For four years before MonkeyDad (my hubby) and I started a family, we used to have a blast beating each other up learning American Kenpo Karate. It was intense, and was an absolute fun. Hubby and I would go twice a week, and sometimes three and we always came home with bruises. We advanced up through the ranks in 3 years until I got pregnant and we moved to a different place.

Now the only form of exercise we get is running after the kids. How times change! We of course still horse around on the floor with the kids on top of us.

After a grueling 2 hours, we did advance up a belt. Here we are getting our traditional "congratulation kick" from the instructors. It sounds cruel but it's to signify that no matter how much we learn and how far we advance up, there is always someone better than us - and therefore always have more to learn.

Oh and how I wish I was back to this size again.

One thing about having 2 bad knees, the other un-altered knee bears the brunt of everything after the other knee is operated on. My right knee is recovering, but my left is doing too much, especially up and down the stairs. Plus, now my back hurts from laying down too much. Oi!

I'm popping in and out Minti, but I'm still not 100% back. 

Be good to each other!

The new Minti featured member is Ellamia!  As a featured member, I've asked her to answer a few questions that will allow us to get to know her better. We await her answers!

People who have already been a featured member:

1. Izzy
2. hrs2004
3. TheMentorMom
4. cheleinkal
5. wildrose
6. lindterbean
7. Tracey
8. pfallerj
9. mcm
10. MumKim
11. jenlemen
12. Kristen
13. Missed - unlucky no. 13!
14. breannababy
15. cookclan
16. Jessgore
17. Frontier
18. Hermy
19. lightbee
20. blackwidowkate
21. Marglr
22. llmunchkin
23. janicepovey
24. nell18-3
25. arna
26. cazza
27. allyp
28. kseers
29. exquisite-flower

My knee operation on Friday went well. I was worried about the possibility of not ever waking up for the general anaesthesia, but wasn't nervous at all (if my 50 beats/minute pulse was any indication). It was a very strange feeling to be laying on the operating table one minute, and then the next to be 'dreaming' and then waking up in the recovery room. Some nurses were talking to me but I was pretty out of it to remember too well. I was dozing off every other words that came out of my mouth.

The pain medication then made me a little bit nauseated and made me hallucinate. Everytime I closed my eyes to rest, I was instantly dreaming about the weirdest things, including aliens. So I finally decided to stop with the pain meds and just use ibuprofen. I'm now up and about, though I still can't trust my right knee. Oh, I forgot to mention that the first time I tried to go down the stairs by myself, I slipped! Talk about an owwwie. I was in tears! But anyway, I can manage now...but now my unaltered knee is getting worn out. I need to wear my knee brace for it to make sure it doesn't give out on me.

I am having the stitches out in a week in a half and starting physical therapy then. Right now, my mother in law is taking care of us. She's the greatest.

I am first and foremost a Minti member. I loved this place ever since I signed on. Now, being an Admin, I try harder not to let things get to me. I've purposely chosen not to divulge too much personal information anymore, so that I don't open myself up for attack, but in doing so I think I've lost some connections with my many Minti friends. For this I apologize. I also I apologize for letting things get to me. I bottle my Minti feelings up, and then they spill out sometimes.

But friends, in showing support/sympathy/appreciation for me and/or Minti, I ask that you don't do it by attacking members that disagree with me. We can show each other support and love by not even acknowledging with our breath (and finger strength) the negativity of others.

Thank you, everyone for the show of love. I'd love to respond to each and everyone, but I don't want to keep it up alive in the activity list. When I find the time, perhaps I can thank you privately.

Breathe in, breathe out. Come in, good. Get out, bad!

I had to pack for 3 little kids, my husband and myself to make the 4 hour drive to my husband's parents on Wednesday night in order to make it there for Thanksgiving the next day. Then we make it back late last night (the drive became 5 hours long because of rain and traffic). Before I left, I had to help draft MInti's weekly pic of the week which did not turn out perfect. I had to leave it up to matthew and clay to finish it since I became too busy packing.

While at the inlaws enjoying good food and enjoying family, I logged in on MInti. I'm a part-time Admin, but I take my duties seriously. Perhaps too seriously that I couldn't log on while on a holiday with family. It is truly a personality flaw. Since the short time that I stole from family to log on Minti, I find negativity. What a downer for my supposed 'family' time. Again, it's my own fault. I shouldn't have logged on.

Yesterday morning, when I found quiet time at my in-laws, I logged on again for 15 minutes. While on, I saw an announcement in the Q&A. I reported it for "not a question". Of course, I don't expect everyone to agree to vote it off. If I wanted to truly delete it, I could have deleted it myself without reporting it. But I like to uphold Clay and Matthew's vision of a 'self-governing' community, so I reported it. But what do you know.... I find highly vocal members. A matter of a simple click "yes" or "no" has to be turned to an opportunity for argument. What DOES it matter where things are in this site? Well, it matters because when others see announcements are OK in the Q&A, it is a very short time before new members follow suit. And pretty soon, the Q&A is back to what it once was when it was left alone - half questions, half announcements. Now, someone would say, "SO?" Well, those members who does nothing but frequent teh Q&A to lend their experience and wisdom, stop doing so.

But then there is a member that made such an assumption about me - that I'm bored! Bored? Oh, how I wish I had time to be bored. I am raising twins (almost 18 months) and a 3 1/2. I am facing a knee surgery by the end of the week. My husband's job is not so secure so in a spam of a few months, we may have to uproot our big family. In anticipation for the "what if" I'm trying to get our house cleaned up in case we need to sell it. Then I have the wonderful job of Admin-ing Minti part time. One would think it's an easy job, but not so. With all the friction between members (endless-tiring-psychologically draining part of the job), there are tasks behind the scenes. I answer tons of emails (I'm frequently behind). And keep in mind, this is a part-time job for this stay at home mom for 3 little kids. I am here more than I should be because I take this job seriously.  But with all this, I still manage to get snide remaks about being bored. Bored! Bored! Oh how I wish I was bored.

And then there are those who used to think I'm a good person (before I was an Admin) now think I'm the Wicked Witch of the West! Perhaps this kind of thinking is inevitable since I now have more "power" here Minti. But bare in mind, I still have bosses and I still want to keep the "self-governing" ideal here on Minti. So the 'power' that everyone thinks I have, I more than freely give and delegate to the community.

Oh, yeah.. and then I have my 18 month old twins, who are currently battling asthma. They have 3 different medications on their nebulizer that takes 25 minutes to finish and it's done 2x a day. That's 2 hours of my day, just sitting in front of them strapped in their booster seats so the nebulizer would stay on their faces.

No, friends. I'm not bored. I'm not the wicked witch of the west and I am not all "powerful" you all think I am. I am here part time but in most cases I am here too many hours than what is expected of me.

I am no super-woman and now I'm not trying for sympathy. But what I am requesting is that people be nice to each other. We are all privvy to each other's lives, but only to a point that they allow us - only to a point of the words that they write here for everyone to see. Nothing more. Be nice to everyone. Give off good vibes.