what are you doing right now?

[countrygirl2]

Hubs called they had little guys dinner and cake yesterday and he opened some of his presents. His dad had to leave for Utah this morning, so DIL and grandson are at our place. She is helping hubs paint, holding the cardboard and stuff so he won't overspray. They had the rest of grandsons gifts so opened them tonight. I know she enjoys the company too, she likes working with hubs. 

DIL is so happy to have us up there, she likes family around. So for her with son gone a lot, she likes it. Then hubs will be gone a couple of weeks then DD and I will go up for 2 months. She gets really down when noone is around. And she likes it at our old mobile up there.

I think I will take DD to the show tomorrow. I need to get a few groceries from the stores in the city and return 2 sets of sheets, I don't like the color after I received them. We are going to see Guardians of the Galaxy, we saw the old one and liked it. She has some others she wants to see, but I told her wait till we get to Washington and DIL and little guy will enjoy them too.

I washed another wool sweater last night and blocked it. For some reason the cats love that wet wool and want to lay on it. I have to put them on the dryer and shut the door.  I have quite a few wool ones I've ordered from Ireland the last few years. I love the quality and they have good sales on them. They are also really nice and warm with a long sleeved light top underneath. I'm also going to wash all of my scarfs, long and short ones. I have one from France, another from Ireland I bought, very nice ones. And then just long ones of fleece, cashmere, and light wool. One of my sweaters is alpaca from Peru and it is really soft.

And I finally got those bird poop windows washed in and out so are clean and shiny. I need to wash the rest. In my living room, dining, kitchen, great room, there are 10 big windows, a glass door and 7 transom windows. Half the windows in the house are in this basically one open concept area.

[countrygirl2]

I sent my passport in, saw where my check cleared May 1, so sounds like I have quite awhile before I get it back. Won't have it for this trip for sure. I kept forgetting to send it off, since no international trips planned.

Ok, bathtime.

[wvugurl26]

Fortunately I didn't have a trip planned at the time I sent it off. The expiration date snuck up on me due to the crappy beginning of 2023. I'm pretty sure I sent it off on March 23rd. The check cleared my bank on March 30th. I was sending it about 2 hours north and I definitely sent it priority mail with tracking.

I got the passport card so I could take it as an ID in foreign countries and leave the actual passport locked up in a safe. It was an extra few dollars and DH has it so when I renewed I opted to include it.

soupandstew I'm guessing your travel group bought the airline tickets? When I bought them for my grandma I marked that she was hard of hearing. If you have the reservation number you might be able to contact the airline and add that information.

I told TSA that I needed to assist her as she was both hard of hearing and couldn't walk very far. I didn't have any issues on 2 separate trips even when Pittsburgh failed to provide wheelchair service for us. I think if you disclose up front it goes smoother. Assuming you don't have pre check maybe run through the TSA process at home? I think he's old enough to leave his shoes on. But you know electronics and liquids out of bags, pose in the scanner thing, etc. I know it's stressful though.

[Pink Cashmere]

Mister has been out of sorts all day, because he’s been so sleepy. When he first told me that, I sent him this picture and asked where the hell was I supposed to sleep last night.



Boy’s head is on my pillow. I got up a few minutes after midnight, turned the lights on, and took this picture because I was barely hanging onto the edge of the bed. I tried to move Boy, but he’s heavy now and when he sleeps like that, he is sleep, sleep, so he didn’t wake up to cooperate. So I just dragged him by his rear legs, lower in the bed. And as soon as  I turned the lights off and got back in bed, he woke up enought to crawl his ass right back to the same place. 

I told Mister again today that we have to get Boy out of our bed. Today I said if he wants Boy to keep sleeping with us, he needs to buy a king sized bed. He said “ok” and waited for me to react. Which I did, because all the times I’ve said we need a king size bed, he said we didn’t, but nowwwww, because of Boy, he says okay?! He thought it was funny, because he already knew I was going to go there when he said okay, and I did. 

When he got home from work today I told him that seriously, we need to get Boy out of our bed. I like how he lays as close as he can get to me, but he disturbs whatever little sleep I might get, when he creeps up to the head of the bed. I already have a lot of sleep issues, I don’t need anything adding to that. I told him that it’s true what my PCP told me years ago, that if I don’t get good sleep, it’s going to eventually affect my physical health. I told him that doctors say that my allergies may be one of the reasons I don’t sleep well, and the latest allergy tests I had done a few years ago said that I am allergic to dogs now, when I never was before. So it’s already bad that we have carpet in our bedroom with all my allergies, then the dogs have beds in our bedroom, and now there’s a dog sleeping on my bed. 

As much as I love Boy and how he is so cuddly, I also have to be realistic. Which is what I told Mister today.

[Pink Cashmere]

It’s dark now, and my children and grandchildren are still outside playing. I wanted to sit on the deck, but they wanted to be on the other side of the house, where the garage and basketball goal in the driveway are. 

Boy and Newbie are outside with us. And DS’s tiny dog. 

It’s past my bedtime, even though tomorrow is my regularly scheduled day off work. So Imma have to shut this party down soon. I’m off work tomorrow, so we can continue tomorrow, after a good night’s sleep.

[Opti]

I think Mister likes the comfort of the unconditional love he's gotten from Boy and before that OG?

You need to be very clear on what you want. I think you want to insure the dogs do not sleep with you.
If that's your ultimate goal, I would go for that scenario and maybe allow for him to occasionally sleep in a guest room with Boy and leave the bedroom to you. And then consider how you are going to get rid of the carpeting in your bedroom etc.

You are not sleeping well if what you post is reality. Getting a King-sized bed would just open the door even wider for Boy to keep sleeping in the bed you share. MO. Take my unsolicited advice with a salt block if needed. 

[Deleted]

Jun 5, 2023 20:04:31 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

Fortunately I didn't have a trip planned at the time I sent it off. The expiration date snuck up on me due to the crappy beginning of 2023. I'm pretty sure I sent it off on March 23rd. The check cleared my bank on March 30th. I was sending it about 2 hours north and I definitely sent it priority mail with tracking.

I got the passport card so I could take it as an ID in foreign countries and leave the actual passport locked up in a safe. It was an extra few dollars and DH has it so when I renewed I opted to include it.

soupandstew I'm guessing your travel group bought the airline tickets? When I bought them for my grandma I marked that she was hard of hearing. If you have the reservation number you might be able to contact the airline and add that information.

I told TSA that I needed to assist her as she was both hard of hearing and couldn't walk very far. I didn't have any issues on 2 separate trips even when Pittsburgh failed to provide wheelchair service for us. I think if you disclose up front it goes smoother. Assuming you don't have pre check maybe run through the TSA process at home? I think he's old enough to leave his shoes on. But you know electronics and liquids out of bags, pose in the scanner thing, etc. I know it's stressful though.

Yes, the travel group bought the tickets.  It's impossible to ask for accommodations for those who will not admit they have an impairment.  The challenge is trying to do the whole electronics, liquids and meds out of bags for me, while trying to do it for him too.  He wants to go to Germany next year    Thank you so much for understanding

[giramomma]

Damn.

That's all I've got.

[Pink Cashmere]

Boy was afraid of the basketballs earlier today, but now he chases them on rebounds just like Newbie does. 

I am very grateful that I’ve learned over the last few years how to handle dogs when they are afraid of something. That has been very helpful with Boy. I don’t comfort him when he is clearly afraid of something, I just ignore him when he is in a fearful state and he’s not actually in danger, instead of trying to soothe and comfort him, like my instincts tell me to do. And when he makes up his mind that he’s ready, he sniffs and investigates whatever he’s afraid of and figures out on his own that it’s not a threat that he needs to be afraid of. I think that is much better for him, letting him figure out for himself what is a real threat and what’s not, and learning to trust that I will take charge to protect him if there really is a real threat. 

[finnime]

The passports I got to enable this trip arrived 5 weeks after I sent in the application without being expedited. Lucky, I know. With DH's mobility issues I noted that he needed wheelchair assistance and at every stop the airline and airport staff were solicitous. He went through TSA and then through entry in the UK in a special accomodation line, too, and I was allowed to accompany him.

One curious thing at both Logan in Boston and JFK in New York was that I didn't need to take my laptop out of its bag; they just xrayed it as one piece. Don't know if they've changed technology or what.

We've been very lucky this trip. I wish the same for everyone traveling.

[Pink Cashmere]

Jun 5, 2023 20:56:05 GMT -5 Opti said:

I think Mister likes the comfort of the unconditional love he's gotten from Boy and before that OG?

You need to be very clear on what you want. I think you want to insure the dogs do not sleep with you.
If that's your ultimate goal, I would go for that scenario and maybe allow for him to occasionally sleep in a guest room with Boy and leave the bedroom to you. And then consider how you are going to get rid of the carpeting in your bedroom etc.

You are not sleeping well if what you post is reality. Getting a King-sized bed would just open the door even wider for Boy to keep sleeping in the bed you share. MO. Take my unsolicited advice with a salt block if needed. 

Mister absolutely does enjoy the comfort of Boy’s unconditional love for him and how Boy shows it.

The comfort Boy has given him as his family fell apart is why I haven’t made a big deal about Boy sleeping on our bed. I’ve been a dog lover for as long as I can remember, and I’ve had dogs since I was in elementary school, but I’ve never allowed a dog on my furniture, and most definitely not on my bed.

Even though my last allergy tests results say I am allergic to dogs and cats now, I still can’t imagine life without a canine friend. In my mind, that means that I just have to be more diligent about doing everything possible to reduce whatever aggravates my allergies in my home.

Having dogs that love me unconditionally and will try to protect me, matters to me enough that I am willing to try to figure out how to live with them, despite my allergies.

[teen persuasion]

DS5 had his Orchestra concert tonight (also Band, but he's not in that ensemble). There was one joint piece at the very end. As it's the last concert of the year, the conductors were each recognizing the seniors in their group. Fully one third of the orchestra were seniors!

We keep mentally noting "It's the last one" for each of these events - had to do the math and figure out we've been going to school concerts since DD1 started orchestra 24 years ago.

Prom is Friday...

[toomuchreality]

When I dog sit for Dd1, me and 3 tiny dogs sleep on the edge of a king size bed. The snuggle so close, I can't move, without falling off! The size of the bed doesn't matter, at her house. LOL

[giramomma]

Jun 5, 2023 21:56:52 GMT -5 teen persuasion said:

DS5 had his Orchestra concert tonight (also Band, but he's not in that ensemble). There was one joint piece at the very end. As it's the last concert of the year, the conductors were each recognizing the seniors in their group. Fully one third of the orchestra were seniors!

We keep mentally noting "It's the last one" for each of these events - had to do the math and figure out we've been going to school concerts since DD1 started orchestra 24 years ago.

Prom is Friday...

Yeah. I have a 14 year age spread between my kids.

We'll be at the same 4k-8 parochial school for 23 years, I think.

We have 16 years of high school. There will be a year or two break between the missy and the peanut. I'm too pooped to do the mental math.

16 years of high school should be one of dante's circles of hell.

We also made the mistake of noting lasts with the peanut when she was young. You know "this is the last time we have to change one of our kids' diapers. This is the last time we have to use a baby bucket car seat. This is the last time we need to use our very sad crib."

The result, of course, is life being exactly like nelson.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Jun 5, 2023 18:01:55 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Jun 5, 2023 17:39:40 GMT -5 swamp said:

It has not changed.  

DWI in your past at ant time, you aren’t getting in unless you go through their process.  Which is expensive, time consuming, and a giant PITA. 

Is that just a Canada thing? Baby Daddy has been in and out of jail tons of times and goes to Mexico every year and still gets back in. At least I think he does. I haven't talked to him in a while.

Canada.  Ex 2.0 can't cross the border anymore.  He found that out when he tried to go on the annual fishing trip with his brothers and dad a few years back.

[busymom]

Jun 5, 2023 22:29:53 GMT -5 giramomma said:

Jun 5, 2023 21:56:52 GMT -5 teen persuasion said:

DS5 had his Orchestra concert tonight (also Band, but he's not in that ensemble). There was one joint piece at the very end. As it's the last concert of the year, the conductors were each recognizing the seniors in their group. Fully one third of the orchestra were seniors!

We keep mentally noting "It's the last one" for each of these events - had to do the math and figure out we've been going to school concerts since DD1 started orchestra 24 years ago.

Prom is Friday...

Yeah. I have a 14 year age spread between my kids.

We'll be at the same 4k-8 parochial school for 23 years, I think.

We have 16 years of high school. There will be a year or two break between the missy and the peanut. I'm too pooped to do the mental math.

16 years of high school should be one of dante's circles of hell.

We also made the mistake of noting lasts with the peanut when she was young. You know "this is the last time we have to change one of our kids' diapers. This is the last time we have to use a baby bucket car seat. This is the last time we need to use our very sad crib."

The result, of course, is life being exactly like nelson.

   If it makes you feel any better, an old friend from high school wanted one more baby.  Badly.  After a number of years she & her husband gave up, and she sold all of her baby stuff at a garage sale.  You can guess what happened.  Yup.  Less than a year later, she found out she was pregnant again.

[teen persuasion]

Jun 5, 2023 22:29:53 GMT -5 giramomma said:

Jun 5, 2023 21:56:52 GMT -5 teen persuasion said:

DS5 had his Orchestra concert tonight (also Band, but he's not in that ensemble). There was one joint piece at the very end. As it's the last concert of the year, the conductors were each recognizing the seniors in their group. Fully one third of the orchestra were seniors!

We keep mentally noting "It's the last one" for each of these events - had to do the math and figure out we've been going to school concerts since DD1 started orchestra 24 years ago.

Prom is Friday...

Yeah. I have a 14 year age spread between my kids.

We'll be at the same 4k-8 parochial school for 23 years, I think.

We have 16 years of high school. There will be a year or two break between the missy and the peanut. I'm too pooped to do the mental math.

16 years of high school should be one of dante's circles of hell.

We also made the mistake of noting lasts with the peanut when she was young. You know "this is the last time we have to change one of our kids' diapers. This is the last time we have to use a baby bucket car seat. This is the last time we need to use our very sad crib."

The result, of course, is life being exactly like nelson.

Yeah, a fourteen year span in total for us.

The first bunch are 2.5-3 years apart each which I thought was a good gap. The older one was mature enough to be a help, but they were close enough to do things together.  DS5 is 6.5 years younger than DS4 (surprise!), huge gap, never were in the same school together.  DS5 also got to do things at a much younger age than the others did, because he was around them when they became old enough, it was hard to exclude him as the only rugrat in a bunch of teens/tweens.

DS5 is the only one that overlaps with his cousins on my side, our older kids are their own group. There's 2 cousins 2 years older than DS5, 2 more the same year as DS5 (three of the four of us were pregnant that year ), and 2 cousins 2 years younger.

Fourteen years between DS5 and DD1's son, too - same as between DD1 & DS5.

[toomuchreality]

My daughters are 11 yrs apart. Ex2 wanted to wait longer between them, but I wasn't willing to have 1 going into kindergarten a 1 graduating high school.
They have always been very close.
That makes me very happy.

[teen persuasion]

Yes, could be a bigger span. My mother's generation spanned 22 years. Some of my uncles went off to WWII and came home to a new baby sister. Mom is towards the tail end, second youngest. Her oldest sister is 16 years older than my mom, 20 years older than baby sister. Oldest sister's daughter is only 8 years younger than my mom, so were more like siblings than aunt/niece. They were in each other's weddings, married only a few years apart, and had babies in the same year (last for mom, first for niece).

[countrygirl2]

I have been sewing, I knew that blouse was going to be a challenge and it is. Never seen a collar quite like it, hope I did it right. I had to "gasp" read the instructions and I'm still not quite sure. I have it pinned on but didn't sew it tonight and then only the small sleeves to do. May finish it tomorrow evening. 

I was sewing and looked down and saw a dead mouse, the cats have gotten either the one I saw or another one. There was a little blood there so I know they got it. I didn't realize it till I heard some noise, they were in one of the storerooms, need to check tomorrow, they may have gotten another one. Hubs said leave them down there and they will get them, he is right. These guys may start earning their keep. They followed me up tonight, I had to empty their little box down there and didn't want to mess with taking another down tonight.

But tonight, Smoke started trying to pull straight pins out of the pattern pieces. Now he is on top of my puzzle I have all covered up trying to get to it. They both fell asleep downstairs waiting on me.

Smoke is disturbing my sleep too, He cuddles up right where my legs need to go and I end up sleeping sideways on the bed and it is a king size.  Not going to work when hubs comes home, why he can't sleep on the other side I don't know.

My hair didn't get dry and it's after 1, going to have to get the hair dryer out to finish it. I thought for sure it would.

Heading for the bed, and will dry it in there and read a bit while doing so.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

In Reykjavik this morning, have seen immigration and moved all of our crap out of one room to the next.  We have another hour before our excursion, and are sitting in the living room drinking cappuccinos for breakfast since we missed it at the buffet.  We have the ship to ourselves for another 90 min or so. 

  As we were moving, TD asked where I got all these sweaters.  I have collected 6 during this trip (so far, it’s not over).  I started out with 3 light ones in FL.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Looks like we have to get a second passport.  We have to send passports away for a visa for Vietnam next year, but have another trip overseas.  We have less than 2 months in between the 2 trips.  This isn’t going to work.

[daisylu]

Jun 5, 2023 20:21:31 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

Mister has been out of sorts all day, because he’s been so sleepy. When he first told me that, I sent him this picture and asked where the hell was I supposed to sleep last night.



Boy’s head is on my pillow. I got up a few minutes after midnight, turned the lights on, and took this picture because I was barely hanging onto the edge of the bed. I tried to move Boy, but he’s heavy now and when he sleeps like that, he is sleep, sleep, so he didn’t wake up to cooperate. So I just dragged him by his rear legs, lower in the bed. And as soon as  I turned the lights off and got back in bed, he woke up enought to crawl his ass right back to the same place. 

I told Mister again today that we have to get Boy out of our bed. Today I said if he wants Boy to keep sleeping with us, he needs to buy a king sized bed. He said “ok” and waited for me to react. Which I did, because all the times I’ve said we need a king size bed, he said we didn’t, but nowwwww, because of Boy, he says okay?! He thought it was funny, because he already knew I was going to go there when he said okay, and I did. 

When he got home from work today I told him that seriously, we need to get Boy out of our bed. I like how he lays as close as he can get to me, but he disturbs whatever little sleep I might get, when he creeps up to the head of the bed. I already have a lot of sleep issues, I don’t need anything adding to that. I told him that it’s true what my PCP told me years ago, that if I don’t get good sleep, it’s going to eventually affect my physical health. I told him that doctors say that my allergies may be one of the reasons I don’t sleep well, and the latest allergy tests I had done a few years ago said that I am allergic to dogs now, when I never was before. So it’s already bad that we have carpet in our bedroom with all my allergies, then the dogs have beds in our bedroom, and now there’s a dog sleeping on my bed. 

As much as I love Boy and how he is so cuddly, I also have to be realistic. Which is what I told Mister today.

If you end up getting a new bed, it would be the perfect time to take out the carpet too. 😉

[daisylu]

Fighting a sinus headache. Did a nasal flush, took meds, and guzzling Gatorade. I don't need this today.

DH didn't get to see his cousin yesterday, as he was about to be released from the hospital, so he will head that way today. We did have a convo last night about his TBI. He had a chiropractor appointment at noon yesterday and when he adjusted his neck he got very woozy and could not see. He had to stay still for almost 5 minutes. He said he told the chiropractor that it happens when his neck cracks on its own too, but not too that degree. Neurologist had told him that they have done all they could, so it is what it is. Which is worrisome.

[giramomma]

Well, it's Tuesday folks.

I am not ready, after having a longish weekend.

So many things that make me go "hmmm."

From work to CNN articles where the headline is "breast is best" and yet, at least someone admitted, they really can't tell for sure.

The researchers tried to control for many factors that might influence their results, like the mother’s cognitive ability, but they couldn’t account for everything in an observational study, Pereyra-Elías said.

“There may be some confounding factors,” he said. “We did the best we could.”

www.cnn.com/2023/06/05/health/breastfeeding-test-scores-wellness/index.html?iid=fw_var-reg-hp-8

I mean, it makes perfect sense. People are still mentally and emotionally struggling with the aftermath of the pandemic. Why not contribute by posting an article that will stir things up and make moms feel worse at a time like this?

[Cookies Galore]

Good morning! I'm at the office today. The drive into Philly sucked but I have a dentist appointment at 3 so I'd be cutting it close with taking the train (my dentist is in my hometown, 30 minutes from my house). I'm in the office for DRAG BINGO!!!!! and I am super excited. I'm leaving at 1:30 when it ends.

[wvugurl26]

I wish we had cool events! We have nothing. DH's office does nice things but no one can be bothered here. What things we did have in the past were coordinated by me and I'm done trying.

[finnime]

Time for someone else to pick up that baton, wvugurl26.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Jun 6, 2023 6:39:29 GMT -5 giramomma said:

Well, it's Tuesday folks.

I am not ready, after having a longish weekend.

So many things that make me go "hmmm."

From work to CNN articles where the headline is "breast is best" and yet, at least someone admitted, they really can't tell for sure.

The researchers tried to control for many factors that might influence their results, like the mother’s cognitive ability, but they couldn’t account for everything in an observational study, Pereyra-Elías said.

“There may be some confounding factors,” he said. “We did the best we could.”

www.cnn.com/2023/06/05/health/breastfeeding-test-scores-wellness/index.html?iid=fw_var-reg-hp-8

I mean, it makes perfect sense. People are still mentally and emotionally struggling with the aftermath of the pandemic. Why not contribute by posting an article that will stir things up and make moms feel worse at a time like this?

An observational study is one of the weakest epidemiological studies out there. If I remember correctly, only a case study is weaker.

[giramomma]

Here's my armchair doctor thoughts: breastmilk doesn't not make kids smarter. I think, though, that it's what you do during feeding sessions that makes a difference.

A kid that is left alone, propped up with a bottle, is probably going to have different development than a child that is snuggled and talked to while being fed.

But, they don't test for those things in studies.

And honestly, I don't know how many folks prop up kids anymore. I know I wasn't seeing it very much even with DS. I don't see it at all now.

If I ran a study, I'd  bottle feed kids, propped up. One group gets formula, one group gets breastmilk.

Then follow the kids out and see how they perform. Of course, that still isn't fool-proof. It's a start, though.

Heaven forbid, though, if our kids all had different abilities just because humans are all different, though.