Oh Jhera, that does suck! Poor little boy! There's nothing worse then when your child is suffering...

Two year molars suck! My playful, happy, snuggling, kind boy has turned into a grouchy, impatient monster. I've had him at the doctor twice this week convinced he's got the black plague of illnesses and they keep saying it's just a cold. A cold, my ass. He's in daycare so he's had his share of colds and this is NOT "just a cold." Finally, Will and I stumbled onto the 2 year molar thing. It all makes sense now. It seems so mean to design an innocent creature so that growing causes him/her pain. That's going to be one of my first questions if I should ever get to heaven - isn't there a better way then teething??

Thank You Shea, I'm not happy you have had similar issues, but it does make me feel better to know I'm not the only one.

My biggest hope right now is this teacher was supposed to be a temp. Her real teacher is on sick leave. The story is that she will be back in November, but I have no idea how much that helps me becuase she might not be any better. And they've already extended her sick leave once so who knows.

I have started looking into private schools based on Montessori teaching. I think that will be her best bet. They focus on their strengths and learning style, they never try to make all kids conform.

Santina,
I have been through a similar situation with my oldest son, although not quite to the extent that you are experiencing. He had trouble in school and it was chalked up to lack of emotional maturity. He would get very upset at transition times and could become quite inconsolable when things didn't happen quite like he thought they should. When he was in Kindergarten we hadn't heard anything from the teacher about him having problems so we thought, "Good, he is finally outgrowing it." Then WHAM at parent-teacher conferences we get the whole litany of problems he is having. The explanation that we got is that the teachers want to handle this on their own. Well I think that is bull**** and we definitely felt that we should have been notified. We even made it quite clear to the teacher that we wanted notification and asked her to send a short note home daily, which she never did. Anyway, we survived the year and he moved on to 1st grade. Again, he was having problems but we weren't notified right away---UGGGHH. In the end he was diagnosed with a mild anxiety disorder, went to see a behavior therapist for a few months, and got an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) at school so that he could get extra help and time when he needed it. I thank God that he is naturally intelligent and that school work comes easy to him or it would really be terrible. My heart goes out to all those kids who have emotional problems as well as learning difficulties. He still had some problems in 2nd grade but his teacher was wonderful about communicating with us so we could work together to help him. He is now in 3rd grade and doing GREAT. This year is teacher is actually a friend of ours so she is always in contact and so far no problems.

Hopefully your situation will improve and you won't have to wait until next year. Do other parents have problems with this teacher? Is there any chance you can get her into a different classroom? Good luck and please keep us posted.

I agree Sunny, communiting is for sure the closest thing to hell on earth.

I do have a huge bitch for today it's been irking me all night, I couldn't sleep. I probably shouldn't let anything get me so worked up, but I can't help it.

I can't stand my daughter teacher. First of all my daughter is very right brained. For those you that don't know what that means, she's passionate, thinks with her heart, learns better visually, and will do things based more on her gut than on logic. She can thank me for those genes. That is hard enough considering the school systems considers us Right Brained "slow" . Slow has nothing to do with it, they just teach for the left brained people who can remember everything they read and other kids are left out.

Anyway September meet the teacher night comes up, and the teacher completely avoids me. My daughter takes notice and says why is she talking to everyone but you. That was my first contact with this woman. I said I don't know. Same night in the middle of a conversation, she walks away from me to speak to another parent. I was pissed. Fine.

We get a bunch of notices, one has a questionaire on it. I fill that in and send it back. She send all the notices again, telling me I wasn't supposed to send them back so here they are again.

I sent her back a notices saying I didn't send them back I sent back your questionaire.

(Sorry this is so long)

Interim reports came out 2 weeks ago...nothing on there about anything being out of place. No request for an interview with me. I assume everything is fine.

Yesterday I get a hand written note in my girls agenda.

"Your child is being placed on a behaviour management program. I will give her a star if she listens and does her work. When she gets 5 stars you can reward your child at home."

What the hell sort of shit is that. When writing a personal note to one parents you don't use the kids name?

My reply was My child has a name. Can you give more info as to what caused this? You didn't state that.

How do you send home a perfect report card and 2 weeks later tell me she's on behaviour management.

She makes me so mad, it's times like this I really wish Canada would get it's act together on public education. They really need to get on board with the European way of managing education.

Thank God I'm right brained, becuase you don't know how many right brained kids have been labeled as ADD or Dyslexic and put on medications or pulled out of regular school.

When I work with her she gets 100's, when I was away she failed every test. They just don't know how to teach her, and they really don't give a shit. She doesn't fit the box, so let her fail.

Sorry for the novel, I'm just so fed up with this women and it's only October, I feel like I have no recourse.

Kathleen,
Thanks for the blanket. I feel warmer already! This week I am off work and painting our master bath and hanging out with the kids at school. I am not cold painting that's for sure! My only bitch for today is when they built our house they didn't do a fabulous job and no amount of spackle will make our walls right. I am hoping once the "builder beige" is gone and the blue/grey is up it will look better. It has only taken me 8 years to get around to painting that room...not too bad :-) It was not high on my list since basically only my husband and I see it.

a bitching thread! i so need a place to vent. glad to find this.

i would just like to say that cars are evil. and commuting is most definitely some version of hell on earth.

Oooooh Shea I hate that too! One of my biggest pet peeves when eating out is sitting beneath the ac blowers spewing out arctic air. What more having to sit in that spot all day! Poor you. Here's a soft snuggly blankie to warm you up

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All day long at work on Friday there was cold air blowing full blast on me at my workstation. I already have a cold and this made me feel SO much better. It is always great to be freezing all day when you already feel like crap. We kept calling maintenance to fix it but, of course, no one ever came. I am hoping it is fixed by Monday or I will really be crabby.

I think we should all love like women shop. It's so easy to stop liking someone, we often forget all the special little things in the middle.

I think that's a good way to look at it Sherry.

LMAO...Kathleen!!! Too funny!

Shea,I hate the stalker authors too!

Just a little thought: If men made love like women shopped (we seldom ever go from point a to point b like men do,we like to meander,stop here and there to see something interesting)we'd all be alot happier. :)

LOL... I'm glad it helps. I hope you find a way to un-knot yourself.

1. Work--Uggh. I had a very nice relaxing weekend after a horrible week at work last week. I was feeling very refreshed and relaxed when I went in this AM. I was only there about 2 hours and I was ready to wring someone's neck. Now I am all knotted up again )-:
2. Housework--I just wish it would go away.
3. Kids whining--I wish they never learned how.
4. Me whining/complaining--I irritate myself!
5. Stalker Authors--got a message from some author I never heard of. At least he didn't try to be my "friend."
Okay, I feel better now. I think this is one of my favorite threads. Thanks Santina!

LOL...I wonder if that could actually work? Seriously domestic training should be a requirement in high school for all boys. The question is, can a man be domestically capable and still be straight? I haven't see the 2 combined yet, that might be in interesting study.

I love it!!!! Where do I sign him up?

Kathleen that was Great!!!!
With men all about the ego stroke... to get em to do something u gotta make em think they're better at it than you or that there is some reason it is more efficient for them to do it.

Sherry, here's something that might help your husband (and countless others) remember to close cabinet doors: (a friend emailed me this)

GO BEYOND AVERAGE!
OPEN TO MEN ONLY. ALL MEN ARE WELCOME
Sponsored by: Women's Advil, Hershey's Chocolate and Eve Feminine Wash

Note: due to the complexity and level of difficulty, each course will accept a maximum of eight participants.

The course covers two days, and topics covered in this course include:

DAY ONE

HOW TO FILL ICE CUBE TRAYS
Step by step guide with slide presentation

TOILET ROLLS- DO THEY GROW ON THE HOLDERS?
Roundtable discussion

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LAUNDRY BASKET & FLOOR
Practicing with hamper (Pictures and graphics)

DISHES & SILVERWARE; DO THEY LEVITATE/FLY TO KITCHEN SINK
OR DISHWASHER BY THEMSELVES?
Debate among a panel of experts.

LOSS OF VIRILITY
Losing the remote control to your significant other - Help line and support groups

LEARNING HOW TO FIND THINGS
Starting with looking in the right place instead of turning the
house upside down while shouting "It's not there!”, You’ve moved it!” or “We’ve run out!” –
Open forum


DAY TWO

EMPTY MILK CARTONS; DO THEY BELONG IN THE FRIDGE OR THE BIN?
Group discussion and role-play

HEALTH WATCH; BRINGING HER FLOWERS IS NOT HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH
PowerPoint presentation

REAL MEN ASK FOR DIRECTIONS WHEN LOST
Real life testimonial from the one man who did

IS IT GENETICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SIT QUIETLY AS SHE PARALLEL PARKS?
Driving simulation

LIVING WITH ADULTS; BASIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOUR MOTHER AND YOUR PARTNER
Online class and role playing

HOW TO BE THE IDEAL SHOPPING COMPANION
Relaxation exercises, meditation and breathing techniques

REMEMBERING IMPORTANT DATES & CALLING WHEN YOU’RE GOING TO BE LATE
Bring your calendar or PDA to class

GETTING OVER IT; LEARNING HOW TO LIVE WITH BEING WRONG ALL THE TIME
Individual counselors available

LOL...that is too true. Oh well, as Ghandi said, "Be the Change you want to see in the world". I'll just keep doing what I do.

After Silence of the Lambs and Ted Bundy I'm not sure i'd be all that willing to help a guy in distress and if he WAS on the up and up would he even admit to being lost in the first place?

LOL...you know I was watching some news show, and they dressed a women up pretty sexy and had her pretend she was lost. 9 out of 10 men tried to help her.

Same women, dressed average, and 2 out of 10 men stopped to help her. I thought that was the saddest thing. I stop to help anyone, if I see anyone in need I stop, I don't even think I notice what they look like, I just notice they look lost. I can't believe the way this society is and then we wonder why anyone who can afford it mutilates themselves for plastic surgery. It's amazing to me that people are willing to die for vanity, yet in this society if your not attractive 8 of 10 men would let you die.

I wonder if women are the same, if we did an study with a man dressed very GQ and an man dressed average, how many women would stop. I'd like to think we're the better sex, but I'm not sure of that myself.

I think I will change my photo to show someone looking really seductive, named Chesty McLure. Then go around and try to make friends with a bunch of the guys on GoodReads to see what reaction I get and how many friends....then....ah, no, that probably wouldn't be so fun.....unless I got them all to join the same group and oh, would that be a worthwhile waste of time??

LOL...wouldn't you love to see his face when he reads it?

Marjorie... LOL... I love your idea for the friend slut Don James.
Listen mister, I'm onto you! I'm a second degree black belt and I know how to take u down.
Regardless if youre a predator or not im takin u down just for being so icky!
Hows that sound

Molly, I don't think you are overreacting at all. There are a lot of creepy people out there.

If I got a request like that, I would probably tell him to go take a flying leap, (maybe not in such a nice way) but I am confrontational in that way.

I would tell him I know exactly what he is trying to do and that he should read more books to learn how to not be creepy toward women. Cause that is just icky and he should be ashamed of himself and to go sit in the corner til he learned his lesson.
But that is just me. : )

I actually demonstrated how one closes a closet or cupboard door for my husband(very politely and calmly)He seems incapable of closing them despite the demonstration and the understanding of the basic mechanics of it.

It's just plan weird to ask someone to be your friend anyway if they've never talked to you before for any reason.

Yes Don James does sound fake...I would just deny it, what can he do?

PS love the article on Men and housework. Give me a damn break, I've tried that tactic, they just don't care. Perfect example, my hubby can find the garbage in his office, but kitchen trash sits on the counter, until I toss it or yell at him for it. How hard can it be to do in the kitchen what you do in your own office? We'll be nagging until the day we die...lol

I hate being hit up by friend whores!You know who I mean. They have a gazillion friends but hardly any books at all! Or the creeps.Lots of young pretty girls hardly any books!Then there are the authors!I pretty much just stick with those people I'm in a group with and delete everyone else.

If your thing is just having "friends" why be on a site for book lovers? Some people have issues!

I Will look him up but i dont think it is his real name. it says Don James. sounds phony to me.

NO.....you are not overreacting. We are women, we are mommies and we have excellent gut-instinct. Go with your gut. After you explained his friend list and only 30 books that would seal the deal for me. Decline.
As for the websites, there are lots now. I would google it. After all, what would it hurt? Honestly, you never know. AFTER ALL...check this out. My husband's mom is kind of a...well...unique lady...ahem. Anywho....her "boyfriend" has been mooching off of her for years. He makes my skin crawl. Guess who is on a sex offender list??? I was just punching in names of creepy people I knew from work and voila.......there he was. GROSS!!! I have twin daughters who will NEVER spend time with grandma unsupervised and never in the presence of that man. My husband is 100% behind me and more.

Moral of the story....you never know for sure. And as for your gut instinct...you ROCK!!! You are a mommie and MOMMIES KNOW EVERYTHING!!!

Ok, i just got a friend request from some guy I dont know. His name is Don something he is like 20 years older than me. when i looked at his friends they were all women. I'm Sorry, I Hope im not prematurely sticking my foot in my mouth but that just Freaks me Out! it makes me think this must be how predators work. Its not even like he said oh we like alot of the same books, he only has 17 read on his list and a total of 30 books. I didnt deny the request, i just left it unanswered. I should look him up on one of those websites for known sex offenders what are they called???
Or... do u ladies think im totally overreacting?

I'm sitting here laughing my head off over that article. Thanks, Mister, but I'll stick with my way, and my kid will be doing chores around the house regardless of gender. Anyone who lives in our house contributes, because that what families do when building a home together, in my humble opinion, of course.

Hahaha!!! Can you imagine how crazy you'd feel when trying to implement this guys advice for the umpteenth time,oh wait! I know the answer to that one because I've been there and done that many many a time! Did anyone else reading this article get the feeling it was understood that when it came to helping around the house it was a case of boys being boys?I could here the refrain of Stand by your Man in my head while reading it.

Anyone read this yet?:

http://www.canadianparents.com/article/h...

Pamlea, that really made me laugh. I have to find better ways to get back at my hubby.

Shea, I swear I think it's a problem with the Y, it's like they're retarded. Even my girlfriend who is a single mother raising a son, he's now 14. She has always made/taught him the way "we" do things. Yet he still acts like a man. I don't know, I think it's sort of the laws of nature. We can't pee standing up, they lack domestic common sense.

Shea, I feel your pain! It seems a lot of men have those same "symptoms", mine included. I tend to keep lists in my head, constantly updating, of things that "need" to be done around the house. My husband does not.

I remind myself occasionally, when I feel overwhelmed and underappreciated, that many things don't really "need" to be done. They can either wait or can be ignored or perhaps even eliminated off the "to do" list. I try to "act" like my husband more.

I try to be more laid back (I am not saying we are high strung) and play more. Anything that doesn't get done doesn't really matter so much when I consider I could be dead tomorrow and don't want everyone to come in and say, "Wow, her house sure is spotless!" I'd rather they said things about me and my character and sense of fun.

But you know what? Fighting that urge to get everything done is work too! Every day is a challenge.

LOL - thanks, Suzanne :)

Sera you are my HERO!!!!!!

Shea, I work full-time and my husband has been a stay at home for the last 5 years. He will soon be a stay at home dad once I have the baby and return to work after my maternity leave. When he first started staying home, he too was dilatory when it came to housekeeping, and I refused to do it. I told him that couples can contribute to a household in many different ways, and if his was not going to be financial, then it was his job to take care of the house. At the time, my schedule permitted me to do all the cooking, but I refused to clean/do laundry. The house started to become very messy, and I told him that when people came over, if the house was dirty, it was a reflection of him, because that was his job, and everyone knew that he was at home all day. Over time, he began to improve and now he is awesome. He has also picked up the cooking, because with my new job and hour commute, I spend only a few hours at home during the evening. He is doing great!

Now, we've changed roles to the point where my husband says that he could use some help, and I know that he will definitely need my help after the baby comes. I don't want to become one of those spouses who works all day and then kicks her feet up so I chip in by cleaning up after dinner and helping him out when I have time, such as cooking on the weekends and running errands for him after work, but he retains the bulk of the responsibility in regard to maintaining the house.

Also when we first got married, he asked me to iron his clothes. Well, my mother is 60 years old and has been ironing shirts for my dad and then my stepdad for a total of 40 years. She hates it and is sick of it, but because she has done it, it is expected of her and she continues to do it. Knowing that, when my husband asked me, I told him, "I don't iron". I told him that I would be happy to take his shirts to the dry cleaners when I took my own clothes, because I don't iron mine either. He was shocked, but dealt with it, and he never brings it up. I take our clothes to the cleaners and pick them up and that's that.

My point is that I set boundaries about what was or wasn't acceptable, and I stuck to my guns, even though I felt like caving in many times. It took awhile, but I held firm until things changed. I don't know if my way would work for everyone, but I do that I would be darned if I worked and took care of the house, while he did little or nothing. I say all of this in support of how you feel, because I've been there and I know that you are right.

I'm rooting for you no matter what happens in your home, so hang in there, and bitch away all you want :)

As kudos to my Hubby he installed our new dishwasher (with my help and prodding) the day after I bought it. I sat down and read all the usage instructions. He said (I thought jokingly), "well now that you are the only one who knows how to use the dishwasher I guess I don't have to do anything with the dishes." It has now been two weeks and he has not started the dishwasher once-Arrgghhh. It is only a matter of pushing two buttons and it is very self explanatory. So I said to him a few days ago "I thought you were joking about not being able to use the dishwasher." He said he was joking at the time and that he had been horribly delinquent about the dishes. He apologized and yet he still has yet to load and run the dishwasher-Arrgghh Again. I love my husband. Twelve years of pretty happy marriage and 6 years of pre-wedded bliss but sometimes I just want to scream at him "Do you really expect me to work full time AND do everything around the house." It is all the more aggravating because he is a stay-at-home Dad. Fabulous Father, terrible housekeeper. Alas, housekeeping is the only thing my husband and I fight about. Okay, deep breath, I think I am done.
Oh, one last thing. Why is it when both the husband and wife are sick, let's say we both have a cold, that it is the wife/mom that still ends up making the meals and making sure the laundry gets done etc.? Is it just me? Okay, now I am really done. I feel better (-:

Sometimes it works to be a little passive-agressive. My husband likes to kick the toys under the furniture when he goes into the living room and the kids have been there playing. This totally aggravates me (and the kids) when we are picking up and have to contort our bodies into awful positions with our butts in the air to retrieve the toys......usually cheek to floor. That said, my husband also likes to leave his shoes at the foot of the bed when he comes home from work. I trip on them getting up in the middle of the night to feed the baby.

Solution!!! I began to kick his shoes under the bed when I got up in the middle of the night. He woke me up in the morning to ask where his shoes were. I would just say, "I don't know...where ever you put them last..." and go back to sleep.

(chuckle) Later that week, my husband came into the kitchen carrying a box with about 5 pairs of his shoes in it saying, "Huh? Look what I found under the bed?" Still not getting that I was kicking them under. (chuckle again...)

Later that night, he figured it out as I was pulling pieces of Candyland out from under the coffee table. He asked, "Honey.....have you been kicking my shoes under the bed?"

HUGE GUFFAW! Needless to say, this problem has been solved for the most part. Maybe this can work for someone else! Juan and I have been married for 5 years and he is still My Guy.

Oh...he did all the talking...so I didn't have to say too much, just answer some questions. I'm happy about that. I wanted to wait until I was a the very least 3 months. Phew...lol.

How did things go, Santina?

Ok so this isn't so much a bitch as a I'm so nervous, but I thought I would put it here.

In 15 minutes I have to have a career conversation with my boss. I can't honestly sit through an hour with him talking about how I intend to manage my career over the next few years without knowing that I'll be outta here in less than a year.

I am due literally a year to the day that I started here and I'm so worried about revealing my pregnancy right now.

Sherry, that thing on my head is a jester hat. My nephew received it for Christmas a few years back (yeah, that is an old picture) and I had to try it on for size.

Also, I just realized the book I am currently reading deals with body image and mothers....maybe that is why I have it on the brain lately.

Santina,
Thanks for the tip on the BR pants I will check them out!

Marjorie, we're not saying skinny girls have no issues...I was also very skinny, as a teen, no boobs, hips, nothing (in fact I was a size 0 until I had my daughter). Clothes were always too big for me. I just think it's terrible for all girls. It's not actually about their size curvy or skinny. The bottom line is society forcing one image on all women.

I was reading a magazine and some women wrote in about the Dove ads. She was upset, and thought they were saying skinny women weren't real. When all they're saying is, we're all real, we're all beautiful no matter what our size, but the sizes above 0 are never shown, and not just size, women over 25 are rarely shown.

It's just tough in general...it's something that really needs to be worked on; we just continue to pass the same insecurities from one generation to the next. I hope we can put an end to it sooner than later.

Shea...I have an answer for you...you are going to love me.

I have the same problem fits the hips and then I need 3 inches off the waist. I can't help it my mother is black, I have booty...lol.


Banana Republic...MARTIN FIT...oh how I love love love them. I tried one pair on, pulled them up PERFECT IN EVERY WAY. Fit my butt, fit my hips and best of all fit my waist with no gap. They are made for women with curves. And if you're too curvy for the martin...they have a fit called CURVY...Trust me you will never go back. They are the only pants I've never had to have altered. I don't even try them on anymore, I go in, see a martin fit I like, get my size and out the door.

And lastly, here is a link to all their current Martin fits for you in Petit. http://www.bananarepublic.com/browse/cat...

Marjorie? What is that on your head?

My sister tried drinking milkshakes every night to try to gain weight she was so slim.Now she frequently diets concerned if she gains a pound or 2.Ironic!

The image reality can go both ways. By this, I mean that some kids hit growth spurts and zip up to new heights before their weight catches up with them. I was this kid! Teasing from peers can be brutal, so being sensitive in relation to both ends of the spectrum is important. Maybe for every girl who tries to be skinny on purpose, there are 3 girls who have fast metabolism?