What do you do when 2 of your kids wake up puking at midnight and seem perfectly fine the next day? Well, keep them home, of course. I'm not going to share whatever bug they're harboring with an unsuspecting group of school and daycare friends, even if it is my only day of the week to go to work. (Sigh. There have been a disproportionate number of snow and sick days on my only day to work. Sigh.)
Well, after you drop off the healthy sister at school, you heat up the bathroom. You fill up the bathtub. And you let your vomit-smelling kids play in the tub as long as they'd like. We're going on well over half an hour now.
And the rest of the day? Well, naps are a good bet. And I've found some Bollywood dance workouts on Hulu. And the puke bucket is clean and ready for more action, if needed.
Wish us luck.
Showing posts with label I despise germ transmission. Show all posts
Showing posts with label I despise germ transmission. Show all posts
Monday, March 16, 2015
Friday, June 21, 2013
Ticked Off
We returned yesterday from a great few days spent camping. We did a midweek trip to Nickerson State Park, on the Cape. Other than a few rainy evenings, the weather was pleasant - warm and sunny, but not too warm. The girls loved playing at the amazing playground, swimming at the pond, and riding their bikes. A few campsites away was a family with two little girls about their age, and they had a blast playing together. Our sites were on a dead end, and they could run races, play ball, and ride bikes uninterrupted for hours.
But there was one little issue - the bugs. Ok, so bugs are to be expected when camping, I know. But poor MeToo was a mosquito magnet. Her little body is covered with welts, despite wearing long pants and bug spray. And they really swell up and look ugly. Poor kid.
But at least the ticks didn't come after her. They loved the dogs. Despite applying tick medication, the ticks still found their way onto the dogs. We found most of them just crawling around in their fur, with no evidence of actually latching on. This is a good thing. Because most of them were deer ticks. And we're in Lyme Disease territory.
If you're not afraid of Lyme Disease, it's likely because you don't live in New England and just don't know how ugly it can be. If caught immediately, a course of doxycycline usually does the trick and you're good as new. If not, it can become a chronic condition of lingering and mystifying symptoms. Our pastor's wife inexplicably lost her vision for a little while. Thankfully it came back, but the doctors had no other explanation for it, other than that Lyme Disease can do funny things.
We keep finding ticks in random places. In the reuseable grocery bags we brought along. On our bathroom floor. Needless to say, I'm washing EVERYTHING that came on the trip, regardless of whether it actually got dirty. I'm waging war against the ticks. They just scare me. And I'm not usually squeamish about bugs.
They're pretty tiny, which makes them even scarier. (Shudder) Anyway, the trip was great, and definitely makes up for the fact that I have a ton of laundry and cleaning and inspecting and dog-washing to do as a result. But I'm still a bit ticked off.
But there was one little issue - the bugs. Ok, so bugs are to be expected when camping, I know. But poor MeToo was a mosquito magnet. Her little body is covered with welts, despite wearing long pants and bug spray. And they really swell up and look ugly. Poor kid.
But at least the ticks didn't come after her. They loved the dogs. Despite applying tick medication, the ticks still found their way onto the dogs. We found most of them just crawling around in their fur, with no evidence of actually latching on. This is a good thing. Because most of them were deer ticks. And we're in Lyme Disease territory.
If you're not afraid of Lyme Disease, it's likely because you don't live in New England and just don't know how ugly it can be. If caught immediately, a course of doxycycline usually does the trick and you're good as new. If not, it can become a chronic condition of lingering and mystifying symptoms. Our pastor's wife inexplicably lost her vision for a little while. Thankfully it came back, but the doctors had no other explanation for it, other than that Lyme Disease can do funny things.
We keep finding ticks in random places. In the reuseable grocery bags we brought along. On our bathroom floor. Needless to say, I'm washing EVERYTHING that came on the trip, regardless of whether it actually got dirty. I'm waging war against the ticks. They just scare me. And I'm not usually squeamish about bugs.
They're pretty tiny, which makes them even scarier. (Shudder) Anyway, the trip was great, and definitely makes up for the fact that I have a ton of laundry and cleaning and inspecting and dog-washing to do as a result. But I'm still a bit ticked off.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Poor Puking Second Child...
I woke up this morning with grandiose plans. I had made lunches last night. (Pre-planning is not a given these days...) I had worked out a plan with my boss that I would go into work for a bit, then go tour the (low-on-my-choice-list) school HeyMama had gotten assigned to. It was going to be a busy and productive day. I was PREPARED! This has a way of setting me up for failure...
MeToo was up early. I heard her padding around upstairs. She woke up thirsty, and was helping herself to some water. I'm so thankful they can help themselves to necessities now, especially with baby #3 on the way. Except when they think a 7am necessity is eating the ears of their chocolate bunny... But that's a post for a different day. She came down to tell me she had spilled something. I couldn't quite understand her story. But that was ok. I was dressed. My hair was ironed. My makeup was on. I was ready to face the day, go upstairs, and remedy whatever the situation was. (Yes, our bedroom is downstairs. The rest of the house is upstairs. This is backwards from every other house I've ever lived in. But we have an actual master suite. I'm ok with it being downstairs, next to our unfinished basement, even if that sounds odd.) I carried her upstairs and into the kitchen to investigate. Nothing seemed amiss. Until I heard the sound.
Hork... hork.... SPLAT! The glass of water she drank and some undigested carrots made their way onto the kitchen floor. I put her down, jumped back, and managed to escape the splatter zone. Poor MeToo did not. She threw up some more. Today was obviously not going to happen as planned. My day immediately re-organized itself in my mind as I wiped vomit off the floor. BestestHusband asked the question, "So, are you still going to the school tour?" Now, I'm extremely relaxed about sniffles, aches, pains, and the random preschooler medical complaints. "You'll be ok. It's time to go to school." And generally, they ARE just fine. If MeToo had puked in her bed last night, but awoken cheerful and ready to eat a big breakfast, I would have sent her to school. Bugs happen. Germs happen. She probably got it from preschool. So if she feels ok and is behaving normally, I'll send those germs back to preschool. I only work 2 days a week. Missing one of those days is kind of a big deal for me. But not with active puking. There was no way the child was going to leave the house today. I made BestestHusband take HeyMama to preschool. The puker was NOT going in the car.
Poor puking second child. Is it bad of me that my second thought was, "Whew, another day at home to catch up and recover from the last few weeks!"? Of course I feel bad that she feels bad. But it's a stomach bug. She's 3. She's healthy and hearty. She'll puke a bit, sleep a bit, watch some extra TV. The bug will eventually pass, then we'll pump her with some Gatorade and eat a BRAT diet for a day or so. She'll be fine. Chances are good that her sister will show the same symptoms tomorrow, and we'll do it all over again for her. I get some extra time at home to continue to process laundry, sweep floors, and sort clothing that needs to be moved to the basement. The last few weeks have been a hectic time of planning events at church, cooking, hosting house guests, late work nights for BestestHusband, Easter festivity planning, and general pregnancy exhaustion. The house is a disaster. I'm a disaster. Oddly enough, a puking 3 year old is not a disaster. Especially since she has mastered puking into a bucket.
I've been doing this mommy thing long enough not to feel guilty. A stomach bug is not a real cause to worry in our household. So I'm not worrying. I'm not fretting. I am taking the opportunity to get stuff done for ME. Guilt free. And cuddling my pitiful little MeToo, of course. In-between rationing her toast and banana intake. And sorting through clothes that my amazing Clothing Fairy, Jen, sent me from Texas.
Now my only real worry is my Camelback water bottle. I'm thankful that MeToo is willing to drink water and keep herself hydrated. But does it need to be from my new water bottle? Do I try bleaching the germs off the bite valve? Or just burn it and get a new one?
I hope you all have a puke-free week!
MeToo was up early. I heard her padding around upstairs. She woke up thirsty, and was helping herself to some water. I'm so thankful they can help themselves to necessities now, especially with baby #3 on the way. Except when they think a 7am necessity is eating the ears of their chocolate bunny... But that's a post for a different day. She came down to tell me she had spilled something. I couldn't quite understand her story. But that was ok. I was dressed. My hair was ironed. My makeup was on. I was ready to face the day, go upstairs, and remedy whatever the situation was. (Yes, our bedroom is downstairs. The rest of the house is upstairs. This is backwards from every other house I've ever lived in. But we have an actual master suite. I'm ok with it being downstairs, next to our unfinished basement, even if that sounds odd.) I carried her upstairs and into the kitchen to investigate. Nothing seemed amiss. Until I heard the sound.
Hork... hork.... SPLAT! The glass of water she drank and some undigested carrots made their way onto the kitchen floor. I put her down, jumped back, and managed to escape the splatter zone. Poor MeToo did not. She threw up some more. Today was obviously not going to happen as planned. My day immediately re-organized itself in my mind as I wiped vomit off the floor. BestestHusband asked the question, "So, are you still going to the school tour?" Now, I'm extremely relaxed about sniffles, aches, pains, and the random preschooler medical complaints. "You'll be ok. It's time to go to school." And generally, they ARE just fine. If MeToo had puked in her bed last night, but awoken cheerful and ready to eat a big breakfast, I would have sent her to school. Bugs happen. Germs happen. She probably got it from preschool. So if she feels ok and is behaving normally, I'll send those germs back to preschool. I only work 2 days a week. Missing one of those days is kind of a big deal for me. But not with active puking. There was no way the child was going to leave the house today. I made BestestHusband take HeyMama to preschool. The puker was NOT going in the car.
Poor puking second child. Is it bad of me that my second thought was, "Whew, another day at home to catch up and recover from the last few weeks!"? Of course I feel bad that she feels bad. But it's a stomach bug. She's 3. She's healthy and hearty. She'll puke a bit, sleep a bit, watch some extra TV. The bug will eventually pass, then we'll pump her with some Gatorade and eat a BRAT diet for a day or so. She'll be fine. Chances are good that her sister will show the same symptoms tomorrow, and we'll do it all over again for her. I get some extra time at home to continue to process laundry, sweep floors, and sort clothing that needs to be moved to the basement. The last few weeks have been a hectic time of planning events at church, cooking, hosting house guests, late work nights for BestestHusband, Easter festivity planning, and general pregnancy exhaustion. The house is a disaster. I'm a disaster. Oddly enough, a puking 3 year old is not a disaster. Especially since she has mastered puking into a bucket.
I've been doing this mommy thing long enough not to feel guilty. A stomach bug is not a real cause to worry in our household. So I'm not worrying. I'm not fretting. I am taking the opportunity to get stuff done for ME. Guilt free. And cuddling my pitiful little MeToo, of course. In-between rationing her toast and banana intake. And sorting through clothes that my amazing Clothing Fairy, Jen, sent me from Texas.
Now my only real worry is my Camelback water bottle. I'm thankful that MeToo is willing to drink water and keep herself hydrated. But does it need to be from my new water bottle? Do I try bleaching the germs off the bite valve? Or just burn it and get a new one?
I hope you all have a puke-free week!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Whine Fest
The urge to whine must be a very strong one.
My first job out of college was teaching children with autism in a private school that provided ABA therapy - Applied Behavioral Analysis. With ABA, you look at a behavior, you look at its antecedent, and you look at its response. ABA teaches that you need to change a behavior's antecedent or response to get a change in behavior. A behavior that is persistent must have a response that is reinforcing to the child. If you want to remove a behavior, you need to remove the positive response, and train a different behavior with a different desirable response.
So, when you have a persistent and undesirable behavior, like, say, whining, there must be some reinforcing response that makes a child continue to do the behavior. In other words, whining continues because it works somehow for the child. If it's successful, they'll keep doing it. And if you want to make them stop whining, you need to stop giving in to it, and only reward them for NOT whining.
Here's where ABA fails.
My girls whine. Constantly. But not because it's reinforced by the adults in the household. No. In fact, whining results in a response like, "No, you can't, because you're whining." or "I can't understand you when you whine. Use a Big Girl voice." or "Stop whining." or "No. Ask me again when you're done whining." NEVER does whining get them what they want. Yet they still whine. And we've tried to replace the undesirable behavior with a better one. We model a pleasant voice and polite way of asking. Here's an example:
MeToo: "Moooommmm, I waaannntt miiilllkk!"
Me: "Mama, may I have some milk please?"
MeToo: (in a non-whiny voice) "Mama, may I have milk please?"
Me: "Sure sweetie, here you go."
MeToo: (gets milk, her desired result)
ABA would claim that after multiple trials of this re-training, the whining behavior should be extinguished, replaced by polite Big Girl voices.
ABA would be WRONG! They persist in their whining attempts. Despite never getting anything they whine for.
But today, I suddenly feel the need to join in on the whining.
Logically, I know that I don't really have any problems in my life. We can make our monthly mortgage payments. We're both as employed as we want to be. Our girls are both healthy. Our extended family is quirky, but not dysfunctional. I'm not battling a terminal illness. I'm not puking nonstop like the former Kate Middleton. There are people in this world with REAL problems, and we are not them.
But I have an annoying niggling little thing that makes me want to whine. And I'm going to do it now.
I caught a cold from the girls. It hit me full-on at work today. I've had a sinus infection for 2 weeks. I'm on Day 13 of antibiotics. I haven't had full use of my left nostril for 3 months. It was 3 colds back-to-back that set me up for my sinus infection. And just as I was starting to turn the corner on my sinus infection, I got walloped by another cold. Seriously?
Can't a girl catch a break?!?!
Look, I know it's not the same as a neurodegenerative disease. It really isn't such a big deal. It's a mere nuisance in the grand scheme of life. But I'm angry. And sad. And holding a one-person-pity-party in my own honor.
Please pray for my sinuses. And if you get the chance to talk to Santa, tell him I'd like a new left nostril for Christmas. It's only 2 weeks away. Certainly he can take pity on me and start working on it...
Thanks for entertaining my whine. Come on over and I'll serve you some cheese to go with it.
My first job out of college was teaching children with autism in a private school that provided ABA therapy - Applied Behavioral Analysis. With ABA, you look at a behavior, you look at its antecedent, and you look at its response. ABA teaches that you need to change a behavior's antecedent or response to get a change in behavior. A behavior that is persistent must have a response that is reinforcing to the child. If you want to remove a behavior, you need to remove the positive response, and train a different behavior with a different desirable response.
So, when you have a persistent and undesirable behavior, like, say, whining, there must be some reinforcing response that makes a child continue to do the behavior. In other words, whining continues because it works somehow for the child. If it's successful, they'll keep doing it. And if you want to make them stop whining, you need to stop giving in to it, and only reward them for NOT whining.
Here's where ABA fails.
My girls whine. Constantly. But not because it's reinforced by the adults in the household. No. In fact, whining results in a response like, "No, you can't, because you're whining." or "I can't understand you when you whine. Use a Big Girl voice." or "Stop whining." or "No. Ask me again when you're done whining." NEVER does whining get them what they want. Yet they still whine. And we've tried to replace the undesirable behavior with a better one. We model a pleasant voice and polite way of asking. Here's an example:
MeToo: "Moooommmm, I waaannntt miiilllkk!"
Me: "Mama, may I have some milk please?"
MeToo: (in a non-whiny voice) "Mama, may I have milk please?"
Me: "Sure sweetie, here you go."
MeToo: (gets milk, her desired result)
ABA would claim that after multiple trials of this re-training, the whining behavior should be extinguished, replaced by polite Big Girl voices.
ABA would be WRONG! They persist in their whining attempts. Despite never getting anything they whine for.
But today, I suddenly feel the need to join in on the whining.
Logically, I know that I don't really have any problems in my life. We can make our monthly mortgage payments. We're both as employed as we want to be. Our girls are both healthy. Our extended family is quirky, but not dysfunctional. I'm not battling a terminal illness. I'm not puking nonstop like the former Kate Middleton. There are people in this world with REAL problems, and we are not them.
But I have an annoying niggling little thing that makes me want to whine. And I'm going to do it now.
I caught a cold from the girls. It hit me full-on at work today. I've had a sinus infection for 2 weeks. I'm on Day 13 of antibiotics. I haven't had full use of my left nostril for 3 months. It was 3 colds back-to-back that set me up for my sinus infection. And just as I was starting to turn the corner on my sinus infection, I got walloped by another cold. Seriously?
Can't a girl catch a break?!?!
Look, I know it's not the same as a neurodegenerative disease. It really isn't such a big deal. It's a mere nuisance in the grand scheme of life. But I'm angry. And sad. And holding a one-person-pity-party in my own honor.
Please pray for my sinuses. And if you get the chance to talk to Santa, tell him I'd like a new left nostril for Christmas. It's only 2 weeks away. Certainly he can take pity on me and start working on it...
Thanks for entertaining my whine. Come on over and I'll serve you some cheese to go with it.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Stewardship Sunday Again
It's Sunday again. Wow, that was quick.
This was a weekend of domesticity. I harvested lavender and mint. I made yogurt. I made bread. I made soup. I made a mess. I feel like I'm constantly cleaning something...
My Show is on Sunday nights. I haven't had my own show in so long. Ok, that's not exactly true, I do love Revenge. And Castle. And I do watch Dancing With The Stars. But that's mostly just to have a good excuse to spend more time sitting on the couch with BestestHusband... I've become a PBS junkie. There's a new show, Call the Midwife. I'm a sucker for period BBC drama. I've seen 3 episodes and I can't wait for more. Unfortunately, it's right through bedtime. But that's what repeats on the Pbs.org are for. I apparently need to live vicariously through a naive 1950's London nurse-midwife who lives in a convent. Maybe it's all the newborns. Or maybe it's the quiet of the convent that's so appealing...
I've been fighting a bad head cold this week. It was a great reminder that sometimes I don't appreciate something until it's gone. Like free airflow through my left nostril.
Fall arrived early this week, with a hard frost, coats and mittens. I resisted the temptation to turn on the heat, and turned on the oven and stove instead. It's that time of year again. The requests for baked goods are starting to come in from my family.
Ok, again, it's late, and I need to take my NyQuil and go to bed. So I'll report in on the week.
Time: I didn't give up Facebook, but have cut back. We spent a lot of time inside, and I tried to nap more this week. I'm not sure it helped much. I don't feel like I really used my time well, but I don't feel like I frittered it away so badly, either. I did watch a ton of full episodes of other BBC treats on pbs.org, but that was just because I needed to sleep and the meds wouldn't let me. I was resting, really.
M&Ms: when the Sudafed didn't kill my appetite, I indulged too much on the M&Ms. My taste buds may be dulled for healthy stuff, but still register M&Ms very well. Sigh.
Patience: The Patience Angel was my constant helper, but I still have difficulty when I'm not feeling well. I hope this week will be better.
Money: I made some big grocery shopping trips this week. I'm going to try to coast on that for a few weeks and use what we've got. Wish me luck. Did I mention that I got good deals at the yard sale? But I mostly got them for other people. I still need to buy pants and other things for HeyMama. Wish me luck.
Food waste: I ended up throwing out some leftovers that were just leftover too long. Last week, BestestHusband, my usual waste-preventer, was at a conference and didn't need lunches. So my usual level of leftover-production was excessive without his lunch-taking. And I have a more active gag reflex than he does. So I threw out probably 3 lunches worth of food. Sigh. Tonight's dinner used up quite a few ingredients that needed to be used. Hopefully that trend will continue and I'll have a better report for next week.
So the next week starts in about 40 minutes. I'm thankful for Sundays, and the regular time to gather with my church family and refocus on God and His unending grace. I'm thankful that we're given a blank slate to start over again. I'm thankful for forgiveness, and the knowledge that God gives strength where we need it the most. Because most days, I really feel like I need it!
Hope you have a great week!
This was a weekend of domesticity. I harvested lavender and mint. I made yogurt. I made bread. I made soup. I made a mess. I feel like I'm constantly cleaning something...
My Show is on Sunday nights. I haven't had my own show in so long. Ok, that's not exactly true, I do love Revenge. And Castle. And I do watch Dancing With The Stars. But that's mostly just to have a good excuse to spend more time sitting on the couch with BestestHusband... I've become a PBS junkie. There's a new show, Call the Midwife. I'm a sucker for period BBC drama. I've seen 3 episodes and I can't wait for more. Unfortunately, it's right through bedtime. But that's what repeats on the Pbs.org are for. I apparently need to live vicariously through a naive 1950's London nurse-midwife who lives in a convent. Maybe it's all the newborns. Or maybe it's the quiet of the convent that's so appealing...
I've been fighting a bad head cold this week. It was a great reminder that sometimes I don't appreciate something until it's gone. Like free airflow through my left nostril.
Fall arrived early this week, with a hard frost, coats and mittens. I resisted the temptation to turn on the heat, and turned on the oven and stove instead. It's that time of year again. The requests for baked goods are starting to come in from my family.
Ok, again, it's late, and I need to take my NyQuil and go to bed. So I'll report in on the week.
Time: I didn't give up Facebook, but have cut back. We spent a lot of time inside, and I tried to nap more this week. I'm not sure it helped much. I don't feel like I really used my time well, but I don't feel like I frittered it away so badly, either. I did watch a ton of full episodes of other BBC treats on pbs.org, but that was just because I needed to sleep and the meds wouldn't let me. I was resting, really.
M&Ms: when the Sudafed didn't kill my appetite, I indulged too much on the M&Ms. My taste buds may be dulled for healthy stuff, but still register M&Ms very well. Sigh.
Patience: The Patience Angel was my constant helper, but I still have difficulty when I'm not feeling well. I hope this week will be better.
Money: I made some big grocery shopping trips this week. I'm going to try to coast on that for a few weeks and use what we've got. Wish me luck. Did I mention that I got good deals at the yard sale? But I mostly got them for other people. I still need to buy pants and other things for HeyMama. Wish me luck.
Food waste: I ended up throwing out some leftovers that were just leftover too long. Last week, BestestHusband, my usual waste-preventer, was at a conference and didn't need lunches. So my usual level of leftover-production was excessive without his lunch-taking. And I have a more active gag reflex than he does. So I threw out probably 3 lunches worth of food. Sigh. Tonight's dinner used up quite a few ingredients that needed to be used. Hopefully that trend will continue and I'll have a better report for next week.
So the next week starts in about 40 minutes. I'm thankful for Sundays, and the regular time to gather with my church family and refocus on God and His unending grace. I'm thankful that we're given a blank slate to start over again. I'm thankful for forgiveness, and the knowledge that God gives strength where we need it the most. Because most days, I really feel like I need it!
Hope you have a great week!
Friday, October 12, 2012
Gas Stinks. And other ramblings, thanks to NyQuil...
I had so many things I wanted to write about tonight, but won't, thanks to NyQuil.
Like a rant about how the price of gas stinks. When I drove my first car to college, I paid 89 cents per gallon. Yes, less than a dollar per gallon. Tonight I paid $3.41. And I felt like a winner for paying that. Only because I saved 30 cents/gal by spending too much money at the grocery store. Without the loyalty points, I'd spend $3.71/gal. For the "cheap" gas. My first job out of grad school was a 45-60 minute drive north of here. I entertained 2 job offers. The jobs were very different, the pay was very different. Driving almost 2 hours round trip every day was worth it, we calculated, if gas never rose above $3.50/gal. We laughed. Certainly that couldn't happen. Ha! How naive we were back then... Thankfully I got a job down the street before gas did get that high, and was able to walk to work. Gas stinks. It'd stink more if we had 2 cars...
I wanted to do a fond farewell to our garden. Our first hard frost is scheduled for tonight. So today I harvested a ton of parsley, mint, and lavender. And I pulled up the poor baby spinach that was struggling to grow in the waning sunlight. Farewell garden, we will miss thee... Dang, I forgot to bring in the ivy. I should get that pot inside right away...
I enjoyed a glorious trip to the grocery store alone tonight, where I combined a fistfull of coupons and some store sales to save $15 just on cereal. I did buy a lot of cereal. I love the grocery store late at night. It's so peaceful. And when I have extra coupons, I lay them on top of the product that they apply towards for someone else to discover and use. (sometimes even the coupon doesn't make it cheap enough for me to buy...) I like to think of myself as the Coupon Fairy. But only for coupons that aren't so great...
I did not bring home any candy or treats from the store. But I did bring home 3 versions of cold medicine. 2 were on sale. That's the sign of illness in me. I had 2 kinds of leafy greens in my cart (spinach and kale), but no chocolate. Not even more Dum-Dums for the girls. I'm definitely still sick.
Dogs are great. I love our dogs. I wish they didn't shed so much. But if I brushed them more often with the Furminator, I wouldn't have so much fur to sweep up. But I don't think to do that very often. Did I mention we have great dogs? That are very furry?
My cold is getting a bit better, but I'm sustaining myself on various drugs. Thanks to Sudafed and Mucinex, I could actually use my left nostril intermittently throughout the day. This is a significant improvement. But also thanks to Sudafed, I was wired all day, and couldn't nap. This is noteworthy, as I have a history of napping any place, any time. Rowing in college trained me to nap flexibly, and I was even able to take 90-second naps in the boat. But I could not nap today. So I took NyQuil as soon as I got home from the store. And now I'm a zombie. A zombie that writes tangential blog posts. I think I might be able to sleep now, so I'll wrap this up and go to bed.
Wash your hands. Stay well. And thank you Lord for NyQuil.
Like a rant about how the price of gas stinks. When I drove my first car to college, I paid 89 cents per gallon. Yes, less than a dollar per gallon. Tonight I paid $3.41. And I felt like a winner for paying that. Only because I saved 30 cents/gal by spending too much money at the grocery store. Without the loyalty points, I'd spend $3.71/gal. For the "cheap" gas. My first job out of grad school was a 45-60 minute drive north of here. I entertained 2 job offers. The jobs were very different, the pay was very different. Driving almost 2 hours round trip every day was worth it, we calculated, if gas never rose above $3.50/gal. We laughed. Certainly that couldn't happen. Ha! How naive we were back then... Thankfully I got a job down the street before gas did get that high, and was able to walk to work. Gas stinks. It'd stink more if we had 2 cars...
I wanted to do a fond farewell to our garden. Our first hard frost is scheduled for tonight. So today I harvested a ton of parsley, mint, and lavender. And I pulled up the poor baby spinach that was struggling to grow in the waning sunlight. Farewell garden, we will miss thee... Dang, I forgot to bring in the ivy. I should get that pot inside right away...
I enjoyed a glorious trip to the grocery store alone tonight, where I combined a fistfull of coupons and some store sales to save $15 just on cereal. I did buy a lot of cereal. I love the grocery store late at night. It's so peaceful. And when I have extra coupons, I lay them on top of the product that they apply towards for someone else to discover and use. (sometimes even the coupon doesn't make it cheap enough for me to buy...) I like to think of myself as the Coupon Fairy. But only for coupons that aren't so great...
I did not bring home any candy or treats from the store. But I did bring home 3 versions of cold medicine. 2 were on sale. That's the sign of illness in me. I had 2 kinds of leafy greens in my cart (spinach and kale), but no chocolate. Not even more Dum-Dums for the girls. I'm definitely still sick.
Dogs are great. I love our dogs. I wish they didn't shed so much. But if I brushed them more often with the Furminator, I wouldn't have so much fur to sweep up. But I don't think to do that very often. Did I mention we have great dogs? That are very furry?
My cold is getting a bit better, but I'm sustaining myself on various drugs. Thanks to Sudafed and Mucinex, I could actually use my left nostril intermittently throughout the day. This is a significant improvement. But also thanks to Sudafed, I was wired all day, and couldn't nap. This is noteworthy, as I have a history of napping any place, any time. Rowing in college trained me to nap flexibly, and I was even able to take 90-second naps in the boat. But I could not nap today. So I took NyQuil as soon as I got home from the store. And now I'm a zombie. A zombie that writes tangential blog posts. I think I might be able to sleep now, so I'll wrap this up and go to bed.
Wash your hands. Stay well. And thank you Lord for NyQuil.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Upset Tummy
Poor MeToo has an upset tummy. I went into her room this morning to find a mess in her bed. The remnants of the yellow peppers, tomatoes, and carrots she ate for dinner last night were colorful. But they certainly didn't belong on her sheets. "Look Mama!" She pointed to them when she saw me. Then laid back down on her mercifully-clean pillow.
BestestHusband was raised in a family that wasn't allowed to get sick. If you weren't actively bleeding to death, you went to school. So, since MeToo didn't look too bad, we sent her to the breakfast table to get ready for preschool. I was scheduled to work. Perhaps she'd be just fine. We gave her dry cereal, just in case. The cereal went down just fine. The watered-down juice was immediately puked back up. This wouldn't play well at preschool. I called my boss to break the bad news.
My first thought was, "WAH-HOO!!! I can stay home and get caught up on laundry!!!"
Is that bad? I mean, it's just an upset tummy. She's not miserable, her color is good, she'll take a long nap and watch PBS. We'll go to the store and get some applesauce and jello. She'll be fine. She was actually happy to be staying home with me. So that means I can be happy too, right? I mean, as long as we get some good snuggle time, it's still a good day, right? We laid on the couch and watched Sesame Street together. I rubbed her tummy, and she was happy. Certainly I can appreciate the silver lining of a sick day? Right?
Ok, so I'm feeling a bit guilty about my first reaction to our sick day. I promise that I'd feel sorrier for her if she seemed sicker... She hasn't thrown up since breakfast. Other than lethargy and audible tummy gurgling, she's been fine. No crying, no whimpering. Maybe I should make myself worry more. Maybe I should be more sympathetic?
Is it ok to feel happy about a sick day? At least it's better than grumbling about the pay I'm foregoing by not working today...
Yeesh, we moms really can find anything to feel guilty about! But wait, I don't really feel very guilty. Maybe I should feel more guilty...
Ok, I'll do penance by cleaning all of the floors while she's napping, too. (Yippeee!!!)
BestestHusband was raised in a family that wasn't allowed to get sick. If you weren't actively bleeding to death, you went to school. So, since MeToo didn't look too bad, we sent her to the breakfast table to get ready for preschool. I was scheduled to work. Perhaps she'd be just fine. We gave her dry cereal, just in case. The cereal went down just fine. The watered-down juice was immediately puked back up. This wouldn't play well at preschool. I called my boss to break the bad news.
My first thought was, "WAH-HOO!!! I can stay home and get caught up on laundry!!!"
Is that bad? I mean, it's just an upset tummy. She's not miserable, her color is good, she'll take a long nap and watch PBS. We'll go to the store and get some applesauce and jello. She'll be fine. She was actually happy to be staying home with me. So that means I can be happy too, right? I mean, as long as we get some good snuggle time, it's still a good day, right? We laid on the couch and watched Sesame Street together. I rubbed her tummy, and she was happy. Certainly I can appreciate the silver lining of a sick day? Right?
Ok, so I'm feeling a bit guilty about my first reaction to our sick day. I promise that I'd feel sorrier for her if she seemed sicker... She hasn't thrown up since breakfast. Other than lethargy and audible tummy gurgling, she's been fine. No crying, no whimpering. Maybe I should make myself worry more. Maybe I should be more sympathetic?
Is it ok to feel happy about a sick day? At least it's better than grumbling about the pay I'm foregoing by not working today...
Yeesh, we moms really can find anything to feel guilty about! But wait, I don't really feel very guilty. Maybe I should feel more guilty...
Ok, I'll do penance by cleaning all of the floors while she's napping, too. (Yippeee!!!)
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
A Few Things I've Learned From Strep
I despise being sick. This is something I've known for a while. (Hint hint God, you don't need to keep reminding me!) But I will acknowledge that there are a few lessons I've learned the last few days, thanks to strep throat. I thought I'd share a few of them with you today.
Wash your hands, friends.
- iPhones are great tools for taking pictures of your nasty tonsils
- Strep-infested tonsils are gross
- Febrile sweating is a great way to lose a pound or so while you sleep
- Febrile loss of appetite is a great way to lose a pound or so while you don't sleep
- Definitely time any necessary strep throat before swimsuit season
- Household demands don't seem to notice that you're sick
- But they do taunt you while you're lying on the couch. I swear the cobweb on the living room curtain rod was laughing at me yesterday...
- Getting sick lowers my patience to a threshold similar to that of 2 year olds
- You need to have patience greater than a 2 year old to effectively manage a 2 year old
- Attempting to manage a normal life while sick is sometimes necessary
- And it makes you bad@ss
Wash your hands, friends.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Swallowing Rocks Studded With Nails
Today is a "sick day." Well, I'm home from work because I have strep throat. Already fragile patients in Rehab Hospitals don't respond well to being exposed to strep throat. I'm fine with this concept. But the girls are home with me because they also have strep throat. So while we're all sick, I don't think this counts as a "sick day" in the way that I used to know them. Before kids, "sick days" were days that you were too sick to go to work, so you stayed at home, horizontal on your couch or bed. You didn't exert yourself. You caught up on sleep. Maybe someone even made you chicken soup. But apparently moms don't get "sick days".
I went to bed early, but couldn't manage to fall asleep quickly. And when I finally did, I spent the night sweating like a marathoner, waking fitfully to find myself swallowing rocks studded with nails. Ok, so in reality I was only swallowing my own saliva. But it felt like I was swallowing rocks studded with nails. Or maybe just shards of glass.
Have I mentioned that I don't like strep throat?
I ridiculously assumed that my girls, also stricken with strep throat, would be willing to take a nap. Consequently, I would be able to take a nap. At least I could have an hour or so of a "sick day." Alas, it was not to be so. They're well enough to not take a nap, but not well enough to handle the elements of daily life without dissolving into whining, arguments, and tears every 10 minutes. Sigh.
So we're eating a lot of yogurt to combat the antibiotics we're taking. I had to make another batch of yogurt today. I suspect it will last us until Friday. Maybe longer if I ever get up the will to serve something different for dinner.
Oh, and today is a day that MeToo has decided that she wants to wear undies and use the potty. So I'm cleaning pee accidents at inconvenient intervals. The fun just never stops.
Wash your hands, friends. You don't want my "sick day" to happen to you!
I went to bed early, but couldn't manage to fall asleep quickly. And when I finally did, I spent the night sweating like a marathoner, waking fitfully to find myself swallowing rocks studded with nails. Ok, so in reality I was only swallowing my own saliva. But it felt like I was swallowing rocks studded with nails. Or maybe just shards of glass.
Have I mentioned that I don't like strep throat?
I ridiculously assumed that my girls, also stricken with strep throat, would be willing to take a nap. Consequently, I would be able to take a nap. At least I could have an hour or so of a "sick day." Alas, it was not to be so. They're well enough to not take a nap, but not well enough to handle the elements of daily life without dissolving into whining, arguments, and tears every 10 minutes. Sigh.
So we're eating a lot of yogurt to combat the antibiotics we're taking. I had to make another batch of yogurt today. I suspect it will last us until Friday. Maybe longer if I ever get up the will to serve something different for dinner.
Oh, and today is a day that MeToo has decided that she wants to wear undies and use the potty. So I'm cleaning pee accidents at inconvenient intervals. The fun just never stops.
Wash your hands, friends. You don't want my "sick day" to happen to you!
Monday, May 7, 2012
Moms Aren't Allowed to Get Sick
I'm glad I have a fever. You can't make a fever happen or not happen. It just is. And in my book, it's proof that I have a RIGHT to feel this crappy. Because Moms aren't allowed to get sick. Life is just not structured for Mom sickness. Well, at least mine isn't...
And if my kids have to get sick, I'm glad we're all finally sick at the SAME TIME. So we can all lie on the couch together, happy to watch PBS Kids. And schedule all of our doctors appointments within a 2 hour stretch. This is a convenient illness, if you ask me. We usually stretch out our illnesses over a week, where there's always a conflict between people who want to go to the playground vs. people who want to lie on the couch and watch PBS. Or just sleep and moan (that's my typical response to being sick).
I rarely take my kids to the doctor for "looking sick". They need serious or prolonged symptoms to get me to make the trek. But a fever in me is a rare thing. And the hideous tonsils lurking in the girls' throats? They're pretty serious.
And I always question myself when I start to feel droopy. Am I REALLY getting sick? Or just being a wuss? Have I gotten enough sleep? Had enough caffeine to drink? PMS-ing? Just in a crabby mood? Procrastinating from some task I really despise? But why do I really doubt myself? Sometimes I DO get SICK. I know it's not ALLOWED to happen, but hey, call me a rebel.
BestestHusband had a thing in his mouth that he was already taking antibiotics for, and his doctor agreed today that this was the reason he DOESN'T currently have strep. He was signed up for another course of antibiotics for his mouth thing, and told to eat a lot of yogurt. "My wife happens to make it by the gallon," he told her. "Unsweetened?" Yes, when I make yogurt by the gallon, I do make it unsweetened. Perhaps my yogurt-as-procrastination habit isn't such a bad one, after all...
And if my kids have to get sick, I'm glad we're all finally sick at the SAME TIME. So we can all lie on the couch together, happy to watch PBS Kids. And schedule all of our doctors appointments within a 2 hour stretch. This is a convenient illness, if you ask me. We usually stretch out our illnesses over a week, where there's always a conflict between people who want to go to the playground vs. people who want to lie on the couch and watch PBS. Or just sleep and moan (that's my typical response to being sick).
I rarely take my kids to the doctor for "looking sick". They need serious or prolonged symptoms to get me to make the trek. But a fever in me is a rare thing. And the hideous tonsils lurking in the girls' throats? They're pretty serious.
And I always question myself when I start to feel droopy. Am I REALLY getting sick? Or just being a wuss? Have I gotten enough sleep? Had enough caffeine to drink? PMS-ing? Just in a crabby mood? Procrastinating from some task I really despise? But why do I really doubt myself? Sometimes I DO get SICK. I know it's not ALLOWED to happen, but hey, call me a rebel.
BestestHusband had a thing in his mouth that he was already taking antibiotics for, and his doctor agreed today that this was the reason he DOESN'T currently have strep. He was signed up for another course of antibiotics for his mouth thing, and told to eat a lot of yogurt. "My wife happens to make it by the gallon," he told her. "Unsweetened?" Yes, when I make yogurt by the gallon, I do make it unsweetened. Perhaps my yogurt-as-procrastination habit isn't such a bad one, after all...
 |
| Our current pharmacopeia. |
WARNING! NASTY TONSIL PICTURES TO FOLLOW IMMEDIATELY!
 |
| This is what strep throat looks like. |
 |
| The nurse who looked in my mouth informed me that I have white patches in my throat. Now you can see them too! |
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Stewardship Sunday, Febrile Edition
I think the Ibuprofen's starting to work. I feel like doing something other than lying on the couch. Well, I'm typing while lying on the couch. But it's still an upgrade. I can't remember the last time I had a fever. But I now remember why I don't like them.
MeToo has swollen tonsils. And she's been sucking on her Paci like I take to Junior Mints. Poor kid.
So let's make this quick.
Food waste: I need to toss half a can of hummus. (yes, a can. I get it at the Lebanese market.) I tossed a few Tbsp of salad dressing because I needed the measuring cup I mixed it in. I have a batch of yogurt dill sauce that needs to be tossed.
Patience: I didn't exercise as much this week, and was wiped out from my body fighting this bug. This definitely affected my patience.
M&Ms: In a moment of weakness, I bought peanut M&Ms to replenish the potty treat container. There were many more weak moments after that.
Money: We went to both Trader Joes and Target. Yikes.
Hope you have a great week. With healthy tonsils.
MeToo has swollen tonsils. And she's been sucking on her Paci like I take to Junior Mints. Poor kid.
So let's make this quick.
Food waste: I need to toss half a can of hummus. (yes, a can. I get it at the Lebanese market.) I tossed a few Tbsp of salad dressing because I needed the measuring cup I mixed it in. I have a batch of yogurt dill sauce that needs to be tossed.
Patience: I didn't exercise as much this week, and was wiped out from my body fighting this bug. This definitely affected my patience.
M&Ms: In a moment of weakness, I bought peanut M&Ms to replenish the potty treat container. There were many more weak moments after that.
Money: We went to both Trader Joes and Target. Yikes.
Hope you have a great week. With healthy tonsils.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Stewardship Sunday
Thank goodness for frozen meals. Those leftovers saved our evening. I set a goal of regular 5pm Sunday Dinners. Well, the girls and I were still napping at 5pm. Then we took a walk to see the lilacs in the Arboretum. So we got home a bit before 8pm. And didn't have too many leftovers in the fridge. It's been a busy week. A not-many-leftovers kind of week.
Monday: We went to the children's museum, then later to the gym.
Tuesday: I had a migraine and was pretty much incapacitated. Did manage to have a meeting at daycare in late afternoon.
Wednesday: Baked biscotti, ran a ton of errands, many on foot, and I'm sure we did some other fun stuff, but I don't remember... probably including the gym...
Thursday: Worked, then saw Alvin Ailey at night.
Friday: cooked for a friend, had another friend over for lunch, visited first friend for a playdate, then had a date evening with the girls at daycare babysitting night. (whew)
Saturday: worked, then had a home movie night.
Sunday: HeyMama stayed home with BestestHusband to nurse a sore throat. MeToo and I went to Sunday School. Then Trader Joes on the way home. Then lunch and a long nap. 4 hours long. We're all fighting off a sore throat.
Ok, so for some people, this is normal. This is not normal for us. Well, reading old posts, maybe it is becoming normal for us. But it still doesn't feel normal. We're homebodies. We like to be at home. It's a cozy place. It was a busy enough week that I didn't have the time to blog. I don't like feeling this busy. I feel out of control. I don't like that. I work only part-time to make our lives simpler and saner. Not let them get crazy busy and out of control!
Ok, so let's just report on the week so I can get to bed. I'm still tired after my 4 hour nap, and tomorrow is another long day...
Food waste: We chucked a few fuzzy strawberries because we didn't eat them soon enough. Shameful in my book. I love strawberries. Especially the more expensive fresh ones.
Time: We managed to shoehorn a lot of stuff into one week. We had a lot of fun. I'm realizing that I have to focus on it to make sure we have fun. Otherwise I let the ToDos get in the way. Life at home with small children is supposed to allow me to have fun. I was doing it all wrong for too long. This past week, we definitely had more fun.
Patience: More fun = more patience. I'm never perfect. But more fun helped. And MeToo's tantrums at church and Trader Joe's today were more tolerable.
Money: I've made a goal of eating through our freezer stockpiles. This doesn't prevent me from needing to buy groceries, but hopefully it will prevent the wasting of food already in the freezer. And eating more frozen leftovers = needing to spend less money on new food.
Ok, so another busy week looms ahead. Hope it's a good one for you!
Monday: We went to the children's museum, then later to the gym.
Tuesday: I had a migraine and was pretty much incapacitated. Did manage to have a meeting at daycare in late afternoon.
Wednesday: Baked biscotti, ran a ton of errands, many on foot, and I'm sure we did some other fun stuff, but I don't remember... probably including the gym...
Thursday: Worked, then saw Alvin Ailey at night.
Friday: cooked for a friend, had another friend over for lunch, visited first friend for a playdate, then had a date evening with the girls at daycare babysitting night. (whew)
Saturday: worked, then had a home movie night.
Sunday: HeyMama stayed home with BestestHusband to nurse a sore throat. MeToo and I went to Sunday School. Then Trader Joes on the way home. Then lunch and a long nap. 4 hours long. We're all fighting off a sore throat.
Ok, so for some people, this is normal. This is not normal for us. Well, reading old posts, maybe it is becoming normal for us. But it still doesn't feel normal. We're homebodies. We like to be at home. It's a cozy place. It was a busy enough week that I didn't have the time to blog. I don't like feeling this busy. I feel out of control. I don't like that. I work only part-time to make our lives simpler and saner. Not let them get crazy busy and out of control!
Ok, so let's just report on the week so I can get to bed. I'm still tired after my 4 hour nap, and tomorrow is another long day...
Food waste: We chucked a few fuzzy strawberries because we didn't eat them soon enough. Shameful in my book. I love strawberries. Especially the more expensive fresh ones.
Time: We managed to shoehorn a lot of stuff into one week. We had a lot of fun. I'm realizing that I have to focus on it to make sure we have fun. Otherwise I let the ToDos get in the way. Life at home with small children is supposed to allow me to have fun. I was doing it all wrong for too long. This past week, we definitely had more fun.
Patience: More fun = more patience. I'm never perfect. But more fun helped. And MeToo's tantrums at church and Trader Joe's today were more tolerable.
Money: I've made a goal of eating through our freezer stockpiles. This doesn't prevent me from needing to buy groceries, but hopefully it will prevent the wasting of food already in the freezer. And eating more frozen leftovers = needing to spend less money on new food.
Ok, so another busy week looms ahead. Hope it's a good one for you!
Friday, January 13, 2012
Why I Shouldn't Be More Organized
Every now and then, I can be really organized. Some people
manage to pull this off every day. I am not one of those people. I can rally my
organizational energies for short bursts of time, like when I organized a
fundraiser yard sale that netted over $2,000 in one day (oh, if only we had a second
day! It would have been awesome!) I’ll be proud of that one for a long time.
But that was an anomaly. And immediately after, I slipped
back into my typical patterns of easily-distracted semi-chaos. Once upon a
time, I was a highly-organized Type-A individual. Then grad school happened.
And now I’m not.
So I was proud of myself Wednesday night. I was READY for
Thursday morning! I was scheduled to work in almost-downtown-Boston, which
meant a T ride. And we were scheduled to have a storm during the morning rush
hour, which meant that I needed to catch the 6:50am bus to the T station,
instead of my usual walk through the Arboretum. So I couldn’t be late. And I
was ready. I had daycare bags packed. I had my work bag packed (including a
change of socks and shoes!). I had my lunch packed. I had my clothes picked out,
and my rain gear ready. I was showered. I had a plan. I was ready.
And then the alarm rang the next morning. I did not feel ok.
The bug had struck. And then HM joined me in bed. She was in the same shape as
I was. The sick calls were made. We spent the day horizontal. All
my planning was for naught.
This seemed to be the theme for the week. I had actually
planned meals out for the week in advance, geniusly re-using certain
ingredients, making-over leftovers, and creating a menu that was healthy,
thrifty, and eye-pleasing*. I was so proud of myself. Until we had to institute
a bland diet for ¾ of the family. The good news: I bought lots of bananas, and we
got to re-use the rice. Lots of it. Too bad the rest of the fridge contents
will either spoil or be consumed entirely by BH.
We also had fun events planned for the week. Playgroups.
Trips to the gym. Visits to see friends. We looked forward to them! Mama was SO
ORGANIZED! Organized = more fun! Until we had to cancel them all to avoid
passing the plague on to our best friends.
So I’m disappointed. Really annoyed, in fact. If I hadn’t planned it all, I wouldn’t
know how many of my great plans were destroyed. This seems to happen whenever I
plan fun. Like our camping trips and roadtrips to see friends. (puke-fests
destroyed all of those plans). So I have no other conclusion than to think that
planning just doesn’t pay. Organization doesn’t pay. Not when you have
puke-prone toddlers.
That’s my excuse for being disorganized, and I’m sticking to
it.
*this genius plan was made on a Trophy Wife morning along with Sandra Lee and my favorite elliptical machine
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Stomach Bug
If I remain horizontal and don't try to do anything, I don't feel the need to puke.
This is seeming to work for HM, too.
I'm extremely thankful for a comfy couch and PBS!
This is seeming to work for HM, too.
I'm extremely thankful for a comfy couch and PBS!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)