Secular Confessions

[MammaMia]

I confess a friend and I had a falling out a few months ago and she is still on my facebook. Once a month or so she messages me and says hi and we chat for a minute and she logs off without saying bye or anything. Why do you guys think she does this?

Who knows. I know some people who just log off chat without saying bye, so I don't think that's so weird. Do you want to repair the friendship?

I confess that I have not lost my children yet. I'm really lucky that they do not wander away from me which is a really good thing because they both prefer to walk along rather than ride in anything.
I started reading Raising Freethinkers on the car ride home from my parents this afternoon and I'm wanting to yell "Amen!" after every paragraph.
And Stacy, I ordered the Teach Your Child to Read book off amazon after you mentioned it the other day. Savana has been asking me for awhile when is she going to learn to read so I thought I'd check it out. I'm not totally sure she is ready but I want to be ready when she is. She told me a few weeks ago that she has so many stories in her head all of the time. Then a few days later we were at a book store and I bought a journal. She asked me what it was for and I said it was for all the stories in my head. Her jaw about hit the floor when I told her that when she learns how to read and write she can write all of her stories down. It was a cool moment.

That is a cool moment!

Btw, how is everything going with your mom? I've been thinking about you guys a lot.

[Bridget]

Thank you for asking, and for thinking of us She is doing okay. It's hard to tell. She's taking a lot of pain meds. My dad is wearing himself out worrying about her all the time. I wish there was more I could do to help him.
I confess that I was just laying with Kai in his bed, half asleep, really warm and cozy when he sat up and said, "Mom. Do you want to get me a drink of water now? Or in five minutes?" This kid is using my tactics.

[MammaMia]

I'm glad she's doing ok. Your poor dad, it must be really hard on him.

I confess that I got my siggy back.

I confess that Mia's new thing is doing voices for her stuffed animals. It's so cute. I had a long conversation with her panda today.

[Bridget]

I'm glad she's doing ok. Your poor dad, it must be really hard on him.

I confess that I got my siggy back.

I confess that Mia's new thing is doing voices for her stuffed animals. It's so cute. I had a long conversation with her panda today.

That is so cute!
I've noticed that my mom is actually kind of mean to my dad sometimes. I know it is her frustration with losing some independence. She has always been very self reliant and now he has to remind her when and which pills to take and when she get confused about something, he's the one to correct her. She acts like he's bugging her. It makes me sad for him.

[MammaMia]

That is so cute!
I've noticed that my mom is actually kind of mean to my dad sometimes. I know it is her frustration with losing some independence. She has always been very self reliant and now he has to remind her when and which pills to take and when she get confused about something, he's the one to correct her. She acts like he's bugging her. It makes me sad for him.

I've heard that being cranky towards loved ones and caretakers is quite typical. Not that it being normal makes it any easier. I hope your father doesn't take it too much to heart.

[stash]

It's so hard when people are ill, and when they're on pain meds. I had this issue with my grandfather years ago, when he was having all sorts of issues and had been in and out of the hospital. Of course, he was older, so it's surely not the same, but he was so short and crappy with me sometimes and it made me so sad, but mostly for him, because I knew it was just a symptom of how powerless he felt. Bridget, I'm glad things seem mostly okay right now, but god, I think of you. This must be so hard.

On an up note - try the book! After three lessons, today we played a game in the driveway where I used sidewalk chalk to make a road for him to drive his ride-on car on, and he asked me to "make a word game." So, using the three sounds/letters we've practiced I made words at each corner and told him the game was each time he passed them he had to read/sound out the words. He did it, every one. As, am, sam, and mama. That was all I could think of with those letters, but he was SOooooo proud!

Daylilies - two suggestions, one, stop what you're doing, look Josh in the eye, and say "sweety, you need to acknowledge me, which means saying YES or OKAY or something when I ask you something." It seems annoying, but get him to understand a response is ALWAYS necessary when someone is speaking two you. And two, have a talk with DH. I had to do this with mine, because sometimes he wouldn't respond and he somehow thought that was okay - well, it's not. And it sends the wrong message to your kids.

[Bridget]

Stacy, does Oscar write his letters yet? I only ask because Savana is very interested in letters but not writing them. I'm not concerned but curious as to how typical it would be for a child to read first.
And what you say about your grandpa is just how I feel about my mom. She expressed to me a long time ago how her biggest fear was losing brain function and "being a burden" to us, to my dad. It was the only time I ever saw her cry about her illness. I just with I had the power to take the pain away. From her and my dad.
Thank you for the thoughts everyone.

[daylilies]

I don't want to quote the whole thing, but thanks Stacy for the reply and advice.

Thank you for asking, and for thinking of us She is doing okay. It's hard to tell. She's taking a lot of pain meds. My dad is wearing himself out worrying about her all the time. I wish there was more I could do to help him.
I confess that I was just laying with Kai in his bed, half asleep, really warm and cozy when he sat up and said, "Mom. Do you want to get me a drink of water now? Or in five minutes?" This kid is using my tactics.

That's funny! I've been trying that tactic too.

Who knows. I know some people who just log off chat without saying bye, so I don't think that's so weird. Do you want to repair the friendship?

Yes, I would like to. I don't know if she wants me to apologize, or if her talking to me again is her way of apologizing, or what. And I think it's rude to just log off without saying bye. Maybe I'm oldschool. LOL

[midgeend]

I was really irritated yesterday to go to the craft store looking for stickers for Annie, and the majority of stickers all being easter stickers. I know that it's easter, and so lots of people are buying more eastery stuff...but I just wanted a selection that included things that could double as teaching tools possibly? Like some animals, or colors...anything!!

I feel like when I was a kid (born in '79) that stickers were so much more a thing, and "sticker technology" has dived since. I used to be able to find TONS of stickers...what happened? Did kids stop liking stickers in favor of their nintendo DS? If anyone knows of a good place to buy LOTS of stickers, clue me in.

[stash]

I hate the easter theme. We celebrate spring, but jesus there are a lot of bunnies and eggs out there this time of year. And crappy candy. Oh joy, a veritable hell for me.

I loved stickers. I was born in 71 and they were such the rage in the 70s and 80s. You're right, they seem to suck nowadays.

Bridget, O's just starting to write letters, and does really well with the simple ones. O, A, T, H, I, F, the ones that don't involve squiggles or too many pieces. This book will help with that, too, because part of each lesson is "writing sounds" and they have you have the kid trace the sound, then write it (if they can). I don't push with the really hard ones, I just do it WITH him or let him trace, but he's getting it pretty quickly. Today he didn't even tell me how lloooooong the lesson was or that he "couldn't do this" so we're making progress.

[stash]

Oh, and he tries to write his name and gets the O, the A, and the R just fine, but S looks like a series of crazed squiggles and the C is always backwards. Oh, and he doesn't write it in a LINE more like all over the page.

[Ky'sMom]

I get boatloads of stickers from Family Dollar. They have little ones for behavior/potty charts and ones specifically for girls and boys and just things in general like cars and flowers and the sun. I bought a bunch of superhero and hotwheel stickers for Ky's birthday party last month to give out in goddie bags. Not all Family Dollar stores have them though for some reason. The one closest to my house does, but we have another about 6 blocks away that doesn't have any. Don't know why but they don't. But Family Dollar in my neighborhood is like the ghetto mall or shopping plaza since they are pretty much the only stores around here. There are 4 within a 5 mile radius and all of them have different products so go figure.

But just wanted to say 79 is in the house!!!! I was born in 79 too and used to LOVE stickers when I was a kid. Ky and his friends/cousins loved the stickers too so I don't think kids don't like them anymore. If anything it seems they think they are extra special since older kids anyway don't really get stickers anymore as much as I used to get them. The kids at the party had ages between 3 and 10 and all the boys loved the stickers and I really had to make sure they didn't plaster our walls with them while they were here since I gave all of them 50 stickers each.

Erin

[Janeen]

Did you guys ever do a slam book in school? It was so mean but I did it before. My much older sister taught me about it.

[daylilies]

Hello, birth year '79 here too!
I find there are lots of stickers at my craft stores. Not so much in the kids sections but in the scrapbooking sections there are some neat stickers. Yes some are expensive but there are some good deals too.

And no I've never done a slam book. Not sure what it is.

[missychrissy]

I've seen skinny vaginas before, or at least with many elderly women, the fat pads under the skin kind of disappear and so everything is all flat and kind of shriveled. You can see the outlines of the bones underneath.

oh my. As I was reading along, I was wondering what the heck a skinny/fat vagina would look like. More than enough info, thanks!

He just didn't even seem scared. He was just standing there. I guess he was mostly sad that he peed on the floor.
Honestly we have an issue with him not listening to me. Just now he was sitting on the counter helping me cook. He tried to get down by himself and I said "next time ask mommy for help, okay?" Nothing. Wouldn't respond or nod his head or give me any clue that what I said sank it. It drives me up the wall! (Incidentally DH does the same thing. I'll say something and DH won't respond, so I'll say "Did you hear me?" and he'll say yes but he didn't think it needed a response. I don't get it.

Rich does this to me too, and he knows it irritates me just because there have been occasions where he's insisted I never told him something, and I know full well I did. So I'm getting irritable when I have to say "Did you hear me?" when he doesn't respond. Aggravating!

I lost Bobbie and Jessica when they were little (maybe 2 and 3), and it was in our yard. I panicked and was yelling for them. After a few minutes, my yells were probably more like shrieks, if I'm honest. We lived near a pond at the time and had a small stream running through our backyard and we were surrounded by woods. What happened was they heard me 'yelling' and got scared, so they stayed hid. One of the most terrifying moments of my life. I did learn from that to keep my panic in check so that they would come to me in a hurry from then on.

I confess today has probably been the hardest day we've had since B asked for a divorce...

Audri took a nice long nap, but woke up crying, and screaming for her daddy... She wouldn't let me touch her...

I feel so bad for you.

I hate the easter theme. We celebrate spring, but jesus there are a lot of bunnies and eggs out there this time of year. And crappy candy. Oh joy, a veritable hell for me.

Just yesterday I saw a woman reading the ingredient list of jelly candies (maybe like gummy bears?) and saying "made in part with natural fruit flavors, so these ones are healthy for you" and I instantly thought of you for some reason and almost lol'd in the store.

[stash]

Just yesterday I saw a woman reading the ingredient list of jelly candies (maybe like gummy bears?) and saying "made in part with natural fruit flavors, so these ones are healthy for you" and I instantly thought of you for some reason and almost lol'd in the store.

And the "other part" was petroleum products and FD&C yellow, blue and make-your-kid-hyperactive, but SOME of it's natural.

[The10Eels]

I was really irritated yesterday to go to the craft store looking for stickers for Annie, and the majority of stickers all being easter stickers. I know that it's easter, and so lots of people are buying more eastery stuff...but I just wanted a selection that included things that could double as teaching tools possibly? Like some animals, or colors...anything!!

I feel like when I was a kid (born in '79) that stickers were so much more a thing, and "sticker technology" has dived since. I used to be able to find TONS of stickers...what happened? Did kids stop liking stickers in favor of their nintendo DS? If anyone knows of a good place to buy LOTS of stickers, clue me in.

My mom used to get all her stickers from the teachers supply store, but since we moved she now gets them from - http://www.trendenterprises.com/product_searchresults_New.cfm?Keywords=&ThisLevel1 =Product+Category&Level1=ThisLevel1&ThisLevel2=Sti ckers

[missychrissy]

Did you guys ever do a slam book in school? It was so mean but I did it before. My much older sister taught me about it.

I read Slam Book Fever when I was a teen. I didn't know anyone irl that actually did that though.

[daylilies]

Well shoot, I gotta go get me some healthy jelly beans now.

[The10Eels]

Audri walked right into a glass wall today... I tried so hard, but couldn't help laughing... She was just so determined, and then BAM!

[missychrissy]

lol...I laugh at those things too.

[The10Eels]

Is it just me being blind, or is the girl talk forum gone?

[Janeen]

Is it just me being blind, or is the girl talk forum gone?

It's gone. They moved it all to Emotional and Relational.

[daylilies]

Aww poor Audri...LOL

[MammaMia]

I confess that I made DH hide the enormous easter egg he bought. I don't need that temptation.

[MammaMia]

I confess that I hTE IT WHEN I HIT THE CAPS LOCK INSTEAD OF 'A' AND I HAVE TO RE-TYPE EVERYTHING I JUST WROTE.

[stephmama]

Jelly beans are the devil.

[Cosmosmom]

I was born in 78 and had a few stickers. Wasn't really that into them though. I collected books instead....Nancy Drew Case Files.

OMG, so I'm all moody this weekend and hormonal. And DH did NOT help things out this weekend. The ONE thing I wanted to do was go to the place to pick out the bathroom counters. It's pretty much the only thing we didn't do. I told him yesterday at 10am that I wanted to have my coffee and than get going. Well he found some facebook game he was obsessed with all weekend and kept putting it off. I told him I thought they closed early but didn't check the time.
We get there finally at 12:30...to find that they closed at 12 and aren't open on Sundays. So pretty much now I'm going to have to miss some work one day this week (we have to talk to a specific person and she only works every other Saturday).

He was just lucky that once I started cleaning today that he turned that stupid game off and helped me.

[MammaMia]

Jelly beans are the devil.

Sweet, delicious, multicoloured devil.

[daylilies]

Stop talking about jellybeans!

Ok so what FB game is he obsessed with? Maybe I'm obsessed with it too. LOL