Where the Deer and the Antelope Play - Living in the USA (visitors welcome)

[SuperBunny]

East Coast
MaNanny - Boston
Twinmommytobe - Boston
MuminCT - CT
Greatgooglymoogly - NY State
Yesthereare4ofthem - NY State
Brooklynmom - NYC
alarkaspree - NYC
MKG - New Jersey
Mummimamma - PA
Poetmum - PA
Twirl - MD

South
Earlybird - TN
jabberwocky - AR
Sunchowder - Florida
Marls001 - Bentonville, AR
Tinpot - NC
MadameDeathStare- AL

Midwest
SuperBunny- Chicago
Dodgykeeper - Dayton, OH
Chocchipcookie - Ohio
MonkeyLover
KickAssAngel - Ann Arbor, MI

Rockies
Alipiggie - Boulder, CO
Ribena

Northwest
AnnieLaurie - Seattle, WA
Dooneygirl - Oregon City, OR

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

Texas
Texan - Dallas
Tiggyhop - Houston
Vixie78 - Houston
BananaPudding - Austin
Cosmicdust - East Texas

Canada
Hellish - Ottawa
Shouldlistenedtomymum - Hamilton
Nooka - BC
Jacksmama - Langley

Exotic Islands
Anorak - Bermuda
cp - Trinidad
Barefeete - BVI

Brazil
Albert

OMG, the My little pony website says, 'For 25 years, MY LITTLE PONY has given little girls a world of surprises and spontaneity, sunshine and silliness. With her MY LITTLE PONY friends little girls can choose from a number of fun online games and activities, videos and more! In Ponyville, the choices for fun are endless.'

I know they are girly and aimed at girls but why do they have to be for girls? I get really pissed off about gender-specific toys. Lego do it too

Sucks doesn't it. My boys play with all sorts of things, mummy's expensive lipstick, and love having their nails done . Although my Dad looked rather shocked at the pink nail varnish lol.

Sorry SB, I think My Little Ponies are definitely in the toxic pink isle. Playmobile on the other hand really shouldn't be, although shops here often do seem to stock either the girlier stuff in the girls sections, or the more boyish stuff in the boys section. I do wonder how much this is driven by places like Toys R Us, which have so much stock they have to divide it up. The older smaller toy shops seemed just to stuff as much stuff in as they could, without such segregation.

My lovely dh made fried chicken the other night, from our American cookery book. Very nice I'm still on the fairly traditional English stuff (if you include spag bol in with the stews and casseroles that is).

Annie be nice to yourself! I'm sure your ds was delighted to watch the TV

Oh, and dd and me made a papier mache chicken this week end. I'm not sure it really counted as "hours of fun" more like hours of trying to fix all the wonks when the newest layer of paste gooed the layer before and it all went wonky...

My lovely local toy shop has everything in sensible sections; All playmobil, all Lego, puzzles, baby toys - def not girly and boyish.

Papier Mache chicken definitely beats a wooden racing car

You think? I bet the car will last longer, and be more playable with. I need to find some varnish or spray for it, because I think it will go soggy at the least temptation. It does look quite amusing though! I suspect that my sister sent it to us with a slight sence of revenge - I've always given her and my dns crafty things (my sister is very much more skilled on the artistic front than me) until the year she asked me not to. Now I have some inkling why!

Your toyshop sounds fab!

My sister sends crafty stuff too - she doesn't have children yet so I don't think she realises why I am not as thrilled about the as DS is.

AL, I have decided you should have your baby today

thanks for the kind welcomes. I'm from Edinburgh, and I miss it, but I love that it is going to be 71 today in beautiful CO, then I will be able to drive up to the mountains on Saturday and go ski-ing, cant do that in Scotland as my Dad keeps telling me.

I love that you all talk about food I LOVE to eat, in fact I'm really good at it.

Helloooo, I'm woefully behind. My 93 year old grandmother passed away this weekend so we have only just gotten back home from the funeral. It was dh's first experience of a southern funeral. (he hails from NY) He found it quite interesting.

Welcome genX.

Oh Jabber, I'm sorry I'm curious about a southern funeral but I realise you may not want to tell us about it at the moment.

Am watching the inauguration - we went to a party and everyone cried. Obama seems so very together and suave and capable. I do hope he is having a lovely day.

It's OK SB, I had really prepared myself for this. Just had a feeling a couple of months ago that her time was drawing to a close.

So, Southern funerals...the "viewing" the night before the funeral is a very big deal and of course people bring lots of food to the house, or in our case the hotel. If we lived in the town still we would have been inundated with casseroles and pies, lol. As it was we got to munch on cookies and cake. Then there is the service itself with the family sitting off in a little private room to the side that is open to the chapel. The eulogy, sermon, singing (of course) and then the people passing by the casket for one last goodbye. Then we all stand outside and visit while the casket is loaded into the hearse and head over to the cemetary for the graveside service a la The Sopranos.

Dh said he was sure that some people in the North did something similar but he had never attended anything like it - and he's 60 years old

sorry to hear about it, jabber, still sad even if you're prepared for something.

today, we have attempted to have intellectual political discussions with dd. she wasn't too interrested in watching about barack obama.

however, having had yesterday off school for mlk day, she was shown an educational video about it at school toady. i'm not sure she understood, she wanted to know why the bad men shooted martha lutha king julian. (NB, she's a big fan of madagascar)

Crashing to ask, is "quarter of eight" 7.45 or 8.15?

It means 7:45, ninedragons. I have no idea why.

Sounds fascinating, Jabber.

lol @ Martha Luther King Julian

I was proud to be here today. Very.

Sorry to do this, but I need advise... copied from another thread:

I have a situation: DS getting undressed to get ready for bed, looks down and says, "If I have sex, my penis will fall off" I asked where he heard that and he said he didn't know. A couple of minutes later I asked who told him that his penis would fall off and he just said, "The sex"

Do I mention this to his father, which is presumably where he heard it? Or contact my lawyer? Or DS's? Or what? When I have been concerned over inappropriate things in the past, DS's attorney just disregards them, saying I am making things up to get at Ds's father. But I don't want my 3 yr old knowing/ hearing/ saying things like that. I feel sick.

Welcome Gen X, I'm from Edinburgh too and only been away 15 months so its kind of new to me too. I had never lived more than 15 miles from the castle!

SB the involtini recipe is in Nigella Bites and it is fab. Basically aubergine slices wrapped around couscous with feta, spring onions and other lovely stuff then all covered in tomato sauce and topped with melted cheese. Even meat lovers enjoy it!

I loved the presidential stuff today. It was like a Hollywood film; the music, the passionate crowds, the speeches, Ted Kennedy being rushed out...I was hooked! All the areas of my house from which I can see the tv are spotless - bathrooms and laundry? not so much.

Dds school brought in tvs and let them watch the swearing in and the speech while they had lunch which I thought was good.

Re my little ponies, my ds and his little friend spend a very happy afternoon not long ago making skirts and sort of bandeau tops for action man out of scraps of fabric. I have taken photos for emotional blackmail during the difficult teenage years.

Advice! I need advice, not advise

LOL @ My little pony pics. I will do the same

Sorry SB, I was typing at the same time as you. No wonder you're worried! I would speak to his father first if you can; it may be less scary than it sounds. Also if he has said something inappropriate to your son that is worrying him then he may be the best person to explain it to him. IYKWIM. It could be that the old throw-away comment "stop playing with it or it'll fall off" has mixed with a 3 yr olds very vague definition of sex. It could be much more serious though so make sure you speak to someone.
I probably didn't help much there but you know we're here for you!

Thanks Dodgy. I wasn't complaining that you hadn't responded, I was just correcting my spelling!

I am reluctant to go to his father first because he tends to come up with elaborate stories about how/ why he couldn't possibly have been involved and how it is my fault. But I do agree, he should be the one I discuss it with

Does he go to nursery perhaps? Little children do pick up very funny messages at times. It doesn't necessarily mean that's what he was told or even overheard, although I can understand you being worried about it. Is there an particular reason why you think he might have been exposed to unsuitable stuff when with his father? I have always been fairly frank with my two children, even when they were fairly small, and they can get the wrong end of the stick. I remember my sister telling a story about her son, when fairly small (maybe 3 or 4) being asked if he "had any room" (this was about second helpings) he replied "I haven't got a womb, I've got a penis". They had not long ago had a chat about the birds and the bees...

Are there other reasons to be worried? If not I would gently give him whatever real facts you are comfortable with him knowing. If yes then mentioning the conversation to your ex seems sensible.

If it makes you feel any better, I did a course on child abuse when I was teaching in Scotland and we were told that abusers didn't use words like sex when they spoke to the kids because it made the abusers uncomfortable. I hope you get it sorted.
Calls for a big glass of mine IMO. I may have one too just to be supportive .

Did my first personal training session this morning and it was good but hard going. Im used to going to big classes and hanging out at the back where I can stop doing the hard stuff whenever the instructor looks away. No hiding when you're on your own. I think I may ache 2moro.

Ok, thanks - I feel much less annoyed about this now. The only thing he does without me is a playgroup with 2 similar-aged preschoolers who have speach delays/ autistic spectrum disorders. He is by far the most verbal child and there are 2 trained therapists with them at all times. I am 100% he would not have heard that there.

He watches Family Guy with his father - I know because he often talks about it, names and recognises characters etc. I have been open and honest about his with things like that but I don't see why he would know what he does. I told him that his penis won't ever fall off, just like his fingers and toes won't.

Dodgy- you are right, I should be remembering the child protection courses I did. Deffo time for wine! Well done on personal trainer. I pulled DS 5 miles through the snow today. I think that should count as my exercise. No doubt I will ache tomorrow too!

sb, sorry to hear tha, any training i had as a teacher was aimed at the age group i taught - sec, so no advice. kids do pick up funny things. dd was convinced that babies came out of a zip in their mumy's bottom ( i corrected that), but i just coudn't face the conversation that would follow if i tried to change her idea that a lady laid on the ground & a baby came up into her tummy to grow in there. she also thinks that babies are a germ which grows in the tummy!

have no idea when is the right time to discuss these things. i've heard anything from 6 to 10. dd is 5, and if her grasp of martha lutha king julian's life story is anything to go by, she's not yet ready for knowing any more. it could well be that your ds heard something and has interpreted it in his own way. he may even have asked what sex is, and been givena flippant answer. if you're seriously worried, keep a note of what he says & when. personally, i wouldnt try to discuss it with an ex unless i had more info, but then i don't have an ex so not much of a judge there

Thanks Kickass - will make a note of it. Your DD sounds lovely! But I agree, perhaps not ready for all the facts of life yet. I think her ideas are wonderful.

Is AL having her baby now?

And where's Dooney? she hasn't posted for, oo, 2 days.

yep, family guy! dh has censored himself on that one - could well have comments about sex, and even about a penis dropping off, so a very likely cause. d'ya want me to ask dh if there's an episode with that on? he's a nerd & a geek & has encyclopaedic knowledge of stupid things like that. (can't remember where the dishwasher is though )