Humans and proto-humans have been around for about 10 million years, yet women have rearing children completely wrong until the baby manuals have made their nauseating appearance in the last 150 years? 
LiLi, I have some very unkind opinions about environmentalism anyway. That green baby book should be slammed into the trashcan with extreme violence. Maybe your ninja hubbies can use it as a target for their shuriken…
Buy him a puppy… 
Happy Friday everyone. Today is my RDO and I’m reveling in some quiet time before I try and do a few things.
Special One, I’m sorry to read about your mother. I’ll keep her and your family in my thoughts.
FCM, I hope the surgery goes welll for FCD and that he’ll finally be pain free.
We received some bad news ourselves last weekend. Turns out the cancer is back and growing in my MIL. She was going to have a masectomy last summer/fall, when they discovered ick in her lungs. Well, they knew there were problems with her lungs, the surgery was for that too. Additionally, there were issues with her heart, so they felt the lung surgery was enough strain on her, and opted to NOT do the masectomy at that time. In the meantime, because they felt regular radiation and chemo would be far too stressful for her, they gave her chemo pills.
Fast forward to now, and the cancer in her breast is bigger. Still, they can’t do anything right now, because her heart has a double beat and they’re concerned about it. They’re hoping to do surgery around the 31st of October. The doctor told MIL that although the cancer is growing, it’s not fast growing.
I hope the doc is correct about that.
Sunday is hubby birthday. Basically, we’ll spend our whole weekend celebrating his 44th birthday. Tomorrow is dinner out with some good friends, and Sunday, we’re going to MIL’s because she wants to cook dinner for him.
I sure hope Swampy checks in here soon. It’s not like him to be away like this and not let us know ahead of time.
Yeah, Mom’s in town. She’s staying the first week at a hotel in town. Don’t start on me, I offered her a room, she said no, but the second week she’s spending with us.
I love my mom. She just drives me completely batty. She wears a hearing aid, but you still have to talk loudly/repeat/gesture when you talk to her.
She doesn’t know her way through the town we live in now, and it’s a 20 minute drive back to where she does know her way around, and any second I’m going to get a phone call telling me she’s lost.
She wants to make dinner while she’s here. NO. Stay away from my kitchen. Please.
She’s not getting the whole ‘my son is an adult with a family’ thing. She still tells me I put too much ice in my Crystal Light, and I should try Lact-Aid (I’ve NEVER had dairy issues???) and she seems to have completely different memories of things that happened years ago.
And she has that elderly lady trait of just blurting out stuff you wouldn’t normally say in public. “Oh MY GOD, do you see what that girl’s wearing??? I’d never let your sister out of the house dressed like that, I hope you don’t let BusKid go out looking like that!!”
Everyone send me beer, m’kay?
Taters-sorry to hear about your MIL. I’ts always the nice inlaws whom bad things happen to. Not fair.
MBG-my parents are due here in Oct. I like/dread their visits. My dad has started repeating himself. He tells the same stories again and again and again. I’m trying to be patient, but it’s kinda hard when you then start a story and he intterupts you with a peevish, “you told me that already.” (!)
I’m still wasting time over here. I’ll regret it.
Vunderbob–I have a book that mentions that very same phenom. The “childhood expert” came into being about mid-Victorian era. And we’ve been stuck with them ever since. The problem is that some of the advice is quite good–children shouldn’t be whipped for one. left handed kids are not from the Devil etc. but so much of it is values based and cultural. Well, my culture includes Twinkies, god help us all, and so my kids should at least be familar with them (I don’t buy them, but I didn’t have a cow when one of them tried one).
I’m all for green. That’s great–but there’s things you can do to save energy and be planet friendly, and then there’s insane, pretentious BS. Sounds to me like that book is the latter.
When I was in my first bachelor pad, my mom came down to visit. I made it a specific point to tell her that I didn’t do anything to clean the place up just for her; I kept it that clean all the time. That made her happy.
The minor sticky point was when she went through my refrigerator, and spotted this tiny little jar of Miracle Whip that I had in the door. I’m also a former Hoosier, so mayonaisse aand Miracle Whip are synonymous. I will not debate this point
Mom: “You should go to Wal-Mart and get the humongo sized one, because it’s cheaper in the long run.”
Me: “No. I have that little one because I don’t like mayo, and I wanted to make tuna salad.”
Mom: “But if you get the industrial sized one, it’ll save you money.”
Me: “No, I’ll waste money because it’ll go bad before I ever eat enough of it to make it worthwhile.”
Mom: “But you’ll…”
“READ MY LIPS! I DON’T LIKE MAYONNAISE!”
Mom: “Oh.”
As much as she drove me crazy, I miss her…
I’m sorry about your MIL, Taters. I’ll keep her in my prayers.
You have my sympathies, BusDude. My mother doesn’t do the blurting thing, but she’s an absolute master of telling your entire life story to some bored cashier. Last time I went to the grocery store with her, I could see the glazed look in the cashier’s eyes as my mother started spilling intimate details of my life to her – I swear, if I had a vaginal infection, she’d pass that info along to a total stranger! – and suggested that maybe the cashier wasn’t interested in hearing so much about me. My mother cried. Oy. So these days I just grit my teeth and change the subject as quickly as I can.
At least, thank heaven, she doesn’t drive and never has.
My father’s mother was the worst about not remembering he was a grown man, though. I remember well when my dad was in his 60s and we went to dinner at my great-aunt’s house (Grandmother’s sister). As we were leaving, Grandmother turns to my father and says, “Did you remember to say thank you?” There was this stunned silence and then we all cracked up. Fortunately, she wasn’t offended; even she realized how ridiculous it was!
Where IS that Missing Bear? Did he fall into some quicksand in the swamp or something? It’s truly not right of him to not let us know what’s going on! Naughty Bear! We worry about you!
It’s amazing what a tight little community one can form online, isn’t it? Does anyone else remember that My Name Is Earl episode last season where the guy who died turned out to be involved in an online community? It really rang true. And here people thought the internet would destroy interpersonal relationships!
Whipped, no. Spanked, yes. I was spanked, and I spanked the VunderKind. I never got more that 3 swats at a time on my backside, and I never gave him more than 2. For both of us, 1 was usually enough. Delivered with an open, cupped hand, too.
I quit spanking him around 6 years old, when it lost effectiveness. I found otherways to discipline him, such as timeouts, pushups, groundings, loss of privilege, that were effective in turn, and changed when he figured it out.
I know some whippers. Flogging a kid with a switch, belt, hairbrush, etc. is beyond the pale.
I also encouraged sassiness in him at home, but would not tolerate it in public, and I told him why. At 20, he’s one of the most pleasant and polite people I know, so I don’t think my methods are all that bad.
Please report the results of this experiment, along with the final recipe/cooking instructions you used.
And here is a recipe for some kind of shrimp/dill dip that I didn’t like but everyone else at my cousin’s last weekend loved:
Hot Shrimp & Dill Spread
This hot, cheesy shrimp spread won’t last long, so be sure to make extra. To give it a spicy kick, add 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Red Pepper.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Makes 16 (2-tablespoon) servings.
Ingredients:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 pound shrimp, cooked, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon McCormick® Dill Weed
3/4 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Season-All® Seasoned Salt
1/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese
Directions:
Test Kitchen Tip: Substitute 3/4 pound precooked peeled shrimp.
Needless to say, the recipe is from the McCormick website.
Sean-it’s in this thread, page 3. legolambrecipe
Vunder–we were spanked as kids, but really we were controlled by the Mom stare, the Dad voice and the expectation that we would behave well.
The husband just cannot discipline (having had none himself-he got drunken rants and guilt), but I do the Mom stare and the high expectations thing.
I also let the kids blow off steam at home, but I am scrupulous about their manners in public. But I also make them say please and thank you to each other as well.
Hopefully, none of them will end up in the Big House.
Sorry to hear about MIL, Taters. Prayers and good thoughts headed your way.
I know what you mean, MBG. My mom’s classic line is: “I wish I could be there to take care of you.” I’m almost 50. Own a house. Have a decent job. Appear to be able to remain healthy, happy, otherwise occupied. But still, I require care. I’m not sure what this care would consist of other than telling me I ought to be relaxing and taking my vitamins, as she’s a horrible cook and not a great housekeeper. I love mom, just not in my household, thanks. And, yes, I’ve mastered the invisible rolled-eye “yes, Mom,” which is useful in shortening conversations about such topics.
rigs, am I remembering correctly that hubby does something in accounting/finance? :rolleyes:
LiLi, I think this board is a better resource for inexperienced parents than just about anything else. I’m sure there’s probably an OK parenting book out there somewhere, but it seems like it’s more useful to just be able to find answers to questions as they come up, either through old threads or by starting new ones. Seems like we have more than our share of sensible parents (do not ask me why I read parenting threads from time to time). And it seems like it comes down to - within reason - what works for you in helping that baby become a well-adjusted, happy adult.
The sense of community is one of the things that came up when we met up in Chicago and were trying to explain this place to BusWife. I’m supposed to know what swampy is wearing to work today, what shift he’s working, when he’s away, when it’s a sleepover night, and other countless minutiae, dammit!!! So where is he???
GT
Why, yes, yes, he does, GT–which adds a certain <something> to the conversation, no? He’s a CFO at a “financial institution”. (need head shaking emoticon).
Off to do something–really!
Thanks for the good wishes for MIL. I do appreciate them.
My mother whipped me. It was the wooden spoon, then the belt, then finally this riding crop thing. Funny thing was, all it did was piss me off. I didn’t even cry.
I did not whip my kids. When they were little, it was bare, cupped hand, on clothed bottom. I can count on ONE hand the number times a spanking was needed for either of the kids. Most punishments consisted of revocation of privileges, toys, and/or restriction. They worked too.
I know it sounds stupid, but I also would make them come back and explain to me in their words why what they did was wrong, and how they were going to correct it. It worked for us, and it was always after everyone had calmed down.
So far, my kids have turned out alright.
I have 10 more minutes of “me” time. Then I must be productive.
I believe the word is…irony. I thought that’s what he did… :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
GT
Well, I have OTHER words for it, but irony works.
Dotty, thanks for the song!! I have no idea what it means, but when I listened to it before, I thought that was the point. . . sort of surrealistic. Is that right. . .or is there more meaning I’m not aware of?
Will you be having a Vegas DopeFest like gt did when she went traveling?
That reminds me. We’re still waiting on pictures from that Chicago DopeFest. :::waiting patiently::: :::tapping fingers on the desk::: :::yelling. . . hey, where are those pictures?!:::
You don’t remember that either? You must have been really tired. Oh well, it’s just as well. And for the record, it was an accident. Really.
Did words escape you?
Bad thoughts? Moi? I don’t have any of those. 
(Where’s that halo smilie?)
You don’t say! How about that? You might want to yell out to him or try finding his number via a google search.
Taters, sorry to hear about your MiL.
OK, I’m off to start my day, such as it is. Is it evening yet? I’m hoping something good happens between now and then. Well, actually though. . . it’s been not bad so far. I just installed the software on my new Creative Zen V Plus. I bought it a while ago and haven’t had time to play with it. So there’s that. Other than that, I’m ready world! Bring on the good stuff!
Have a great day, everyone!
My kids got the occasional swat on the bottom, but it generally wasn’t more than two or three swats, and by the time they were 6 or so, even that had ceased. Mostly it was an attention-getter on a diapered bottom when they were toddlers to get them to turn their attention away from whatever they were doing that was either dangerous or something they knew was naughty. I tried one time, and one time only, to swat snowbunny’s rear with the back of a hairbrush. It being a plastic hairbrush, the handle promptly broke off, leading us both to laughter. And that was the end of spanking.
After that, I tried to find a punishment that consisted of taking away a privilege that was something they really enjoyed doing. The single most effective punishment I found, which only works if your kids are bookworms but WOW is it effective if they are, is to deny them the “privilege” of reading for some period of a few hours. While teachers and other parents were absolutely horrified that I would even contemplate such a thing, I only had to impose it one time, as snowbunny can testify, and after that just the threat was sufficient to change the behavior. That and the Look, of course.
I truly do not understand how parents can raise children without perfecting the Look. I strongly advise you add it to your arsenal as quickly as possible, LiLi – even toddlers learn its effectiveness quickly, and it is, frankly, the single most effective parenting tool I’ve ever discovered. It works great with strangers’ misbehaving kids, too, especially when used with a quiet voice. A polite phrase to “please stop running so you don’t get hurt” in a store to a strange child, accompanied by the Look? Gets results almost every time!
I agree that common-sense parenting is the best way to go, and you’ll find wonderful advice and suggestions here. Besides, tinyninjachef is going to be a perfect child, anyway! Aren’t all Doper babies perfect?
To my joy, with about 30 pages to go in my transcript, the witness changed his answer from whatever the question might call to to one single phrase: “Fifth Amendment.” In addition, the attorney is asking the same series of questions about a series of transactions, so between macros and cut and paste, I’m actually typing about one line out of ten. If only the whole 200+ pages had been like this!
Back to Mr. Fifth Amendment. And an attempt to get my latest earworm out of my head. They mentioned a guy named Spaulding in the transcript, and next thing you know I’ve got “Hooray for Captain Spaulding, the African explorer!” stuck on repeat in my head. Sometimes I really do not like the way my strange brain works. :rolleyes:
Ah, “The Look”. My husband and kids can attest to the fact that I’ve got this down to a science. Additionally, there are many “nuances” to “The Look” that will communicate just how much trouble they are in.
Well, off to be productive. I really, really, really, just want to relax and enjoy my day, but the weekend will be jam packed as it is, so I do need to get some stuff done today.
No, no, NO!! It **MUST **go into the paper recycling bin, not the trash-can!
Taters – Sorry about you MIL. Hope the Dr. is right about not being too late for the mastectomy!
Rigs – Money problems really suck 
Hope things look up for you really soon!
Li-li I totally agree – if you’re supposed to drink up to two drinks a day, you’re seriously under-alcoholized. Have you any idea how that can affect the child!? Won’t you think of the children!?!?!?:D:D:D
Well, it was a pretty exhausting evening…
Yeah, that’s what you’re saying now :rolleyes: You seemed pretty intent then. The ritual recitals in some weird language helped create that impression… :eek:
It can only be seen and used by those who earn it… like me, see? Here… wait… I saw it a minute ago…
I never got spanked, but got *slapped *once or twice as a young teenager. Earned 'em, too!
I’ve only spanked one of the kids (the boy, natch…) once. After about 5 warnings that it would happen unless he stopped behaving like that. Which he pointedly ignored by saying he didn’t believe I’d follow through. So I did. And I won’t ever have to do it again.
But you’re making some modifications to the recipe, right?