Secular Confessions

[missychrissy]

Oh, and we just got home and Conner was so sad to leave his daddy. When I opened the door to get him out, he had buried his face into his blanket. He's trying so hard not to cry. I feel so bad for him. I told him he can sleep with me, but it's a new apartment and he's just nervous. My poor little guy

[Gwenn]

Must be just in NY. You can buy them here, although I'm not sure I would want to.

Poor Conner.

[3andMe]

BUY? Heck, you can walk along the street behind my house and find any size mattress you want, for free.

Seriously, though, it's not illegal here. I think it's probably because of the bedbug problem, worse in NY than in other places. It will be outlawed soon everywhere else.

I hope your evening goes well, and I hope Conner cheers up.

[missychrissy]

Must be just in NY. You can buy them here, although I'm not sure I would want to.

Poor Conner.

Oh, I wouldn't want to either...ewe! They had some cheap mattresses that didn't look used at the discount furniture store I was in tonight, but when I asked about them the guy told me they were and that they're for donation only. He didn't explain why it was illegal to sell them, but the bed bug thing makes sense. I believe the issue is primarily in NYC...no one I know has had them and whenever I see it on the news (even local) it's always NYC. Thank God! What doesn't make sense is that although you can't sell them (not even a private party on Craigslist!), but you can give them away. And you can sell any other type of used furniture...including futons which I would assume would be just as likely to have bed bugs as a mattress. But what do I know?

BUY? Heck, you can walk along the street behind my house and find any size mattress you want, for free.

Seriously, though, it's not illegal here. I think it's probably because of the bedbug problem, worse in NY than in other places. It will be outlawed soon everywhere else.

I hope your evening goes well, and I hope Conner cheers up.

And he's already doing better. Watching movies and cuddling with his sports blanket

The mattress I did buy (brand new, of course) was new in 2009. The furniture they have in that store is really nice stuff-some msrp in the 5 and 6 grand range. But it's all marked down because they didn't sell. Some does have cosmetic damage to it though, so you have to look carefully. My mattress was originally $1,000 (in 2009) and I got it for less than $350. I love a bargain like that. It was still wrapped in the original wrapping and had the manufacturers tags on it (which is how I know the year it was made). 6 years left on the warranty.

That's the same place where I bought my couch a couple weeks ago. It's brand new & the two reclining ends are fully functional. The only issue is on the one side, on the bottom, someone tried to lift it by the thin wood piece that was there only to staple the upholstery to. It literally touches the floor, so when it's sitting there you don't even see there's anything wrong with it. Structurally, there's nothing wrong with it. The parts that set on the floor are metal with plastic feet. I got that for $100. And it's not even old

I'll put up with small flaws like that to save hundreds of dollars. I think I'll always be cheap.

[missychrissy]

Oh-I got a decorative metal headboard and footboard for $75. That's all that was wrong with that was the siderails were missing. That was also brand new...just 'open box' I guess is was you'd call it. So I bought a generic queen size bed frame ($55 brand new) and the hb/fb bolt right onto that. I think the frame adjusts from full to king. Definitely queen to king.

[Gwenn]

That's a great deal, Chrissy!

LOL at mattresses behind your house, L.

[Gwenn]

So DH left this evening for his two weeks with the National Guard. Two hours after he left, I'm finding myself watching the national history bee. This is going to be a long two weeks....

[missychrissy]

What is the national history bee?

[Gwenn]

Like a spelling bee, but history questions. The contestants are all 8th graders. I'm finding the questions fairly easy, but I'm sure it's harder for kids and will get harder. One question was, Which talk show host became the first African American female multimillionaire? It would be hard to not know the answer to that one.

[missychrissy]

Yeah, that one would be easy I think...but I'm sure it would get difficult for me very fast. Sometimes I watch Cash Cab and I don't know even 1 answer. Not always, but it happens.

[Gwenn]

These kids are all boys. Sad that girls can't reach the finals in a history competition.

[AbbeysMom]

Sorry to be so OT, but I loved this and wanted to share:

JCPenney Responds to Homophobic Boycott Calls with Gay Father’s Day Ad

[Bridget]

I know, Molly! JC Penney rocks!

[missychrissy]

These kids are all boys. Sad that girls can't reach the finals in a history competition.

My first thought was...nature or nurture? I could read case studies about that. I wouldn't personally care about the history itself...and maybe that's what it boils down to. Women (girls) are better at interpersonal skills, reading people, picking up on non-verbal cues. It would probably make a boring television competition, but those skills are important. And vastly under-appreciated. Intelligence is a funny thing...there's no fair way to measure/compare it because some strengths you can't measure with a test like that.

Sorry...I just woke up and I'm rambling. I do think that as I age and can afford it better, I'll take sociology/psychology classes and become a therapist. I can retire from Cornell at 55 (19 years! ). If I plan it out right and graduate by that time, I could totally switch careers. I love both, but I can't afford to go to school for a MSW and pay off the loans. So I'll go slowly and plan on doing that at retirement.

Sorry to be so OT, but I loved this and wanted to share:

JCPenney Responds to Homophobic Boycott Calls with Gay Father’s Day Ad

That's just wicked awesome. I it!! I might have to shop at JC Penny now. I instantly thought of Jesi's friend that was raised by two dads. She's a darling girl and Jesi had a great time over there. I'll never forget the 1st time she said something about her friend's "Dads" plural. I admit, I was slightly taken aback because in this rural, redneck community it's not common. But my 2nd, strongest, reaction was tremendous pride that Jesi was talking about it in such a nonchalant manner. She was in 2nd grade and it didn't phase her in the least that her friend had 2 dads. Jesi has always accepted that people are free to love whomever they want. Her one fist fight in school (with a boy) was because the boy she knocked out of his chair wouldn't stop saying stuff to their gay classmate.

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So Conner stayed over. It went ok. He was anxious at bedtime but he didn't cry then. He was just really sad and kept talking about missing his daddy. I repeatedly told him it was ok to miss daddy and be nervous, and I told him what Daddy was probably doing at different times (sleeping). That seemed to reassure Conner.

I did wake up at 2:30 to Conner crying hard though. I cuddled/kissed him but it took a while to calm down. He went to the bathroom (yay-no accidents!) and got a sip of OJ and went right back to sleep. I'm so glad he stayed over but it does bother me that it was so hard for him.

[Bridget]

That would bother me too, Chrissy. I bet everything is just so confusing for him right now. Change can be really hard for some kids. I know my kids always have a hard time sleeping somewhere else, even if we are both there with them. I do think children are more resiliant than we often give them credit for so Conner will likely be an old pro at sleeping over with mama in no time.

[missychrissy]

When we traveled to AZ (Rich didn't come), he was sad the first night but he didn't cry. After the 1st night he was fine without Daddy. I reminded him about that, and how he slept with Mikey 2 nights. Conner got excited and wanted to go sleep at Mikey's house (ShannonG's son). Stinker. He'd find it easier to fly 1300 miles and stay the night with 'strangers' than spent a night with Mama just 1.5 miles from Daddy.

[Suja]

Like a spelling bee, but history questions. The contestants are all 8th graders. I'm finding the questions fairly easy, but I'm sure it's harder for kids and will get harder. One question was, Which talk show host became the first African American female multimillionaire? It would be hard to not know the answer to that one.

Well, if you're 12, the answer might not be obvious.

JC Penny is awesome! They stood up for Ellen. I shop there whenever I can. It helps that they are one of the few department stores with a good selection of clothes for boys.

I hope it gets easier for Connor. It must all be so confusing for him.

[Ky'sMom]

I read about JC Penney as well and was happy that they did that. They are actually one of my new favorite stores and are beating Overstock for me on some items I need to buy, especially pots and pans. DH wants a new set and the ones I want (I like made in America gourmet cookware, I used to work for Calphalon in Ohio and so I am partial to them) were $500-$600 on overstock and Amazon and on random stores' websites, but JC Penney had the exact same set for $200-$300. That was a HUGE difference. They were always one of my grandma's favorite stores. She loved "goin to Penney's" so I think I'm going to have to make it one of my favorite stores too because I usually can find clothes that look good on me there and they are uber cheap now since they re-did the concept of their store.

I just got done changing our breaker. I found out a lot about electrical components during this process. We have AFCI or "arc" breakers, which are less likely to overheat and cause fires. This issue is one of the biggest contributors to house fires in the country and many areas now require arc breakers instead of the older GFCI types due to the safety features of the arcs. Made me glad that the electrician put them in our house in 2007 since they weren't required by law here until 2009. Also the breaker was nearly $40. The guy at the store said that electricians will usually charge over $300 to put them in, depending on the company, so I'm glad I took a chance, AND I didn't electrocute myself in the process.

Erin

[3andMe]

We had a traumatic tick-removal event tonight. We went for a four-mile hike in a new wildlife refuge last weekend, and the kids played in some tall grass while we were there. Right afterward, we found a tick on each of the older kids, so we checked everyone really carefully when we got home. No ticks. So we thought.

Tonight, five days later, DH found a big, pea-sized tick on the back of DS's head. He motioned me to come over without really saying much. I looked. I googled tick removal. Apparently tweezers are the way to go. DH stayed calm and talked to him the whole time, put him face-down on a pillow in his lap, and grasped the tick with his tweezers. Then he saw a whole bunch more wriggling little legs underneath the tick. He thought the tick had babies! He almost put the tick back down in shock and horror, but managed to persevered, and pulled smoothly and firmly and dislodged it along with a huge chunk of skin, and came to realize the tick had been in congress with a second tick, underneath the first one. *Shudder* although not as much of a shudder as a bunch of tick babies would have caused. So he managed to pull himself together and pull the second one out, along with a second chunk of skin, and then douse the area with rubbing alcohol. Ronin did not whimper once, and not nearly as much as DH did (later on, in private), and he asked to see the ticks.

We were planning on going back on another hike there tomorrow, but we (the adults) are kind of shell-shocked and I think we're going to go somewhere more benign, like a walk on a different marine estuary, known for fewer ticks and cuter wildlife. Can I just say AUUGHHH and I was not planning on doing Battle of the Bugs with Bridget this week? Do we have any more contestants?

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Erin, complete and utter kudos to you for fixing your electrical issue on your own without electrocuting yourself, blowing any fuses, causing more extensive repairs, and actually fixing it! Awesome job!!!!!

[missychrissy]

Erin, complete and utter kudos to you for fixing your electrical issue on your own without electrocuting yourself, blowing any fuses, causing more extensive repairs, and actually fixing it! Awesome job!!!!!

AGREED! You are the BOMB Erin! Can I ask...is there anything you can't do or that you're not good at? You're just all around amazing! And inspiring.

Boy L...I got the heebies just reading your post. Ick!!! *shudder* I seriously just had a shiver run through my body and now all my hairs are standing on end. I can't believe Ro wanted to see them! What did he say?

[Ky'sMom]

I also got the heebie jeebies L!!! Yuck! R is a brave little boy to sit through something like that! I probably would never go back to that place again.

Today Ky is going out of town for 6 weeks. I am going to miss him. He is really excited though as his baby sitter for a couple hours per day will be one of my nephews - the oldest one that he idolizes. My nephew is 14 now and is looking forward to seeing Ky. There is a baseball camp in my hometown that Ky is going to so I figured he could stay most of the summer as well if my mom didn't mind. She was excited for him to come. DH's mom is also going to drive over from Chicago to go and pick him up for a couple weeks. So he will be a traveling man this summer. Elle is probably going to be heartbroken. She cries every time we mention Ky going away on his trip. We are planning on doing a lot of fun things with her and so I hope that makes up for his absence to her.

Erin

[missychrissy]

Awww, poor little Elle I'm sure she'll miss her big brother fiercely, but she'll be ok. What a great, adventurous summer for Ky though! I bet he has a blast!!! What a lucky boy to get to do all that

[Gwenn]

*shudder* ticks! I still remember having my mom remove one from my lower back when I was about 7. I had a scar from it for years - maybe I still do? Not sure. I'm proud of Ro.

What an adventure that will be for Ky! I hope he has a great time. He's just the perfect age for that.

I really think this cycle might be it. I woke up ridiculously early (for me), at 6:30. I don't even set my alarm that early when I'm working. I had to pee and I'm feeling really neauseous. I spent much of yesterday napping. Keep your fingers crossed, girls. I refuse to test until I'm late.

[3andMe]

I've been wanting to ask, Mandy, but not wanting to at the same time. I hope I hope I hope!!!! I'm glad you're feeling optimistic.

[missychrissy]

I really think this cycle might be it. I woke up ridiculously early (for me), at 6:30. I don't even set my alarm that early when I'm working. I had to pee and I'm feeling really neauseous. I spent much of yesterday napping. Keep your fingers crossed, girls. I refuse to test until I'm late.

I'm really hoping Mandy!!!!

How soon can you expect to be late?

[Gwenn]

Tuesday is two weeks from my IUI. I'll test Wednesday.

[missychrissy]

It's going to be an anxious wait...for you especially, but us too.

[Gwenn]

I'm afraid I'll "jinx" if if I talk about it too much ... lol.

Is it too early for morning sickness? I'm afraid this stuff is all in my head. I was a little nauseous last time around, I remember, but only very slightly. I think I'm feeling it more this morning.

[missychrissy]

Can we answer your question, or are we gonna be quiet until Wednesday? I don't want to jinx you.

As secular as I am, I get superstitious too and I figure...it can't hurt to go along with the superstition just in case.

[Gwenn]

Can't hurt ... But do answer my question.