Day in the life

Please excuse the offending Grandmother blog story. (For those who find the Mom blogs offensive, I can imagine your reaction to a grandmother posting.)

My daughter with the new baby lives with me. She was very concerned before the baby was born that he would be confused about who his mother was. She shouldn't have worried. I as the grandmother am "The Burper" only.

A typical scene in my household. Mommy laying exhausted on the bed. Me, trying to be helpful before I leave for my day, changing baby. Mom issuing orders, "button his clothes this way, make sure he is not cold, clean his navel after you dress him through the little hole in the snaps" etc. Baby lying on bed looking up at the offending grandmother person, with an indignant look on his little face. He can tell by his Mom's tone of voice that the grandmother person is not doing things correctly.

Sigh.....All that experience. But I am very happy and content to be just the grandmother. I wouldn't have it any other way:).

Nursing the five year old

I was reading a post from the Dotmoms today. In this particular article, Jessamyn is lamenting the passing of her nursing days. I can relate. I always lingered over nursing and gave it up somewhat reluctantly. It can be very sweet for both Mom and baby. One of my daughters has a new baby and they live with me. She is learning for herself how absolutely wonderful it can be to nurse. She is also learning how confining it can be when "Mom Is The Source Of All Milk".

My oldest daughter's experience was a little different, Mom wanted to linger, however, her daughter, Laura Grace seemed to be a little embarrassed by the whole nursing thing and gave it all up at 7 months, gratefully.

I clung to nursing a bit. My longest stint was for my 4th and youngest child. He was 14 months old and the only boy. He was fascinated by all things feminine and the nursing thing was beginning to be a bit, well, embarrasing. When I quit I think we were both a little relieved.

I had a tendency to be a tad compulsive and deranged when my children were young, however I am glad I was never like the Mom listed in the LeLeche League book (early eighties edition) I had when my children were small.

There was a woman who at the time of the publishing of that edition, was still nursing her 5 year old son. (how would that work with kindergarten?) She also had no plans to give it up. Nope, wise woman of the world that she was, she was continuing to nurse her son IN CASE ARMAGHEDAN CAME. Because if Armaghedan came there would be no food. (How would she have milk to feed the five year old without food? But I digress) I think maybe she was suffering from delayed post partum psychosis continued by the plolonged nursing activity.

Off to my gynecologist appointment.......in the storage shed.

What was he thinking, ok I am pretty sure we all know what he was thinking. The real question is what were THEY thinking. His vicims that is. To go for treatment to this Dr. would be an extreme stupid human trick. Man who posed as gynecologist sentenced to four years in Texas prison

Associated Press
Nov. 24, 2004 10:55 AM

DALLAS - A man who posed as a gynecologist after setting up an office in a self-storage complex was sentenced to four years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to practicing medicine without a license.

The charges stemmed from an undercover investigation that began after authorities saw an ad in a weekly newspaper offering free medical care. A prosecutor set up the undercover sting with an investigator posing as a patient and using a hidden camera.

Thomas P. Remo, 50, of Ovilla, wore a scrub shirt and had some medical equipment in the makeshift exam room, a small kitchen in the storage facility office where he worked, authorities said. advertisement

After Remo's arrest in September, authorities received calls from women who said they were victims, but did not want their identities revealed in court records, and prosecutors did not file sexual assault charges.

Remo was sentenced to four years for each of three counts of practicing medicine without a license and will serve the terms concurrently, prosecutors said. He had faced a maximum of 10 years for each count.

To the Second Degree

I've been busy, been away from blogging for a few days, because.......

It's a Boy!
Thursday, November 18, 2004. Trey Anthony was born weighing 7'4 ounces. Born a perfect little baby with his Mommy's long skinny little feet. I am now a Grandmother to the second degree. My first little Grandchild, Laura Grace is 16 months old.

Trey
So glad to finally meet you.....
Little froggie
bright little eyes
soft cheeks
strong little legs
jump up and down
in Granny's lap
when dinner is due

Laura Grace
Tiny Dancer
Little arms
with twig in hand
pump by her side
as we walk outside
poke the bug, see the flower
as we make our way

Got a fat dog? Don't let him sleep with you.

There is a study out there that suggests that if you diet with your pet, your weight loss results could be greater. The study was performed using over weight dogs with owners wanting to shed a few points. The study also states that the joint effort between human and pooch serves as a support system.

"The dogs seemed to be happier and lost weight as well. The dog owners did slightly better than the dieters who walked and dieted alone. Overall, people lost an average of 11 pounds, or 5 percent of their body weight, in the first four months and kept it off for the next eight. The most anyone lost was 51 pounds. But the diet was less onerous and more fun for the dog-walkers." API

There is also another study out there that suggests sleep deprivation can increase the risk for obesity. My own personal study shows that if I sleep with, near or around my pet, I become sleep deprived.

Maybe they should do another study, entitled, Will you lose as much weight in your joint pooch/human effort, if you then sleep with the dog?

Oh, I almost forgot. Want to know just HOW FAT that dog is anyway. Click here for a Dog BMI scale.

The Grass is Always Greener.......

Marcel Proust

"The only paradise is paradise lost."

Tooth Fairy

The tooth fairy teaches children that they can sell body parts for money.
David Richerby

I actually posted this quote the other day. I got to thinking about the whole thing. And you know what? When my kids were little, if I were to have stumbled upon this quote, I might would have hysterically agreed and banned all mention of teeth fairies in my home.

I used various parenting "Bibles" when my kids were little. If a certain author or authors stated something was harmful for little ears, eyes, or bodies, my poor children were soon to be deprived of said items, tv shows or whatever.

It was not a BAD thing for me to be overly careful. I am very happy that my children watched very little tv as toddlers. (except for that MOVIE, whichever it happened to be at the time that a particular toddler would be obsessed with) I am happy that I was able to invest alot of time and energy protecting them from:

Barbie - Evil. Just look at those boobs.
Smerfs - Blue, means their dead. Evil.
My Little Ponies - Rainbow, national symbol of all deviltry and magic. Evil.
Most Disney movies - was that MAGIC I saw. Evil.
The list goes on. I cannot remember the other evils. (I am sure my kids will remind me and lengthen the list with their own comments.)
As time wore on I became tired and a little less paranoid. But ever once in a while, lest I forget, one of my grown and almost grown kids will pipe up and say, "Hey, remember when we couldn't watch Mary Poppins........

Want To Stink In Public?

When I was very young, I was very concerned about my physical appearance. I still am, don't get me wrong. I cover up the gray, wear make-up, try not to dress like I am 90, etc. But when I was VERY young I never left the house without my make-up on. I was a little compulsive about the whole make-up thing and to be honest with you, my made up facade looked a little like Alice Cooper(or for those who don't know who Alice Cooper is, a VERY toned down, without the weird contacts, Marilyn Manson) in my rebellious years. It was not always a "good look", it was however, my own style.

I also used to think about my appearance at my funeral. Dumb, I know, who cares what you look like when your dead. I however cared very much and spent so much time trying to look weird, I didn't want to die and no one be able to view me as I wanted to be viewed.

Today, I will go out of the house and to the grocery store and wherever sans make-up. I am not as weird or concerned about my appearance. I could not, however, volunteer for the following little project:

A British TV channel is looking for someone to agree to rot on the air after they're dead.



Yes, that is right. They want someone to rot in public, on tv, for several months. They say it will teach scientists about the affects of death on the human body.

I thought we had already studied that.....

Get Out and Vote

Get Out and Vote,
originally uploaded by E_llie.

The winds of change are blowing. Can you feel it in the air?

Whatever the outcome of tomorrows election, we will never be the same. These are turbulent times. Whatever your political persuasion, your vote could be the one that changes the outcome of history.

America Needs Your Voice, don't let her down.