Ahhh!!!
There have been so many things going on last week and this week that I am swamped. Birthday parties, softball practice for Lily, car shopping, Disneyland / camping preparations, sick kid (Lily), School Carnival preparations, "Jesus Is Alive" parties. Whew! I am exhausted and we're only half done with all this stuff. Let's see, where do I start? How about the scariest thing...Lily being sick.
I got a phone call from CUSD (Clovis Unified School District) at lunchtime on Tuesday. The nurse said that Lily was complaining that her head hurt a little and she had a low grade fever. OK?!? I will be there as soon as I wipe the peanut butter and jelly off of Abby's face. So, we went to pick her up. Tuesday and practically all day Wednesday Lily slept and drank water. Her fever never dipped below 102 despite Tylenol & Motrin. Thursday morning I rolled over (she was sleeping in my bed) and felt her and she was on fire! I took her temp - 105.9! Yikes! I took it again - 105.9 and yet again - 105.9! Time to call the doctor. We got a Dr's appt at 10:45 (note to other Moms - if your Dr's office is open, bring your sick child to them 1st, if she/he need to go to Children's Hospital - your Dr will get you in really quickly. Much less waiting time in the waiting room! Of course, if it is a life threatening emergency--call 911 and then freak out! Just kidding. Freak out once you are at the hospital and the medical professionals are taking care of your baby.) Anyway....there were no other symptoms other than the super high, brain frying fever and the headache (which Lily described as "my brain is kicking the inside of my head"). The Dr didn't find anything wrong with her. So, she did a Urine Analysis.
It was Lily's first time peeing in a cup. Camy has peed in a cup and Abby has peed in a cup, both with my help, so I figured this would be cake. We read the directions ("See Lily, even these directions say to use the wipe to wipe FRONT TO BACK!") and I held the cup. Big mistake. Her peeing was like a loose hose, there was pee going in all directions! The entire cup was dripping with pee. She peed all over my hand. It was totally gross. For some reason a 3 month old peeing on you while you change their diaper is not nearly as gross as a 6 year old peeing on you. She laughed and I freaked out (if you are unaware....I am kind of a germ-a-phobe). After I washed my hands 3 times, we went back to the room to wait for the quick response test.
Yep....after the dip stick test, initial lab tests and cultured tests, she has a bladder infection-Ecoli bacteria. Really??? I have only said "Front to Back!" about 5.2 million times in the last 5 years. I don't say that so I can get some yelling in a bunch of times each day. I say that because there are negative consequences to not wiping properly--bladder infections. Unfortunately, she had absolutely no pain when peeing. I know, I know, I know---how mean am I? You see, like I said, I have said "Front to Back" about 5.2 million times. I have explained to all 3 of my girls WHY "Front to Back" is the right way, but do they listen?? NOOOOO!!! So, in a way, I was kind of hoping she would have a little bit of pain to make more of impact of what I have been telling them. As it is, Lily missed a whole lot of fun things...Wacky Wednesday (St. Patrick's Day party), softball practice (twice), a big play date, and a birthday party. She definitely did not like being that sick, so hopefully she will be a little more conscientious in the future. As for me, as much as I was freaking out (about her high fever), I know there is always someone watching over us and taking care of us. I trust that, although I might be challenged and frightened, everything will work out in the end. These two points my Mom DID teach me. It makes life a little easier just knowing this. It's been a long week / weekend and I'm tired. So I'll write more about buying our car, camping & Disneyland preparations later.
Until later....My hope for you is that these "freak outs" are few and far between. Good night!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
It's OK To Be Selfish (Just don't tell the kids)
Me again....
OK, so you know how your life has become all about your kids? When I was pregnant with Lily (my oldest daughter) I knew my life was going to change completely. I knew that pretty much every hour of every day was going to be dedicated to this little life that we were bringing into the world. I knew that the days of "get up and go" were going to be over.
What I didn't know, was that no matter how many times magazine articles, friends and family would tell me to be sure to take time for myself, that it would be SO HARD to actually take time for myself. It's not that I have a hard time finding the hours necessary to "take time for myself", afterall, Mitch is home every weekend and I have 9 hours of "kid-free" time a week. It's just that I feel guilty. When the weekend comes, I feel like it is our family time and I should be with everyone for the bike ride or softball practice or gardening or whatever is going on. Then, when I am taking advantage of my kid-free hours, I feel like I should be volunteering in someone's room or getting the kitchen floor washed. I really have to make a conscious choice to "do something for myself", like go get a massage or just watch a movie I had been wanting to see.
The worst part of this is that when I do actually take time for myself to do what I want to do, I find myself "justifying" my choice. One of my friends did this earlier this year. She spent a lot of money to get her hair straightened. When we talked about it, she said, "Well, I thought since I had a garage sale and I still work part time that it would be ok to spend the money. Afterall, I'm not the type of person who gets a weekly manicure or pedicure. In fact, I hardly ever spend money on myself." I thought about her comments over the weekend and when I saw her on Monday I told her that she should NOT have to justify doing a little something for herself. But, I am just like her. I justify why I spend X amount of dollars on this or that and I justify taking time for myself (well, I finished all the laundry and put it away, so it's ok if I sit down to watch a movie in peace and quiet.)
We shouldn't have to justify doing little things for ourselves, especially if it doesn't happen very often. More importantly we shouldn't feel the need to justify our choices to OURSELVES! I'm sure that most of our husbands agree with us when we say we need a break. Most of our husbands are more than glad to take over so we can go have a spa day or a girls night out or just to go shopping without kids crawling under the dressing room doors. So why do we feel the need to convince ourselves that it is ok for us to take some time for ourselves? I don't know, maybe because we're Moms and that's what Moms do?
What I do know is that we deserve it. No matter if you are a Mom working full time or a Mom working part time or a stay at home Mom, we deserve time to ourselves to do exactly what we selfishly want to do without having to justify it to ourselves or anyone else.
Until later......I hope you get some "me" time to do whatever your heart desires, whether it's read an entire chapter of a book without interruption or get a massage or a mani/pedi (I hate saying that--mani/pedi) or go shopping all by yourself for yourself. It's OK, just do it, enjoy it, don't justify it and be guilt free!
OK, so you know how your life has become all about your kids? When I was pregnant with Lily (my oldest daughter) I knew my life was going to change completely. I knew that pretty much every hour of every day was going to be dedicated to this little life that we were bringing into the world. I knew that the days of "get up and go" were going to be over.
What I didn't know, was that no matter how many times magazine articles, friends and family would tell me to be sure to take time for myself, that it would be SO HARD to actually take time for myself. It's not that I have a hard time finding the hours necessary to "take time for myself", afterall, Mitch is home every weekend and I have 9 hours of "kid-free" time a week. It's just that I feel guilty. When the weekend comes, I feel like it is our family time and I should be with everyone for the bike ride or softball practice or gardening or whatever is going on. Then, when I am taking advantage of my kid-free hours, I feel like I should be volunteering in someone's room or getting the kitchen floor washed. I really have to make a conscious choice to "do something for myself", like go get a massage or just watch a movie I had been wanting to see.
The worst part of this is that when I do actually take time for myself to do what I want to do, I find myself "justifying" my choice. One of my friends did this earlier this year. She spent a lot of money to get her hair straightened. When we talked about it, she said, "Well, I thought since I had a garage sale and I still work part time that it would be ok to spend the money. Afterall, I'm not the type of person who gets a weekly manicure or pedicure. In fact, I hardly ever spend money on myself." I thought about her comments over the weekend and when I saw her on Monday I told her that she should NOT have to justify doing a little something for herself. But, I am just like her. I justify why I spend X amount of dollars on this or that and I justify taking time for myself (well, I finished all the laundry and put it away, so it's ok if I sit down to watch a movie in peace and quiet.)
We shouldn't have to justify doing little things for ourselves, especially if it doesn't happen very often. More importantly we shouldn't feel the need to justify our choices to OURSELVES! I'm sure that most of our husbands agree with us when we say we need a break. Most of our husbands are more than glad to take over so we can go have a spa day or a girls night out or just to go shopping without kids crawling under the dressing room doors. So why do we feel the need to convince ourselves that it is ok for us to take some time for ourselves? I don't know, maybe because we're Moms and that's what Moms do?
What I do know is that we deserve it. No matter if you are a Mom working full time or a Mom working part time or a stay at home Mom, we deserve time to ourselves to do exactly what we selfishly want to do without having to justify it to ourselves or anyone else.
Until later......I hope you get some "me" time to do whatever your heart desires, whether it's read an entire chapter of a book without interruption or get a massage or a mani/pedi (I hate saying that--mani/pedi) or go shopping all by yourself for yourself. It's OK, just do it, enjoy it, don't justify it and be guilt free!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
I LOVED my Durango!
It's me again...
I don't know about you, but I have always loved my cars. I don't love cars, but I love MY cars. All of the cars that I have owned (or that my parents purchased for me & my siblings) I have loved. Each car had it's own unique personality and lovable traits. Some were total junkers, but started every day and others looked pretty good, but seemed to always break down. I rubbed the dashboards, talked to them and thanked them for getting me where I needed to go. Each car I have driven has a special place in my heart and are filled with memories. My Dad taught me it is ok to love your car. I remember how sad he was when Victory Auto Wreckers came to tow away the first BRAND NEW car he ever owned (I think it was 23 years old). He literally chased the tow truck and asked the driver to stop so he could honk the horn one last time. THAT'S how I felt about my Durango.
I got in a really bad car accident on Friday night. I was turning left and got hit by a car going over 50 mph. I definitely had an angle watching over me that night. If I had pulled into the intersection one second earlier, I would have gotten slammed instead of the front end of my truck. I am truly blessed that I walked away without a scratch. With that being said.....
Today the insurance company told me that they are totalling my truck. I started to cry. I LOVED my truck, my Durango, my baby. I became emotionally attached to my truck when I drove it for the first time. I was six months pregnant with Lily when we bought it. I always felt safe while driving it. It kept me safe in the accident. Mitch doesn't understand my attachment to my truck, but he's a guy. He doesn't "get" why I cried. He said that we can't become emotionally attached to things. Anyway, I am sad and I feel like acting like a child....My arms are crossed, I am stomping my foot, puppy dog eyes are tearing up and I am pouting and whining.... "I want my truck back. I don't want a new car. I want my truck back. I don't want a car payment, I want my truck back. I don't even know what kind of car I want. I want my truck back. I want my truck back. I want MY TRUCK back!" So, now I am going to stomp up my stairs, slam my door and go to bed.
Well, not really. If I stomp up the stairs and slam the door, I might wake up the girls. So, instead I'll just pout, eat a bowl of peanut butter chocolate ice cream and hopefully get to bed soon.
Until later....I hope you are never in an accident like I was and I hope you are never forced to give up the car you love.
I don't know about you, but I have always loved my cars. I don't love cars, but I love MY cars. All of the cars that I have owned (or that my parents purchased for me & my siblings) I have loved. Each car had it's own unique personality and lovable traits. Some were total junkers, but started every day and others looked pretty good, but seemed to always break down. I rubbed the dashboards, talked to them and thanked them for getting me where I needed to go. Each car I have driven has a special place in my heart and are filled with memories. My Dad taught me it is ok to love your car. I remember how sad he was when Victory Auto Wreckers came to tow away the first BRAND NEW car he ever owned (I think it was 23 years old). He literally chased the tow truck and asked the driver to stop so he could honk the horn one last time. THAT'S how I felt about my Durango.
I got in a really bad car accident on Friday night. I was turning left and got hit by a car going over 50 mph. I definitely had an angle watching over me that night. If I had pulled into the intersection one second earlier, I would have gotten slammed instead of the front end of my truck. I am truly blessed that I walked away without a scratch. With that being said.....
Today the insurance company told me that they are totalling my truck. I started to cry. I LOVED my truck, my Durango, my baby. I became emotionally attached to my truck when I drove it for the first time. I was six months pregnant with Lily when we bought it. I always felt safe while driving it. It kept me safe in the accident. Mitch doesn't understand my attachment to my truck, but he's a guy. He doesn't "get" why I cried. He said that we can't become emotionally attached to things. Anyway, I am sad and I feel like acting like a child....My arms are crossed, I am stomping my foot, puppy dog eyes are tearing up and I am pouting and whining.... "I want my truck back. I don't want a new car. I want my truck back. I don't want a car payment, I want my truck back. I don't even know what kind of car I want. I want my truck back. I want my truck back. I want MY TRUCK back!" So, now I am going to stomp up my stairs, slam my door and go to bed.
Well, not really. If I stomp up the stairs and slam the door, I might wake up the girls. So, instead I'll just pout, eat a bowl of peanut butter chocolate ice cream and hopefully get to bed soon.
Until later....I hope you are never in an accident like I was and I hope you are never forced to give up the car you love.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Brain Atrophy
Hey There....
Isn't it amazing that women understand their moms so much more once they have their own kids? Doesn't it surprise you that your mom didn't tell you anything about what being a wife and mom was all about? My mom was a stay at home mom of 4 before we all went to school. I never understood why she went back to work when her youngest started Kindergarten. Now I know. She needed to talk to adults.
I'm trying to figure out why my Mom never told me what it was really like to be a stay at home mom? Granted, in some ways she had it harder than I did, especially because she didn't have a car. She was a TRUE Stay At Home Mom. I have a car, but that just means that instead of being a "Stay At Home Mom", I am a "Pick Up and Drop Off Mom". All day long it's go here and go there. Drop off this one here and that one there. Pick up this one here and that one there. Hopefully I get in an errand here and there. It's non-stop, all day. Exhausted at the end of the day, I feel as though I did not accomplish a single thing, yet I was busy all day. Sometimes (like last night) I think, "Really? Reeeeally??? This is IT? THIS is what my 'grown up life' is all about?" Wow! I did not expect this.
The other day I was at the bus stop waiting for Lily's bus to arrive. As I was talking to another mom, I said, "Yesterday I teached Lily how to subtract by counting up." Yes, I really said "teached"! You know you have been hanging around kids too much when their grammar errors start to infiltrate your speech. I hate incorrect grammar and here I was saying "teached". What the heck? It shouldn't surprise me too much, these days I spend very little time with other adults. Most of the time I'm hanging out with my kids. It's no wonder that I can't speak properly. It's no surprise that my brain has gone to mush. I no longer remember the simplest things. My family and I would not survive without my calendar. (Well, we would survive, but we'd never make a doctor's appointment or dentist appointment, we'd miss gymnastics, dance class and swim lessons. All this because my brain doesn't function any more.) No one told me about "Mommy Brain". It wasn't until I started complaining about the mush in my skull that other women told me about "Mommy Brain". WHY didn't my Mom tell me about this before I had kids????
Oh....wait..... I know why....she wanted grandkids.
Until later....I hope you get a chance to have a decent "adult" conversation sometime soon. Perhaps you can try using a fancy word. For example, "My brain has atrophied since becoming a mother." Try it...it will make you feel smart.
Isn't it amazing that women understand their moms so much more once they have their own kids? Doesn't it surprise you that your mom didn't tell you anything about what being a wife and mom was all about? My mom was a stay at home mom of 4 before we all went to school. I never understood why she went back to work when her youngest started Kindergarten. Now I know. She needed to talk to adults.
I'm trying to figure out why my Mom never told me what it was really like to be a stay at home mom? Granted, in some ways she had it harder than I did, especially because she didn't have a car. She was a TRUE Stay At Home Mom. I have a car, but that just means that instead of being a "Stay At Home Mom", I am a "Pick Up and Drop Off Mom". All day long it's go here and go there. Drop off this one here and that one there. Pick up this one here and that one there. Hopefully I get in an errand here and there. It's non-stop, all day. Exhausted at the end of the day, I feel as though I did not accomplish a single thing, yet I was busy all day. Sometimes (like last night) I think, "Really? Reeeeally??? This is IT? THIS is what my 'grown up life' is all about?" Wow! I did not expect this.
The other day I was at the bus stop waiting for Lily's bus to arrive. As I was talking to another mom, I said, "Yesterday I teached Lily how to subtract by counting up." Yes, I really said "teached"! You know you have been hanging around kids too much when their grammar errors start to infiltrate your speech. I hate incorrect grammar and here I was saying "teached". What the heck? It shouldn't surprise me too much, these days I spend very little time with other adults. Most of the time I'm hanging out with my kids. It's no wonder that I can't speak properly. It's no surprise that my brain has gone to mush. I no longer remember the simplest things. My family and I would not survive without my calendar. (Well, we would survive, but we'd never make a doctor's appointment or dentist appointment, we'd miss gymnastics, dance class and swim lessons. All this because my brain doesn't function any more.) No one told me about "Mommy Brain". It wasn't until I started complaining about the mush in my skull that other women told me about "Mommy Brain". WHY didn't my Mom tell me about this before I had kids????
Oh....wait..... I know why....she wanted grandkids.
Until later....I hope you get a chance to have a decent "adult" conversation sometime soon. Perhaps you can try using a fancy word. For example, "My brain has atrophied since becoming a mother." Try it...it will make you feel smart.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)