Secular Confessions

[Gwenn]

OMG - I'm cracking up here. I'm reading an article my RE wrote and posted about dealing with the holidays and infertility (specifically it's about Thanksgiving but applies just as well to Christmas in my household).

Some favorite quotes:

1. Don’t offer to have the Thanksgiving dinner at your house. Offer to bring the veggie tray and hummus to the host house (hey, they don’t need the calories either!). Pick the place with the fewest pregnant women attending.

At the dinner, fill your plate as follows: half of the plate should be veggies (no, not the green bean casserole with fried onions and mushroom soup or the sweet potatoes and marshmallows). A quarter of the plate should be turkey, an eighth potatoes with gravy and taste portions of cranberries (unless unsweetened) and stuffing. Remember alcohol consumption is not recommended with attempts at conception (plus, not imbibing will keep you from telling off your promiscuous 3rd cousin who has 3 different baby fathers).

I my RE.

But I have to say, his advice sounds pretty Paleo/Primal. DH approves.

Link to the whole article: http://www.ivftucson.com/blog/2011/1...k-turkey-66212

[Smplyme89]

OMG - I'm cracking up here. I'm reading an article my RE wrote and posted about dealing with the holidays and infertility (specifically it's about Thanksgiving but applies just as well to Christmas in my household).

Some favorite quotes:




I my RE.

But I have to say, his advice sounds pretty Paleo/Primal. DH approves.

Link to the whole article: http://www.ivftucson.com/blog/2011/1...k-turkey-66212

How did he know about my mouthy 3rd cousin with 3 baby daddys!!!??

Your RE sounds wonderful!!!

[Smplyme89]

My other professor finally finished grading my Final Exam and my last paper!!!

I got an A!!!!

That makes 3 A's and 1 B for my first semester back at school. I think I'll take it

[missychrissy]

Mandy, I'm sending you many positive thoughts and am very hopeful that 2012 will be year.

Congratulations Christina! That's awesome!!!

[Bridget]

Mandy your RE is a keeper. A sense of humor is something to be valued.

Christine that is awesome! Proud of you, mama!

[daylilies]

Congrats Christina!

[Smplyme89]

Thanks ladies

[Cosmosmom]

to Christina!!!!

[Gwenn]

My other professor finally finished grading my Final Exam and my last paper!!!

I got an A!!!!

That makes 3 A's and 1 B for my first semester back at school. I think I'll take it

Great news! Good for you!

[Bridget]

All my daycare kids are sick again. Frack. This is not a good time for me to not be getting paid. It's times like these I wish people would understand why some daycares charge even when the kids aren't here. People are always like NO WAY would I do that but my business will actually lose money this month for all the sick days.

[Gwenn]

Maybe you should look at changing your policies, Bridget? I understand not wanting to charge but you are in business to make money, not lose money. I would have a hard time with that, too. Part of the reason I'm afraid to do private therapy on my own. I wouldn't be able to deal with the financial side of it.

[Ky'sMom]

All my daycare kids are sick again. Frack. This is not a good time for me to not be getting paid. It's times like these I wish people would understand why some daycares charge even when the kids aren't here. People are always like NO WAY would I do that but my business will actually lose money this month for all the sick days.

Honestly Bridget you are a saint that you do not do this. I actually have never heard of a daycare that doesn't. I love our daycare and she gets paid every week no matter what. I understand I guess because my mom had a daycare for so many years. Mom would work in a week free for everyone to be used for sick days or vacations but they had to take the free week at a certain time, like upon renewal of the contract or 6 months into the contract she would give them a free week. All the other times they would have to pay.

Erin

[Smplyme89]

All my daycare kids are sick again. Frack. This is not a good time for me to not be getting paid. It's times like these I wish people would understand why some daycares charge even when the kids aren't here. People are always like NO WAY would I do that but my business will actually lose money this month for all the sick days.

That has to be hard

[missychrissy]

That's so hard Bridget. I know your parents probably lose money when they have to stay home too. I wish there was a better solution that worked for everyone. I wish low-income families would just have it paid even when their kids were sick, actually.

[Suja]

Doing another quickie post. DH's dad has a tumor on his liver, and they'll be doing this procedure to block off his left hepatic artery to starve the tumor (he will likely have a hard time with actual surgery to remove it) next Monday. Kidlet developed a UTI; thankfully is on the mend now that she's on antibiotics. Otherwise, enjoying great food and having so many people to hand the little monster off to from time to time. I'll likely have to perform some sort of exorcism to get rid of all the demons that currently inhabit the spoiled brat, upon our return.

Hope everyone is doing well, and someone can give me a cliff notes version of everything I missed when I return.

[Bridget]

I used to have the policy that people paid a weekly rate no matter if they were here or not. Families coming to see the daycare would guffaw when I told them and then I would never hear back. Then one family that did sign on with me and I took care of the little girl for almost a year when she was out sick for a whole week and her mom yelled at me and said she was pulling her child and did just that. Technically I have the policy of 5 sick days without pay but since 4 of the children I care for are state funded I know there is no chance at all that they would be able to pay me. They have a hard enough time paying me the difference between my rates and what the state pays. In fact, I am losing a family because of that so will be searching for new enrollments soon. Perhaps I will start fresh with new policies for the niew families.

[Gwenn]

Sorry to hear about DH's dad. Let kidlet enjoy being spoiled by family! That's what they're there for!

Bridget, how frustrating.

[Smplyme89]

Doing another quickie post. DH's dad has a tumor on his liver, and they'll be doing this procedure to block off his left hepatic artery to starve the tumor (he will likely have a hard time with actual surgery to remove it) next Monday. Kidlet developed a UTI; thankfully is on the mend now that she's on antibiotics. Otherwise, enjoying great food and having so many people to hand the little monster off to from time to time. I'll likely have to perform some sort of exorcism to get rid of all the demons that currently inhabit the spoiled brat, upon our return.
Hope everyone is doing well, and someone can give me a cliff notes version of everything I missed when I return.

I'm sorry about DH's stepdad

THAT made me though!

[Smplyme89]

I used to have the policy that people paid a weekly rate no matter if they were here or not. Families coming to see the daycare would guffaw when I told them and then I would never hear back. Then one family that did sign on with me and I took care of the little girl for almost a year when she was out sick for a whole week and her mom yelled at me and said she was pulling her child and did just that. Technically I have the policy of 5 sick days without pay but since 4 of the children I care for are state funded I know there is no chance at all that they would be able to pay me. They have a hard enough time paying me the difference between my rates and what the state pays. In fact, I am losing a family because of that so will be searching for new enrollments soon. Perhaps I will start fresh with new policies for the niew families.

Thats odd. I always thought it was the norm that you paid whether your kids were there or not. I think it is really generous of you to offer X amount of 'free' sick days!

We don't pay our sitter for days she doesn't watch N, but that was our agreement. She's also a family friend so that helps

[Cosmosmom]

Suja sorry to hear about the father in law. But sounds like a good time minus that and the UTI.

Bridget, can you call around and see what are the policies of other places in town? Maybe something like, if a kid misses, charge for a half day? Obviously with the state funded ones you are stuck going with their rules.

[missychrissy]

sorry about your father-in-law. I hope he has an easy and quick recovery.

[AmeriBrit]

Suja, I hope your FIL recovers quickly. I wouldn't worry too much about your DD picking up bad habits. She'll get back in to her old routine when you get back home.

Bridget, I'm sorry to hear about your daycare setbacks. I hope that you get some new families after Xmas.

Cash has been up since 4 AM vomiting. Eek. I hate cleaning up vomit. Poor little bug. I hope we aren't all sick on Christmas day. That happened a few years ago and it was awful. One of the best things about Christmas day is all the good food and wine!

[AmeriBrit]

Suja, I hope your FIL recovers quickly. I wouldn't worry too much about your DD picking up bad habits. She'll get back in to her old routine when you get back home.

Bridget, I'm sorry to hear about your daycare setbacks. I hope that you get some new families after Xmas.

Cash has been up since 4 AM vomiting. Eek. I hate cleaning up vomit. Poor little bug. I hope we aren't all sick on Christmas day. That happened a few years ago and it was awful. One of the best things about Christmas day is all the good food and wine!

[Bridget]

Oh no! Poor Cash. And poor you. Cleaning up vomit is horrible. Sawyer woke up at 3:45 this morning! And he was UP. I had to walk the house with him for an hour before he fell back asleep! I guess I should just be thankful that he was not crying.

Dbf came home with this movie called American Bully. Have you all seen this? It was so disturbing and awful based on a true story. I had to turn it off, and I am pretty sure that I turned it off before the worst of it. It was making me sick and it gave me horrible dreams. Shudder.

[Smplyme89]

Oh no poor Cash That has to be stressful! Not exactly something you want to wake up early too

I've never seen that Bridget. Sounds awful I've been meaninig to ask you, can you like me to those probiotics again. The linnk seems to have disappeared from my favorites

So we got a call at 6a.m. that my brother had a seizure (I'm saying that tenatively since I really don't know first hand) and that he was going to the E.R. My mom went up there, but honestly I can't miss work (does that sound horrible??). I don't know what to think. The first thing that pops in my head is drugs. He's been slipping back into his old patterns over the past few weeks again. The sleeping all day, avoiding us, and his ex GF has been sleeping over (she's the one who called us).

I told him that if he fell back into that world again, that I was done. DH and I are trying to do better for ourselves. We've agreed that most of DH's family (since there a bunch of druggies) are not going to be a part of Nolan's life and I can't exactly be biased with my own family. It breaks my heart to think of just turning my back on my brother like that. We were always so close. We could never depend on our parents, all we had was each other

I just wish things were different. I wish I could force him to grow up and see what he is doing to himself, but I can't. I can't make his decisions for him. This is all speculation of course, I don't know that he's actually back on them yet, but I see the signs-I'm not blind. I'll be thrilled if that is NOT what it is, but I would also be shocked.

I'm sorry this got so long, I just guess I am so aggrevated/upset right now and need to get this out. I don't really have anyone that I can talk to about this right now.

[missychrissy]

Dbf came home with this movie called American Bully. Have you all seen this? It was so disturbing and awful based on a true story. I had to turn it off, and I am pretty sure that I turned it off before the worst of it. It was making me sick and it gave me horrible dreams. Shudder.

I haven't heard of it. I don't think I want to see it either. I'm so hyper-sensitive about that stuff now. It breaks my heart.

I happened to wake up in time to watch Rich get Conner ready and it melted my heart. Conner was sleeping through the whole thing. Rich scooped him up and Conner stayed sleeping with his head on Rich’s shoulder. Rich squatted down and changed him out of his pajama pants and into his jeans…Conner sleeping the whole time on Rich’s shoulder. If nothing else, Rich really is a good father and I’m so glad of that.

[AmeriBrit]

Aw, Chrissy, that is really sweet to hear. I love moments like that.

Bridget, I've never heard of that movie. I can't handle violent or scary movies.

Christina, I'm really sorry about your brother. Families can put us through so much. I hope that he can turn himself around and start going in the right direction.

Cash took a nap and has been fine since then. I think it must have been what he ate last night. We had friends over and had pizza and christmas cookies.

[AmeriBrit]

Aw, Chrissy, that is really sweet to hear. I love moments like that.

Bridget, I've never heard of that movie. I can't handle violent or scary movies.

Christina, I'm really sorry about your brother. Families can put us through so much. I hope that he can turn himself around and start going in the right direction.

Cash took a nap and has been fine since then. I think it must have been what he ate last night. We had friends over and had pizza and christmas cookies.

[missychrissy]

I'm sorry this got so long, I just guess I am so aggrevated/upset right now and need to get this out. I don't really have anyone that I can talk to about this right now.

great big ((((hugs)))) Sorry I didn't see this when I posted earlier. You're doing the right thing. I know it's hard, but tough love is what he needs most right now.

[Smplyme89]

Chrissy that is such a sweet story

Apparently my brother started twitching, fell to the ground, and turned purple. One of his friends did compressions to get him to start breathing again.

I talked to my mom she said that they did a scan and it came back fine, they want him to stay overnight to monitor him and than have him see a neurologist. He was dehydrated and his potassium was low, which doesn't surprise me since he never eats.

Mom said he doesn't appear to be on anything. I'm hoping she is right.