It's been great!

Dear Wednesday Whining Community --  

 WW has been a treasured community to me! I am very grateful, and I'd like that friendship and camaraderie to continue. We have been at this site for almost 11 years, can you believe it?  And some years before that, at Phantom's place. 

After discussion among moderators, we have reached consensus that it's time to start a new iteration of the group, and therefore we are starting a closed (secret) group on Facebook -- with a format more along the lines of no weekly host, anybody can W/AW when they are moved; and members can respond to individual topics, rather than having a running thread about the everything.  It will be called Whines; Anti-Whines; Whatever Works. 

Among the reasons are these.  It has become burdensome to continue the weekly format, with hosts every week.  While this website is not searchable via google, if anybody knows the website address, it is also not entirely private -- and, some of us have held back on posting for that reason.  This site is also not very accessible via mobile devices, and members have mentioned they cannot access it via work computers -- so, it is not convenient to use (unlike FB, which is reportedly easy to use via phone). 

A "secret" facebook page is not searchable, indexed, or viewable by anyone but a member of that group.  Members are invited, and must be approved by an admin or moderator. It is NOT public. Stuff there cannot be “shared” on other FB pages.  That is what we're opting to do. 

Moderators are in FB or other contact with a good many members, current and past.  If you know of someone who has been part of this group, they can be suggested for membership in the new group.  If members are interested but not contacted in the next few days about the new site, please contact a moderator!

It's been an excellent ride.  We're holding everybody in our hearts, and are grateful for the friendships.  xoxoxo

Frazzled Edition

Greetings, Pixies. I hope everyone else's Monday is going more smoothly than mine.

Mine has been rocky and emotional.

First, I woke up to an email from a beloved friend, in response to the news that we'll be visiting her city in August, to tell us that her husband (another beloved friend of ours, who has been dealing with a rare form of cancer for several years now) is heading for one risky surgery this week, and that around when we're planning to visit their city, they'll be in a bigger city, while he has an even riskier procedure. (It's one that they previously said they'd only do as a last-minute life-saving attempt, since there is a survival rate from the procedure itself is low. Plans to do this means that they're out of options and he's doing really poorly.)

So. I started off my day emotional, and I don't know whether this means it's a good or bad idea to travel out there this August now.

And then my morning with E started off okay, until she had a weird, escalating meltdown, which started over something small, and ended up with her behaving in some really scary ways. Bad enough that one part of me wonders if we need to talk with someone about these meltdowns, and another part of me says "So many of my friends have dealt with at least one child who had terrifying meltdowns at 5, and then thought it was age inappropriate and possibly symptomatic of something bigger, because of all the advice stuff out there that says that these things taper off at 5."

It was rough. I don't deal well when my child reacts violently (and makes violent threats!). And then I get terrified that she'll react like this at school, and it'll be an even bigger problem. And it's easy to feel like it's the fault of one's parenting.

We've finally calmed things down, and have talked through a lot, and now she's listening to an Ernie and Bert record from my childhood. (She lost TV for a day or two, because the initial small issue was connected to TV.) But my anxiety levels are still really high. The weird thing is that she behaved so well, and worked so hard to be well-regulated, for the entire time that Mr. Q was out of town. And she immediately developed a bad attitude, the second he walked through the door. And he is at work today, but the bad attitude continues!

And that's my big word vomit for today. How are things going there?

Distracted edition

I may not be around so much this week, as there is a thing that needs doing for work.

Events of national importance are horrifying me presently, especially this morning's unthinkable twit explosion.  

On a brighter note, our son's birthday is tomorrow, and the first anniversary is fast approaching -- so, we'll be seeing the kids sometime soon!

Had a good weekend, especially visiting with my artistic college friend.  The weather is basically perfect just now, too!

Tonight will be chicken tikka masala, and am totally cheating by using a prepared simmer sauce.

What's happening at your house?

Miserable Whining Edition

Well, we made it through the night. E and I are having a recurrence of the stomach virus that hit us a few days ago, triggered by my getting too lax with the gentle food diet, and by going out a bunch on a hot day. Mr. Q is camping, several hours away, with spotty cell coverage, with a group of grade 11 science students, and isn't going to be back until tomorrow night.

E last threw up at midnight, and I still haven't, but my stomach is still sore and angry today. There's a pile of disgusting laundry in my hallway, which I need to clean up immediately, but I'm not sure how to do it when I'm this sick. I'm hoping that my mom and come and help for a while today (I also checked with my in-laws, but they have urgent work today). E screamed at me a lot this morning, when I told her that she can't have any dairy today. (Dairy triggered all of this for her yesterday. Too much too soon.) I confess that I only got her to back down and have food and drinks within the BRAT diet by both sobbing and by threatening to dump out the rest of our milk, since she was trying to take it out of the fridge by herself. I now have her in front of the TV with toast, a banana, and some diluted juice, and I'm making some applesauce on the stovetop.

*Breathes* Okay. Mr. Q called and I whined at him a bunch, and E talked on the phone with him, and promised that she'd eat gentle food, and I'm a little more relaxed. I ignored the applesauce for too long and accidentally scorched it a bit, but I added some brown sugar, and I'll call it "caramel applesauce" and pretend it was on purpose.

Okay. Let's do this thing. How are you all doing?

The long household ordeal...

This is the last week of the big out of town thing for my husband, and not a moment too soon.  The thing started over 6 weeks ago, broken by a two week break in which he worked like heck and was out of town a lot.  Prep for the thing has been pretty intense for months, actually.

What with all the Dog and Dog Man mutual affection and mutual deep sorrow at absences, the short times The Man has been home tend to be complete spoil-fests -- rules are suspended!  From Clyde's end, any minute The Man is on the premises but not immediately adjacent to The Dog leads to alternating barks and pitiful crying.  Mama's looking forward to getting back to a better routine....

Weather is nice!  Not too hot; sunny; everything's growing like crazy.

I'm trying to settle in to my pending project, get some speed up -- but fortunately, I don't have to go anywhere for this one.

What's up with you?  

Hear ye, hear ye: Let the whining commence!

I meant to post earlier, but forgot I signed up!

There's been a disruption in the force at my house, since Mr. Dog Man was home for two weeks, and now (alas) he is gone again.  Our dog Clyde figured out The Man was leaving yesterday due to the packing of bags, hauling of things to the car, garage door opening without loading the dog in the car, etc., and commenced an impressive whine and bark fest.  Things settled down in time, but Le Dog was so eager to go see his doggy pals at day care this morning that he jumped right out of the car before I could grab his leash!  Jeesh. 

AW:  Daughter's in the middle of her last final of the year, yay!  Tomorrow, pizza night with son and my lovely DIL!

Also tomorrow, an exciting visit with the ob/gyn for the pap.  Thus, another spirited day care visit.  That should wear the pup out some.  Maybe he won't bark as much at my son, for no discernible reason.

What's the haps out your way? 

{Insert Creative Title Here} Whining

Yeah, that's right. I've got nothing creative, but I'm willing to host this week, so here we are.

The final month of the school year is my least favorite: so much frantic activity and "fun" at school can get to be overwhelming and too much. So much frantic activity on my part at home, as I rush to get things done which do not need Baboo "help."

Add in the regular tasks which need to be accomplished (cooking, cleaning, laundry, and the &$^&# grocery shopping), and my lists are getting too long.

What about you, pixies?