RETRO NOTES: " BABY LOVES DISCO"
"BABY LOVES DISCO" is 2pm-5pm on the first saturday of each month at Southpaw 125 5th ave, brooklyn, NY. admission is $10 www.babylovesdisco.com
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
"BABY LOVES DISCO" is 2pm-5pm on the first saturday of each month at Southpaw 125 5th ave, brooklyn, NY. admission is $10 www.babylovesdisco.com
31 Comments:
Omigosh how cool is that?
I sure would love to go! Gotta tell hubby about it. Maybe we can meet up sometime :D
yay! i've been waiting for you to say you wanted to meet up.
only catch is this month's dance party is on the day of my baby shower. next month's date is 2 days after my due date! that doesn't mean i wouldn't go, a little booty shakin' might be just what i need to pop this sucker out.
would you like to meet for lunch or something? my night off is wednesday nights, maybe yer hubby could watch the kids and we could have a girl night sometime, or maybe we could all get a sitter, and have a double date.
ooo, i forgot to tell you they have BLD in the city too, go to the website for the time. that would probably be closer to you.
You remember I live in Jersey right? Just work in the city. But, of course I would still love to meet up! Why is your day off on my meeting night? LOL
Maybe we can get together on a weekend?
What a great idea! Nice perk to living in the big city. Wish there were some such thing in our area. Of course, we have fun "family dates" going to some of the local drive-ins in the warm weather. So laid-back & fun (& really cheap)! The kids play on the playground before the show, we all relax in the comfort of our own vehicle or chair, & we bring our own snacks. Sometimes we catch a double feature. The kids watch the first movie and then sleep during the second (some bring kids in PJ's)
I even came up with the idea of a drive-in section at district conventions! Wouldn't it be great to sit in your own car, where if your kids get fidgety or noisy, they bother no one but you (which I can tune out, but apparently others in the audience can't). And if you have a nursing child, you could take care of them without getting up & having "disturbances" from well-meaning folk who want to "gootchie-goo" with the baby! (And no lugging coolers, bookbags, blankies, etc. back & forth) Just an idea!!
Jodi, LOL at the DC idea! Well, in our area, you could probably choose to do it with the radio broadcast connection we get for those that are hard of hearing. but I guess that would be considered taking advantage of a provision not meant for you, LOL. *sigh* Plu, kind of take the fun out of the drama. would be cool to pull up in our car and watch tho, LOL.
Michelle-
You're right. It would have to be on a really huge screen- like the actual drive-ins! But I don't think the Faithful & Discreet slave will implement any of this. That's okay!! All too soon, our own kids won't be little anymore; I vow to be more vigilant at helping other mothers more when mine are bigger- now that I've been in the trenches!
Jodi,
That is such a good attitude. I just look at them and say, "thank Jah. that's over for me" the whole time they were little, I'd sit at the convention and say to myself, this is just an exercise in obedience. i'm getting nothing out of it whatsoever. i was very tempted more than once to stay in my hotel room at convention and listen to the radio broadcast (and nap). teehee. now, thanks to you, i wont be able to watch anymore stuggling moms without feeling compelled to assist.
Our circuits are at an 'agricultural center' so it has a dirt floor and smells of livestock. The upper area (where the seats are) in very cold concrete. In the winter I get arthritis from the damp concrete and in the spring my allergies go berzerk. Plus, the nursing area has no speakers so when my kids are little I get zero out of the program. The radio broadcast has proved irresistable to me and I enjoy it so much. I, of course, don't publicize my use of it to those who are willing to tough it out, but I am confident that Jehovah applauds my good sense. LOL!
ok girls, i'm about to blow the lid off of this discussion.
when i go to the assemblies, i'm there w/out lloyd, so i've had to come up with a few unorthodox ways to cope.
NURSE IN YOUR SEAT
i nurse my kids in my seat. that's right. i may get a stare or two, but let's face it ladies, it is the most natural, holy, modest, respectful practice in the world. jehovah invented it!
you can cover up with a scarf, layer your tank tops or whatever you do to be less conspicuous. a lightweight silk scarf works pretty well. i have a friend who does this, and she always chooses a seat next to the wall at the khall.
nursing in your seat has many benefits. you get to actually HEAR the program. it's less disruptive to those around you: no screaming babies, less getting up and down. it's safer, less trips up and down treacherous stairs. 99% of the time no one even knows we are nursing.
BRING A PORTABLE RADIO
if i use the nursing area, i bring a portable radio with me, and leave it in the nursing room for the other sisters to use.
STASH SUPPLIES
i stash diapers and wipees back in the nursing room so i don't have to keep lugging my heavy diaper bag around. i also like to bring water bottles and granola bars for the sisters too.
TRY A WALKMAN
on occaision, i have just brought a walkman, and used it everywhere, from the nusing room to walking the halls to soothe the baby.
this works really well, because sometimes the sisters are talking so loud in the nursing rooms that you can't hear the program anyway.
CAMP OUT
sometimes, i bring all my kids to the "nursing camp" and just stay there. i used to do this to give hubby a break from the kids so he could hear the program.
TODDLERS
i leave the wiggly toddlers at home if i can. i have even left them with a sitter.
why not? if they are between 1 and 3, they are at an age where they will never remember being at he assembly anyway. they go to the meetings, so they get plenty of association, and this way i don't want to drown myself in the baptismal pool.
look at it this way. if my spiritual reserves dwindle away because i no longer get to hear the meetings and assemblies, then what will i have left to pass on to my kids? assemblies are meant to uplift. they are not meant to be an excerise in martyrdom.
PARK IT
LASTLY, in the past we HAVE spent sessions outside in the parkinglot listening to the broadcast.
there is no rule against this.
i remember an annual meeting that we attended years back, when there were no seats left, and we HAD to sit outside. i remember thinking why haven't i thought of this before?
these improvisations make the assemblies so much easier, that it is like i feel jehovah smiling down on me. i can actually breathe, and relax. i know some people may feel that it is like "cheating" or improper or whatever, but that is their baggage, not mine. it's an assembly, not a contest.
hmmm, I'm liking your tips, Steph!
Bravo Stephie! I agree w/ most all of your suggestions.
The only thing I don't do is leave the kids at home or w/ a sitter. My reasoning for that is that my oldest child is extremely good at the meetings and attentive and I feel it's because we stressed the importance of them by never ever letting him stay home unless he was sick. Nathan is super difficult at the hall, however, and I feel that consistently taking him along is the only way to get him used to the 'rules' of behavior there. We even have quiet times at home where we encourage speaking in a whisper and looking at a book as practice.
Right now, it is ALOT of work. I get very little out of the meeting if I'm there alone but I fight my battle in the back room where I am a minimal distraction. Right now we are working on 'sit in your own seat' which is literally a tug-of-war w/ him. But he's slowly spending a little more time in his seat and not trying to get down nearly as much.
Keep in mind, this is NOT by ANY means a judgement on you are any others who choose to get a sitter. I have been very tempted at times, when hubby has one of his monstrous sinus infections, to leave the kids at home w/ him. But, I always have that fear that will become TOO comfortable. heh heh.
i'm glad that's working out for you. but remember, you have a husband and extended family in your area to help with the kids. and you have a car at your disposal to get there.
my motto is do what you can do, when you can do it. that's all jehovah expects of us. if i spend the entire first day at the assembly trying to force a toddler to act like an adult for 8 hours, then i won't have the energy to make it to all 3 days.
my oldest is also great at the meetings, and milo gets plenty of practice "being good" each week at the meetings, but he is still a totally different person, much more high energy. every child is different, right?
Last night I was thinking about your suggstion to leave the kids home with a sitter and remembered that a sister at our hall did it with her toddler a couple of years ago. One of my friends remarked on it, and I was pregnant at the time and she's a blunt kind of person who said "I hope you don't do that with your kid", but she's just that way. Mind you, the sister witht he child is separated. her hubby was recently reinstated at the time but still going through ups and downs and so he didn't go and I guess she decided to leave her daughter with him so she could concentrate. So I can see your point. her little girl is very good at the meetings now, and I'm struggling with my kid, but yes I have hubby to take turns with.
you're right, whatever we can do. As it is, I only get about 75% of the meetings, IF that, and hardly get to comment, so I can't imagine how dd will be at this stage at the convention all day long. I'm definitely borrowing your walkman idea. Only this year our convention is not at Nassau due to construction, so makes me wonder if there will even be a radio broadcast!
OK wow, this got totally off-topic! Weren't we talking about meeting up? LOL
i will never forget the day i discovered nursing in my seat. what a liberation. i NEVER went back to that goofy nursing room again. honestly, i couldnt abide the senseless prattle of the other nursing moms (did i type that out loud). i went to all that trouble to be a part of something big and i wasnt about to be stuck in some nasty bathroom the entire time with a tiny mircrochosm (sp?)of that something who spent their days doing exactly the same thing i did and therefore had very little insiting to love and fine works to do as far as i was concerned. i get a high off the VARIETY of people you see at conventions.
stephie, i applaud your good sense and yes, i think jah. does get a chortle outa you. how can he not. he wants us to exercise our privilege to be part of this brotherhood in whatever way we find that works. there really are no rules. it's all about the spirit with which we conduct ourselves. while bringing water bottles and granola bars for the other moms and getting a sitter for the toddlers may seem like alien behavior to some, you had the right spirit in that you were trying to preserve your ability to be there the next day and the next. jehovah loves us for our differences. if i had to guess, i'd bet he wishes we would love each other a little more for them. yu cannot have a family of 5-6 million without learning tolerance.
A big hug to each & every one of you!! Nothing more gratifying or challenging than being a parent, is there? We love these little people so much, & we are aware of how much is at stake if we somehow "get it wrong". I'm sure there are mistakes that can (and have) been made; but I couldn't agree more with Stephie- if others judge the way we are handling things (especially when we KNOW how well it's working for us), that's their baggage, not our own. Sometimes I find it easy to feel indignant at other's judgemental attitudes, but as soon as I stop worrying, & do what I need to do, along with pouring my heart out to Jehovah, I feel better. I've said before, that I abide by "To thine own self be true- tempered ALWAYS by Jehovah's principles". In life in general, I find myself growing more & more impatient with people who can't "be real". Sometimes people are so scared, & try to impose their own fears on others, & my energy is at such a premium, I strive to expend it on things that truly matter!
I wish I'd thought of & implemented Stephie's Walkman suggestion in years past. Morrin is weaned now & steadily making progress in the staying quiet & seated dept., but I've spent plenty of time in hot, noisy nursing areas (or walking laps), nearly in tears. It did feel like such an exercise in obedience! We still have challenges, but they're a bit more spread out these days (thankfully).
I have nursed in the seat. Maybe I should have tried it more, but I had a hard time- my baby was so wiggly, it was hard to stay covered!!
Anyway, let's all hang in there, & share what works for us. Some of it works for others, & some may not. But if anyone else feels like me, I've found it encouraging just to hear that others are going thru' the same thing, & rising above challenges, each in her own way. Thanks, ladies!!
Love-
Jodi
I actually tried to go and erase my comment to you Stephie because when I re-read it, it DID sound judgemental, no matter how I tried to state it to the contrary. It was just a differnce of opinion which I've always felt very comfortable voicing to you and somehow doesnt come across the same in this forum as it does face to face.
I do agree w/ most of your post and think the Walkman Idea is great, especially since there is just really no nice way to tell the chatty sisters in the nursing room to 'zip it'. LOL
I usually do things the hard way. It's not that it really works out for me, so to speak, but that I just do. I like things to be a certain way...I'm anal. I wont allow help at all, except for my husband and if he's not there it is just harder. I would love to get over the mental block that my kids 'belong' w/ me but it's always there in my head. But I have Jehovah helping me and I'll never give up, no matter what.
It is extraordinary seeing how others deal w/ the same problems. And very encouraging.
just wanted to add that the things mentioned in my comment are not meant as suggestions, and they are not for everyone. they are just examples of some of the things i have had to do to keep going.
in case you havent noticed, i am producing quite a gaggle of children. (LOL) and though i will happily accept help from others, i cannot always count on it. people are at least more helpful here than they were in my old hall in tennessee. but it's very important to me to be able to carry my own load if i have to.
btw, even when i have opted to leave milo home, he did accompany me to at least 1 day of the assembly. i used to give lily the option of staying home one day, but she always wanted to come along.
you girls are the best! i love having you for a sounding board. helps keep me sane! i feel the love!!
michelle- where are they having your convention this year? ours is in brooklyn at our assembly hall. (yay) i was going to have to get a hotel room for the kids and myself, and now i don't have to.
Hi Stephie! How are you? I miss you! It's been a while since we've chatted! I love the new look over here in the Gieg world.
Love and hugs to you, my dear!
If you all have noticed, I haven't yet commented about the whole kids/meetings/conventions topic. I must have somehow blocked those extremely grueling years from my memory, lol! But not really (how could anyone forget?). I just have to say that I have a *much* greater appreciation for moms and parents now. It's truly the hardest and most important job in the world and until you become a parent, you have no clue as to how challenging and exhausting it is. I've had my share of moments when I've just out and out bawled at the meetings because I simply couldn't keep it together a moment longer.
My challenge with the kids at the meetings *now*? Keeping them all awake....
Pearl, Stephie's comment about her "gaggle of children" reminds me of something hilarious you said to me when the news was out that I was pregnant with Zoe. Lindsay was then 6 months old and we had just recently purchased a minivan. You came up to me and said, "You know, just because you have that big minivan now doesn't mean you have to go and fill it up at once!" I still get a kick out of that line and hope to use it on some sister one of these days. There are still babies popping out all over the place in our congregation...:)
Stephie- We are having ours in our own assembly hall too the first weekend in June. That's the Stanley theatre in Jersey City.
Kim,
I was at Tim's funeral there not long ago and was SHOCKED by how many families have multiplied. Crazy!
I am not getting another minivan but I think a suburban may be in the works if we decide to keep it up...LOL!
Stephie,
That is the key, by the way. It's not what is right or wrong or by anyone's code of excellence (love that expression) but what is right or wrong for YOU. It is so important that you remain true to yourself and take help where you need it and when you need it.
That is what I wanted to say but couldnt think of the proper words.
just drinking coffee this morning and checking in with the girls.
eese! good to hear from you! hope you are well.
kim! missed you!
wish there were lots of babies at our hall. there aren't any. there is a handful of kids, but the moms always seem to be too busy for playdates.
michelle- i thought you might be having it at the stanley. our assembly hall in brooklyn is a converted theater also.
had our baby shower on saturday it was loverly!! will probably draw about it later. my friend natalie had a tea party in violet's honor.
lily curled her hair and dressed up, and dressed up her doll too! she felt like such a lady. she kept sneaking chocolates, pretending they were for me.
my old friend jenny u. (used to be hunt) showed up from florida to suprise me. my first reaction was to scream, then i ended up bawling all over her sweater. (hormones) i didn't even cry when she moved away from brooklyn! then i was mad that i couldn't stop crying.
i'm still mad at her for making me cry all of my makeup off as soon as i walked through the door!
Tell Jenny hi for me. Not sure if she'll remember me!
Aww that was nice that your friend surprised you for the shower. A tea party sounds so nice! Can't wait to see the drawings!
Hello, m'dear-
The baby tea sounds like a truly lovely girl time. I'm glad Lily enjoyed being a Lily. Sweet picture of her with her hair curled. I can't believe how close you are to the birth of Violet. You said you're having a home birth. Did you do home births with both Lily & Milo? Hearing & thinking about all of this just makes me miss you so.
Oh- and I crack up at all of your references to coffee & tea!! REmember when you used to scrunch your nose to "bean water" and "leaf water"? I still think of that when I make tea. Oh well, the hot cider was good, too. LOL
Ha! I made a funny typ-o. At least I gave myself a little laugh. I AM glad Lily likes being a Lily!! But I meant to say "lady"!
ashley- i think i understand what you're saying. you are such a hard working mama with such great kids. i'm so glad we got to meet up in tennessee. i love that you are here to add your 2 cents worth as well!
i will say hi to jenny for you next time we chat. i'm sure she remembers you from your visits to fla.
jodi- your right about the bean water. i used to hate coffee and tea. i learned to love coffee when i had it in rome, and the pensione i was staying in served a strong brew with hot rolls and steamed milk.
later i learned to love tea when i was in england. i visited the national gallery and they had "high tea". i tried darjeeling with cream and suger for the first time and was hooked. recently i have learned to love herbal teas, or "tisanes" with lemon.
i think the reason i resisted for so long was the horrible way most restaurants serve tea and coffee. tea is always weak and of the "lipton" variety, (which i still hate) and coffee is usually stale, and watery, and of dubious quality.
so blah blah, now i'm a tea and coffee snob.
Stephie - Ugh I HATE Lipton tea. For the longest I would only drink herbal tea, until Daniel taught me what the good black tea was all about. Leave it to the Brits to teach us how to drink tea, they know best! Daniel has to have a few cups a day at least. I still have to be in the mood.
We call Lipton tea "dish water" around here and turn our noses up to it. No offense of course to those who love and are used to it. Try a little Tetley's for a change and you'll see what I mean!
let's move the coffee and tea thread over to the "mommy notebook" bulletin board, shall we?
it's on the gieg.net mainpage. then we can all start new threads if we want. see you there!
Post a Comment
<< Home