The Official New Mom Thread Part 2

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Good morning all! Gee, I might actually have a few seconds to respond before anyone wakes up! Actually, robert's awake, but he's all about getting to the Playstation before his sisters come down, so I'm good there.

Anyway, DH is acting MUCH, MUCH better yesterday and today. I think he realized that yes, work is getting to him. It was funny--he came home from work on time yesterday--it was just as I was taking the pies out of the oven. I asked if he could smell them from work! He loves apple pie, anything with apples and cinnamon, actually. We talked about maybe some things he can do to improve his mood, like get more sleep and take karate, with or without the kids. The kids have lost interest some, which is fine with me, but then he feels bad going without them--I said, go, get some exercise and get the agression out!

We're also SOOO excited about DVC at AKL!!! I was doing all the research in anticipation of the announcement of some new resort opening--we were also hoping for Contemporary, but we just love AKL. Never stayed there, but would kill to--it's my "dream resort" if I didn't have kids. So, we're looking at DVC more seriously-even DH is studying the info. I need the particulars on the AKL one, when they come out, as we might do a resale purchase of Beach Club instead. But we're in no rush, and of course, I haven't actually received my inheritance yet.

Oh--one thing I did want to mention, on the idea of inheriting. It's one of those funny things--you don't want to be thrilled that you're getting money, because obviously, you would trade the $ for the person any day. So I try to think about, "What would that person want this money used for." Mind you, we've buried 3 parents between DH and I, so we've thought about this more than probably most people on this thread. We got some stuff from his dad that's stocks--we just keep it there, figuring down the line it might pay for graduate school, weddings, etc.--which his dad would want. (MIL has set up trusts for the kids' college, but I don't expect that they would or should cover graduate school). The grandparents would want us to make our children's lives easier, and more fun--they wouldn't want us driving flashy cars or living the high life. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's not our family's "style". Anyway, I hope that makes sense.

Jill--Sorry about your ankle--I hope you're feeling better soon! Take care of it as best you can--I know it's tough when you have to carry a little one, but you don't want to damage it further.

Robin--Celeste didn't make the cut on Soarin', but I saw another little boy that couldn't be any taller than her, and they let him through. I'm not sure why the height restrictions--you're belted in, and little ones have an extra loop that the belt goes through, so they can't fall off even if they tried (assuming they're belted in properly). And it's a very gentle ride.

Tasha--You know, sometimes, just knowing you have choices makes me feel better. Once you're through with the schooling, you can make the choice on working after #2. BTW, I would say taking a 2yo is do-able, but only if you're willing to completely put their needs/wants above your own. If you aren't willing to do that, then wait. And P.S. saying that you aren't doesn't make you horrible--you work hard, you're entitled to vacation time, and a 2yo in Disney is no vacation for Mom. That said, parts of it can be lovely. Also, if Dh is there, you can take turns having some "alone" time, and there's always the Fairy Godmothers for an evening as adults.

Fabumouse--we've had a couple cats that we had to bring to the vet for one-way trips. Someone put it best as "I used to be your Mommy, but since I had kids, now I'm just your owner." Our vet will take incompatible cats and try to place them--we had one attack baby Jocelyn, another who was fine wtih J but peed on Robert's stuff (he was male--marking his territory, I think). We also had to put one cat down, but she was 17 and very sick.

Okay, party's over for me. I'm sorry I didn't catch up with everyone.

 

[justhat]

Ugh. Henry has a cold. Again. I guess that was adding to his crabby mood yesterday. I slept about 4 hours and can't wait to drop Madison off at school so I can nap with Henry for a little while.

 

[nucpharm29]

Tasha--we took Emma at 14months, 16months and just over 2. I have to say that the trip when she was 16 months was the worst. We even tried the harness thing and she hated it. All she wanted to do was run around and standing in line, forget it! We also had a problem with her in the stroller--meaning she didn't want to sit there. But, we always had fun no matter what--I just had to keep reminding myself that she's just 2, I can't expect too much. And she was so cute on our last trip, she was comfortable with the characters and could recognize the castle and other attractions. I can't wait to see how she'll react when we go in April.

justhat--I hope Henry's cold isn't too bad!

J&D--I know what you mean about spending so much time on the computer. I've really tried to limit myself to breakfast and lunchtime and naptime, b/c I can use the laptop in the kitchen while the kids are eating.

Well, that being said, breakfast time is over so I should be getting off of here. We are headed to the zoo today and then to a consignment sale. I'm going into the city (the bustling metropolis of Little Rock) b/c DH flies back home tonight and we have to pick him up from the airport--SO I have to find something to do with the kids there all afternoon, and DH doesn't want me to spend TOO much $$$--guess I need to stay away from the mall! TGIF everyone!

 

[Ginamarie]

Tasha- We took DBro to WDW when he was about 18 months old. It worked out really well. He spent most of the day in his stroller, but we’d let him get out and run around in the kiddie play areas. When he got tired, he’d fall asleep in the carriage and we’d just have someone stay with him outside of whatever ride everyone else was on. We did have to carry a lot more stuff with us, but that’s what a DH is for Like BNB said, you have to be ready to put your baby ahead of actual touring though. For us, it wasn’t too much of an issue because we go to WDW about once a year now; so if I missed something I’d catch it the next time.

We’re getting sicker around here rather than better Olivia thinks it’s wildly funny when I sneeze for some reason. OK, off to work again!

 

[lissawynn]

Hi ladies. I've been so out of touch lately. I'm trying to get all of my school stuff done before I head home b/c Jimmy wants me to do nothing but pay attention to him. Also, I have to make some serious packing progress this weekend. We have to move out soon and I have done very little lately, mostly cause I still feel kind of crappy.
Tomorrow is my nephew's 6th bday party and it's supposed to be cold. My sister is having it at a pavilion(heated) with a huge play area for the kids. I don't know how long we're going to last until one of us (Jimmy or I) is too tired and wants to come home.

I hope you're all doing well. My drs. appointment went well. Annabel is doing great and is kicking the bejeepers out of me. It's so much fun while I'm driving...

Tasha - We took Jimmy this summer when he was 18 mo. I think the heat played a major role in him getting really cranky. He just doesn't do well in the heat. I think if the weather had been cooler, the trip would have been better for him. He did really seem to enjoy his surroundings this time. He really liked the rides we did and was very interested in the music, lights, action, etc.

I have to head to the ladies room before my next class starts!

 

[Strawberry Lemonade]

Quick update...I don't have a lot of time until Lucas takes a nap.

The dr said it's most likely an allergic reaction again. This time, it's probably orange/citrus and it's DH's fault because he gave Lucas some orange juice the other day. Of course he didn't know, but I'm having a great time teasing him. The dr didn't think it was viral because of his red, swollen cheeks. He's on Benedryl and an antihistamine and has a steriod cream for his rash. He should be looking and feeling better in a couple days.

 

[justhat]

Aww, SL, he's swollen too! That's terrible. I have a nut allergy and besides the itchiness the swelling is the worst part to me. I'm also allergic to pseudoephedrine and I found out when I brushed my teeth and my mouth was full of blood cause my gums were so swollen. Then the hives started to make things worse. My reaction to any rash now is to take benedryl just in case.

Do you have a lot of allergies in your family? I hope it is the citrus so you at least know what you have to avoid.

Tasha, we took Madison at 22 months and then again right after she turned 2. 22 months it was December and so she happily went in her stroller every morning cause it was cold and she stayed warmer in the stroller with a blanket wrapped around her. As it warmed up in the afternoon though then she wanted out and would only go back in when she needed a nap. We generally carried her then cause she did not want to hold our hands for very long and it was just way too crowded to keep track of her (it was the week between Christmas and New Year's). She didn't really want to be held either, but she tolerated it at least. Luckily she was fairly light, though towards the end of the trip my morning sickness was in full effect so my husband was the one holding her anyway.

At 2yo though, that's the trip I referred to earlier, she was much more willing to hold hands. Granted we scared her by telling her someone would take her if she didn't hold onto us or the stroller, but hey, whatever works. I was quite willing to let her walk often, but my husband just can't move at a pace that slow so he would stick her in stroller a lot. But in the MK we ended up just taking it from land to land and parking it and letting her walk from ride to ride.

Like I said, we have a harness but she was too light for it at 14 months and then I just honestly forgot to bring it on the next 2 trips. Now I don't think I'd need it cause she knows she has to stay near us.

Crying toddler so I'll be back later.

 

[fabumouse]

Good afternoon everyone! It is a gorgeous day here, but the cold front moved in. It was brrrr chilly cold this morning when we headed to the playground.

Justhat - thank you for sharing your rabbit story. I'm feeling at such a loss, and of course, like a bad pet owner. And honestly, I really wish that she would just die peacefully in her sleep.

I probably do know at least a few of the investigators your mom worked with. I was doing whistleblower stuff for awhile (that was my favorite part of the job) and the unions were very involved. Does your mom know someone with the last name of Mabee?

What kind of comments about using a Bjorn does Abby get? I love my Bjorn. Poor Henry! Madeleine has not had a cold yet. Kailey got her first at 3 months and it was awful!! I don't even remember what we had for it - are you using a nasal aspirator?

BnB - That's great that your DH is focusing on ways to get his stress level down. Sometimes my DH gets to go jogging every day and I'm very jealous over it, but I do get a lot of benefits from it, like him being in a better mood.

I think that sentiment regarding animals is very astute. The cats we had prior to the kids were a lot more pampered - and the cats we have now aren't allowed in my bedroom for now because I don't want the cat hair to get on Madeleine (since she cannot get it off for herself).

Ginamarie - how are you feeling today? Oh - some friends of ours have agreed to go on the cruise with us!!! They went on a combo WDW - Cruise package for their honeymoon, so they know what they're getting into. I can't wait for them to release the dates!

J&D - I regularly realize that I spend too much time on the computer. And I keep thinking that at *some* point I should do something about it. But I would miss you all too much.

Tasha - I also felt much much better when I realized there were options available to me in terms of childcare and work. It's so stressful either way and it's nice that your DH was supportive.

SL - I hope you work out all of what Lucas is allergic to. About once every 2 weeks, Kailey's face breaks out in a way that looks like an allergy, but we've never been able to figure out from what.

On to the rest of my day.

 

[DisKim]

Tasha - I'm really glad that you and DH were able to talk and work things out.

lissawynn - I'm glad to hear Annabel is healthy and kicking up a storm!

I just had to post here to vent. Sometimes, I get really tired of 9th graders and today is one of those days where I just can't stand them. I do a huge unit on Holocaust literature. When I introduced my unit to my honors students the other day, I mentioned that my family lived in Poland and escaped before Hitler took over the country. Well, today a student in one of my other classes comes out and asks me if I'm Jewish. The thing that really pissed me off about that comment is the ignorance in these kids. First off, who cares what I happen to be. It's none of their business. Second, I was sharing a painful story about my family. I say painful because the ones who stayed behind perished and all they decided to talk about at lunch is what my religious affiliation is. The thing that pisses me off even more is that one kid bet another kid to ask me like it is some kind of disease or something. I am just so aggravated. Through teaching stories like Night and To Kill a Mockingbird, I really try to teach the kids to understand other people who may not be like them. However, they just don't seem to get it. I don't know why this upset me so much, but I can't even concentrate on my work. It also bugs me that in the 9th grade they know nothing about WWII and they seem to think the Jews were the only people who were persecuted. OK, I'm done; vent over. I'll just add one of these..... .

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Hi all! I had a few minutes again--Luke will wake up any second, that kid is uncanny, I swear!

Kim--I'm sorry about your class--that kind of ignorance is really sad, and scary that they have no concept of what WWII was like. And I don't understand why it would even matter one way or the other what your religious affiliation was--plenty of people left Europe out of fear for the Germans. I hope your day gets better, and those kids get the education the need.

fabumouse--DH hates running, but over the summer, we enjoyed our walking that was "Disney conditioning". Our school lets people walk the halls during the colder weather--I may suggest he do that during kids' activitiies, when we're at the school anyway. Plus, he was thinking he could do katas (karate moves) in the rec room at night, which is fine, except we have to pick up in there.

Alissa--I hope you're doing okay. Don't worry about keeping up with us, we'll be here--you have a lot on your plate right now, with the Lyme and being pregnant.

Oh--another thought on taking toddlers to WDW. I don't know if I had mentioned it, but Celeste used wetting her pants as a "chicken exit" a few times before we caught on. She was particularly sensitive to the noise levels--it did seem very loud there, and because there's always background music everywhere, you couldn't get away from sound. We never saw that coming. And I met a woman on the Magical Express back to the airport whose 4yo son took every ride in stride, including ToT, but completely wigged out when faced with a character. So, go figure. And I didn't mean to imply that you couldn't have a nice time, you just have to be prepared for the unexpected.

 

[lissawynn]

DisKim - I completely understand how the kids can just put you over the edge. I think many of them are missing the link that tells your brain to think before you open your mouth.

BnB - I'd don't have Lyme's. I'm still coughing up a storm from the bronchitis, but other than that, I'm fine.

I just want to go home and sleep. I'm exhausted. Anyone want to borrow a 21 month old for the weekend?

 

[floridafam]

I started to type a list of who has sent their package and goofed up.

Be back in a bit

 

[justhat]

Floridafam, I opened up one of the Pampers packs today so I'll PM you the code. I was about to post it here but then I thought if some weirdo (not a mom on this thread) read it they might use it on you and I'm assuming their a one use only kinda thing. I have 2 more packs so I'll get them later but I need the chair for those. This pack I was able to reach without it cause it was right on the edge of the shelf. I decided that it was time to put away the size 1s today anyway. I still have about 75 of them left (and about as many newborn diapers) but he's really too big for them so I guess I'll just save them for the next baby. Unless anyone here wants them cause every baby I know irl is older than Henry.

ETA: sent it!

 

[J&D]

Happy Friday the 13th, everyone!!!

Here is a little something to add some fun to your day.
http://dedge.com/flash/hangman/

FYI- There is a .05 click at Sunshine.

I did manage to read through most of the posts that I have missed over the past two weeks. Sorry I don't have time to respond to everyone.


DisKim- Thanks again for the wonderful package! We loved everything! Saying more prayers for your aunt.

ryan- Sorry about the loss of your grandma. Hugs.

Welcome, poohangel! Good luck with your transition back to work on the 15th.

SL- Welcome home! Love the pics. Hope Lucas feels better soon.

GLT- Hugs. Give me a call if you ever need someone to talk to. My number is listed on the DIS Mom's directory. Love the pics.

Robin- Yes, the drink mixes came from Kroger. Their Disney products are so cute. Jenna loves the Mickey head cheese. I hope you liked your goodies. I tried to get most of the things listed as your favorites. Hope the candle holder and picture frame arrived in one piece. Our cat is currently missing as well.

Tamie- Love the new pic of Tyler.

Hillbeans- Have fun at the concert tonight.

Jill & Tasha- Keep up the good work at school. You are both doing a great job of managing school and your families!

justhat- Hope Henry feels better soon.

lissawynn- Hope you can get some rest this weekend. Have fun at the party.

nucpharm- Hope you had fun at the zoo and sale.


Hi to fabumouse, BuzznBelle'smom, Ginamarie, joats, Cabmom, DisneyPhD, Loretta, Valerie, dizagain, and all other DIS moms I didn't get to respond to. Jenna just woke up, so I need to go.

TTFN!

 

[tkyes]

hi all!

nucpharm - I'm so glad the package arrived. That was pretty speedy! I'm glad that Emma likes her bucket. I still have to personalize Tyler's!

diskim - Sorry to hear about your kids. Hopefully it's just a few goofballs and not the whole class.

joats - Hope you had a good anniversary!

sl - Sorry Lucas had a reaction again. Poor kid! I'm glad your figured out what it was.

lissawynn - I love baby kicking, it's such a reassuring feeling. It's crazy how they do summersaults in there isn't it? Good luck with the packing.

ginamarie - Sorry to hear that you're all sick! Not fun.

justthat - Sorry to hear Henry has a cold, poor guy. OMG about the acorn, that could have been scary. No, no one here is going to call the authorities on you, they would arrest us all then!

tasha - I'm glad you and your DH talked, sounds like you do feel better about it.

nucpharm - Yeah on your DH coming home today. I hope you have a fun (and cheap ) day.

j&d - Have fun with your family weekend!


Hi to everyone I missed. I need to make some progress on my to-do list right now.

Tamie

 

[justhat]

My story for the day-Henry woke up around 11:30pm which was when I realized that he had a cold cause he was all congested, not breathing well, etc. I brought him downstairs to feed him so Madison didn't wake up (he was doing the suck a few times, cry cause he couldn't breathe pattern). I turned on the computer and sent my husband a page telling him Henry was sick and he writes back and says "please don't page me anymore I'm trying to sleep". I had to laugh cause clearly I was up enjoying myself. If only I could live like a man!

Fabumouse I'll ask my mom about that person. She's currently working with someone named Bronski (not sure on that spelling but it's pronounced like that) and another guy whose last name escapes me at the moment but his first name is Jose. How's that for specific! As I'm sure you can imagine, DOL investigators are some of her favorite people.

Abby went to this mom's group with her son (who is already older than our babies) and she was wearing him in a Bjorn. They told her how that causes hip problems and she told them she was a dr and they said she should know better and that happy babies are carried in slings. She responded with something to the effect of "I work in the ER so when your baby dressed like a designer accessory comes in pregnant at 14 I'll be the one taking care of her." And for the record I love my Bjorn too. I did, however, have a couple of people tell me how uncomfortable Madison must have been, what I was doing to her hips and spine, etc. She seems fine and totally unaffected now and I used it literally everyday for the first 4 months of her life and then regularly till around 15 months.

I just bought a sling cause Henry loves to eat so much in the afternoon, sometimes every 45 minutes, and I thought it would be nice if I could feed him while walking when we're at the zoo or in WDW. I haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet though cause Henry makes his body so stiff when I try to get him in it that it's impossible to bend him. Better get on that soon cause our trip is fast approaching!

ETA: Fabumouse, when our rabbit died this summer it was not exactly peaceful. This is probably tmi, but if it helps you make a decision.... The intestinal problem led to a strange type of bunny poopy, not the typical hard balls. So anyway, it all got stuck to her butt area which I'd have to constantly clean off. Then when I got pregnant the smell made me sick (and regular bunny balls do not smell, but this smell was horrible) so I did it less frequently and then stuff got stuck to the fur on her belly and I guess she tried to get it off or it just came off on it's own but it took fur with it. So then I had to Neosporin the wound on her belly. I did that and it cleared up, but she still had the nasty poopy so of course the same thing happened right after it healed up. At this point I really tried to keep things under control, but we were busy with moving, going out of town, and I was getting huge and that made things with cleaning the bunny more difficult. So I put it off till it was too late. When I finally made time to give her a bath at the end of June I noticed that her belly looked nasty and infected. Her hind legs seemed to be malfunctioning too. I cleaned her the best I could but she still looked dirty cause her fur was stained and her belly looked terrible. I bathed her out on the porch and let her lay out in the sun to dry off and she was visibly sick-her hind legs were barely moving, she kinda had to drag them. Well as I was cleaning her cage and preparing to bathe the other bunny (who is normal and healthy) I saw her run kinda funny, then start jumping like she was having a seizure, then she qot quiet and laid down on her side. Her breathing changed and she stretched out a couple of times and then that was it. I'm sure I would have cried anyway cause I'm sappy like that, but being pregnant and hormonal I was practically hysterical. It was very hard to watch and know I couldn't do anything about it and that it was pretty much my fault that she suffered.

Oh, and this intestinal stuff started when she was about a year old when she got a hairball. We took her to the vet cause she had stopped eating and they did xrays and stuff. Found out it was a hairball but also that she had uterine calcium deposits so she needed a hysterectomy so we had that done. This was in 2001. After that she'd periodically get the weird poop but we thought it was from certain veggies. Then we thought it was from lack of veggies when we cut them out. Well it got worse and worse as time went on till she died. She was almost 6 and they say bunnies live 5-7 years on average, and she was obese so I guess she had a good life. Till the last month or so that is.

 

[Alice28]

Pumpkin Patch Picture!

At Grandpa and Grandma's- lookie what Grandpa got! A new toy!

Rides at Grandpa's! That's the Pirate Boat in the background.

Catch up more in a bit!

 

[Alice28]

Did you all know that the pumpkin patch is totally exhausting? Well, it is. This was the coolest farm though- they really did it up well- tons of hay mazes, obstacle courses, slides, hay ride, forts, even a real TeePee! The boys had a BALL. But it was very warm and a glaring, hazy sun gave me a slight headache. My parents were with me, so they helped too, but I am so worn out! Then we went to their house and as you can see, dad showed off his new tractor to the boys- it was a secret, so I didn't tell them. We hadn't been down there in several weeks, so the boys wanted to stay while I came home with Molly. So, lucky me, now I have total quiet as she konked out on the way home. Grandpa said he'd bring them back later. Last I saw they had a big bucket and grandpa was paying them to fill it up with walnuts that were all over the ground. What fun to be a boy with their yard, I swear.

J&D- yes, everything arrived in one piece- thanks again! I will have to get to that store and check out all the Disney stuff. Too bad the boys don't really like cheese- those Mickey cheeses sound cute!

Kim- I think those 9th graders are just naive. I mean, I guess I really didn't know much about WW2 at 14 either. (my DH on the other hand...........). They are lucky to have a good teacher like you to teach them some horrors of our world's past, so hopefully they are not repeated. I'm sorry that they got your goat so much today- certain things set me off too.

lissawynn- so glad that Annabel is doing great! hope you get all your packing done this weekend. Pixie Dust for some energy!

Fab- I spend way too much time on the computer too. Between the DIS, Sunshine, my email and occasionally checking in on the Gymbo boards....well, I need to cut back. But it's so much fun!

SL- So sorry to hear that Lucas broke out in hives! When my boys were little, they would often get diarrhea and sore buns if they ate too much citrus, but luckily not the hives.

Oh, and Sam woke up with a terrible case of pink eye....ugh! I'm glad today was a no school day anyway- he would have had to miss school. Eye drops for him and I am washing everyone's pillow cases in hot water right now. If Molly weren't sleeping her sheets would be in there too. I hope after he gets a week of these drops that we will be done with this whole pink eye thing.

Justhat- lovely response you got from your DH about Henry. I would have been so pi$$ed. I'm sorry the little guy is so congested.

Tasha- yes, it is nice just knowing there are options. Just take things one step at a time right now- it will somehow all work out. I know it.

BNB- sometimes DH and I do ponder inheritance money etc. It does play a role in how we will live 20-30 years from now. Both of our parents are very financially stable, and I am an only and DH only has 1 sibling. I do hope that we will be able to do with the money what would please our parents too. I hope to give big chunks of it to our kids, in the form of full-paid college tuition (althought the boys already are in the 5-figure range for college- we may be doombahs about credit cards sometimes, but we are good about saving for that) and hopefully a part of a down payment on a home. And make our own retirement years easier. I know both sets of my grandparents wealth made my parent's own retirement a dream for them (in addition to their hard work) and they have been nice enough to share some of that with me. I think my parents would chuckle up in heaven should I spend inheritance money on Disney- they know my passion.

Anyhoo, what else...

Oh- 2 year old at Disney. Haven't done a 2 year old, but did do a 20 month old (Joshua, who I will say has so far been our most 'difficult' child- strong willed shall we say)....and it was HARD! He didn't like the stroller, was very sensitive to a lot of the noise (still is) and I just remember many times being utterly exhausted and snippy because he was such a pill. Now, Molly will be almost exactly 2 on our next trip, so I am sure I will be posting her on how she does. She likes her stroller at this point, and also loves music, etc., so I am hoping she won't be quite so 'pillish' as her brother was.

Hi to Tamie, Jill, Val, Bellacam, Hillbeans, FF, Zalansky (congrats to your Cousin! Very exciting!), Cabmom, Ryan (hope you are doing OK today with your grandmother's service), Diz, GLT, Gems, nucpharm, Gina, and everyone else. I think I am going to go lie down for awhile.

 

[floridafam]

Here is a list of who has PM'd me stating they mailed out their exchange package.

DisKim
Strawberry Lemonade
llij
nucpharm29
Alice28
justhat
ginamarie
T16GEM
J&D
tkyes
lissawynn
floridafam
gottalovethem

Vald1977 and buzzandbelle'smom,

I don't have PM's from you. It is possible that I deleted them without seeing them. Can you PM me if you have mailed your package out? If you received a package from vald1977 or buzzandbelle'smom, can you PM me?

I hope everyone is having a good Friday.

 

[DisKim]

Val - Thank you so much for the exchange package! It was so exciting seeing so many treats from WDW! It made me want to book a trip . In case everyone is wondering, Val sent me 2 bags of Disney popcorn, a bag of Goofy gummies, a really cute antennae topper with Stitch dressed as a devil, a Halloween Christmas ornament also with Stitch on it (he's our favorite character BTW), a WDW magnet, a decal so my car will be stylin', some delicious rice krispie treats, lots of M&M's, a delicious box of fudge (I've attacked that alredy ), candles in wonderful Halloween scents and chocolate lollipops for the kids. It was all packaged in a Halloween bag. Val, you really went overboard. Thanks so much for everything .

I also have to tell you that I had a crazy afternoon. I took Alex to karate and then realized that Emmy had riding lessons in 15 minutes so I literally ran into the house and your package was there. Emily and I grabbed the rice krispie treats because we were starving. They were so good! It really hit the spot .

Robin - Cute pumpkin patch picture! It sounds like so much fun!

Emily gave me a heart attack during riding lessons today. She is going FAST on that horse now. On top of that, the instructor had her going fast in circles without holding on. I kept fearing that she would fall off the horse!

I'm over my stress from work. Kids will be kids. I have to realize that I can't change the world. I've introduced students to Holocaust survivors for the last 10 years and have had some incredible experiences watching students take it all in. I guess I get a little sensitive sometimes. I've just met so many of these amazing people and I want to teach my students the importance of meeting them before they do so they can appreciate it. I actually had a white supremecist one year who told me the Holocaust never happened. I totally changed him around because he couldn't refute the evidence I gave him. See what I mean.... I have a need to change the world .

Well, I'm in the middle of cooking up a storm for my aunt and uncle. She's still in the hospital. They have been running constant tests on her since Tuesday when they readmitted her. When I called him today, my uncle had me convinced that she was having a D and C. Of course, she is not, but I believed him and gave him a laugh for today. I'm glad I could oblige. I can't believe my uncle still has his sense of humor after all he's been through.