All those in the US, sign here...

[mamama]

I see all these threads for Aussie people and thought we should have our own thread too. Not sure why, I just felt the need to make us feel special too!

So, who's stateside and where are you?

I'll start:

Mamama - in Chicago

May I please put in a quick brag here on behalf of DD1 at camp? She has been made General for the 5-day tribals (or Color Wars or whatever they call them?) - she rang us at 6am her time to tell us about it - I've never heard her sound so thrilled in her life

(I'm assuming the actual Americans here will know what I'm on about as I'm not 100% sure myself )

Jabberwocky - another car question please. Does your Sienna have the 'run flat' tires, and if so, what do you think of them? Was it a factor in your decision to buy the car?

at Wendy's General DD

Earlybird, that's a good question. I have no idea if they are run flat and neither does dh So, no, not a factor at all in our decision. I guess we didn't really think about it b/c tires are generally so much more well-made these days that I don't worry about a blow-out like I did back in the 80's.

Wendy - I went to one of the camps in Texas Hill Country; we had tribes and colors, so congratulations to your DD!! That is quite an honor & demonstrates how much her fellow campers admire her.

We have narrowed down where we want to live in Houston (as soon as we sell our house ) ... so it'll either be Spring Valley (in the NW corner I-10/610), or The Woodlands. One's practically in the heart of the city, and one's 45+ minutes north! Very different areas, but both with their own positives. I am actually getting excited about moving back!

We have Aetna, and I have liked it so far - no hassels or horror stories. ( re: wrong leg!!)

Oh, yes, health insurance. I had Mutual of Omaha until they pulled out of TN and was very satisfied. I'm self-employed so have to get individual policies and am with American Medical Security now which has been good as well. I'm not very crazy about BCBS. They are very slow to pay and will try to deny everything first.

Thank you, jabberwocky & Marls - I'll show her this when she gets home at the end of the month!

Incidentally she was delivered (25 yrs ago ) under a HMO insurance plan when we lived in NY - it worked a bit like the NHS, you went to a medical centre and saw a centre doctor instead of choosing your own, but it meant that my C section and 6 days in hospital cost us nothing apart from monthly premiums. Do HMOs still exist?

Pretty quiet this weekend...

Verrrrrrrry quiet.

This weekend we went to an antiques festival in a small town about 20 miles away from where we live. It was a great day for me because I found a vintage Dooney purse in amazing condition for a whopping $5. I had all my stuff in it and was organizing it before the woman took my money.

The kids had a great time, too. There was a hokey small-town type parade that we just happened to get a front row seat for, and the kids were enthralled. Then the parade members started throwing candy at the kids. Colin started screaming that this was the best day EVER. The real treat for him was when the fireman threw him a lollipop. DH and I both aren't big parade people, but agreed it was the best thing ever, too, because the kids had so much fun.

Sounds like a lovely day out, C&C'smommy

Not much going on in the windy city atm - it's the air and water show this weekend which is fab!

Been swimming at the beach - seriously folks Boulder has a beach . Close your eyes you can almost imagine you're at the seaside ... almost. Today was the Ranger Hike with the extremely good looking Park Rangers (sigh) followed by picnic (chicken kebabs ala alipiggie) and singsong. Saturday we have a party up in the mountains and I've making a stegosaurus birthday cake for a 4yr old. Wish me luck in the 100 degrees heat. He ho, that'll teach me to volunteer. Right bedtime for the beasties. a

We'll need pictures of the cake you know, Ali?!

Thinking of you & the 100+ degrees - was lovely and cool here today - must have been in the 70s. I almost needed a jumper

Hi, I'm in Ohio, moved here three years ago from London to be with my American hubby, I have a 6 month DD. Missing England a lot still.

Ooo, another one in the midwest! Hello chocchipcookie how's life in Ohio?

Another Update. There?s a lot of us now

Am wondering if VA counts as the East Coast or The South ? what do you think, Weewilliewinkie?

Dodgykeeper & chocchip are you near each other in Ohio?

East Coast
NannyK - Boston
Twinmommytobe - Boston
Greatgooglymoogly - NY State
Yesthereare4ofthem - NY State
Brooklynmom - NYC
MKG - New Jersey
Twirl - MD

The *South
Earlybird - Soon to be in TN
jabberwocky - TN
Sunchowder - Florida
Marls001 - Bentonville, AR
Tinpot ? NC

Midwest
Mamama ? Chicago
ChiTownLady - Chicago
Dodgykeeper - Dayton, OH
Chocchipcookie - Ohio

Rockies & Southwest
Alipiggie - Erie, CO

Northwest
IncredibleShrinkingMum - Seattle
Colinandcaitlinsmommy - Oregon City, OR

California
SittingBull - nr San Francisco
Califrau ? Milpitas
Syd - Manhattan Beach, LA
SofiaAmes - LA
LATyke - Redondo Beach

Texas
Texan - Dallas
Tiggyhop ? Houston
Vixie78 - Houston from August

Canada
Hellish ? Ottawa

British Virgin Islands
Barefeete

Brazil
Albert, Brazil

Another Update

1. Mamama - Chicago, DS 21 months
2. Twirl - MD - married, DD 3 and DS 1
3. Califrau - Milpitas, CA - married, ds1 about to be 7, ds2 about to be 4. sahm
4. Greatgooglymoogly - NY State - married, DS1 (3), DS2 (17 mths)
5. Alipiggie - Erie, CO
6. Tinpot - North Carolina
7. Colinandcaitlinsmommy - Oregon City, OR A married SAHM. DS 4 in August, DD 2 in August
8. Earlybird - TN, DD (6)
9. SofiaAmes - LA
10. LATyke - Redondo Beach, CA
11. NannyK - Boston, MA - single, nanny for adorable 19 month old twins
12. Marls001 - Bentonville, AR
13. Hellish - Ottawa, Canada
14. Sunchowder - Florida - DD Girlscout age poss 14ish, SDS um late teens.
15. SittingBull - near San Francisco, CA - married,two children, 1 DS 3 years, 1 DD 18 months
16. ChiTownLady - Chicago
17. MKG - New Jersey -ds1 22 months,ds2 3 weeks (why I haven't been around much)
18. Yesthereare4ofthem - NY State
19. Albert, Brazil - married to Brasilian, DS(7)
20. Texan Dallas, TX, married to a Scot, DD (7), DS (5)
21. Tiggyhop - Houston. DS (4) DS (3) and DD (20 months)
22. IncredibleShrinkingMum - Seattle, married, DD 6
23. jabberwocky - TN married, ds1 3.10, ds2 6 months
24. Brooklynmom - NYC. DD, 14 months old...
25. Vixie78 - Houston Texas from August
26. TwinMommyToBe in Boston pushing 34 weeks!
27. Barefeete - British Virgin Islands
28. Dodgykeeper - Dayton, Ohio 29)Syd - Manhattan Beach, LA
29. Weewilliewinkie ? VA 31 Chocchipcooke - Ohio

Which is the best fast food joint to call in to and what do I order? DH and I had an hour on own at the weekend and needed food urgently but didn't know where to go - actually he was probably lying as he's been here or in Boston for 18 months now - think he went to Chilis continuously and developed the 'Boston Bulge'. Children were at Chuckee's Cheese - don't think I spelt that right - and thought it was all fantastic and think I might like to go...maybe DH can take them!

Life in Ohio is very mid-western. Pass the potato salad.

Califrau. Colin loooooooooooves it there. There's one kind of by us, and it is old and run down. Then there's one about 40 miles away that is fairly new and not that bad. My friend and I are actually going to a place like Chuck E Cheese on Friday late morning for Colin's birthday, because I don't want to go 40 miles, and I hate the old one. I'm avoiding the crowds on the weekend like the plague.

I will probably have to do the weekend thing when they get older, but I can't stand the people at his old preschool, one of the reasons being every time someone has a party at a Chuck E Cheese type place the parents bring not just their immediate family, but also invite the PARENT'S siblings and their kids and you end up with about 30 people you don't know there. One poor mom had to shell out several hundred dollars in extra pizza, game tokens, etc. because the people who were actually invited didn't have enough.

40 miles for Chuck E Cheese? Have you lost your mind????

The only reason we went to the one 40 miles away is because we were invited to a birthday party of Colin's best friend at the time. We both moved up here not too long before the party, and didn't know anyone, so at the time we were both trying to keep in touch despite the distance. (It was only a few miles from their house). I would not go that far for a CEC in real life, I promise. That's why we're going to Bullwinkles. They're even better and have go-karts, mini golf and boats, anyway.

The adult version of CEC that we used to go to was called Dave & Busters. Good food and good fun