I'm here to help...

[IndioGirl55 32]

Hey Gang

Back from dinner ;0) - I had the sea bass & pomegranate martini -(brought half the sea bass home) it was good should have had the lobster - but I still have $50 on the gift card so next time that's what I will have..

Julie hugs on the phone - that's the pits - we have something like that too - Taste of the Desert - it's like Eva's vendors have samples of their food - you pay like $10 and go thru a line and get samples of food - I have never done it - but it raises $$$ for the schools..

OMG Julie - you don't know what an In/Out burger is - it's the next best thing to home made hamburgers - Pple love them -

Cheri - Welcome to maintenance - let me tell you it's harder than losing the weight :0)

Eva - Lol - I don't have to many white tops :0).. I have been know to drip/spill a few times in my life ;0)

Apples I have a cute boxer ;0) !!!

LauraK - too cold for me :0)

Great - glad you had a good time in SLC - Thanks for the bday wish- heck I have gone out to dinner 3 nites now ;0)

Phyl's ship was suppose to leave at 5:30 - at 6:30 still in dock - !!! She doesn't know why - say she guesses that they are going to pretend to cruise lol

Well just a quick ck in - couch is calling my name

[Apples2 19]

Morning Gang...well, I've been up for an hour and ready to hit road. But, some icing issues this morning and DS, pilot and forever weather watcher, talked us out of going so early. We've had such a wonderful time with DS and his friends.

Julie...Woopsy! Washed a telephone? Well, don't feel bad. I bent over a ice fishing hole a few years ago and I have one at the bottom of a lake. DH's billfolds and tiling knives have gone through the wash more times than I can count.

Janet...sounds like you had a nice birthday celebration(s). So, how does it feel to be older than me now????????????? All I can say is that you LOOK alot younger than me and certainly look younger than your age. BTW...just want to tell you I'm glad you were born!

Hey Eva, happy you enjoyed Garrison. And, BTW, I wear a lot of white shirts and I'm from MN...even wear them in the winter. Speaking of boobs, food and "shelves" on white shirts, have you tried the Tide Stain Release tablets yet? They work wonders. I have never not had a stain released since starting to use them about 6 mo ago.

Cheri...sound advice about Jewel's nephew.

Well, I'm going to go in and see if I can get DH to roll out of bed. Going to make a nice Breakfast b/4 we hit the road and visit some with DS.

Will check in in a couple of days. Depending on weather and I don't know what else, some days I need to go to the lodge to get internet reception. Most likely will not be checking in every day. FL girls, remember, closer to the time of travel....if you need to get ahold of me, email or leave a message of my phone. I will have service the day of travel since I will be on the road to Orlando. Looking forward to the meet and getting to know all of you. Loves, Karen

[ifyourstomachoffendsyou 1]

Julie, I once jumped in a lake with my cell phone tucked in my swimsuit between my boobs.

Top that!

Cheri

[JeweI 2]

Cheri,

We do plan on having him evaluated to be sure we will be safe around him. Really I think it is my my SIL who has the attachment disorder. She herself was adopted and was in trouble all the time. She has withdrawn from the family. Refuses to return their phone calls. This is the second child she has had trouble with. The first one left in the middle of the night 2 days after she turned 18. My SIL treated her like crap too. My SIL is a very angry person and the kids are paying the price. I use to see the kids all the time but the more she has the less and less we see them. She has pushed all her friends away too.

Right now, the 12 year old is sleeping on a mattress on the floor with no furniture in his room. After he does his school work on the computer and his chores he has to sit in his room and read. He is not allowed out to play. It has been like this atleast since christmas. I feel it is abusive for her not to get him help. Expecially because she is so determined something is wrong with him. I just get the feeling that she doen't love him at all. If I get that feeling imagine how he must feel. Kids know when they are not loved.

I think they all need counseling and even parenting classes.

[Charlene K 1]

Thanks for the congrats guys. I'll probably be going up and down for the next week before the new weight settles in. Thats what usually happens.

Jessica, as a Christian who went to Christian schools and sent my kids there and as one who teaches in a Christian school, I gotta say your SIL is nuts.

She'd rather do the most unChristian thing I've heard of than get the child the help he needs from a public school?

He's probably ADHD with a learning disability and now the hormones are kicking in. And she's too busy and tired trying to raise and homeschool the rest of them to give him the extra help and attention he needs. So she'd rather get rid of him than send him where he can get the help he needs and admit that she's failing him. What misplaced pride.

The most generous interpretation I have is that she's having pregnancy psychosis. What a message she's sending to the other children. Screw up, don't measure up to our "Christian" standards and we will get rid of you.

Where is her DH in all this? Why isn't he getting her the help she needs? Including psychiatric.

I would have the boy thoroughly evaluated before fostering or adopting him. He may be very damaged already from his first home life as well as the second. He may need special placement in a therapeutic setting, particularly if he has bonding issues and PTSD as well as academic and behavioral issues.

Reactive Attachment Disorder can make adopting an absolute nightmare. Some of these children are too damaged to be placed in a regular family.

If that is the case with your nephew, then we may be judging your sister too harshly. Sometimes these children are actually a danger to their parents and siblings.

But like most sociopaths they can present really well to outsiders who don't see them on a daily basis. They can be very charming but never actually bond and feel no remorse over doing wrong or hurting others, only over getting caught. They can be highly manipulative and you end up feeling crazy and not knowing why.

I think what you are offering is tremendous and I truly hope it works out. Make sure you have state funding and medical care for this child and payment for any therapy and extra tutoring he might need. I would initially go foster care with him because once adopted you might not have access to funding to provide for his needs.

My brother and his wife had to give a young child back to the province because the local social services refused to diagnose the child as having rad and provide them with the support services they needed. They had the child privately evaluated and found out she not only had RAD and PTSD, she was ADHD and had Fetal Alcohol Sysndrome. It killed them to do it but they did not have the training or the access to funds to provide the child with the care she needed and this was the only way they could force the province and social services to provide for her. The two or three years they went through all that were some of the worst times of their life and they felt like total failures.

Cheri

Cheri, you are so wise. My adopted son was diagnosed with Bi-polar and ADD by the VA. It all made sense. He is so different now that he has medication. It is so important to have evaluations and counseling before adoptions.

My son and I have a very loving relationship now. I thank God for restoring us to a place we wanted and prayed for when he was a teenager.

Okay, did not do so good on my journey last night. Today is a new day!

Lori, glad you are home. Yeah, walking down memory lane can be quite melancholy. I know you will find the right place in SLC. Are you going to take your DGM with you?

[IndioGirl55 32]

Good Morning Gang.....

Apples - Thanks - I don't mind the # cuz I feel better at 55 than I did at 50 ;0) And sweetie I bet you a million bucks I look older :0) - my face is bad - it needs some work - since the fat is gone it sags like my arms ;0)

Well slept till 7 read the paper and now need to get busy ;0) but it's sunday - I gotta do ranch bookkeeping - db bookkeeping - I hate bookkeeping - Julie where are you ;0) !!!!

Jessica - As someone said - it will all work out in the end - prayers for an easy solution

[FemmeOne 0]

Hey, Janet...happy belated birthday! I'm so glad you're here! Sounds like some fun celebrations eating out. Yum...seafood!

You ever have one of those days when you look in the mirror and see something you haven't noticed before?? (Your comment about your face made me think about this.) Yesterday I was putting on some makeup and noticed my saggy neck. Yikes! Since I've lost some weight, it's much more chicken-like (or maybe turkey-like) than I've noticed before. But all in all, I'd much rather have lost the weight!

Julie, when I first read that you washed your phone, I didn't realize you hadn't intended to. I just thought, "Wow, that woman must be a clean freak! I've never thought about washing the schmutz off of it!" LOL Took me a minute, but I finally caught on. Hee.

I'm getting a late start today, but I really need to clean house. Also want to get my elliptical time in. I haven't been doing too good with the food yesterday. Been snacking on some bad stuff. I bought a gourmet dark chocolate bar yesterday thinking I would just have a square every few days, but no...I've eaten half of it already. Major cravings. Ate some Cookies too. I've got to stop now before it gets out of hand. The Beck book has some great stuff about how to think about those hungry moments, and I'm trying to put some of them into practice. Like, it's only an hour til lunch and I can wait to eat until then.

Eva, sounds like so much fun to see Prairie Home Companion in person! And your name will be on the air. I'll make sure to listen. I love that show and have for years. I listen to a lot of radio.

[LittleOleMeinFL 1]

Hi guys~

yawn yawn yawn. beeper kept me up every hour. Up early with Nelson. We drew, built Lego's, baked, painted, cleaned toys, ate lunch, got out a BIG toy airport and all his airplanes on a blanket in the den... it's ONLY 12:40? Not sure why, but time is moving slow today. ; ) Sometimes I feel so guilty that he is an only child. Today, more than usual, he just wants someone to play with him. Usually he is very content at playing with things in his playroom by himself for stretches of time. Today is a "I don't feel like being alone" day. I get that. He keeps asking to go to the park (there are always tons of kids playing there), but he can't play in sand with the cast. It's also off and on raining today. On a positive note, I got all my laundry and cleaning done!

I decided not to go meet my once best friend in Miami. The only way I describe it is "you can't reheat soufflé". We were the BEST of friends from 16-32. She was a bridesmaid, etc. Then when I was going through infertility she couldn't deal with it. She had gone through it and conceived her first child with IVF. But she didn't want ANYONE to know. It was a secret. So maybe my infertility brought back too many memories. We didn't speak for 5 years and then 3 years ago started talking again, but over 15 mo ago- she again ***POOF*** disappeared and wouldn't return calls or emails. Maybe I am just tired of getting hurt with her. I would have driven across town to see her- but driving 4-5 hrs in the car... naw.

So far... so good.. with the eating.

breakfast: coffee and cream 40 cal

100 cal yogurt

lunch: tuna 160 cal

70 cal Soup

crackers 60 cal

I have been reading this blog I want to share with you:

Once Upon A Time...In the Land of cheese and Sunkist

She is a really really successful bandster- 120 lbs in a year. She reminds me of a younger version of myself. Her honesty and candidness is refreshing.

Hi to everyone. Apples- safe trip. Cheri- CONGRATS! Janet- Glad you had a nice dinner. Eva- I wear a lot of white shirts too. Femme- I thought the same thing about Julie's neatfreakness at first! LOL. Julie- sorry about your phone. yikes : 0 Great- glad you had a good but emotional trip to slc. LauraK- cracking me up with the puppy stuff! LOL

Will CBL and write more. hugs.. peas

[ocotillo 0]

Morning all,

Cheri, congratulations on reaching your goal. It is truly an accomplishment and I know you much be proud of yourself.

Deb, yucky house cleaning....I don't do much of that right (while I'm working I have a cleaning lady), but I finally got through all the paperwork in my office. You would think that since I don't have a house to clean I could at least keep up with the junk mail, but no.....it piles up.

Apples, thanks for the tide tip...I haven't tried it and think I will. I just got a new long sleeved white T-shirt from Lands End and it already has a stain on it. It's very nice that Wal-Mart is right next to work so I can bop over there on break and pick up stuff.

Jessica, so sad for your nephew. I really hope the situation resolves itself in a positive way for all of you. I wonder if the same thing is going to happen with all her kids. Robbie's mom (my DH's boy) had 2 kids taken away.

I had to send my renters an eviction notice today. It really made me feel crappy, but they are more than 2 months behind and now is another month. I've really cut them lots of slack, but I just don't want to deal with it anymore. It's hard to be an absent landlord too. The house is my parents and is in Colorado. My brother is in Ohio, so he doesn't really help with it. Like Linda said about her Mom's dog...this house is the last connection to my parents and it will be weird selling it.

I guess I better get to reading this Beck book. I'm doing good with the eating and really want to keep it up.

Later

Eva

[ocotillo 0]

Laura, thanks for the link...it's sort of like this thread but with different people. So I take it there aren't too many kids in your neighborhood for Nelson to play with? From 5 yrs to 10 yrs I lived in a neighborhood filled with kids. It did provide some distraction, but I played by myself a lot too. Glad to see there are other white shirts out there too.

[Great2BThin 5]

Good afternoon, first chance to check in today. Got up late and went to breakfast and church. Then got out of church late as DH is on the finance committee and counts the offering and they had a hard time balancing today or something. We had plans to go to the movie and had to head straight there as timewas running out. We saw When in Rome, DH was going to see the Mel Gibson movie while DD and I were in the 'chick flick' but the newspaper had the wrong time for the movie and it wasn't playing for another hour so he sat through 'the worse movie of his life'. LOL DD & I enjoyed it and I liked seeing the sites in Rome that we had seen last May.

Julie, guess no more dirty phone calls for you now that you have a squeaky clean phone!:thumbup:

Arlene, nope won't be taking Grandma to sLC, she will stay here and my sisters will quickly find out just how much I do for her on a day to day basis. They will have to step it up a notch.

Apples, hope you are dethawing the further south you go and that FL has a heat wave for you.

Janet, I'd go for lobster in a heart beat!

Eva, sounds like a fun show.

Laura, don't mean to be overly nosey but do you have plans of adopting more children? Not that there's anything wrong with one, just curious since you commented. My DD could never entertain herself much, DS on the other hand was more of a loner, still is to some degree.

[IndioGirl55 32]

Hey, Janet...happy belated birthday! I'm so glad you're here! Sounds like some fun celebrations eating out. Yum...seafood!

You ever have one of those days when you look in the mirror and see something you haven't noticed before?? (Your comment about your face made me think about this.) Yesterday I was putting on some makeup and noticed my saggy neck. Yikes! Since I've lost some weight, it's much more chicken-like (or maybe turkey-like) than I've noticed before. But all in all, I'd much rather have lost the weight!

Julie, when I first read that you washed your phone, I didn't realize you hadn't intended to. I just thought, "Wow, that woman must be a clean freak! I've never thought about washing the schmutz off of it!" LOL Took me a minute, but I finally caught on. Hee.

I'm getting a late start today, but I really need to clean house. Also want to get my elliptical time in. I haven't been doing too good with the food yesterday. Been snacking on some bad stuff. I bought a gourmet dark chocolate bar yesterday thinking I would just have a square every few days, but no...I've eaten half of it already. Major cravings. Ate some Cookies too. I've got to stop now before it gets out of hand. The Beck book has some great stuff about how to think about those hungry moments, and I'm trying to put some of them into practice. Like, it's only an hour til lunch and I can wait to eat until then.

Eva, sounds like so much fun to see Prairie Home Companion in person! And your name will be on the air. I'll make sure to listen. I love that show and have for years. I listen to a lot of radio.

Deb I tell myself the same thing I will only have a little bit - but I know I am kidding myself - cuz an addict can't have just a little bit :0) - Just don't buy it or buy just one candy bar - cuz when it's gone - it's gone - but with a big bar or a bag of candy then - you will have eaten the whole thing and then be pissed at yourself..

Cravings & Being Hungry - It's not an Emergency :0)

beckism ;0)

Hi guys~

yawn yawn yawn. beeper kept me up every hour. Up early with Nelson. We drew, built Lego's, baked, painted, cleaned toys, ate lunch, got out a BIG toy airport and all his airplanes on a blanket in the den... it's ONLY 12:40? Not sure why, but time is moving slow today. ; ) Sometimes I feel so guilty that he is an only child. Today, more than usual, he just wants someone to play with him. Usually he is very content at playing with things in his playroom by himself for stretches of time. Today is a "I don't feel like being alone" day. I get that. He keeps asking to go to the park (there are always tons of kids playing there), but he can't play in sand with the cast. It's also off and on raining today. On a positive note, I got all my laundry and cleaning done!

I decided not to go meet my once best friend in Miami. The only way I describe it is "you can't reheat soufflé". We were the BEST of friends from 16-32. She was a bridesmaid, etc. Then when I was going through infertility she couldn't deal with it. She had gone through it and conceived her first child with IVF. But she didn't want ANYONE to know. It was a secret. So maybe my infertility brought back too many memories. We didn't speak for 5 years and then 3 years ago started talking again, but over 15 mo ago- she again ***POOF*** disappeared and wouldn't return calls or emails. Maybe I am just tired of getting hurt with her. I would have driven across town to see her- but driving 4-5 hrs in the car... naw.

So far... so good.. with the eating.

breakfast: coffee and cream 40 cal

100 cal yogurt

lunch: tuna 160 cal

70 cal Soup

crackers 60 cal

I have been reading this blog I want to share with you:

Once Upon A Time...In the Land of cheese and Sunkist

She is a really really successful bandster- 120 lbs in a year. She reminds me of a younger version of myself. Her honesty and candidness is refreshing.

Hi to everyone. Apples- safe trip. Cheri- CONGRATS! Janet- Glad you had a nice dinner. Eva- I wear a lot of white shirts too. Femme- I thought the same thing about Julie's neatfreakness at first! LOL. Julie- sorry about your phone. yikes : 0 Great- glad you had a good but emotional trip to slc. LauraK- cracking me up with the puppy stuff! LOL

Will CBL and write more. hugs.. peas

Laura - My GS need 24/7 attention - if he was riding his jeep in the back yard I had to be out there - if he was watching Barney - I had to watch with him - Now my Oldest GD Kaitlin would play buy herself and so does the baby Brooke.. My DS had neighbor kids to play with and cousins too..

Morning all,

Cheri, congratulations on reaching your goal. It is truly an accomplishment and I know you much be proud of yourself.

Deb, yucky house cleaning....I don't do much of that right (while I'm working I have a cleaning lady), but I finally got through all the paperwork in my office. You would think that since I don't have a house to clean I could at least keep up with the junk mail, but no.....it piles up.

Apples, thanks for the tide tip...I haven't tried it and think I will. I just got a new long sleeved white T-shirt from Lands End and it already has a stain on it. It's very nice that Wal-Mart is right next to work so I can bop over there on break and pick up stuff.

Jessica, so sad for your nephew. I really hope the situation resolves itself in a positive way for all of you. I wonder if the same thing is going to happen with all her kids. Robbie's mom (my DH's boy) had 2 kids taken away.

I had to send my renters an eviction notice today. It really made me feel crappy, but they are more than 2 months behind and now is another month. I've really cut them lots of slack, but I just don't want to deal with it anymore. It's hard to be an absent landlord too. The house is my parents and is in Colorado. My brother is in Ohio, so he doesn't really help with it. Like Linda said about her Mom's dog...this house is the last connection to my parents and it will be weird selling it.

I guess I better get to reading this Beck book. I'm doing good with the eating and really want to keep it up.

Later

Eva

Eva - I got my cinderfeller (Andrew) but he is only a surface cleaner - leaves the stuff I hate like window's and blinds for me :0) But at least he cleans - so I can't complain..

Good afternoon, first chance to check in today. Got up late and went to breakfast and church. Then got out of church late as DH is on the finance committee and counts the offering and they had a hard time balancing today or something. We had plans to go to the movie and had to head straight there as timewas running out. We saw When in Rome, DH was going to see the Mel Gibson movie while DD and I were in the 'chick flick' but the newspaper had the wrong time for the movie and it wasn't playing for another hour so he sat through 'the worse movie of his life'. LOL DD & I enjoyed it and I liked seeing the sites in Rome that we had seen last May.

Julie, guess no more dirty phone calls for you now that you have a squeaky clean phone!:thumbup:

Arlene, nope won't be taking Grandma to sLC, she will stay here and my sisters will quickly find out just how much I do for her on a day to day basis. They will have to step it up a notch.

Apples, hope you are dethawing the further south you go and that FL has a heat wave for you.

Janet, I'd go for lobster in a heart beat!

Eva, sounds like a fun show.

Laura, don't mean to be overly nosey but do you have plans of adopting more children? Not that there's anything wrong with one, just curious since you commented. My DD could never entertain herself much, DS on the other hand was more of a loner, still is to some degree.

Great - too funny "no more dirty telephone calls" lol Ya I should have had the lobster - but had sea bass at a place called Flemming is was just as good as lobster - but the stuff I had last night wasn't

In fact talking about it - I am hungry - going to go see how it taste cold :0)

CBL

[Charlene K 1]

Great, I hear ya! Your sisters need to step up. I don't know why, but I thought they lived in Florida by your parents.

Well, I am reading my Beck lesson. It is slowly sinking in. I am also reading Battlefield for the Mind. Between the two I WILL CHANGE. That is my positve statement for the day.

[LittleOleMeinFL 1]

uughhh, just typed a beautiful, eloquent reply to Lori... and lost my internet connection and the whole shebang. blankety blank blank! $%^&%@!*

I have thought about adopting again. But DH is done with this phase of parenting. He likes being able to travel, teach, discuss things, etc. with Nelson. He's not a fan of diapers, sippy cups and tantrums. I can get drunk in the sight and sounds of a baby. It's not fair to him or my marriage. I am blessed with the family I have. I do dream of having a little girl. I think that's why when the Haiti stuff was on, I found myself tearing up- for both the kids and me.

Nelson is sleeping... off to some "me" time. Laura

[ocotillo 0]

Really rather quite today. I've actually started working on work stuff today. Supposed to have this job done tomorrow, but they're going to have to wait until Tuesday. I'm playing hooky tomorrow. I'm taking a couple of hours off and then I'm staying home to do a few more trench details. I also have a little field work to do.

We have another show to go to tonight. It's a very obscure group that I've never heard of, but our friends wanted us to go, so we are. It might be a late night since the show doesn't start until 8pm. This is why I'm taking time off tomorrow.

Have a good evening...I'll be able to check in tomorrow during the day...how novel.

Eva