds fair to me.

We were having breakfast yesterday and I heard this loud rumbling. I thought maybe it was a train but it kept getting louder and louder. We went out on the deck and saw 2 huge helicopters flying over the house. Bry had his mouth hanging open just watching them go over. He was so surprised. Now everytime he hears a plane or "choppy choppy" he runs to the door. What a funny kid.

Hope everyone has a nice MD weekend. We will have the nursery finished by then thank goodness. Nothing like waiting to the last minute.

 

[Pollito916]

Becky - that must have been a fun time at Target! Isn't Vaylie a lucky girl that Toodles gives her presents! Alex says we need to find toodles when we need something too. Hope you had a good day of pampering.

Kara - way to go Caleb, I love that look when they realize they did something new! And congrats on the new job!

Amber - welcome back, sounds like you had a great trip!

Kelly - I haven't been watching Idol, but wow there were a lot of big stars on tonight! Alex loves that new BEP song and sings it all the time. We have a cute video of him singing along when they were on Ellen and Alex ran to get his play microphone and sang and danced along.

Jen - Sounds like Christopher is doing good, is he losing weight or getting shorter? When my SIL took her son for his 2 year they said he was 35" but when he had his EI appt 2 weeks later they said he was 33.5".

ShootingStarMom - that stinks to get sick when you're pg, at least you're almost there! I bet you can't wait to meet the new little guy! Alex says "buddy" too, wonder if that's on MMHC or another kids show they watch?

 

[beckmrk04]

4 days... Just have to work today and tomorrow, off Sat and Sunday, leave on Monday!!!

AND, of course, no trip of mine would be complete without Murphy's Law. Vaylie is coming down with a cold. I could just cry. She has a terribly snotty nose, a little bit of cough from drainage, and I think she might have been running a fever last night. I feel like throwing myself on the floor and throwing a first-class tantrum. But, I have been giving her a little Benadryl to help with the nose- I'm thinking it's more sinus than cold, even my sinuses are a litle jacked-up, and I gave her some Tylenol last night and this AM. My MIL is going to watch her like a hawk today, and if she still seems feverish or sick, I am going to have DH take her to the dr. on Friday. *sigh* Please keep your fingers crossed for us. It was hard to tell last night how she was feeling because her schedule was all messed up (BIG thanks to my mom, for constantly doing that- I am so annoyed with her I can hardly stand it).

My mom thinks naps are optional, and to occur at HER convenience, rather than on schedule, and then I inherit a comeplete and total CRAB in the evening. And, my mom apparently thinks that it isn't necessary to let me know if she'll be taking my daughter somewhere (to me this is a big deal if she'll be going say, 20 miles away from home). I just think it's common courtesy to let me know where my kid is going to be- yesterday I was out shopping/waxing, and when I was done I decided that I would like to go get Vaylie (I missed her and wanted to come home and play outside). But I call my mom to tell her I'm coming, and lo and behold- she's not there. They decided to go to some restuarant 30 mins away, at 2:30 pm. Which would have been V's naptime, if my mom cared (yes, she IS AWARE of this, she just chooses to ignore it over and over and then lie to me about it), and 2:30 is just a little bit off for lunch time, so then Vaylie didn't want dinner, but did want to eat at 9:00 pm last night. I am furious because it's not the first time, and I have tried to be nice, tried to put my foot down, and now mom and I are going to have a serious conversation about my rules. That I will be enforcing.

I let my mom watch Vaylie because I know she loves her, and (aside from this crap that isn't a big deal in her eyes, but is in mine), she does take good care of her. But she is starting to treat her like an accessory that she can dress up and parade around with no regard to Vaylie's schedule or needs. And I know that when I approach her about the importance of naptimes or schedules, she's going to blow me off and get super-defensive and pissy. But, this time, I am just going to calmly tell her: these are my (minimal) requirements: naptime is a must, traveling is a minimum (she only has her 1 or 2 days a week and my mom does not work), and the juice (or lemonade, or Hi-C) habit is going to stop, or I will find someone to watch Vaylie who can understand and follow my (IMO) reasonable requests.

It's going to be drama. But, I'm going to wait until AFTER my vacation to have this fight, because I'm not interested in creating a bunch of drama before it.

Tell me truthfully- do you think this is reasonable? Even for a grandparent?
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Kelly- I kept the purse. My friend talked me into it, for the same reasons. And I'm still working on DH and the whole Disney-loving thing. He's just sort of "meh" about it, but he does love Star Wars weekends, and he's excited about taking Vaylie. He even mentioned a future trip the other day! yay!

Jen- I think I'll like DL too- but you know we DIsney freaks tend to have HIGH expectations... I hope all goes well with Christophers appts.