Secular Confessions

I confess I'm tired tonight! Not sleepy physically tired. So they were spraying in the lawn yesterday and today we had to water for the first time. What a comedy of errors that was. Who knew hydroseed and mud were so slippery.....I came soooo close to fall on my butt. and it took forever to figure out the best pattern for the sprinklers and than to keep moving them around. And we aren't living there yet and it's like 20 minutes each way from where we live now.
and it was hot and muggy even this morning.

after watering for over two hours (and the hoses are brand knew so very much wanted to keep curling up)....we came home and I got to work on packing while DH went to bed.

Here's the yard in process yesterday....they hadn't finished spraying at that point.

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http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs658...._2126469_n.jpg

I just watched a show about lobotomies. I can't believe we ever thought that was a good idea (and scarily recently, too)

It makes me wonder what current practices people are going to look back on and think "What were they thinking?"

There was a story on the news about little babies learning to swim and they showed one in a pool and Josh said "I saw a pool at the other house we belonged to" and I said, "What other house?" and he said "When this house belonged to someone else and the other house belonged to us"
He's talking about the apartment building we lived in almost a year ago before we moved here. It had a pool. I was surprised he remembered!

Then he was watching a commercial that was playing classical music and he said "It's just like Little Einsteins!" LOL

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Originally Posted by daylilies

I just watched a show about lobotomies. I can't believe we ever thought that was a good idea (and scarily recently, too)

It makes me wonder what current practices people are going to look back on and think "What were they thinking?"

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Vaccines :laugh:

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Originally Posted by daylilies

I just watched a show about lobotomies. I can't believe we ever thought that was a good idea (and scarily recently, too)

It makes me wonder what current practices people are going to look back on and think "What were they thinking?"

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Cytotec :eyeroll:

Sort of unrelated, but kind of not, I just read in article in discover magazine that this scientist has pinpointed schizoprehia to a virus in childhood. Crazy huh? Pun intended.

Jen - the house looks awesome. I'm jealous of new builds. I live in a creaky old house, but I love it's charm.


One week till summer in Ithaca!!! The weather is fantastic, now I just need less traffic and my life will be complete for 8 weeks.

It has been gorgeous here this weekend. I love it! I even got some sun.

I'm on a mini-vacation! My mom and dad came up to northern wisconsin and rented a cabin on the lake. All of my daycare families were so awesome to give me time off on short notice and my brother and I drove up yesterday and we'll stay until tomorrow. I've not been kid-free from sun up until sun down since I had Savana 4 1/2 years ago. It's pretty relaxing but I'm not entirely sure I even enjoy it. I really love their company! Everything I see and do I think about how much they'd be loving it here.
It's really nice to be with my mom and dad with no distraction, though.

I confess I was looking through "older" pics and this one just made me "awwwwwwwwwww" :wub:

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs004...._5145690_n.jpg

Aww <3 that is sweet!!

Bridget-I'm glad you were able to get away. Try to enjoy yourself. :hugs:

I tried parallel parking with Bobbie yesterday. Ugh--I cannot teach. I've said this a million and 1 times. I didn't say a word as she attempted to park, and when she was done she was very crooked. We were actually in our driveway and I opened the door and said, "Your back end would be over the curb. That would have failed you on the road test." and she really got upset with me. She said I said it in a 'stuck up' voice and that I'm mean. :lol: *sigh* Rich can teach her...I don't have the patience for all that drama. If you 'fail' your parking attempt, I will tell you. Period.

and no-I didn't say it stuck up. I said it matter of fact. :D

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Originally Posted by daylilies

I just watched a show about lobotomies. I can't believe we ever thought that was a good idea (and scarily recently, too)

It makes me wonder what current practices people are going to look back on and think "What were they thinking?"

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Prepared foods, yard chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers... vaccines... you pretty much name it. Also fire retardants. Hallo?

I confess that Oscar is finally not happy about the idea of having a baby. I knew it would happen, but just sort of hoped it wouldn't. This past two weeks he's asked me "how he can keep little rock from being born?" and told me he doesn't want him to be born. He also told me he'd like to make him dead. My immediate inside reaction was :shock: you do NOT mean that! But I talked through it with him. Of course he doesn't want him to be born, and he doesn't really understand what making something he's never even SEEN dead means. He's just afraid of sharing me, and sharing my time with the new baby. He's said that "Little rock will be a lot of WORK and I don't want to help" and that he's "tired of watching me be pregnant." I was like "oh dude, I'M tired of watching me be pregnant, too!" and I've told him that it's okay to be worried and scared about the baby being born, that I'M worried and scared, too. That he'll always be my baby, that I'll always take care of HIM as much as I do a new baby, and that I'll help him be happy.

Of course, my drama queen then told me that he'd "never be happy" if the baby's born.

:eyeroll: why did I think it would be easier to introduce a new family member when O was old enough to "get it"? :eyeroll:

So cute Ashley :)
I love our rickety old house too, but I also love the new ones! Sometimes I just wish our floors didn't creak so much. The upstairs is really bad.

Oh Bridget, it must be nice. I hope you can enjoy it. Sometime I wish we lived on the water. We looked at a house that was right on the lake but I was worried about Josh's safety and the issues if the water went up so we passed on it. DH doesn't like the water anyway :(
You know my cousin who just got engaged? She's not getting married until summer 2012! I'm on pins and needles! LOL I think it's funny she was so impatient for him to ask her and now they're not getting married for 2 years. I understand they want to save up some money first for a place together.

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Originally Posted by stash

I confess that Oscar is finally not happy about the idea of having a baby. I knew it would happen, but just sort of hoped it wouldn't. This past two weeks he's asked me "how he can keep little rock from being born?" and told me he doesn't want him to be born. He also told me he'd like to make him dead. My immediate inside reaction was :shock: you do NOT mean that! But I talked through it with him. Of course he doesn't want him to be born, and he doesn't really understand what making something he's never even SEEN dead means. He's just afraid of sharing me, and sharing my time with the new baby. He's said that "Little rock will be a lot of WORK and I don't want to help" and that he's "tired of watching me be pregnant." I was like "oh dude, I'M tired of watching me be pregnant, too!" and I've told him that it's okay to be worried and scared about the baby being born, that I'M worried and scared, too. That he'll always be my baby, that I'll always take care of HIM as much as I do a new baby, and that I'll help him be happy.

Of course, my drama queen then told me that he'd "never be happy" if the baby's born.

:eyeroll: why did I think it would be easier to introduce a new family member when O was old enough to "get it"? :eyeroll:

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I confess that I just think this is SO cute...until I go through it myself, right?

I giggled every time I read the name "little rock"

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Originally Posted by missychrissy

I tried parallel parking with Bobbie yesterday. Ugh--I cannot teach. I've said this a million and 1 times. I didn't say a word as she attempted to park, and when she was done she was very crooked. We were actually in our driveway and I opened the door and said, "Your back end would be over the curb. That would have failed you on the road test." and she really got upset with me. She said I said it in a 'stuck up' voice and that I'm mean. :lol: *sigh* Rich can teach her...I don't have the patience for all that drama. If you 'fail' your parking attempt, I will tell you. Period.

and no-I didn't say it stuck up. I said it matter of fact. :D

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I confess I must have gotten lucky, cause I have never had any trouble parallel parking...

and my mom was so proud of herself for "teaching me to drive (a stick) in under an hour"....................... I had been taking my truck out and driving around our neighborhood, and to friends houses for months before she ever took me out. I taught myself, but made sure to stall out a few times so it looked better lol

Poor Oscar! It's going to be hard for him to share mommy but I'm sure he'll be a great big brother!

Ohhh, parallel parking. I'm not sure I could do it, let alone explain it. Years ago when we had to park on the street I used to come home from work and get DH to come parallel park for me. LOL

To this day I don't even try. I park far away just to avoid having to park between cars.

My mom taught me how to parallel park, and she did not do a good job. I think I would have done better in driver's ed.

Enjoy your day, Bridget!

Stacy, have you gotten any big brother books for Oscar? We started out with a lot of books, and the twins were either really excited (Ronin) or blase (Claire) about the baby. Now that he's here, they're still pretty good but I get the occasional "Put him back in the crib NOW!" They seem more upset about me not being able to pick them up than about the baby, and they've been taking tips from the books we read and sing him little songs when he's crying.

I've also been trying not to let them associate anything negative with the baby. Like, even though I can't pick them up, I tell them it's from my big owie (and I showed them the bandage), not because of the baby. Even though they know that was how the baby came, it's just one step removed. And if I'm doing something with Soren and can't get them what they need right at that very second, I don't tell them it's because of the baby, just that I'll help them soon. Oscar is probably way ahead of this, though, and might see through these types of manipulations, but it's working pretty well here. I can see how horrifying it would be to hear those kinds of comments, but you still have a little time to work with him.

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Originally Posted by daylilies

I love our rickety old house too, but I also love the new ones! Sometimes I just wish our floors didn't creak so much. The upstairs is really bad.
You know my cousin who just got engaged? She's not getting married until summer 2012! I'm on pins and needles! LOL I think it's funny she was so impatient for him to ask her and now they're not getting married for 2 years. I understand they want to save up some money first for a place together.

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I love character charm homes too. We just weren't finding any we liked and we don't know how to fix things. And than we got really picky and it just became easier to build...and we are in an area where we actually could afford it. But I do wish that I had the money do some of the really nice things like in a craftsman house with the build-ins and bookcases and pretty windows.

I got engaged after dating for two years. I was really anxious to call him my fiance! :laugh: We didn't actually get married for three years after the engagement. and most of that time, we didn't have a date. We picked a date in March and got married that June.

:shame: I still can't parallel park. Had I gotten asked on my test I wouldn't have passed.
I have really bad spatial skills and have a hard time knowing where my car begins and ends. And I drive a small car. I couldn't drive a big truck or something like that!

Lydia - can you suggest the books? I'm going to dig around today and see if I can find anything specifically relevant. Like "why you probably already hate your little brother" or something equally as candid :P

Hello Baby by Lizzy Rockwell. It's just matter-of-fact, talks about pregnancy, doctor's visits, having Mom and Dad gone when the baby is born, but it's about a baby girl.

Babies Don't Eat Pizza by Dianne Danzig. This one was a little old for the twins, but full of practical advice like "Sleepy newborns play by watching and listening. Give a rattle or your finger to hold, play pat-a-cake, show a toy, or read a story. Babies like when you sing softly and speak quietly to them. As your baby gets older, you'll play in even more fun ways."

I Used to Be the Baby by Robin Ballard. This one is about a baby brother and older brother, and it gives a concrete suggestion on each page for what big brother can do if the baby needs something or is being annoying. "He always wants to take my toys. I will give him some of his." "He tries to eat my books. He can have his own books and I will read to him."

Ooh, I have a good one Stacy. I think it's called Me and Grandma Don't Like the Baby. Something like that. I can find the exact title when I go home tomorrow. It's really cute.

http://www.amazon.com/Julius-Baby-Wo...728720&sr=8-34

http://www.amazon.com/When-New-Baby-...728720&sr=8-42

http://www.amazon.com/Cornelius-Mud-...4729204&sr=8-5

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Originally Posted by Cosmosmom

:shame: I still can't parallel park. Had I gotten asked on my test I wouldn't have passed.
I have really bad spatial skills and have a hard time knowing where my car begins and ends. And I drive a small car. I couldn't drive a big truck or something like that!

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Ditto on the bad spatial skills.

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Originally Posted by bridgetwu75

Ooh, I have a good one Stacy. I think it's called Me and Grandma Don't Like the Baby. Something like that. I can find the exact title when I go home tomorrow. It's really cute.

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Oh please do! The one thing I can't deny is that this kid has a point. Things are NOT going to be the same and he's not going to get the same level of attention. Breaks my heart. :( And, he totally gets it when I try to sugar coat things, so I may as well take it head on :winks:

And thanks, Lydia!

Oh, we also have the Julius Baby of the World book, which really is about an older sibling's hate for the new baby. I forgot about it because we had it before I ever got pregnant.

Cool. I can't help but be haunted by him wishing the baby dead. :(

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Originally Posted by atenielle

I confess I must have gotten lucky, cause I have never had any trouble parallel parking...

and my mom was so proud of herself for "teaching me to drive (a stick) in under an hour"....................... I had been taking my truck out and driving around our neighborhood, and to friends houses for months before she ever took me out. I taught myself, but made sure to stall out a few times so it looked better lol

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Yeah, I didn't need to be 'taught' to drive either. I just did it. I read how to parallel park in the manual and I've never had trouble doing it...I even did it in an unfamiliar vehicle (ShannonG's) at the Grand Canyon with tons of traffic. :D

Bobbie over analyzes everything. I don't know how to explain it, but I think if she'd trust herself more and just 'go with it' she'd do better. She took drivers ed. It made marginal improvement.

When you're going 55 mph, you don't have time to think "Which option is best? Should I cross over the white line on my right while that car is heading straight at me, or slow down and hope they get over on their side in time?" That's the tendency she seems to be taking (insert nail biting emoticon here).

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Originally Posted by stash

Cool. I can't help but be haunted by him wishing the baby dead. :(

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Ouch. I can understand :hugs:

Jessica didn't want Conner to be born. She insisted if it stunk or screamed too much she was going to move out in the shed. She was 12 then...where did time go? Anyway, he wasn't a week old and one day he was fussing as it was feeding time. I was changing his diaper and getting him ready to be fed and she stuck her head in the room and just glowered at me. It wasn't that he was stinky or loud, but she felt I wasn't taking care of him good enough. :P He was crying and I wasn't moving fast enough to make him happy, in her opinion.

And that's the way it's been...Jessica who wanted him the least is the most devoted and the biggest "2nd Mommy" to Conner. All my girls have been great with him, but she's the most involved.

So...my point is that while there will probably be a lot of trepidation and fear, it doesn't have to mean anything about how their relationship will be after the baby is born.

Thanks Chrissy, I DO know that, it's just hard to be over-emotional-pregnant and have your little guy say something so... well... EEP! :P