Chaz Moms and Moms-to-Be Chat (everyone welcome)
- Thread starter jenv101
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Fran27
Active Member
I love Xmas so we already have a tree. Fake one, but looks good
Waiting impatiently to put ours up, lol! But it's too early...
Fran27
Active Member
Setting it up with the kids is one of my favorite times! Typically the first week end of December.. so probably the 6th this year.
I have online friends who put theirs up last week though.
I have online friends who put theirs up last week though.
sparks19
I'd rather be at Disney
I'm a Christmas nut lol so we always go way overboard haha. But this year we won't be home to get the tree up really early. We are going down to Florida for Thanksgiving to my inlaws place and then spending the first week of December at Disney. SO we've decided to go for a real tree this year. All the cousins are planning on going to get their trees the weekend after we come back so that will be perfect. It's a nice little wagon ride out to the field, cut your tree and then we all go out for lunch. So that will be SO fun! I can't wait.
I want to get our outdoor decorations up next weekend though before we leave so they'll be ready to go when we get home and we can just fire them up
I want to get our outdoor decorations up next weekend though before we leave so they'll be ready to go when we get home and we can just fire them up
Fran27
Active Member
Wow you're courageous, I wouldn't dare leaving my outdoor decoration for 2 weeks while I was gone here, even though it's pretty safe.
I love real trees... don't really like the mess LOL.
I love real trees... don't really like the mess LOL.
sparks19
I'd rather be at Disney
yeah I'm not too worried about it. We live in a nice neighborhood and the girl across the street is staying to watch the dogs for us
so it's not like the house will be empty.This will be our first year getting a real tree for our house. Usually I like to have my tree up the day after Thanksgiving (sometimes earlier lol) and that just doesn't bode well for a live tree but since we'll be gone this year... it was a good opportunity to do it lol
yeah I'm not too worried about it. We live in a nice neighborhood and the girl across the street is staying to watch the dogs for us
This will be our first year getting a real tree for our house. Usually I like to have my tree up the day after Thanksgiving (sometimes earlier lol) and that just doesn't bode well for a live tree but since we'll be gone this year... it was a good opportunity to do it lol
When you water the tree, use a bit of Sprite when watering it. Someone gave me that tip a few years ago, and our trees have lasted from the Thanksgiving weekend until after Christmas without losing too many needles.
sparks19
I'd rather be at Disney
milos_mommy
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We'll be putting our tree up a little later this year but I'm extremely concerned about Lillian touching (aka destroying) or climbing on it.
I also wanted to ask a potty training question...Lillian is showing a lot of signs of readiness for potty training. Did any of you use rewards (particularly an m&m or something) each time they went? I've heard of that used A LOT but rewarding a kid with food seems kind of questionable to me.
I also wanted to ask a potty training question...Lillian is showing a lot of signs of readiness for potty training. Did any of you use rewards (particularly an m&m or something) each time they went? I've heard of that used A LOT but rewarding a kid with food seems kind of questionable to me.
release the hounds
Active Member
I never heard that either. I know people recommend putting sugar in your water for the tree, which is a bad idea, all it does it clog up the xylem which breaks the water column in the tube and then it's all done sucking up water
Not sure what the theory is behind sprite, but I imagine it is the same. They key to getting a tree to last a long time, cut it fresh and keep it watered. If you aren't cutting your tree fresh, or you're not getting it within a day or so of being cut, watering it doesn't make much sense. The water that you pour into the base is just evaporating.
I know nobody ever believes me, but I still say it
and still there's ten thousand websites telling you to water your tree, and unless it is fresh cut, it won't matter.Water is pulled up a tree because of the bonds between water molecules, when that column is broken it can start again, in the roots. Since we don't have roots anymore, it can't. In the summer, water moves up a tree 4+feet per hour. This slows of course in the winter.
Considering a lot of pre-cut trees are cut in October already and then shipped, or at least weeks before they are sold, that water column is so far up the tree by the time anyone buys it, they'd have to cut off 6 feet or more of tree to get to it
Even if you cut your own and don't put it up for a few days, there's a good chance you're too late to get it in water and have it keep pulling up water.
Adding sugar doesn't do much good, trees make their own sugar, adding it just clogs the system.
At least that's what my plant bio professor taught me 20+ years ago.
Greenmagick
New Member
Regarding potty training, no I never used rewards. I just offered the option to them, kept a little potty available if needed and let them go when ready. I think the rewards come in when people want them potty trained in a time frame that is not necessarily matching the child'so readiness.
I never heard that either. I know people recommend putting sugar in your water for the tree, which is a bad idea, all it does it clog up the xylem which breaks the water column in the tube and then it's all done sucking up water
Not sure what the theory is behind sprite, but I imagine it is the same. They key to getting a tree to last a long time, cut it fresh and keep it watered. If you aren't cutting your tree fresh, or you're not getting it within a day or so of being cut, watering it doesn't make much sense. The water that you pour into the base is just evaporating.
I know nobody ever believes me, but I still say it
Water is pulled up a tree because of the bonds between water molecules, when that column is broken it can start again, in the roots. Since we don't have roots anymore, it can't. In the summer, water moves up a tree 4+feet per hour. This slows of course in the winter.
Considering a lot of pre-cut trees are cut in October already and then shipped, or at least weeks before they are sold, that water column is so far up the tree by the time anyone buys it, they'd have to cut off 6 feet or more of tree to get to it
Even if you cut your own and don't put it up for a few days, there's a good chance you're too late to get it in water and have it keep pulling up water.
Adding sugar doesn't do much good, trees make their own sugar, adding it just clogs the system.
At least that's what my plant bio professor taught me 20+ years ago.
Well, that might all be good and true, I just know that ever since I added some sprite to the water, I barely have any needles on the floor. And our tree goes up Thanksgiving weekend and comes down the first or second week of January, usually.
Fran27
Active Member
We used stickers, and when the sheet was full they could pick a toy (like $1 Dollar Tree stuff), or we tried giving pennies too for their piggy bank.... It did nothing for Chris though, he took forever to be potty trained and couldn't care less about the rewards.
milos_mommy
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She's too young to comprehend "earning" a reward. She likes stickers, though, so just giving her some to stick all over the house might work. Probably is she's spoiled rotten and living with grandparents she'd just start asking for the stickers and they'd hand them over for no reason
I have a feeling if we just get all excited for her and make up a "potty dance" or play a certain song when she goes she'll be more into it than getting a tangible reward.
HayleyMarie
Like a bat outa' hell
So what are some good books I should get and forums I should join about babies, and raising babies and all that jazz. I feel like I should start reading up and leaning if I plan on having a baby in a year or two. So far I know nothing of babies. Ha ha
Greenmagick
New Member
I am out of the loop on parenting forums. I always loved Motherings discussion boards but they very well may have changed.
Books, my favorite is The Baby Book by Dr Sears. His pregnancy book is great as well. Lots of other good ones but that is my top pick for baby stuff.
Books, my favorite is The Baby Book by Dr Sears. His pregnancy book is great as well. Lots of other good ones but that is my top pick for baby stuff.
There is no preparation LOL!!!! I'm lucky I've worked with children and families since I was 18 so I have a lot of stuff in my head already. I know lots of parenting stuff, done a million courses, understand attachment, child development, children's needs etc etc But nothing prepares you for that positive test. Nothing!!!!!!
However...
I bought the 'what to expect' book. Barely touched it.
I've read the 'stand and deliver' book as a friend lent it to me. Enjoyed it
she also lent me 'spiritual midwifery' by ina may gaskin. Very very hippy psychedelic but if you can get past the language and floaty hippy crap the birthing principles are actually spot on. Oxytocin baby. I'm loving (loving) this blog http://midwifethinking.com/. I'm really interested in as intervention free birth as possible. But she has tons of evidence and practice based articles.
I tend to just browse the week by week stuff to see how baby had changed each week
I have bought 'my baby week by week' which I think may be a life saver as it's like a dummies guide lol
There's no real recommended reading as everyone views birth and parenting differently. To some it's a manageable, medical, routine type experience. To others it's a natural, more free experience. And neither shall the two worlds collide LOL.
Depends what kind of parent you see yourself as wanting to be really.