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Welcome to the Sound Off Discussion Board, where parents from all walks of life and all parts of the world come together in one place to share their opinions and thoughts about the question of the week. Please remember that everyone is entitled to their opinion and the freedom to express it. Obscene posts are unwelcome and shall be removed from the board. Please keep in mind that this is a public board. Never post personal information that you would be uncomfortable sharing with others. Comments about this board should be sent to iParenting's Webmaster. Thank you for contributing! If you have a suggestion for the question of the week, send it to feedback@iparenting.com.

Admin note: The Sound Off Board was created so parents would have a place to debate important issues that affect our families, or just chat about something fun through a question of the week. Lately, the board has gotten out of hand. iParenting Media will not tolerate name-calling, impersonating others or threatening posts. Please keep in mind that this is a public board and a family Web site. Please report any problems to iParenting’s Webmaster. Thank you.

Board Spokesmom: Wendy

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Has the growing American trend of obesity touched your life? How? What have you done about it?

For archived topics, click here.

Okay, I have nothing with Saraj participating here, she and I have a few similar interest and all, BUT what is up with just posting stuff here but not really participating in a "conversation." It is very obvious she is just doing it to stir the pot, so I am not going to even post my thougths on what she left here.

I have a question some of you may be able to help me with. My husband has this friend who has been seperated from his wife for 3 years, and is actually newly divorced as a result. His ex and I were on friendly terms. I have met his new sig other and she seems nice enough but I don't want to hear about all the talk about his ex wife from him or his new sig other. I told them as much. He toned it down, but still complains about her. He called me the other night to ask about some religious beliefs that his ex's fiance has. I looked up the website for that particular belief and gave it to him, but told him I didn't want to get in the middle of it and he needed to look at it himself. This man is someone who will remain in our lives because he is still my dh's friend, I can't change that. I have alot in common with his ex, and we are still on friendly terms and she in fact is attending college where I do. Have any of you had this same experience, and if so, do you have any tips other than what I have done already by letting them each know I don't want to hear about the other?

Cherokee - I left my email addy yesterday morning for you. You can email me if you want to - for some reason I thought Wendy was sick, so I was thinking it would be easier on her just to leave it here.

Wendy - I am so glad you are obviously feeling fine ;oP.

Hello to Angela, j-mo, melissa, traci, etc... lol.
I have to run.
Margarita
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 23:50:54 (EDT)
PS...there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with abortion. To anyone new to this board, please don't these ladies scare you into thinking this.
Feel free to email me if you would like to discuss your options. I have a lot of info to offer! :-)
Saraj
email: beautifulasba@charter.net
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 23:40:48 (EDT)
BOYCOTT BABY FORMULA!

Obesity and baby formula...they go hand in hand IMO. Take a look at this!


http://www.angelfire.com/comics/hathor/writings.html

Saraj
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 23:38:49 (EDT)
WENDY, thanks for the encouragement! maybe tomorrow i will dust off the old tae bo dvds and go for it!

just watched the apprentice...

all i can say is SCANDALOUS!

i'm off to la-la land now, will chat to you all tomorrow! have a great nite!
j-mo
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 21:58:08 (EDT)
Hey all. Just have a few min. Cant wait for the Apprentice tonight. LOL it is not fair that you all get to see it before me. I have to wait another 4 1/2 hours!!!

Lyne Yep Taebo is not easy. I love it though. When I was dancing it was great! Since I haven't danced in along time, I want to get in shape again so that I can go back to that. I usually warm up with some dance exersices before going. That helps loosen me up a bit. Wow sounds like your little one was a surprise? My mom had my brother 7 years after my sister. He and I are 12 years apart! I did Karate when I was younger. I loved it. Man you can have some of our heat. It has been 80 - 90 in Ca since the beginning of March. I am already sick of it, and we still have the summer!!!! Oh man I hate the summer it gets up to 117 here. Yuc!! We can't go outside with the babies in that kind of weather.

JMO it is wonderful!! I feel really sore but I love feeling sore b/c then I know that I am doing it right and it is doing something. Girl I know you can start it again. I wasn't motivated while doing it at first, but then after a half an hour I was like YEAH BABY FEEL THE BURN!!! LMAO!! Then after the hour was done I was like, nooooo I want more! LOL. Can't wait til tonight!

Melissa Oh dear I so know what you are going through. I have had four knee surgeries on my right knee, one which was an open knee surgery, just last year. I have bad knees. It totally sucks. My first surgery on my knee was when I was 12 then I got an infection from the surgery, staph actually, that I almost died from and then had my second to clean it out. and that was 4 months after the first one. Then when I was 21 I fell off a 16 ft ladder at work and fell right on my knee, and had surgery then that same knee, two summers later I was unloading my basket at Target and my totally buckled and I passed out. When it buckled a couple a times more before it buckled the last time. Boy that was the most sickening sound I think I have ever heard. I was just stepping backwards when crack crack crack crack crack. No joke it sounded like I had just walked across bubble wrap. Then I had open knee surgery to fix that last year. I had the surgery about 2 months after that incident. Anyway long story I know, but girl I feel your pain!!!

Cherokee Congrats on the weight loss!! I can't wait till I am a few sizes smaller!! LOL don't worry girl I will be braggin on here too!!! lOL I only live 1 1/2 hours from Disneyland and 45 min from six flags!! Maybe we could meet up there? That would be so much fun! Esai and my DD would have so much fun together. LOL

Angela Hiya girlie!! How are you? OMG that was horrible about your DD. Thank God she survived! I don't know what I would have done in that situation. At least it seems that she has over come her obstacles. That is wonderful

WEll ladies I better go . I will check in on the board later.
Wendy
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 20:50:07 (EDT)
cherokee, great comment about the doctors admitting when they don't know. people would prefer that, i think, instead of the dr giving them the run-around. then they can go elsewhere, or perhaps become investigate more and teach the dr something new that he/she can use with future patients.
j-mo
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 18:47:26 (EDT)
LMAO..

You know what? I hope one day that if her precious dancer Sammi Jo ever gets pregnant in "inconvenient circumstances" (not saying I HOPE she gets pg, just saying that if she DOES get pg) that she INSISTS on having and keeping the baby, no matter how much saraj harrangues her about it. That would be SWEET!

You can't MAKE anyone have an abortion. HA!
Cherokee
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 18:36:34 (EDT)
Hey..I might get kicked out of the "club" for this, but it wouldn't be so annoying if doctor's could ADMIT they don't know what's wrong..and I ALSO think they should give a discount when they don't.

Yeah. I think that's fair!

Melissa~ about that "post"..you are typing on deaf ears LOL - if that makes sense? Besides, her kids won't care..I'm sure she has programmed the hell out of them that it is no big deal..they probably are completely desensitized to the whole issue. {{should shrug}} what can ya do? Nada. Just ignore. I mean, we respond when she says her stupids, but, she never offers anything productive. COMPLETE waste of space.
Cherokee
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 18:33:52 (EDT)
melissa, how frustrating for you! i know doctors are only human, but we just assume they will have all the answers for us and when they don't, it's so annoying! well i hope your knee will start improving soon! being an invalid is no fun, is it?

so when's the next time you're going to margaritaville? lol! hey, we have ALL been there, some of us SEVERAL times. and why we go back for more is beyond me! maybe it's the chaotic lives of women/mothers that drive us right there!

take care all

don't forget, apprentice fans, tonite is a BIGGIE! omarosa AND troy are back!
j-mo
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 18:16:53 (EDT)
Ok, update from the orthopedic office. He said (and I quote) "Nothing is broken, it looks like you just banged the hell out of it - try to start moving it some and start putting some weight on it when you walk, if it is not better in 2 or 3 weeks then come back" I look at him and said well is that your professional opinion? How much do I owe you for that? He was such an ass. But hey he did give me another Rx for pain pills to get me through this. So, I guess I really don't know anymore about what is wrong with my knee than I did before I went to the doctor. I am some what comforted to know that it is nothing to serious.

Lyne ~ Thanks for trying to make me feel better about my drunken mishap! I feel for your friend. Margaritaville looks good from a far but up close it is not such a pretty place to be! LOL

Saraj ~ I really don't know how to respond to you post other than I honestly believe that you are the poster child for sterilization! I can't believe that you compare abortions to putting down an animal. Maybe you are the one that needs to be put down. How dare you say that it is acceptable to use murder as a form of birth control. In case no one ever told you there is a way to prevent pregnancy - CLOSE YOUR LEGS!!! I truly hope that some day your children know that you murdered their siblings!

Angela ~ You are so sweet. I know that it has happened to everyone at least once or twice but for goodness sakes I am almost 26 years old and I am married. Those days of drinking like a college chick should be long gone! LOL!

Fatima ~ Great tequila story! Alls I can say is it happens! At least you learned the first time around. This (I promise you) was not my first encounter in Margaritaville. LOL

Cherokee ~ Thanks for sharing your story too. That sounds like it would have been funny to watch! I bet that hurt though! LOL

Wendy ~ I think you were well within your right to respond to that absolutely ridiculous post! I am glad that you are back and your grandma is ok!
Melissa
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 18:03:26 (EDT)
LOL..

Uhhhh, that's Cherokee..:0)
Cherokee
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 17:46:05 (EDT)
Heya gals....

I don't need an excuse to respond, I umm..just do. LMAO!

Well I decided to go the GAP today..they were having a sale...got some good stuff for under $150.00 I probably got $300 worth of clothing! WOOHOO> DH didn't want to me shopping this month as we have been setting aside some cash for a family weekend. We are going to try to go to CA to go to either Universal Studios or Disneyland for a weekend this summer. But...I dopped a size *yeah me* (and whatever snotty person is going to call me a narcissist out there: stop HATING..you'll feel better) but I worked at it and BOOYAA I'm down. So, I told DH...I HAVE to buy some new clothes. He reluctantly agreed. Man...ever since he assumed the accounting role since I started school (I used to handle it)he is an OGRE with the money LOL! He just wants us to have a nice vacation...I said Hey! part of having a nice vacation is LOOKING good in new clothes heeheee
Cheroked
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 17:33:25 (EDT)
wendy, i read that you've just started doing tae-bo again. that's great. i was doing it for almost a year steady and was enjoying it so much. i didn't see any weight loss, but i certainly felt more toned, and i found i was sleeping a million times better.

about 2 weeks ago, i dug my old tae bo dvds out, and have looked at them every single day without popping them in the machine.

tell me how good you feel doing it again wendy! i need the motivation!!!!
j-mo
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 16:59:57 (EDT)
I heard Taebo is hard Wendy. I have never done it, the most I have done it going to *step class * at our local YMCA. But I admit, I havent done that for a while! I have 3 kids, 2 girls and a boy. The oldest is 13, then 11 and our boy is 4. I always make excuses for me not exercising as I should. The girls are on travelling fastpitch teams, the little ones playing T-Ball and the middle daughter is also in Soccer. Our oldest is also a cheerleader. So , they keep me hopping :) Our boy wants to do Karate , we have a studio in town, but he has to be at least 6-7 to start. Im glad your baby is feeling better :) I wish the weather would get warmer, and stay warmer!! Its pretty cold here for this time of year...yuc
Lyne
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 16:15:27 (EDT)
Lyne I know and thats ok. I said it is now fair game! LOL Anyway, my girls are doing fine thanks for asking! Do you have children? I can't remember. My 2 year old is getting into everything and my 4 month old is asleep. DH is sleeping also. He had work last night and he wants to go see a movie tonight. It is his night off. I wish I could go with him but he goes too late. I just started Taebo again. I am so excited but damn I am so sore!!! LOL How are you today?
Wendy
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 15:57:24 (EDT)
Hi Wendy :) Im glad you got to see your grandma. And, for the record, I really couldnt believe *she* said that either, so, I HAD to respond too. Hope your babes are doing well!
Lyne
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 15:53:54 (EDT)
I am home finally. The trip went well and got to see my grandmother. She is really sick. They put her into an extended care facility until she gets strong enough to care for herself. My Grandma is 90 and my grandpa is 89 so he really can't take care of her esp since he fell the other day. So that is why I haven't posted in awhile. Man I really wish I hadn't read the board today though. Sorry ladies, I am going to be bad and respond to a post that is bothering me! LOL Just look away, I wouldn't want any of you to lose respect for me.


Saraj you make me utterly sick. How dare you agree with that statement!!!!! I wish people like you can never have the chance to have children. I have LOST 4 due to miscarriages and EACH ONE of those babies were wanted!!! There are women on here that would love to have their 2nd or even 1st babies and are having a hard time at it and you sit here and gloat about your abortions offering any advice or info!?!?!?! Take that elsewhere, dear. This is not an abortion support group. You remind me of a girl on the pg board when i was pg. She had an abortion b/c she didn't want the baby to wreck her life and her body and the sickest part was that she planned the whole thing and she was 15 weeks pg!!!!! You are just as selfish. You will breed dogs and not abort them? So dogs are more important? You make me sick. I just want to throw up knowing that i lost 4 babies and you KILLED yours out of convience. I have lost all respect for you and will no longer take your side or stand up for you when you get attacked. You are on your own babe. Its fair game now.


Sorry everyone. I just can't stand it. I will be back on later. I am going to go cuddle my WANTED children.
Wendy
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 15:46:00 (EDT)
Jello-shots are so good arent they? Whew... that was a good story Angela :) Shame that the party ended at 8:00 when you spent days preparing for it! Well, you got a good nights sleep for work :)
Lyne
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 15:45:24 (EDT)
LOL Cherokee!! =0)

Just before we left Great Lakes, our neighbor was having a BIG neighborhood block party for her husband's 30th birthday. We set up big gazebo tents, marinated tons of chicken and ribs, made gallons of homemade salsa, potato salad, and.....100's of cherry jello shooters. THOSE are SO dangerous! I had to work at 6:00 the next morning, so I knew better than to even *start*. Not Sonja...she ate maybe one little chicken wing, then did I think 10 shooters within five minutes, that I saw. I know she did more that I did not see though...she went from being a gracious/sweet hostess, to BOOM sloppy/icky drunk! OMGoodness! I helped her as best I could, but she threw-up, and we weren't such close friends I was going to deal with that! Oh, she peed her pants too. So, we spent DAYS preparing for this party, and it broke up at around 8:00, because the hostess passed out in the hallway. They had jello shooters in their garage refrigerator for months afterward too...everytime Sonja tried to clean them out of the fridge, she got nauseated! =o)
angela
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 15:36:56 (EDT)
Lyne~ LOL! Yeah..Saraj does need an ass-whoopin'...and believe me, she'll get it sooner or later..LOL people like her always do! :0) Look at Madeline Murray O'Hare...she sure did get her ass and titanium hip whooped but good! What comes around goes around. Sure am glad I've lived my life right. :0)

Since we are sharing some of our less than flattering moments:

A bunch of us went up to Four Peaks (mountain-y area north east of Phoenix) and started drinking (just beer :0)...I needed to potty so I teetered off with my flashlight into the darkness...I don't like pee-ing in the woods..but hey, when in Rome...so, I figure I'll lean up against this little tree, get my balance and do my bidness. :0) That has always worked for me in the past. Well...turns out this tree isn't a typical pine tree, it is one of those young, VERY BENDABLE ones...not very mature kind of tree. I lean, and so does the tree...turns out the tree is also on a hill which I don't remember climbing? I end up going backwards ...**with my pants around my ankles** ass over teakettle down this hill. Not a big hill, but big enough to get a little momentem. I was picking stickers out of my ass for weeks after that. That is is the only time I have ever been "wasted"..never before, never after. Ha.
Cherokee
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 15:05:46 (EDT)
Angela- Aguadiente (in shots too) is probably as strong as Tequila or stronger and the deal with it is that you are feeling fine one moment and then it hits you before you know it...My DH doesn't like it, because it makes him sick to the stomache, but he seems to forget that fact after he has had a few beers, then he 's mixing it which is worse and you could aonly imagine what the outcome of that may be....
I still drink aguadiente, but I add salt and lots of lemon,, I call it a Colombian Margarita....LOL
Fatima
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 14:59:27 (EDT)
Fatima~The last time I drank Tequila was in 1987!! My then boyfriend and I went out celebrating him accepting his first BIG job after college, and we were drinking tequila shots, with beer chasers. By about midnight we were hungry, and ordered a big basket of breaded mushrooms with Ranch dressing. At closing time he brought me home, THEN figured out he was too drunk to drive, so crashed on the couch(which actually belonged to one of my roommates.) All of a sudden I hear all of this crashing around, and he is stumbling towards the bathroom, did not quite make it and POWER BLEW tequila/deep fried mushroom vomit EVERYWHERE!! I was not feeling so great myself, and he was SO drunk, I ended up cleaning everything. UGH...it was terrible. You know, I can handle blood, guts, poop, pee, anything really...but vomit? I just CANNOT handle it!! Anyway, I had the worst hangover the next day, and kept burping tequila which is nasty the FIRST time around, and though I've done my share of partying since...I have NEVER touched tequila again! I cannot even stand the smell, it makes me gag automatically.
angela
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 14:48:29 (EDT)
That's what he says! I don't remember, I did have them both on, because they were stuck to my eyeballs......
Fatima
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 14:45:09 (EDT)
Fatima... a knife to get your contacts out? haha I guess the Tequila did a number on you huh?
Lyne
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 14:40:23 (EDT)
You Girlies are so funny,,,, I am not much of a drinker and never have been, but one day my ex-SIL showed up at my house with three bottles of Aguadiente(Colombian Tequila, I guess).....Anyhow, it was four of us and by 11:30 p.m. we were gone,, the guys were outside having their share, by the time they came in, we were all having consultations with the bowl, thank goodness for the three baths...According to my DH I asked him for a knife so that I could take my contacts out,, I promise you I don't remember anything after I went upstairs to check on one of the girls,, after that it was a blur....that's why I am scared of drinking now, maybe one or two and that's it for me.......
Fatima
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 14:36:57 (EDT)
Hi Angela :) shes all beat up. There were briars everywhere, she even peed her pants!! lol Yep, I think we've all been there at some point!! haha
Lyne
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 14:16:09 (EDT)
Lyne~I fell in a ditch while visiting Margaritaville too! LOL! I got your email...and sent one back atcha!=)

Melissa~I think almost EVERYBODY has had a few too many and tripped, fell, spilled, etc...don't beat yourself up too bad.=)
angela
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 13:58:53 (EDT)
I cannot believe you just said that saraj! You really are UNBELIEVABLE!! So, have an animal put down ranks right there with killing your babies??? GOD.... you need an ass-whipping!
Lyne
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 13:10:54 (EDT)
Kids are priceless.

..and then someone wrote...

"Unless they are inconvenient for your lifestyle, right? Then you have an abortion and...put them down like a dog!"

My response is ...ABSOLUTELY.

And by the way, I don't think abortion is the topic here. If you would like to discuss abortion, just ask me. I'd be more than happy to educate you on the subject. :-)



Saraj
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 13:03:40 (EDT)
Hey Melissa.... one of my friends was visiting *Margaritaville * also last weekend, and she fell down in a ditch!! So, dont feel so bad!! lol
Lyne
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 13:00:29 (EDT)
Kerri, I have to put neosporin on my abrasions and then wrap it with gauze. Then over my pant leg I put on the immobilizer. It is made out of this cloth spongy material and has 5 velcro straps that go around it, and there is a piece of metal that goes down the back of it. The doctor at the Urgent Care told me it was not necessary to sleep with it on so I haven't. But I can't sleep on my back so in the middle of the night I end up rolling on my side and curl up in a fetal like position but ofcourse that wakes me up because it hurts to bend my knee. This so sucks!!!!

Fatima, glad to know I am not the only one, but at least he was sober. I feel like an 18 year old prom princess who can't hold herself together! LOL
Melissa
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 12:50:38 (EDT)
WOW! Melissa,,,,you really did have a big fall.....It's funny, because my oldest son thought he was Michael Jordan and twisted his ankle and is also on crutches,,,he says the same thing about them, that they hurt under the arms and his hands..His whole foot is black and blue, but at least the swollen has gone down,, this is my son that is leaving for the Marines in about 5 weeks..We have our fingers crossed for him to get better....I told him he needed to stick to soccer..LOL!!!!
I hope things good for you at the doctors......
Fatima
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 12:21:12 (EDT)
Kerri~Yippy!...a fellow parrot head!LOL! You can't help but feel good when you hear Jimmy Buffet music.=) Has anybody hear Kenney Chesney's new song~~"When the Sun Goes Down"? He is a Country Singer, but that song definitely has a Caribbean feel to it...Uncle Cracker sings back up...a GREAT almost summer song I must say.=)
angela
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 12:13:48 (EDT)
Angela-we will have to check out the beach in a month or so. I refuse to pay that much for us to spend a couple hours at a beach! Thanks!

Speaking of Margaritaville...has anyone been to a concert of Buffet's? They are the BEST! I have been twice...in my younger days...and remember having the time of my life...or thinking I can still remember....drinks were a plenty! :) Miss those free spirited days!

Melissa...I forgot to ask...is your knee wrapped or just in the immobilizer?
Kerri
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 12:07:00 (EDT)
Angela, I love that song! I think that there will be no more trips to Margaritaville for me. I think that I will just stick to my wine! LOL
Melissa
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 10:34:44 (EDT)
Melissa~Yep, I've *wiped out* in Margaritaville a few times too...you'll need to work at keeping yourself *between the navigational beacons* next time.LOL! Any of you guys heard the song "It's Five O'clock Somewhere" with Alan Jackson/Jimmy Buffett? They talk about seeing each other in Margritaville...a FEW times! =)
angela
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 10:22:15 (EDT)
Thanks Kerri! I have trying to stay off of it as much as I can, but unfortunately once I take my pain meds it doesn't hurt anymore and I end up walking around and doing the things I should not! LOL
Melissa
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 10:20:58 (EDT)
Kerri~Yes, there IS a beach, and it is actually on the base. Just follow the signs to the marina, or ask the guard at the gate...they're more than happy to give visitors directions. It is free, clean, safe, and only open to military personnel so you don't have to deal with the *riff-raff* you sometimes see on public beaches. We spent MANY a summer afternoon there, and built many sand castles and great memories.=)
angela
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 10:16:18 (EDT)
Melissa-oh dear..OUCH! I will hope to hear that nothing serious is going on with your knee. If it is a sprain/strain it may just take a few weeks to heal...stay off of it as much as possible and like you already mentioned keep it elevated. Add Advil or Motrin also to your pain pills if you are not allergic to them. They help tremendously with inflammation. You can take up to 600-800 mg every 6 hours during the "painful" time..then decrease to the normal 400mg...Good luck and let us know what the doc tells you!
kerri
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 09:59:29 (EDT)
Kerri, I am not sure if I posted it here or not but this is the long and short of it all:

Saturday we had a cook out at my house, I went to "Maragritaville" and lost. In the process I fell in my neighbors drive way (which is gravel). I haven't been able to walk on my leg since. Monday I went to an Urgent Care near my home and they did x-rays and found nothing broken abnd they gave me a tetanus shot, knee immobilizer and pain pills. (and the whole crutch incident) So today at 2:45 I go to an orthopedic doctor to see if I tore any ligaments in my knee.
Melissa
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 09:55:32 (EDT)
Cherokee-we are not moving until after dh graduates (june) but even then July will be a mess with us "homeless" and my husband doing his 2 week active duty time with the Navy...I am not sure yet if me and baby girl can go with him...if not, it is family bunking for us...in a house that doesn't have room! But it is only a few weeks! Or lease ends here where we currently are June 30th. I will be glad to move out, although a beautiful building with a view of Lake Michigan, the rent is OBSCENE! Plus, we have a house out west to sell yet...ah, more stress! But I am not going to think about that until May.
I will always be a member of the sound off board. I love the topics and discussions here!
kerri
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 09:55:02 (EDT)
Melissa...what happened? Did I miss something posted on you?
Kerri
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 09:51:50 (EDT)
Cherokee - ahhhh, yes; my crutches story. At the Urgent Care where I was seen Monday they told me they were going to give me crutches....so finally they came back and said they didn't have any short enough for me, most of their patients are AT LEAST 5'2 - well since I am not even quite 5'0 this presents a small problem. So they give me a Rx for crutches and the lortab. So I go to the closest pharmacy and the shortest crutches they had were for someone who is like 5'9 - well obviously that wasn't going to work. So Tuesday afternoon when I left work I called 4 more pharmacies and FINALLY the last pharmacy had a pair! So now I have been on crutches since Tuesday afternoon and let me tell you that is more painful than no crutches at all. The muscles in my arms are killing me!!
Melissa
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 09:50:27 (EDT)
Good Lord Melissa..you are a mess girl! LMAO (j/k)

Sounds like you are having a rough go of it. You should take the day off tomorrow..didn't they give you any crutches?
Cherokee
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 09:44:57 (EDT)
Kerri, Also, I was going to add, I hear what you saying about only 2 days. (I work three, but if I go to two, then I have to pay for part-time benefits..much different than the regular fulltime which is practically free for the whole family).

Shifts in the ER are like "dog years" LMAO..they just seem like they are alot longer, and "older" than they really are. Kind of like when you are at war in the trenches....literally!

;0)


Cherokee
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 09:43:33 (EDT)
Good morning ladies!

Cherokee - I go to the orthopedic doctor today at 2:45. I think, no matter what the doc says I am going to tell the boss I can't work tomorrow that I need to keep my leg elevated. I just don't think I can do the 2 flights of stairs again tomorrow.I tell ya, I almost wish some one would take me out in the woods and shoot me - I have the bad knee, plus the muscles in my other leg and hip hurt from supporting all of my body weight on one leg, plus my are still REALLY is sore from the tetanus shot they gave me, PLUS I am on my period!!! I mean GEEZ, does it get any worse?????
Melissa
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 09:41:21 (EDT)
Kerri! LOL! that is great! Where will you be moving? So..baby number 2 eh? How wonderful..best of luck with that! Will you still be visiting the sound off board...I hope?!! Thanks for the compliment and all of encouragement. I am really having to "let go" of alot. You know what I mean..my house isn't perfect anymore, nothing is perfect any more LOL...I have called a few cleaning companies, they are REALLY expensive. DH wants to keep looking, as he *thinks* he can get a better deal somewhere else. He feels like he just needs to be with the kids and that's it. He does cook great, which I appreciate. There is just not ENOUGH time in the day. I could do it all, I figured it out, but then I would get just 1.75 hours of sleep per day. Heehee. I don't think I would be much fun to be around. :0) I just "want" someone to clean my house LOL..my MOM who is the biggest snob in the world says to me..."really, you just need to manage your time better"! HRRRMMPPPHHH...she got a little dial tone in that conversation. LOL! I know, I'm obcessing. I've always prided myself on a tidy organized home..even as a single parent I was very organized. My boys came over day before yesterday and my 10 year old said.."hey Mom, is everything ok?" as he is looking around the living room stepping over toys...{[sigh}} oh well.


Cherokee
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 09:39:45 (EDT)
Good Morning everyone!
Cherokee-you made me laugh with the "low man" thing at work...Welcome to the hours of the hospital! I am sure it was like that as a fireman/EMT...but it is the one thing I hate about working in a hospital. Because I started my job last June, I am pretty low also which caused me to work Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, AND NY Day! Thank goodness I am not working Easter or Mother's Day...but will have Memorial Day. The pay is great, but I feel like I am missing out on the family events...ya know? I am thinking about quitting before the 4th of July however because that is my next holiday that I DO NOT want to work...besides with husband accepting a job out of state after graduation there is no need to work past June. It is funny...I am looking forward to the break...and I only work2 shifts a week! You on the otherhand work that...are in school...and have more than one child! You are amazing and motivated! :)
The fun thing I have to look forward to is when we move, we will TTC for #2. So I will be joining all you other mom's out there trying for the same. I just pray it happens sooner rather than later...I would LOVE a summer baby ...in 2005!

Angela-thanks for the info on Great Lakes. My friend actually brought her daughter there to the ER yesterday for a visit and was pleasantly surprised. She said everyone was very professional. We both are driving out to the commissary tomorrow! Isn't thre a beach there? Is it free?
Can you all believe the beach here in Evanston is $7 per PERSON over age 1! A BEACH! Never in my life have I had to pay for anything but parking to go to a beach! Maybe that is the new thing nowadays...

Kerri
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 09:28:29 (EDT)
Hiya Jmo~

Well, since I am "low man on the totem pole" at work, and new, I have a feeling I am going to be assigned the next few holidays LOL! That's ok..this holiday is on Sunday and I normally work that day anyhow. The upside: I work for a hospital owned by Catholic Healthcare West. That means Good Friday is also a recognized holiday. So, in addition to night shift differential, weekend shift differential, and also holiday pay for 2-12 hour shifts, I end up making an extra $15/hr on top of my pay all weekend. Not a bad draw huh? We have been coloring eggs with Madison all weekend. This year, it is my ex's turn to have the boys for Easter. Since I will be sleeping after shift/before shift, my oldest daughter is coming home for a quick dinner at 5pm before I have to go to work. It will be casual, but nice. How's things with you?

Traci~ work is great...thanks for asking, you're sweet. I think working only 2-12 hour shifts per week would be the best, with school, but I just have to buck up.:0) How's the baby bump?

Melissa~ How is your knee? Did you have your appt yet or is that today? Good luck..(shaking my finger LOL) DO WHAT HE SAYS! :)

hey Ang, Lyne and everyone, buenas dias mis amigas! It's only 5:20am right now (I love it when the house is quiet and the babes are still sleeping, I gets LOTS done!--also gives DH and I some quality alone time ;P)and I opened all the windows, there is a balmy breeze going on and it's lovely. We got a nice thunderstorm yesterday late afternoon, almost like a monsoon thing, but it's WAY to early for that, we usually get those late July/early August. Anyway..this is the weather I love!

Well, TC all! {{hugs}}
Cherokee
Thursday, April 08, 2004 at 08:23:37 (EDT)
Barb- LOL.....Dallas is my husbands name. He is gone right now , he comes back in may.
traci
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 21:26:21 (EDT)
hi everyone! angela, i felt so sick to my stomach reading what happened to your little girl. that is definitely one of my worst fears. i love my dogs (well my parents dog and my brother's dog) but generally speaking, i don't like other dogs. i just cannot trust any animal. like someone said, it doesnt' matter how well bred they are, you just never know!

well i hope everyone is enjoying their day....is everybody off for Good Friday or is it not a holiday for you?

any special easter plans?

have a good one ladies (and gents!)
j-mo
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 18:45:43 (EDT)
Barb~I don't know when Traci will get back to the board to let you know that HER Dallas, is her DH. Different than OUR Dallas here.=)
angela
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 17:41:04 (EDT)
Traci -- I can't remember... do you work with Dallas? And why is she gone? Just trying to keep things straight.

Barb
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 16:55:27 (EDT)
Hello.........How is everyone doing?

Wow, things have actually calmed down, it's nice!

I have a lab mix. She is a great dog. Extremely friendly and she LOVES children. She also likes cats..lol.She is mixed with wemeriener(sp?) She is 5 this month. I have had her since she was 8 wks old. Her name is reyna. The only thing I don't like about labs is they are very hiper. They never seem to outgrow the puppy stage! She still looks like a big puppy!! I think we will stick to the lab breeds. Maybe next yr. some time we will get them a yellow lab. I would also like a small lap dog. I know, a lot of people hate ankle biters, but I think some of them are sooo adorable! Plus I always wanted a house dog and my husband will NOT let Reyna in our house!!LOL! She is such a spaz!! I love her to death though! She is a great dog. She is very very protective of me and she WOULD bite if she felt she needed to. Plus I have her trained to the snap of my fingers, that took a while..lol!

Angela- I am so sorry that happened to your daughter. Those people should have put that dog down! The only time I think a dog should not be put down after a bite is if they were provoked. Of course that is the only way they can protect themselves. But a dog that viciously attacks a small child just for the heck of it needs to be put down!Besides, how can a toddler provoke a dog? Some dogs are just born mean , just like people!

Cherokee- How is work going? That is so cute that he learned a new sentance.....I love it when they are little like that.

Hi to everyone else hope you are doing well.
I haven't been coming on here much. I have been really tired, especially since Dallas is gone. I get a little lonely at times..lol.
Talk to you later
traci
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 16:29:22 (EDT)
Hi Dallas :) Yup... he peed right on his foot! He kept trying to pet him and kept calling him over to him, and welp, I guess he sensed what we already knew..the guy was an ass! haha His daughter is nice, hes just a dick. And, our dog knew it!! lol Our neighbor came over the other night, and our dog went nuts, growling and barking, he didnt come in the house, was just outside the door. Hes a nice guy, noffense to ANYONE, but the guy is black, and our god barks at every black person he sees. Our other Lab did that too, I dont know why? Our neighbor is afraid of him, he calls him * jaws *! haha My husband calls him * the land shark *!
Lyne
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 16:03:09 (EDT)
LMAO...Your dog pees on people he doesn't like...So does my son. :)

If William doesn't like you, you'll figure it out soon enough because he'll pee on you and start yelling. I guess small children can sense evil, kinda like animals?



Dallas
email: shortbiscuit83@aol.com
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 15:55:02 (EDT)
Barb... I can relate to that too. When my hubbys dad came to give our son his birthday card ( cant buy him a gift because hes the grandpa who really doesnt give a shit that my son exists ) grrrr... anyway, he was just inside the front door, and our dog walked up and sat inbetween him & our son!! His dad says * boy, hes protective * yep, you better believe it!! He sleeps with us too :) We have a king size bed, so that helps. Sometimes he will sleep w/our oldest daughter, she has a queen water bed... plenty of room for him too !! One time, our middle daughter had one of her friends over to play, and the little girls dad came to pick her up, he came in the front door, and our dog just sniffed and sniffed, I yelled at him to lay down several times.. he walks up to him one more time, lifts his leg and pees on his foot!! I guess he didnt like him!! haha I told him he would have to wait on the front porch next time since my dog didnt like him!! lol
Lyne
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 15:48:34 (EDT)
Dallas~We had a Border Collie, and he WAS a great dog! So smart and friendly! His name was Trevor, and we got him at 6 weeks old. He went to Obedience School, and Puppy Socialization Classes (a Brit thing.) When we came back to the States, it was late May and too hot for the Airline to fly him in, and we could not have him flown in until October. So, our neighbors took care of him, and by the time October came they were very attached to him/ and he loved them too, and we just did not have the heart to separate them, so he still lives in Great Britain, has been a father a few times over, and is spoiled rotten!=) Our dog now is a Black Cocker Spaniel...he barks like CRAZY if anybody comes through the door. He'll also come and let us know, the SECOND, the baby so much as squirms in the morning to let us know it is time for her to get up. His one really annoying trait is whining when we are eating dinner. I cannot STAND that, but he is an old dog, and it is one thing we have been unable to get him to stop.
angela
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 15:45:05 (EDT)
Talking about protective dogs -- my hubby and I took our daughter and our dogs to the dog park a few weeks ago (it's a big, fenced-in area and all the dogs -- there had to be 100 of them that day -- run free and play with each other) and neither of my dogs would leave Isabelle's side. Any time a dog came near her stroller, they got between the dog and the stroller to protect her. And even the second day after we came home from the hospital with Izzy, my parents came to visit with their dog and my dogs wouldn't let that dog near their little sister.

I love my dogs like children (and treat them that way -- they sleep with us!), and I feel good about having them for protection. Anytime they see someone on our front lawn, they bark (and their bark's are LOUD) and I feel confident that if anyone ever threated me or my hubby or my daughter, they'd intervene. But they're the loviest dogs ever. They've loved every guest we've ever had, and love all the people we encounter on our walks... their worst quality is that they'll lick you to death.

Barb
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 15:39:49 (EDT)
We have always had Labs. I have never had a problem at all with them, altho my Lab now ( my last one died of cancer, had him since he was 6 weeks old ).... he is VERY protective of me and the kids! I can see him hurting someone if they broke in and saw that I was scared. He has never been agressive towards us at all. I take bones from him all the time and sometimes pull his food bowl away to test him. But, I have been doing this since we got him ( 6 weeks old ) so he knows, he better NOT make a fuss!! I have to say tho, as much as I love dogs, they can change in a second, unfortunatly!
Barb...if we do get a Saint, I will take a pix :) I can do without all that slobber tho!! But, you can have something done so they dont slobber near as much.
Lyne
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 15:29:13 (EDT)
As for an outside dog, I recommend a border collie. They're extremely intelligent, very loyal and protective and they love children. My uncle raises border collies, and I had a border collie for a long, long time. She died of kidney failure though. Awesome dog, though. She burped, crawled, wrestled, watched TV, and if there was a group of kids in the yard, she'd herd them. It was hilarious. I'd go inside for something to drink, come back out and all my friends would be grouped up into a tight crowd, and the dog would be circling them. I can still hear them "Dude, your dog thinks we're sheep! WTF?!"
Dallas
email: shortbiscuit83@aol.com
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 15:21:13 (EDT)
You know, I've found that the best dog to have around kids is a Scottish Terrier. You have to get them very young, and they have to be black males. They're more aggressive towards intruders, but are very good with young children. My mom got one when I was really small after our Australian terrier got killed, and the dog and I grew up together. That dog was SO loyal. And it only went after adults he felt was a threat to our well-being. He never went after a small child. I guess because he grew up with me. :) It was a sad day when he passed a few years back. It was like losing a family member.
Dallas
email: shortbiscuit83@aol.com
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 15:16:00 (EDT)
Lyne -- if you get a Saint Bernard, PLEASE tie a barrel around his neck and post the photo for us! Every time I see that breed I say, "Where's his barrel?", referring to the cartoons of the dogs rescuing people in the snow with a barrel of wiskey (or whatever alcohol) tied around his/her neck. So cute!

I've worried about my dogs with my daughter. She's going to be one in 10 days, and they've grown to love her (she's their best friend since she's been handing them food off her high chair tray!). Twice my husky mutt (Tobi) showed her teeth when Isabelle used her to crawl up on her back while Tobi was chewing a bone. We just make sure Izzy doesn't go near the dogs while they're eating or if they have a bone. But since then, Izzy's used Tobi to stand up and pulls on her hair and the other day Izzy even used Tobi to stand up and threw her arms around her neck and gave her a hug, then pulled back and kissed Tobi right on the mouth! It was adorable.

Our other dog, an Australian cattle dog mutt (Tempe), runs away if Izzy crawls up to him. He pretty much stays away from her unless he's licking her or letting him pet her. She giggles so hard if they lick her!

Just Friday Izzy said her first word: "nice". Since birth, we've told her to pet the dogs nicely because there've been times where she'll swing at them. So we always say "nice" while we're petting them with her. She was petting Tobi and she said "nice" clear as could be! A cute story for her baby book.

Barb
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 15:15:37 (EDT)
Kids are priceless.


Saraj
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 14:03:24 (EDT)
-----------------------------
Unless they are inconvenient for your lifestyle, right? Then you have an abortion and...put them down like a dog!
- - - - - -
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 15:09:21 (EDT)
Our neighbors have a Mastiff. Man is he ever a gorgeous dog!! I want one, and my husband wants a St Bernard. This Mastiff weighs about 200 lbs, hes HUGE. hes got the biggest head I think I have ever seen on a dog. Then the neighbors on the other side of us have a Rot. The thing that makes me really weary of his is that he is 2 yrs old, they just got him a couple weeks ago, and he was abused, and the dogs he was with were Pit Bulls. I am usually not nervous around dogs, but I am wearly of him. His name is Brutis Van-Wolfgang! funny huh?
Angela.... man, how scary!! Im really shocked that she is not afraid of dogs. I guess thats good in a way, dogs do sense when people are afraid of them. My husbands dad id afraid of our Lab, and he knows it!! Of course, I wish my dog would just piss on his foot or something!! lol
Lyne
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 14:50:48 (EDT)
Oh~I wanted to add that this dog was a British Bull Mastiff, and they were originally bred to protect the royal children, and are known to be GREAT dogs for children, despite their size. The fact that he turned on a small child was a surprise to a lot of people...just proof that a dog, even those genetically bred to be child friendly, can still turn.
angela
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 14:41:29 (EDT)
Actually, this dog gave no warning...no growl, nip,...nothing. He just turned, picked her up, and started shaking. His owners could have lied about him having no history of this type of behavior too, though. The last we knew he was at a Rescue Centre in Cornwall for Bull Mastiffs, and being used to stud. He has an addendum on his British Kennel Club papers stating that he is never to be placed in a home with children. Personally, I wanted him put down, but we were in another country and they (British Security on base) handled it according to their protocol. I agree though, that a dog that nips/snarls etc. at a small child, EVER, cannot be trusted.
angela
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 14:38:11 (EDT)
oops..KIDS not kiNds..lol!
Saraj
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 14:03:46 (EDT)
Wow...dog attacks on kinds...
My neice was attacked..she was trying to take food away, but she was only 2. We killed the dog...and my neice is now 12 and she stil has bad facial scars.

This is one of the reasons I breed labs...our dogs are the most gentle and kind pets I've ever known.

If EVERYONE went by the rule that ANY dog that growls at a child in a terrifying way ,be put down, attacks like that of angela's child would be very very infrequent. I don't care what anyone says...a dog that growls or nips at a child has a death sentence. That's how it is here!

Kids are priceless.


Saraj
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 14:03:24 (EDT)
I got ready a little early, so I wanted to make a few comments.

Angela - yikes! That is so scarey. I got attacked by a dog when I was little, but nothing like that. I still have a scar on my breast from it, though. A lab, of all things!

Shawanda - I don't know if those are the exact scriptures I was talking about - I am going to have to go back in some of my journals I used to write in when I was really depressed and trying not to use food as a crutch.

And as a general comment about obesity - yes, our culture really is getting larger and unhealthier. My husband is one of those eat whatever you want and never gain a pound, always strong types. He doesn't understand why I feel so uptight about setting a good example for our daughter. I can't remember who was talking about their daughter loving veggies - well, dd won't eat onions, but she loves broccoli and brussel sprouts, carrots, bell peppers, fruit of all kind, peas, beans, most meats (she loves crab and lobster - we live close to the ocean, thank goodness, not all that expensive here). She also loves salmon. And we do things like pull weeds, play jumping jacks, wrestle, she helps me do housework, and she even "helps" me take care of the horses, to some extent (she sits in a wheel barrow out in the pasture while I haul water from the creek). We have a make beleive trampoline (she is getting the real thing for her bday in June) and we bounce in it. So, even though I am overweight, she doesn't have a sedentary role model. We are also hoping to get a basket ball hoop this summer, we have a nice poured concrete drive to put it on. Hopefully, she will never have to battle weight problems like I have / am. BUT what I really started to say is that everyone has some sort of compulsive behavior that they resort to when they are stressed out - some of them are just healthier than others ;op. Smoking, exercising, being online, reading, sleeping, eating, drinking, gardening... if you think about the poeple in your life, I'll bet even the thin, "normal" ones have some sort of thing they do when they are stressed.
Okay, enough here. Now it IS time to go.
Margarita
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 11:54:06 (EDT)
Hey yall! I hope everyone is doing ok today.

I am still just sitting around with my leg propped up like a gimp. I go to the orthopedic doctor tomorrow and I guess we will see if I have torn the ligaments in my knee. I guess since af showed yesterday we are officially on a break now, so I suppose I don't have to feel guilty about the pain killers! LOL

Well I guess that is about it for me for now. I will pop in later!
Melissa
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 11:24:27 (EDT)
I am in a hurry, just popped on to check email before I go to class, but I am going to go out on a limb here an post my email so that you can email me Cherokee - I don't want to clutter up Wendy's inbox if she is not feeling well.

McManus_3@centurytel.net
Gotta run.

Margarita
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 11:05:01 (EDT)
Cherokee~Yes, I was RIGHT there...it literally happened in a blink of an eye. I got him to drop her, but then he just picked her up again, and started shaking her like a doll. I actually got him to stop by punching him on the nose if you can believe it. I punched him as hard as a could, a few times actually, on his snout which stunned him enough to make him stop so I could get between him and my baby. I was just stunned, and poor Maranda could not even cry, all she said was "he hurt me bad mommy." I could have killed him, I really, literally, could have. Within a few minutes her pallor turned really gray, and she got very sleepy. I remember thinking I could not let her sleep, because I was afraid she would not wake up. Then, when the ambulance got there, I remember the medic asking if I had seen what the dog did to her back, and I answered that I had. Then he asked me if I had saved the tissue the dog had bitten off, and I remember being confused because I had not thought to look for it. This next part is bad, so tender stomachs look away, but we NEVER found it, and the surgeons had to stitch her back together without it.
angela
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 10:04:11 (EDT)
Hey everyone..it was really nice chatting with all of you this am..I hear baby boy on the monitor saying "all gone all gone..." (new words he started yesterday LOL..)So I need to run and get breakfast...also, much homework/studying to do.

Margarita..if you want to chat off the board Wendy has my email addy.

TC everyone..it is supposed to be 80F today..we had a slight reprieve last week with some rain that cooled off a bit...back to high temps again I see.

Have a beautiful day!
Cherokee
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 09:57:33 (EDT)
Shawanda~

Exactly! She's going to be fine..and she sounds absolutely gorgeous..You are right about the pretty face thing too..my friend is about 80 lbs over weight but she is a good looking woman. Whenever she would comment on how she felt about her size, I *thought* I was positively reinforcing her body image by saying "you have a beautiful face" and she finally said to me "You know when a fat person talks about their weight it's ok to acknowledge it right? Stop telling me I am pretty..it makes me feel like YOU are uncomfortable with MY weight". That made sense..I don't do that anymore.

Geez, Angela, I don't even know how I would deal with that. How terrifying..did you see the dog attack her..oh Lord what would I do? Kill it with my bare hands (not realistically I know)..but goodness. I can't BELIEVE that she is not even afraid of dogs. Amazing.
Cherokee
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 09:54:01 (EDT)
Cherokee~Hey girl! Yep, that was me! I think we were talking about universal health care at one time, and I shared the experience my family had with it. Maranda tells people she got *chewed up* by a big bull dog...that's pretty accurate...he munched on her pretty well, as well as shaking her so hard her collar bone broke. I would have shot the bastard on site, but I had to take care of my baby, and by the time I got around to finishing up my business with that dog, base security & his owners had secured him at a Rescue Centre. He had no history of that sort of thing before, and to this day we are not sure what happened, but he weighed over a hundred pounds, and Maranda only weighed in at about 25 pounds so it was not even close to a fair fight. I think the hardest part was sitting alone at night in the hospital with her, and being so far from home. My little girl needed her mommy, and I needed MY mommy, but she was in the States, and I was in Great Britain. Sniff! Sniff! Would you believe Maranda is NOT afraid of dogs, either? She loves them! Kids are certainly resillient.
angela
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 09:35:10 (EDT)
Cherokee-

Joyce weighed 8lbs and 13 oz at birth (c-section) and she was 19 3/4 inches long. She was a big baby. I ate everything! I didn't hold back when I was pregnant :). She's pretty active at school and ,like I mentioned, when she and I play together. But you know what? I don't want her to feel subconscience about her weight when she's older. My mother mentioned that if she is heavier (Joyce), play up on her looks (she's really cute-and I'm not just saying that because I'm her mom. People often comment on how pretty she is) She has a caramel complexion with hazel eyes and reddish brown hair. Really pretty girl :) Also, I don't want people to say the usual, "she has a pretty face". People think that they are offering a compliment, but that's an insult to someone who is overweight, at least this is what my friends who are slighty thicker tell me. I'm in no way obessed as I use to be with weight and exercising. I use to tell my mother who is an RN (neonatology unit) about the right foods. But hey, when you tell a 58 year old woman about her weight, honey you are looking for a backlash. :) She told me to MIND MY BUSINESS and leave hers alone (how funny!) I left that alone.:)

angela-
I didn't know that your daughter was attacked by a dog? I'm so sorry to hear that. USAREUR just put into affect a mandatory policy that all military personnel must keep their dogs on a leach. People were walking around with these huge dogs and allowing them to walk without leaches. One little German civil was attacked by a soldier's dog. Talk about the relationship between Germans and Americans when that happened. I don't why people think that dogs will not attack. Don't get me wrong I love dogs, absolutely love them. I have a Rat Terrier, but I know that he is an animal, and if given the right circumstances he will attack, eventhough he's small. The fine for dogs being unleached here is 5,000 euro that mounts up to around $6050.00 dollars! That should teach us (Americans) to keep our dogs on a leach. Germans treat their dogs like humans, but they keep them leached.

Anyway, I shouldn't worry about Joyce. If she happens to be a little heavy that's o.k. As long as she is able to pass her weight standard when she's ready to get commissioned (my dream-I want to continue her father and brother's tradition of military service). Her dad wants her to be Chaplain like him :).

TC Ladies
Choos
Shawanda
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 09:34:15 (EDT)
Hey Margarita~

Any good tips you want to throw my way for studying for multiple-class midterms...all three of my classes have their mid-terms within three days of each other. Next week. AAAAACCCKKKK!
Cherokee
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 09:16:50 (EDT)
hey Angela!

Oh my ogsh! YOU were the mom talking about their baby getting mauled? I remember that...poor little girl..how did you deal with that?
Cherokee
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 09:03:19 (EDT)
Shawanda..My four older kids were all BIG babies...8 3/4, 9, and one just a hair under 10 lbs. They were chunky chunky toddlers too. My now almost 21 year old is shapely..lol..WAY more voluptuous than I was at 21 (I had to have kiddies to get voluptuous LOL..what is it with young women these days..do they just "make" them like that younger now !?)and the two middle boys are very involved in golf, taikwondo, baseball and soccer. They also thinned up just fine..at normal weight. My youngest daughter, age 7, started ballet and soccer at age 4. She also thinned out. I *did* worry when they were really young because people would say at the store or whereever "My what a cute baby..so chubby" I mean, every time..that was part of the sentence.

I have mentioned my SIL's absolute OBCESSION with their weight and bodies. They are in their mid forties and having a major crisis. They have both been married and divorced twice, with multiple kids. They literally go to the gym every night, leaving the kids at home to fend for themselves. They totally freak out over their carb points, no red meat, low protein diet, and the other SIl is a raw foodist ("COOKED FOOD IS POISON" she always says..she RUINED my Thanksgiving Dinner, by spending the entire time everyone was eating by telling us all how enzymes don't break down cooked food, yada yada, how clogged our arteries are, yuckie, and we are all going to die and all of course, I was tryin to poison us all with the mashed potatoes and stuffing). I could have just smacked her. Stupid. Anyway...all of this, and they tell their kids to heat up a frozen mac/cheese dinner or whatever in the microwave while they are at the gym, on a hike, or out at the salsa clubs. They do have great bodies...but the way they are always, literally in every conversation they have talking about their workout, their diet, whatever really takes away from their attractiveness. It seems like every family event, they have to draw attention to themselves with..."so, what do think of these muscles I've developed"...get's old. I'm not as tight or as thin as I was before I had Esai. Baby #5 does make a difference. I also haven't been doing mad workouts or major dieting as we have been ttc for the last year, I didn't feel it was healthy. I thought maybe I might have been on the "thin" side before I had little man. But those two girls are always saying, you should come to the gym with us, you should try this diet, always suggesting to me I don't look "my best"...they also tell me how "my brother likes his women"...Bleccht! Both of them are probably 10 lbs underweight. I hit that Atkins Diet site because I wanted to see if my weight was off. I am within normal weight range. I also am very muscular, which is heavier than fat. My ideal BMI is 18.5-25. I am at 24. I was happy with that!

Little Joyce is just a baby still...I'll bet once she starts doing more activities on base as she gets older, she is going to thin out just fine. I wouldn't worry! :0)


Cherokee
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 08:59:02 (EDT)
Kerri~Hi! I got my prenatal care with Mason at the Navy Hospital with Dr. Ginkel. I delivered at Condell in Libertyville. Another Navy Mom, who's son was in kindergarten with our oldest daughter at the time, had the same doctor I did, and she delivered at Lake Forest hospital. She (and other moms) said it is VERY nice...nice rooms, nice nurses, etc. Condell had just remodelled their maternity unit when I delivered, and that was VERY nice too. Also, the nurses were great! Either hospital is wonderful to deliver at, and my prenatal care at the Navy hospital was super...Dr. Ginkel is a great guy, even if he IS a civillian.=0) Let your friend know though, that there are days she may have a wait for her prenatal appointments...if the doctors get called away to one of the hospitals for a delivery, prenatal appointments tend to get backed up. As long as you know you need to be patient, and bring a good book, it is well worth it. We had a great experience.

Shawanda~Our oldest daughter was always a very tiny little girl, and only weighed 6'4" at birth. Now she is eight, and rather *large*. She is the biggest girl in her class! She is also getting tall though, and my mother assures me that as she gets taller, she'll thin out...genetically we were all *round* in elementary school, then got quite tall. She is in T-ball this summer, and loves it, but gets embarrassed because she does not run very fast...part of that is weight, and part of it is her left leg is shorter than her right(she was mauled by a dog when she was three, and nerve damage in that leg stunted its growth, making running difficult.) She has learned to compensate though, and she can HIT the ball further than any of the other kids (boys included). So, while they are busy trying to field the ball, she gets more time to run. She, like your daughter, likes her mealtimes! And, we hate to deny her if she is still hungry, you know? BUT, we have almost cut out the *junk* in the house...no chips, cakes, cookies, etc. except for dessert...no junky munching. If she wants a snack she can have grapes, oranges, apples, etc. Hopefully, my mother is correct, and by junior high she'll keep growing vertically, not horizontally!=)
angela
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 08:58:06 (EDT)
Magarita-

Please never worry. I'm not easily offended. :) According to the Word of God, we should never be easily offended. It really takes a lot to offend me (really). I know the scriptures that you are speaking of. One that comes to mind is "Be in good health and prosper even as your soul prospers". So, the bible tells us that we should be in "good health". Thus, "faith without works is dead". We can sit on our sofas and "hope" to be healthy, but works is needed as well. Right?

covergirl-
Joyce weighs about 45 lbs now. She is pretty chunky, really cute too, though :). I never say anything about her weight to her (she's only a baby). I take her out to play at the park and we run after one another (things like that). On the other subject, I'm doing fine. I weight 120lbs (5'3" tall). I try not ot get overly obsessed with my weight and with prayer I've been doing just fine. When I lived in Tampa (last year-we were stationed at Mac Dill) I was really obessesed with looking really good when my husband returned from Iraq. When he saw me he just looked. He said later, that I was too thin, about 104 lbs then. it's an uphill battle that I am winning! :)
Joyce is soo cute, I use to have pictures of her on the web, but since I moved to Germany, I can seem to find the disk that I used to post on my family website. Oh well! It's not that her weight really bothers me for vain reasons, it's a health issue. I've heard of children who have diabetes only because of their weight, they lose the weight and stop taking insulin. That's a problem. Joyce loves to eat, and I do mean love to eat! She wakes up and the first thing that she says is, "I want breakfast". That's usually a bowl of oatmeal and 3 slices of bacon (turkey). She then wants lunch around 2 hours later which is also big. Maybe she takes from her aunts. They are really big boned, but they have really nice shapes, and nice bums. :) I'll see what happens. My mother mentioned that just because she is heavy now, doesn't mean that she will be a heavy adult. I'll see....

Choos
Shawanda
email: rshawanda@hotmail.com
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 03:38:43 (EDT)
Margarita-it is only a matter of time until my mother needs a cane or walker. She is only 59 and lives like this. The sad thing is, she is expecting her kids to take care of her when she can no longer work. She has nothing saved for retirement! UGG, but that is a whole other problem. Your aunt does sound like my mom!

Angela- thanks, I just read the post. Did you actually have a baby at the medical center? If so, when? My friend has been "contracted out" to Lake Forest Hospital for her pregnancy. She asked me if I knew anything about the medical system since we are Navy too, but since we are reserve, we don't get tricare anymore...only during his recall did we get it. We still get the dental through them, but not medical. Tricare was really good...I liked it a lot more than the basic plan we are paying for out of pocket right now.
Kerri
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 00:03:49 (EDT)
Angela - hi!! Saw you had posted at the same time I did so thought I would try to send you this real time hello.
Margarita
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 at 23:06:29 (EDT)
Kerri,
Boy, you could have been writing about my aunt.
I don't know exactly what health complications she has, but she does have diabetes and several other health concerns - some type of heart failure among them. She is in her very early 60's and who knows how long she will be around. She wasn't very nice to us kids before, but now that she lives closer to us and relys on us to help her out, she gets along just fine with us ;o). She also has a "poor me" attitude. She will eat a whole bag of candy or chocolates when she visits at my moms or sisters (they both always keep a full candy dish). She can't come to my house because she has a walker and we have 3 steps up into our backdoor, and then 3 or 4 steps up into our front! That is pretty sad. She is also obese, and has the same swollen ankles you are talking about. No idea what to do to entice someone in this position to improve themselves... I think my aunt has just given up. My cousin died when she was about 10, I forget what from exactly but it was something really common and you wouldn't think it would cause death. Then my uncle divorced her about 10 years ago. So, yes, she has some reasons to be sad, but she needs to choose to live (and it might be too late now).
Margarita
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 at 23:05:12 (EDT)
Kerri~I replied to your post regarding the hospital at NTC Great Lakes. The post is in the archives for the last topic. =)
angela
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 at 23:03:06 (EDT)
Wow, after a 72 degree day here in Chicago all I can say is MORE! We went to the park twice today!

Obesity has touched my life personally with my mother. All her life she has been fighting with weight. When she was a teenager her doctor prescribed amphetamines. The weight "melted" off and for the first and only time in her life she had boys "fighting" for dates with her! After getting married and three babies later she regained her "heavy" self. She has tried every diet, every weight loss shake, and even Jenny Craig/Seattle Sutton. Nothing works with her because in my heart she is too lazy to follow a routine. She, like Vanessa's mom, believes in nuking food or heading out to KFC. I have been warning her for the past 10 years about all the problems she will encounter with her health if she doesn't do something FAST. So far she has 2 bad knees (even though both have had replacements), bad back with a herniated disc, high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart from working so hard), type II diabetes, high cholesterol, depression, gallbladder removed (so she should be on a low fat diet...but isn't), frequent bronchitis, swollen sore feet with messed up ankles (probably from carrying around too much weight), sleep apnea, and she cannot do a flight of stairs without having to sit down from being so short of breath and perspiring. I have predicted all of her problems including the soon to occur heart attack if she doesn't lose some weight. Nothing seems to get through her stubborn head...any suggestions from anyone who did the hard feat of weight loss from a morbidly obese state?
She cannot go to the zoo or any sort of museum with us because she can't walk more than 5 minutes at a time. It is very sad, yet that doesn't seem to be enough to motivate her. She is also a "nightmare patient" in the hospital...very demanding because no one "understands how hard it is for her". I am pretty much ready to just give up. She doesn't care...why should I??? I guess I am just tired of all her body complaints and "woo is me"...
Kerri
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 at 21:23:41 (EDT)
Shawanda: I wonder if you used some quotes from the Bible supporting your desire to keep your daughter healthy your husnband would be more interested in helping out? I know he is probably familiar with them already, but may not think about what he is setting your dd up for until someone points it out to him. I can't recall off the top of my head, but you know, the ones that describe the body as a temple, gluttony, etc. Boy oh Boy I hope that doesn't come out wrong!! I am not preaching, only trying to help ;oP

Cherokee - I have a total body gym too! Haven't used it since I had dd because I didn't have any place to use it away from her, and I was afraid she would grab the runners while I was using it and get her fingers smashed. But, dh just cleaned out the garage so I can set it up in there, and she can ride her Barbie bike while I use it, and draw on the floor with chalk...

Geez, the darn daylight savings in addition to earlier classes has been giving us a run... having really hard time adjusting dd's sleep schedul to get up earlier to go to my first class - been 5 minutes late both days now!! I put her to bed at 7, but she sits in her room and plays and "reads" until after 9! She was going to bed at 8 without much issue before daylight savings time, but now I am putting her down at 7 because she is getting up earlier and that combined with dst, it must feel like she is going to bed at 6 because she just doens't seem tired at all. Sorry for the vent, not really the place for it.

Well, my 5 minutes on here are up!

TC
Margarita
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 at 19:02:54 (EDT)
Angela and Melissa -- I noticed the use of "anymore", too. I have a close friend from Scranton, Pa. who used it like you did, Melissa. And I went to school there for two years and heard it all the time. It stuck out in my head, too, and brought back good memories (I live 12 hours from my friend, so I rarely see her anymore).

Barb
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 at 17:59:08 (EDT)
Hi, all. Wow, it's been a while! I've been lurking for some time, but haven't posted because we've MOVED TO ANOTHER STATE! Yikes, what a hassle. Anyway, we're happy here, and feel like we made the right choice, so...

Anyway, I think that as our generation (X, is it?) ages, obesity will probably claim more and more lives. We are a nation that just makes such poor health choices so many times. I wasn't taught good eating habits. I am the youngest of three, my mother worked full-time, went to college part-time, and sort of raised us by herself until I was 13--my father's job took him all over the country, and he'd be gone for weeks at the time. Needless to say, my mother's idea of a well-balanced meal was a bucket of KFC and three sides. Also, Hamburger Helper--anything she could throw into one pot and BANG! Out came supper! I tell people I learned to cook out of self-defense.

Anyway, my husband and I eat sometimes very good, sometimes very bad. But we do make sure the very good outweighs the very bad. We love to fry hot wings, and we both LOOOOVE pasta, but we also grill at least twice a week. The whole shabang--chicken, veggies, fish, you name it, we love it grilled.

I think we're teaching our daughter good eating habits. For breakfast, she eats a Nutrigrain bar (she really likes the ones with yogurt)and maybe half a banana, and has 4 to 8 oz of 1% milk. No morning snacks. For lunch, she is currently on a PB&J tare. But, it's no-sugar-added jelly, and whole wheat bread. Maybe some fresh strawberries, or whatever is in season. With lunch, she drinks water, usually with supper too--filtered, of course! She gets a snack after her nap--someimtes a gummy snack, but also seedless grapes, cheese/crackers (homemade, not the packaged ones), or things like Quakes--they are baked cheese snacks, not fried. She also loves rice cakes, or popcorn cakes. You can get those with little sugar.

I also give my daughter raw veggies frequently. It's no surprise for her to come into the kitchen while we are cooking and ask for some of the raw bell pepper, tomato, or even ONION we are slicing! Let me tell ya, when you try to kiss your baby, and her onion breath knocks you over...it's funny! Even when she was very young, I'd find ways to give her veggies. Raw veggies can be a choking hazard to those under three, so what I did was to SHAVE them--really, with a veggie peeler, I'd shave off wafer thin slices, and give them to her to eat--carrots, potatoes, zucchinni (sp?), you name it. Peel off the skin, and just keep peeling. They are not a choking hazard (if you supervise them, of course), and it is a great way to get REAL fresh veggies into your little one's diet. As I said, I think it's paid off, because Madelyn will choose veggies over other things sometimes.

I think the ABSOLUTE MOST IMPORTANT thing is to be a good example to your child. I think my hunny and I are good examples of how to eat and drink--I drink water by the truckload! But, we're not good examples of regular exercise. We are verrry active--always doing stuff outside, boating, that sort of thing. But we don't have like a regular exercise routine. I take Madelyn to the park regularly, and as I said, we spend a lot of time outside, so I think at least SHE gets enough exercise, even if my hunny and I don't.

I've never been overweight, but it's something I have always desperately NOT wanted to happen to me! Clinically, my weight for my height is fine, but I feel very mushy, which I know could be remedied by regular excercise. I have been a size eight for a long time now. Depends on who makes the clothes--sometimes as small as 6, sometimes as big as 10. Eight feels best. But...my husband is, I think, at least a little overweight. He quit smoking a number of years ago, and after a lifetime of being thin, he gained like a BILLION pounds. Well, more like about forty. But, I would rather him a LITTLE overweight than a smoker. I don't think he's way over weight, because he was skinny before he gained. But, I think he could easily lose about twenty pounds and be alright. But, then again, I probably could too!

Well, as usual, I've been long-winded. Hope every one is doing well. Cherokee and the others TTC here, I'm sorry so many of you have suffered loses, but chin up! As Cherokee herself said, there's always next time! Peace to all, and Happy Ressurection Day!
Vanessa
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 at 16:59:50 (EDT)
Spell check..."hear" not "here." Oh~I live in Iowa now.
angela
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 at 16:18:35 (EDT)
Melissa~I'm a native Minnesotan, born & bred. You hear sentences all the time like "It just seems *anymore* that...." You don't here that use of the word everywhere, which is why it *stuck* out at me in your post.=)
angela
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 at 16:17:27 (EDT)
Angela I am from Columbia South Carolina. I grew up here and Kentucky. Why, where is YOUR neck of the woods?
Melissa
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 at 15:24:18 (EDT)
I believe the 13 yr old was going to watch a basketball game or something at the school, and the younger ones wanted to go along, then the mom said dont cross the street. They werent playing in the street, just trying to cross it.
Lyne
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 at 15:17:22 (EDT)
From what I gathered, the mom said NOT to cross any streets bcause it was so dark out with not very good lighting, and that she would come out and cross them. Apparently she was on the porch when they were hit.
Lyne
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 at 15:15:37 (EDT)
>It seems that anymore children are less and less supervised!
Melissa
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 at 14:51:18 (EDT)>

Melissa~I noticed something interesting in your grammar...the way you use the word *anymore* and where you insert it in a sentence. Where are you from originally? Your syntax sounds like a person from MY neck of the woods.=)
angela
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 at 14:56:02 (EDT)
Dallas, I hear what you are saying. I agree with you that there should have been more supervision. My understanding was that the mother was near by. I could not really understand from the snipit that I saw this morning exactly where the mother was but apparently she was close by. Who knows? It seems that anymore children are less and less supervised!
Melissa
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 at 14:51:18 (EDT)
Hi all!

Cherokee~I saw that teacher's press conference this morning...isn't she just something else? She reminds me, kind of, of that lady who hit a man on the road, and drove all the way home with him stuck in the windshield, then left him in the garage that way for three days until he died. She ALSO said she was scared and did not know what to do. Well DUH!!!! Let's start with 911! I can understand being scared or panicking, but the lady in THIS case who ran over the children calls her lawyer and not an ambulance? I hope those children's mother tells this chick to CHOKE on her apology!! Accidents happen, and I would accept an apology in that case, but to wait five days to come forward? Sheesh! WHAT is wrong with people?!

And that *missing* student in Wisconsin? WHAT was she thinking?...she needs therapy or a ass whoopin'. I cannot imagine what her poor parents went through. Sheesh.

I gotta run...I am having a crazy week at work! I'm trying to have a short week, because I am having family here for Easter, and I want to clean house, but at this rate I'll end up WORKING Easter!
angela
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 at 14:51:15 (EDT)
Not trying to come to the defense of the teacher or anything, I think she needs to be charged with two counts of vehicular homicide...but I do have a question..

What the hell were those four kids doing in the street unsupervised. I heard the youngest one was three...where was the mother? I don't agree with what the teacher did or anything, but shouldn't those kids have had a little more supervision than a 13 year old kid?
Dallas
email: shortbiscuit83@aol.com
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 at 14:46:53 (EDT)
I was reading about that woman on CNN. No charges have been filed? She admitted to hitting them. her car is damaged pretty bad I guess too, from what they are saying. I did read they are looking for another car maybe being involved... ya right.. just like they were looking for someone who kidnapped that college student! Now what if they came across someone that just did fit that description?? What in the hell are people thinking?? You cant tell you ran over 4 kids, and killed 2 of them? Hell, how long was it before paramedics arrived?
Lyne
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 at 14:22:23 (EDT)
shawanda...just out of curiousity...how much does your daughter weigh? I too have a 3 year old and I love her belly...we call it a "budha" belly. Just wondering if she weighs more than mine.
I can also relate to your past. Let me know how things are going for you now.
Take care.
covergirl
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 at 14:14:24 (EDT)