I am worried about her. Her last posts were about her husbands diagnosis with cancer.

She is probably just too busy to post but if anyone knows of an update, I'd love to hear from you PM or otherwise.

I am planning a big family party this weekend and I want to have the greatest menu ever.

What's the best outdoor summer party menu you've ever had?

(and oh yea, cheap and easy a BIG PLUS).

xo,
B-yum

I've been online today more than ever because I just can't wait to hear how it went today.

xo,
D

How are you?

How's your husband?

thinking of you...

Does anyone else have circadian rythmically challenged birds?

Every night at 11pm (usually the time I am ahhhh.... laying down, resting my weary head), they chirp like its sunrise! It goes on all night and I can hardly sleep. And they are LOUD and so damn cheery I want to both strangle and cuddle them at the same time.

THe worms are still sleeping! GO TO BED, BIRDS!

Has anyone been involved in a house auction ??

I am desperate to sell my house. The standard real estate agent route is just not working for us.

Any clever ideas?

Thanks mamas,
B-yum

Haven't seen you around much and I was wondering how you and your husband and family are doing...

Any news?

Are you around? Just wondering how you are...

Hi all-

We are moving soon. The girls will continue to share a room. The bedrooms in the new house are pretty small so I think some sort of bunk bed, or loft bed would be great as far as saving space.

Does anyone have bunkbeds? Does movement on the top (getting up and down) wake up the sleeper on the bottom?

Any reccomendations?

Thanks mamas.

I'm going to set up the mama store, as suggested by Springy. I love the idea of having a central site for mamas to post their goodies.

Many details will follow, but first things first...

we need a name!

What should we call it? No "hipmama" anywhere in the name for trademark reasons.

Whoever picks the name, WINS! (As in, "first one to the tree wins!" OR "whoever eats the most bugs wins!"... no real prize...just the honor)

Feel free to post new ideas for names, or vote for names you like.

Since 2002, I have had sporadic electric shock sensations in my leg. They are very strong - the first time was at my dds first birthday party and I nearly evacuated the room because I thought a wire was loose under the carpet. They cause me to scream loudly, drop everything and grab my thigh, and then they are over. It is usually when I am coming up from being bent over, generally when am under some sort of stress. It used to happen a few times a year but in the last month it has happened more... Three times in the last week including twice today.

I have a doctors appointment on Friday but I would love to hear if anyone has gone through anything similar. I can't find much info on line.

I got such a laugh out of this. My DH is great, but I see a lot of us in this excerpt...

Figure It Out? Figure It Out? O.K., You Figure It Out!
By CATHERINE LLOYD BURNS
Published: March 12, 2006

IN my next life I'm coming back as a man. I will have sex with my wife and knock her up, and then in the hospital I will watch while she figures out how to get the baby out of her. And after my daughter is born, I will play with her when I'm in the mood and stop when I'm not, and I won't get all psycho about it. I will throw her up in the air super high and get her wound up right before she's supposed to go to sleep, and then I will let my wife, her mother, put her to bed.

I have a very hard time believing there is a god. To me, there is no evidence of his/her existence.

People are so quick to thank god when anything good comes their way, and to praise god when something someone is healed. Many people are quick give god the credit when prayers are answered.

But when something bad happens, many people say "God has a plan." Sometimes people get angry at God for letting things happen, but more often, I hear "Everything happens for a reason."

Rarely does God get the blame, but often gets the credit.

I see no evidence of a higher power. If there was a God who could mediate good on earth, George Bush would not be able to slaughter thousands of innocent people, children in Africa would not be starving and babies would not have cancer. These things (among all the other horrors that occur daily) are my evidence that there is not a higher power. Or at least a good one.

A dear dear family member is being fired due to her pregnancy.

I know it is illegal for most companies, but the one she works for is very small (4 or 5 employees). I know that legally small companies are not held to the same standards as large ones.

Does anyone know if this is legal?

Thanks so much mamas.

I never really liked that name.

But add a-licious and viola!

I just found out that the previous owner died in a house I am buying. He died of a heart attack.

This does not bother me at all. Isn't death just part of life?

A friend said she could never buy a house someone died in. When people came to look at the house next door to me that was for sale, they wanted to know if my neighbor died there or in the hospital.

Would it bother you?

I would just like to say that all these posts about reporters and legal action are completely out of line. Who cares if reporters come here?! Damn. its pissing me off but I am going to temper my post out of respect for the mamas that really need help and may be reading EVERY post.

There are mamas out there who are in DAnger and posts like that are not going to make them feel better. Keep it in your PMs please.

It's the 250th anniversary of Mozarts birthday. I have been trying to find free mozart music online but have had no luck.

Can anyone help?

I have slept through the night 4 times in 4 1/2 years.

I have always parented by instinct for the most part...leaning toward attachment. I always carried my little ones. I breastfed for 1.5 yrs each or more. If in a situation they were leary of letting go, I kept holding on. I must say, they are very well adjusted socially,smart and loving. They had no problems starting preschool around 3. I dont not regret the attachment parenting except:

THEY DO NOT SLEEP ALONE.

My oldest is the biggest problem. 4 1/2 years ago when she was born, she found my hair. As soon as she could figure out how to move her fingers, she started playing with my hair. We coslept and breastfed from the beginning with her noodling my hair all night. I remember when she was 18mos and I was 8 mos pregnant with my second daughter, thinking... how am I going to do this with two? Well, now I have one noodling my hair and one stroking my face. We have an incredible physical bond. But holy hell, I need some sleep.

Just overheard between Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo action figures as voiced-over by my 4.5 yr old and will-be-three-tomorrow yr old girls:

Princess Leia: Don't you want to marry me Han solo?
Han Solo: No
Princess Leia: Why? Because you don't love me? Well maybe you want to marry Luke Skywalker instead cause sometimes boys marry girls and sometimes boys marry boys and sometimes girls marry girls.
Han Solo: OK. I will marry Luke Skywalker. Go put on a dress so you can come to my wedding.
Princess Leia: Well, not all princesses wear dresses. I don't have a dress.
Han Solo: Well, can't you make one?

Hi wonderful Hipmamas-

It's been a long time since I have written but I have been reading and trying to keep up with everyone. . I was away for a while, I went to California. YOU LUCKY WEST COAST MAMAS!!! I was in San Francisco, Monterey and San Luis Obispo. What a beautiful place. Since I got back, I have just been trying to get my head above water, get some things done at work.

A question for you all: Is there anyone out there that grew up in a secluded location and liked it?

Or, if you had the choice between a very small old but sweet 800sq ft house on a dead end street with a stunning, peaceful waterview but on a crappy street and school district (ie. three houses on your block are abandoned, you have no one you could go to for a cup of sugar...) or a larger house near a great school, walk to park but on a pretty busy street, which would you choose? I live in the little house on the water now and we love it, but with two kids its getting a bit tight and I am longing for more of a community than the seclusion I once wanted. The other house near the school for my kids - there are two playgrounds within walking distance. It would be tight financially, but I am leaning toward leaving so that my kids will have friends around, go to good schools, etc. THe thought of leaving this places makes me want to cry. And then I think -maybe the girls would like to grow up out here, the way I like it. So, I would be happy to hear from anyone who has thoughts on growing up in an out of the way location with no friends nearby.

Is it possible for someone to become physically addicted to narcotics in 8 days? I have been taking percocet (strong painkiller and sedative) for an appendectomy for 8 days. I never took more than the recommended dosage and usually much much less.

I gradually reduced my dosage but stopped taking it at night for the first time yesterday and I can not sleep. I've been up since 11pm and it is now 6am.

Has anything like this ever happened to you? I usually have NO problem sleeping at all. If it is withdrawal, it's very scary how quickly a body can become used to a drug.

Earlier this week I had an emergency surgery on my appendix. OUCH!!! It was caught before it ruptured, thankfully.

The recovery hurts like hell and i just have three small incisions. I hear all this "too posh to push" crap and all I can think of now is how is must be to have a c-section and try to care for a newborn!

Has anyone out there had an apendectomy? I'd love to hear your stories and any tips for recovery.

I just wanted to let you all know about this (see exerpt below). He is such a wise man and eloquent speaker. I am looking forward to hearing his thoughts.

Taken from an e-mail from Barack Obama...

"Just a quick note to let you know Barack will appear on “This Week� with George Stephanopoulos this Sunday. This is his first appearence on the show since being sworn in and he'll be discussing Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

Click here to check your local listings.
http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/story?id=64655

*Here in NY the show is being preempted by 9/11 specials and will be on at 4pm"... it may have been on already in many places though. Check your local listings *

And yet, another sick bastard:

The Wall Street Journal reported that Representative Richard Baker of Baton Rouge was overheard telling lobbyists: "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did."

taken from NYTimes by Maureen Dowd, 9.10.2005

Don't know what else to say. This is all just so profoundly sad.