Today's prompt is to write about something traumatic that has happened to me. I'm not going to do that today, but if you're interested in reading about my experience with the April 27th tornadoes in Alabama I wrote about it here.
Instead, I have a confession to make.
There's a station here in town that plays Christmas music 24 hours a day around Christmas. The past 2 years they've started up their Christmas time earlier and earlier, and this year it started the morning of Halloween. I was annoyed. Who wants to hear Christmas music on Halloween?
Me.
That's right. I admit it. I listened to it. Just a song or 2, but I did. And it made me happy.
And I listened to it again the next day, and the next, and the next.....
I listened to it again today. And it made me happy again. And I made my son listen to it also.
I blame it on the radio station. They make it so easy, it's right there. It brings good feelings, feelings of Christmas shopping, wrapping gifts, sending cards, seeing family, eating Christmas food, drinking cider, attending Christmas Eve services, singing carols.......
I admit it, I'm a Christmas music junkie.
The problem is, I'm afraid I'm going to overdo it. If I listen to too much now, before Thanksgiving even, by Christmas I may be tired of it. I may overdose on Christmas music before it's even time for Christmas.
So I should stop. I should reset my presets so I'm not tempted. I should only play my son's childrens' music cds in the truck. I should not listen to Christmas music right now!
Well, maybe just one more song...
:)
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
Balance
Wow, this is the prompt from NaBloPoMo today:
Monday, November 7, 2011
Making family time is important to me. How do you balance your children, relationship, and work life?
I really wish I had a good answer for that. Many times I'm unbalanced. It's hard to be a wife, mom, and working woman all at the same time. There are only so many hours in a day. On a typical day, here is how I break it down:
5:45-6:30 - Me time. I get up before anyone else, and after I get dressed I can do my devotions, check my email, start coffee, and do any leftover dishes from the night before.
6:30-8:00 - Mommy time. This is when my husband and I work together to get Tommy dressed and fed, and we get in the truck to head to daycare. Sometimes there's a little wife time in there, as I discuss the day with my husband and kiss him goodbye, but it's mostly Mommy time.
8:00-5:50 - Vet time. When I'm at work I'm in vet mode. Sure, I may answer a text from Sam from time to time, but most of the time Mommy and Wife me are not around during this time.
5:50-8:00 - Wife/Mommy time. I pick up Tommy and we head home to see Sam. Then it's time to eat, talk about our day, play a little, and get Tommy ready for bed.
8:00-10:00 - Wife time. Time to watch TV, talk about any pressing issues, clean up, do laundry, and anything else we might be interested in doing after Tommy goes to bed.
10:00-5:45 - Sleep....zzzzzzzzzz
Then I get up and start all over. Sure, sometimes Tommy wakes up at 4am (thank you, daylight savings) and Mommy time starts early. Sometimes I can get an early lunch and meet Sam for a quick bite to eat. On my off days Mommy me is around much more, and if Tommy takes a nap (which he doesn't like to do), Wife me gets to come out more often. Sometimes if work is slow I get some time to myself to catch up on email, read my Kindle, or chat with some of the girls at work.
It's hard to balance my life and make time for family. Work me pretty much takes care of herself. I have set hours I need to spend at work. I treat my patients, get my charts done, talk to the owners, and plan out the next day. When I'm there I'm pretty focused, and (for the most part) I can leave my job when I leave work.
Mommy me is a little harder. Tommy spends more waking time at daycare than he does with me. I'm thankful that he has excellent teachers who he loves, and he learns so much more from them than he could learn at home with me. But that's still difficult to accept. My mom didn't work when we were little. She taught us what our colors were, how to read, and how to tie our shoes. I'm not my mom. I don't know how she did it, but I'm glad she did. I hope Tommy is happy with the choices we've made for him. I try to make all the available Mommy time count. We play in the backyard, go on walks to the park, watch silly shows (with hidden educational value) on TV, chase each other around the house, spin until we fall down, dance until we fall down, tickle until we fall down (Tommy likes falling down). Overall I guess I think I'm pretty happy with Mommy time. Tommy knows I love him, and I know he loves me in that "Mommy can do anything" kind of way that lights up his face when he sees me.
Wife me is where the balance falls off. Sure, Sam and I are home at the same time, but we're not exactly spending time together. In the morning we chat while brushing teeth, packing bags, feeding the animals, and getting Tommy ready to leave. After we get home it's not much better. While we eat we're both making sure Tommy isn't throwing his food on the floor or smearing it on the table. After dinner one of us is getting Tommy ready for bed while the other is catching up on housework. Only after he goes to bed do we have time alone, and all to often we're too tired to do much more than watch TV, catch up on emails, and go to bed. This is an area where I need to conscientiously make an effort to do better. Lunch dates are too few and far between, they could happen at least 2-3 times a month if not weekly. We should line up babysitters more often to go out and spend some time together as adults, even if it's just to eat some fast food, go shopping, or even go away for a weekend. Wife me needs a V8.
So, I sure don't have it all figured out. Some days are better than others. I need to keep working on keeping the balance, or at least keeping things as even as possible.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Making family time is important to me. How do you balance your children, relationship, and work life?
I really wish I had a good answer for that. Many times I'm unbalanced. It's hard to be a wife, mom, and working woman all at the same time. There are only so many hours in a day. On a typical day, here is how I break it down:
5:45-6:30 - Me time. I get up before anyone else, and after I get dressed I can do my devotions, check my email, start coffee, and do any leftover dishes from the night before.
6:30-8:00 - Mommy time. This is when my husband and I work together to get Tommy dressed and fed, and we get in the truck to head to daycare. Sometimes there's a little wife time in there, as I discuss the day with my husband and kiss him goodbye, but it's mostly Mommy time.
8:00-5:50 - Vet time. When I'm at work I'm in vet mode. Sure, I may answer a text from Sam from time to time, but most of the time Mommy and Wife me are not around during this time.
5:50-8:00 - Wife/Mommy time. I pick up Tommy and we head home to see Sam. Then it's time to eat, talk about our day, play a little, and get Tommy ready for bed.
8:00-10:00 - Wife time. Time to watch TV, talk about any pressing issues, clean up, do laundry, and anything else we might be interested in doing after Tommy goes to bed.
10:00-5:45 - Sleep....zzzzzzzzzz
Then I get up and start all over. Sure, sometimes Tommy wakes up at 4am (thank you, daylight savings) and Mommy time starts early. Sometimes I can get an early lunch and meet Sam for a quick bite to eat. On my off days Mommy me is around much more, and if Tommy takes a nap (which he doesn't like to do), Wife me gets to come out more often. Sometimes if work is slow I get some time to myself to catch up on email, read my Kindle, or chat with some of the girls at work.
It's hard to balance my life and make time for family. Work me pretty much takes care of herself. I have set hours I need to spend at work. I treat my patients, get my charts done, talk to the owners, and plan out the next day. When I'm there I'm pretty focused, and (for the most part) I can leave my job when I leave work.
Mommy me is a little harder. Tommy spends more waking time at daycare than he does with me. I'm thankful that he has excellent teachers who he loves, and he learns so much more from them than he could learn at home with me. But that's still difficult to accept. My mom didn't work when we were little. She taught us what our colors were, how to read, and how to tie our shoes. I'm not my mom. I don't know how she did it, but I'm glad she did. I hope Tommy is happy with the choices we've made for him. I try to make all the available Mommy time count. We play in the backyard, go on walks to the park, watch silly shows (with hidden educational value) on TV, chase each other around the house, spin until we fall down, dance until we fall down, tickle until we fall down (Tommy likes falling down). Overall I guess I think I'm pretty happy with Mommy time. Tommy knows I love him, and I know he loves me in that "Mommy can do anything" kind of way that lights up his face when he sees me.
Wife me is where the balance falls off. Sure, Sam and I are home at the same time, but we're not exactly spending time together. In the morning we chat while brushing teeth, packing bags, feeding the animals, and getting Tommy ready to leave. After we get home it's not much better. While we eat we're both making sure Tommy isn't throwing his food on the floor or smearing it on the table. After dinner one of us is getting Tommy ready for bed while the other is catching up on housework. Only after he goes to bed do we have time alone, and all to often we're too tired to do much more than watch TV, catch up on emails, and go to bed. This is an area where I need to conscientiously make an effort to do better. Lunch dates are too few and far between, they could happen at least 2-3 times a month if not weekly. We should line up babysitters more often to go out and spend some time together as adults, even if it's just to eat some fast food, go shopping, or even go away for a weekend. Wife me needs a V8.
So, I sure don't have it all figured out. Some days are better than others. I need to keep working on keeping the balance, or at least keeping things as even as possible.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Jonah, the rest of the story...
Today's lesson at church was from the book of Jonah. Now, many people know the Sunday school version of Jonah. God told him to go talk to the Ninevites. Jonah didn't want to so he got on a boat going the other way and fell asleep. Then God sent a storm to stop the boat, and all the people on the boat were scared. Eventually Jonah told them to throw him overboard, and after they did the storm stopped. Then a big fish swallowed Jonah up. He stayed trapped in the fish for 3 days, then after he called out to God the fish spit him out on dry land and he went to Nineveh.
That's where the story stops for most people, but that's not really the end of the story. That makes it seem like Jonah learned his lesson. The truth is, he didn't. Yes, he learned that running away from God lands you in the belly of a yucky fish, but it didn't turn him into an obedient man of God. See, Jonah had a chip on his shoulder. The reason he ran from his assignment in the first place wasn't because he was scared of the Ninevites and what they would do to him, he ran because he knew that God was a God of mercy and he was afraid that if the Ninevites heard the message he had to deliver they would repent and God would forgive them and spare his wrath. And that's what happened. As soon as they heard Jonah's message of doom they repented and humbled themselves before God. They were spared because they took God seriously and turned from the evil they were doing.
So now you'd think Jonah was glad that his message had been received and the people had turned to God. But no, Jonah tells God he's disappointed. He wanted to see the wrath of God poured out on this evil city, even if they repented. Then he goes up on a hill to pout. While he's looking down over the city the sun is beating down on him. God provides a plant that grows up and gives him some shade. Then God sends a worm to kill the plant and the shade is gone. Jonah is so upset over the loss of the plant that he says he wants to die. He cared more about the plant that he did nothing to cultivate than the thousands of people in Nineveh.
Talk about missing the big picture. Jonah had a chance to be part of something big. He had been given a second chance by God, but he didn't take advantage of it. He could have turned to God, helped the people of Nineveh, and been part of something big. Instead, his story ends on a hill, complaining about a dead leaf.
So, who are we going to be? Will it take something big like a smelly fish to get us to follow God? Are we more interested in our version of justice than God's plan? Do we care more about our own comfort than the lives of other people?
That's where the story stops for most people, but that's not really the end of the story. That makes it seem like Jonah learned his lesson. The truth is, he didn't. Yes, he learned that running away from God lands you in the belly of a yucky fish, but it didn't turn him into an obedient man of God. See, Jonah had a chip on his shoulder. The reason he ran from his assignment in the first place wasn't because he was scared of the Ninevites and what they would do to him, he ran because he knew that God was a God of mercy and he was afraid that if the Ninevites heard the message he had to deliver they would repent and God would forgive them and spare his wrath. And that's what happened. As soon as they heard Jonah's message of doom they repented and humbled themselves before God. They were spared because they took God seriously and turned from the evil they were doing.
So now you'd think Jonah was glad that his message had been received and the people had turned to God. But no, Jonah tells God he's disappointed. He wanted to see the wrath of God poured out on this evil city, even if they repented. Then he goes up on a hill to pout. While he's looking down over the city the sun is beating down on him. God provides a plant that grows up and gives him some shade. Then God sends a worm to kill the plant and the shade is gone. Jonah is so upset over the loss of the plant that he says he wants to die. He cared more about the plant that he did nothing to cultivate than the thousands of people in Nineveh.
Talk about missing the big picture. Jonah had a chance to be part of something big. He had been given a second chance by God, but he didn't take advantage of it. He could have turned to God, helped the people of Nineveh, and been part of something big. Instead, his story ends on a hill, complaining about a dead leaf.
So, who are we going to be? Will it take something big like a smelly fish to get us to follow God? Are we more interested in our version of justice than God's plan? Do we care more about our own comfort than the lives of other people?
Saturday, November 5, 2011
"My Best Friend Mommy"
I have the most adorable child ever. No really, I do, and no one can convince me otherwise. You want proof? Here are a few examples then.
I'll start with today. We're trying to do the potty training thing. We recently started putting Cheerios in the potty for him to aim at. He loves this. Not because he likes to actually hit them with his TT, but because he likes to talk to them. This afternoon, after we put 7 of the little Os in the potty, he knelt down and counted them, then I heard "Hello, Cheerios. I'm Tommy Frederick." This is the first time I've even heard him say our last name, much less use it as his own, and I just about lost it laughing when I heard him introduce himself to cereal that was floating in the toilet bowl.
Not convinced yet? OK, this one's from a few days ago. Tommy had a second set of tubes put in his ears. We had to leave the house at 5:30am to get to the hospital on time. It went well and we were home by about 8:45. Despite the early rise time, and the anesthesia and surgery, Tommy was not tired all day long. There was no napping to be done. Then we left to go pick up Daddy at work. He wanted to wear his Alabama hat, so he put it on backwards and headed to the car. Five minutes down the road I looked in the rear-view mirror and he had turned it back around, pulled it over his eyes, and was fast asleep. The next red light I stopped at I just had to take a picture of the cuteness.
Still not a believer? Here's the big gun. For the past two years I've been trying to get Tommy to say "I love you." We say it to him and each other all the time. He'd give hugs, but only occasionally would say the words. Then, about a month ago, he was eating a snack in the kitchen while I was doing something in the other room. I heard him call for me and I went in to see what he needed. He wrapped me up in a huge hug and said "My best friend, Mommy. I love you!" I just about started crying there in the kitchen. I know that as he gets older I'll be replaced as best friend, but for now, I'm soaking it up. At least once a day now I'm dubbed "Best Friend Mommy" instead of just regular Mommy, and I love.
I don't care what anyone says, my little man is the most adorable child ever. I'll end today's blog with more pictures to prove my point.
I'll start with today. We're trying to do the potty training thing. We recently started putting Cheerios in the potty for him to aim at. He loves this. Not because he likes to actually hit them with his TT, but because he likes to talk to them. This afternoon, after we put 7 of the little Os in the potty, he knelt down and counted them, then I heard "Hello, Cheerios. I'm Tommy Frederick." This is the first time I've even heard him say our last name, much less use it as his own, and I just about lost it laughing when I heard him introduce himself to cereal that was floating in the toilet bowl.
Not convinced yet? OK, this one's from a few days ago. Tommy had a second set of tubes put in his ears. We had to leave the house at 5:30am to get to the hospital on time. It went well and we were home by about 8:45. Despite the early rise time, and the anesthesia and surgery, Tommy was not tired all day long. There was no napping to be done. Then we left to go pick up Daddy at work. He wanted to wear his Alabama hat, so he put it on backwards and headed to the car. Five minutes down the road I looked in the rear-view mirror and he had turned it back around, pulled it over his eyes, and was fast asleep. The next red light I stopped at I just had to take a picture of the cuteness.
Still not a believer? Here's the big gun. For the past two years I've been trying to get Tommy to say "I love you." We say it to him and each other all the time. He'd give hugs, but only occasionally would say the words. Then, about a month ago, he was eating a snack in the kitchen while I was doing something in the other room. I heard him call for me and I went in to see what he needed. He wrapped me up in a huge hug and said "My best friend, Mommy. I love you!" I just about started crying there in the kitchen. I know that as he gets older I'll be replaced as best friend, but for now, I'm soaking it up. At least once a day now I'm dubbed "Best Friend Mommy" instead of just regular Mommy, and I love.
I don't care what anyone says, my little man is the most adorable child ever. I'll end today's blog with more pictures to prove my point.
NaBloPoMo
I'm a horrible blogger, it's true. It's not that the posts I write are horrible, but they're few and far between. I keep telling myself that I'll do better. I'll write once a week, OK maybe every 2 weeks, or monthly, every other month...and then 4 months go by and I haven't written anything (well, other than comments on other people's blogs).
So, this month I'm going to do better. I'm signing up to blog every day. Through NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) I'll get prompts Monday through Friday with writing topics. Then on the weekend it's my chance to come up with topics. I doubt that I'll actually write every day, and some days may not be very good, but at least I'll get in the habit of writing more often. And maybe, just maybe, that will translate into more blogs after November is over.
So, since I'm coming to this game a little late, I have some catching up to do. I'll start with the prompts that were give already this week.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
What is your favorite part about writing?
I like several things about writing. I like seeing my thoughts on the screen. It helps me sort through them and analyze them if I can see them in front of me, and not just in my head. I like the freeing feeling that getting things out through writing give me. Whether I'm venting about a stressful situation, sharing happy news, or just asking for advice with a problem I can't solve, getting it out there just feels good.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
If you knew that whatever you ate next would be your last meal, what would you want it to be?
Hm, I like so many foods. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, fried okra, and cornbread would be at the top of the list. My mom's pot roast with potatoes and carrots is pretty high up there too. Both are foods that make me feel happy when I eat them, and bring back lots of good memories.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Can you listen to music and write? What song did you hear today?
Most of the time, yes. Sometimes I need a little background noise to relax and get my thoughts organized. If the music is really loud or rocky it can be too much of a distraction, but for the most part I like to write with something playing in the background. There's no music playing right now, but there is background noise: the sound of my husband and mother-in-law playing with my son while NASCAR coverage is on TV. Now that's actually music to my ears :)
Friday, November 4, 2011
When you are writing, do you prefer to use a pen or a computer?
Definitely a computer. I have horrible handwriting. If I write on paper, many times I have trouble reading what I wrote. When I'm trying to get things out in a hurry, my handwriting gets even worse. Ever since high school I've done better typing than writing. Even when I have to go back and fix words that I've typed wrong things flow more smoothly on a keyboard than with pen and paper. When I was younger I did keep a journal, but if I ever tried to go back and read what I'd written at a later date I'd have trouble following the emotion and thought train because I'd be too focused on figuring out what the words actually were. So, I'm really glad that the personal computer was invented (and super glad that spell check was invented also, since I'm also a terrible speller)!
OK, so there's 4 short blogs taken care of. Since there is no prompt for today I'll end this blog here, and I'll spend some time to think of a blog to write later today.
So, this month I'm going to do better. I'm signing up to blog every day. Through NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) I'll get prompts Monday through Friday with writing topics. Then on the weekend it's my chance to come up with topics. I doubt that I'll actually write every day, and some days may not be very good, but at least I'll get in the habit of writing more often. And maybe, just maybe, that will translate into more blogs after November is over.
So, since I'm coming to this game a little late, I have some catching up to do. I'll start with the prompts that were give already this week.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
What is your favorite part about writing?
I like several things about writing. I like seeing my thoughts on the screen. It helps me sort through them and analyze them if I can see them in front of me, and not just in my head. I like the freeing feeling that getting things out through writing give me. Whether I'm venting about a stressful situation, sharing happy news, or just asking for advice with a problem I can't solve, getting it out there just feels good.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
If you knew that whatever you ate next would be your last meal, what would you want it to be?
Hm, I like so many foods. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, fried okra, and cornbread would be at the top of the list. My mom's pot roast with potatoes and carrots is pretty high up there too. Both are foods that make me feel happy when I eat them, and bring back lots of good memories.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Can you listen to music and write? What song did you hear today?
Most of the time, yes. Sometimes I need a little background noise to relax and get my thoughts organized. If the music is really loud or rocky it can be too much of a distraction, but for the most part I like to write with something playing in the background. There's no music playing right now, but there is background noise: the sound of my husband and mother-in-law playing with my son while NASCAR coverage is on TV. Now that's actually music to my ears :)
Friday, November 4, 2011
When you are writing, do you prefer to use a pen or a computer?
Definitely a computer. I have horrible handwriting. If I write on paper, many times I have trouble reading what I wrote. When I'm trying to get things out in a hurry, my handwriting gets even worse. Ever since high school I've done better typing than writing. Even when I have to go back and fix words that I've typed wrong things flow more smoothly on a keyboard than with pen and paper. When I was younger I did keep a journal, but if I ever tried to go back and read what I'd written at a later date I'd have trouble following the emotion and thought train because I'd be too focused on figuring out what the words actually were. So, I'm really glad that the personal computer was invented (and super glad that spell check was invented also, since I'm also a terrible speller)!
OK, so there's 4 short blogs taken care of. Since there is no prompt for today I'll end this blog here, and I'll spend some time to think of a blog to write later today.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Creativity Challanged
When I saw that the theme this month on MomColoredGlasses is creativity I had a sinking feeling. How was I ever going to come up with a post on this topic when I am one of the least creative people I know? I did not receive the "crafty gene" in my DNA makeup.
There are multiple factors involved in my "uncraftiness" which make it hard for me to be creative. For starters, I'm a by the book kind of person. Give me a recipe, some directions to follow, or a schematic to look at and I'm fine. I was great with connect the dots and paint by number when I was a kid. Give me a blank piece of paper and I was lost. I need some direction to make something original.
Then there's the time thing. I work 10 hour days 4 days a week, then I work 3 out of 4 Saturday mornings. My weekday off-day is usually full of doctor's appointments, grocery shopping, or playing outside. That doesn't leave much time for me and Tommy to do crafty things (or so I thought).
And lastly, Tommy isn't much for sitting still. Unless he's at the table eating, he's constantly moving. He doesn't even stay in one spot for long when watching his favorite movie - which is Cars, and is currently playing right now, while he is running around the living room playing with his Cars characters as they come on screen. The thought of glue, glitter, and small pieces of crafty items around my Tasmanian devil sends shivers down my spine.
So, I figured I wouldn't have anything to share this month. Then I wondered about the other moms like me. The ones who don't have much time, who have kids with short attention spans, who couldn't make a nice looking craft without step by step instructions. And I thought there must be things for us. So I looked around my house, and I found the things that Tommy and I do that can be considered creative.
Coloring - you can't get more basic than coloring. And Crayola has this wonderful line of washable and color magic products. The washable crayons allow me to sit Tommy at the table with coloring books or paper and let him scribble to his heart's content. If he gets the crayons on the table they wash off with a couple swipes of a wet paper towel. Sometime I'll draw shapes and he'll tell me what the shapes are and then color in them. One of my favorite memories of him is when I drew a stop sign and he told me it was an "oc-a-gon." The color magic markers are even more wonderful. They only draw on special paper. You can buy special coloring books or blank paper for these markers. They even have color magic finger paints if you really want to go wild. We actually took these markers and coloring books on our last trip. He used them on the plane, in the airports, and at the vacation home and I didn't have to hover over him the whole time worrying that he'd make a mess. That let me relax and let him be creative.
One of his other favorite creative toys is the Fisher-Price Pro Doodler. It uses a magnetic pen and 4 shape magnets to draw on a blank screen. Some days he just wants to fill the whole screen in, clear it, and do it again. Other days he draws various lines and scribbles and then tells me that they're rhinos or elephants. He has a small Doodler for the car that just has the pen. Sometimes I'll write his name on it and he'll read off the letters, say his name, then scribble over it and make birds, tractors, or big trucks- they just look like lines to me, but in his imagination he's drawing masterpieces. The great thing about these toys is there is no mess, and you can easily clear them and start over. You can't hang them on the fridge or give them to Grandma, but they're quick and easy and still creative.
We also like to be creative with music. When we're at his grandmother's house he loves to "play" the piano and sing. In the bathtub he has a floating xylophone he bangs on. He also has a plastic drum filled with kid sized percussion items. He likes to use the funky colored drumsticks, hit the ant sleigh bells, and shake the eggs to make fun sounds.
One thing that can get a little messy involves sidewalk chalk. He loves to draw on our patio. Some days he just takes the colors and scribbles. Some days I draw shapes and letters and he tells me what they are. Then we hose them off (or the rain does) and we can start all over again.
So, even if you don't have a lot of time, or you don't have the crafting skills that other moms have, you can still have creative play time with your kids. You may not be making craft sale worth projects, but you'll still be having fun, creating memories, and helping your little one use their imagination.
There are multiple factors involved in my "uncraftiness" which make it hard for me to be creative. For starters, I'm a by the book kind of person. Give me a recipe, some directions to follow, or a schematic to look at and I'm fine. I was great with connect the dots and paint by number when I was a kid. Give me a blank piece of paper and I was lost. I need some direction to make something original.
Then there's the time thing. I work 10 hour days 4 days a week, then I work 3 out of 4 Saturday mornings. My weekday off-day is usually full of doctor's appointments, grocery shopping, or playing outside. That doesn't leave much time for me and Tommy to do crafty things (or so I thought).
And lastly, Tommy isn't much for sitting still. Unless he's at the table eating, he's constantly moving. He doesn't even stay in one spot for long when watching his favorite movie - which is Cars, and is currently playing right now, while he is running around the living room playing with his Cars characters as they come on screen. The thought of glue, glitter, and small pieces of crafty items around my Tasmanian devil sends shivers down my spine.
So, I figured I wouldn't have anything to share this month. Then I wondered about the other moms like me. The ones who don't have much time, who have kids with short attention spans, who couldn't make a nice looking craft without step by step instructions. And I thought there must be things for us. So I looked around my house, and I found the things that Tommy and I do that can be considered creative.
Coloring - you can't get more basic than coloring. And Crayola has this wonderful line of washable and color magic products. The washable crayons allow me to sit Tommy at the table with coloring books or paper and let him scribble to his heart's content. If he gets the crayons on the table they wash off with a couple swipes of a wet paper towel. Sometime I'll draw shapes and he'll tell me what the shapes are and then color in them. One of my favorite memories of him is when I drew a stop sign and he told me it was an "oc-a-gon." The color magic markers are even more wonderful. They only draw on special paper. You can buy special coloring books or blank paper for these markers. They even have color magic finger paints if you really want to go wild. We actually took these markers and coloring books on our last trip. He used them on the plane, in the airports, and at the vacation home and I didn't have to hover over him the whole time worrying that he'd make a mess. That let me relax and let him be creative.
One of his other favorite creative toys is the Fisher-Price Pro Doodler. It uses a magnetic pen and 4 shape magnets to draw on a blank screen. Some days he just wants to fill the whole screen in, clear it, and do it again. Other days he draws various lines and scribbles and then tells me that they're rhinos or elephants. He has a small Doodler for the car that just has the pen. Sometimes I'll write his name on it and he'll read off the letters, say his name, then scribble over it and make birds, tractors, or big trucks- they just look like lines to me, but in his imagination he's drawing masterpieces. The great thing about these toys is there is no mess, and you can easily clear them and start over. You can't hang them on the fridge or give them to Grandma, but they're quick and easy and still creative.
We also like to be creative with music. When we're at his grandmother's house he loves to "play" the piano and sing. In the bathtub he has a floating xylophone he bangs on. He also has a plastic drum filled with kid sized percussion items. He likes to use the funky colored drumsticks, hit the ant sleigh bells, and shake the eggs to make fun sounds.
One thing that can get a little messy involves sidewalk chalk. He loves to draw on our patio. Some days he just takes the colors and scribbles. Some days I draw shapes and letters and he tells me what they are. Then we hose them off (or the rain does) and we can start all over again.
So, even if you don't have a lot of time, or you don't have the crafting skills that other moms have, you can still have creative play time with your kids. You may not be making craft sale worth projects, but you'll still be having fun, creating memories, and helping your little one use their imagination.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Where has my little Tommy gone?
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| Indoor playground time at the McWane Center |
Tommy has turned into such a big boy, and I'm not sure when it happened. My cute little baby has disappeared, and an independent little man has taken his place. I love this new Tommy, but I have to admit I miss my baby. I miss him falling asleep in my lap, I miss his cute little "uh-oh" when something fell, I miss being able to put him in adorable little one piece outfits. Here are some of the new Tommyisms:
He has to walk to and from the car by himself (holding my hand) and won't let me carry him. He also has to climb into the carseat by himself, but he does let me buckle him.
He says "Thanks" instead of his cute little "tank-q."
He has to wear rugged little boy clothes because he climbs and digs and gets really messy at daycare.
At bedtime he has to sit in the chair, and he tells me to sit on the "ground" while he reads me a book. Then he gets down and crawls into bed by himself. He does let me cover him with a blanket and give him a kiss at least.
He sings me songs. If I try to start singing, he often says "No Mommy" and then sings it himself. Sometimes he lets me sing along, or help him remember the words if he forgets. He does let me sing Old McDonald, although he tells me which animal to use.
This new (improved?) Tommy is a lot of fun. He loves to play outside, and watching him in the sprinkler always makes me laugh. His favorite food is "peanut butter candy" (Reese's cups). He still loves Mickey Mouse, although Jake and the Pirates is giving Mickey a run for his money these days. He knows lots of colors, tons of animals, basic shapes, all his letters, and can count to 12 (and to 20 if you don't need the numbers in order). He knows that TOMMY spells his name. He knows what Mommy and Daddy's real names are. He loves to swing, especially when we push him high. His favorite activity in the truck on the way to work is spotting the tractors (lots of construction going on). He says "I love you" a lot now, although sometimes he's talking about swinging, or Cheezits, or tractors, or whatever has his attention at the moment. Most of the time he says it to us, and it's usually followed by a big hug and sloppy kiss.
He does not want to be potty trained, but we've got plenty of time for that later.
So, my baby Tommy is gone. This new little boy Tommy is a lot of fun, and can be quite sweet when he wants to. I'll enjoy this new phase as long as I can, because I know that before too long he'll be moving on to a new one.
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| Enjoying some down time with Hank and the froggie boots |
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
April 27, 2011
One week ago, 236 people lost their lives. One week ago, I watched on my TV as a several large tornadoes moved through my state. One week ago, I hovered in my closet with my husband, son, 2 cats, and dog as we listened to our radio and prayed that the tornadoes wouldn't come our way. One week ago, I lost a friend as the tornado swept her house off it's foundation and dropped it 100 yards away, killing her and her dog, and leaving her husband in critical condition. One week ago, life in Alabama changed.
April 26, 2011 was a Tuesday.
That night I watched the weather reports and planned for the next day. There were some storms coming through overnight, but probably not severe. There was a big storm coming through the next afternoon, with possible tornadoes after lunch. We went to bed.
April 27, 2011 was a Wednesday.
I woke up to thunder and lightening. While I was in the shower the power blinked 4 times, so I knew the storm must be powerful, since we very rarely lose power. I turned on the TV while I got dressed, and saw that a line of storms had passed through the state, with high winds and some possible tornadoes. The storm passed, the rain stopped, and I got ready for work. I decided to take the dog to work, since he needed a bath, and that way he'd be with me if the weather got bad. I kissed Sam goodbye and Tommy, Hank, and I headed out.
My day changed as I pulled up to daycare. One of the workers headed out to the truck and told me that their power was out, and they were closed. Apparently the morning storm had knocked trees down all over the area, and power was out to much of the city. As I was reforming my game plan, my cell phone rang. It was one of my employees letting me know that her parents' house in north Alabama had tornado damage and she'd be gone for a few days helping them out. She assured me that they were fine but their house was heavily damaged. Little did I know that was just the beginning.
I pulled into work expecting the generator to be running, but we hadn't lost power. I lugged Tommy and Hank into the clinic, put Hank in a cage, and tried to figure out what to do with Tommy. I figured I could do a few things, then head home since I didn't think we had much to do. Little did I know that enough cases had already come in to keep me busy for two and a half hours. Poor Tommy did his best to behave, and my staff did their best to entertain him, but there's only so much iPhone and markers and goldfish crackers can do when he's used to running around with his friends. I finally finished my cases and turned the clinic over to the other vet working that day. I was going to head to my grandparents' house, but they didn't have power either. So I loaded everyone back in the truck and headed back home. I reminded the employees to watch the weather and close early if needed. I didn't want anyone driving home in bad weather.
Tommy and I enjoyed the warm, although slightly windy, weather by playing on his new swingset. Sam's job sent the employees home at noon due to the incoming storms, and we all had lunch together - quite an unusual occurrence in the middle of the week. Tommy went down for a nap and we watched the weather and cleared out some room on the closet floor in case we needed to head in there. After Tommy woke up he wanted to go back outside, but since the sky was dark and I didn't know how far away the lightening was, we found things inside to keep him busy. And we continued to watch the weather.
Around 3pm the storms were starting to get close to Birmingham. We first watched coverage of a tornado in Cullman, AL, where some friends of ours live. After texting them and finding out that they were ok, we relaxed. We figured that was the big one. We were wrong.
Sometime around 5pm a tornado headed to Tuscaloosa. It looked massive. We watched in shock as it was spotted by a tower camera, spinning and whipping debris around. It looked like something out of a movie, something computer generated. I couldn't believe it was real. We watched in horror as it moved across the radar through Tuscaloosa and into Birmingham. It stayed north of my family, but seemed headed for Sam's mom's house. We called her and she assured us she was in her safe place. Somehow it lifted and skipped over her area. We ate dinner. I bathed Tommy. We went back to watching the TV.
They were tracking 2 storms to the southwest of us, both had tornado signatures. At 6:45 it was time for us to take cover. We packed into the closet and tried to hear the weather on my shower radio over Tommy playing with his Easter basket that we had stashed in the closet a few days before. As one and then a second storm passed us by without much but a little hard rain, we felt safe, and so we came out to get Tommy ready for bed. We checked the weather and were assured that our area was done with storms for the day. We went to bed.
April 29, 2011 was a Thursday.
I'm off on Thursdays, so Tommy and I planned to just stay home and have a quiet day. Sam checked in with work, and since they were open, he went on in. I turned on the news in one room while Tommy watched Disney Channel in the other room. I logged into Facebook to see how all my friends were doing. Reports of damage and lives lost began to come in. One or two here, three or four there, then a dozen, then 2 dozen, then 60, 70, the numbers kept rising. I had already called into work to make sure there wasn't any damage there, and all employees were accounted for. Several were without power, but everyone was ok. Then I got a text from Shelly, an employee who is also off on Thursdays. She lived only a few miles from the tornado's path. She and her husband had driven over to a neighborhood where some friends live right after the storms, and she saw that our friend Jennifer's house wasn't there anymore. Jennifer used to work with us, and she still used us as her dog's vet. Cell coverage was spotty there, and she didn't have power, so she asked if I could find out if Jennifer and her husband Garrett had gone to one of their family's houses to ride out the storm. So I began my search for Jennifer.
I started with her Facebook page. She had posted about watching the Cullman tornado on TV. Then, about 6pm, there was a post from her brother asking why she wasn't answering her cell. I started to get worried. I checked her husband's page, no posts. I checked her brother's page - he reposted a Bible verse she had posted on Good Friday, and said how grateful he was for her faith. I really got worried. I started hunting down their relatives and I found a post on Garrett's dad's page where someone had posted a prayer request because they had been in their house when the tornado hit, and Garrett was in the hospital and they didn't know where Jennifer was. Now I panicked. I started calling our friends to let them know what was going on. I emailed her brother, letting him know who I was, and asking if they knew anything. He informed me that they were still looking for her. Later that day I got a message from his wife that they had been informed that Jennifer had most likely been killed in the storm. I stayed up late that night, I couldn't stop watching the news. I just couldn't comprehend what had happened all over our state.
April 29th was a Friday.
I went back to work. Daycare had power again, and Tommy was glad to get back to his friends. I got to work and told my employees about Jennifer. We were just waiting for confirmation from her family. I went to check my Facebook messages - the clinic's internet was down. I went to check on my phone, my phone went dead. I started to get frustrated. On a day when I really needed the internet, I was without it. For several hours. Then I realized that there were people not too far away without power, without homes, without family. I went back to doing my job. The phone company fixed our internet. Jennifer's family told me they had confirmation. The news sites told me that over a hundred people had died, hundreds of thousands were without power, thousands were without homes. I picked my son up at daycare that night and gave him a huge hug. I went home and reset my phone. I sat at my computer watching TV and trying to figure out what I could do to help.
April 30th was a Saturday.
Sam was called down to Tuscaloosa to help in the morgue. His mom came down and watched Tommy while I was at work that morning. When I came home we ate lunch together and talked about what had happened. When Tommy went down for his nap she headed home and I made a game plan. That afternoon Tommy and I headed to Walmart and picked up some items the storm shelters said they were needing. It seemed lots of people in our area had done the same, since flashlights, batteries, diapers, and formula were mostly wiped out. We found a few bag fulls of things to donate and headed home. When Sam got home that evening we were very glad to see him. It felt wonderful to be together. Both Sam and I had a new sense of gratitude for what God has given us. We watched TV and saw how the people of Alabama were helping each other.
May 1st was a Sunday.
We went to church and prayed for the storm survivors. I found out that one of the families was going down to one of the hardest hit areas that afternoon, and we loaded our donations into their trunk. That afternoon I talked to one of my employees and we decided to organize a pet food and supply donation drive at work. I watched on Facebook as people from all over the state, and all over the country, donated money, supplies, and time to help the people of Alabama, and the other states affected, recover from this tragedy.
Today is Wednesday. As of tonight the death toll stands at 236, with 30 people unaccounted for. Jennifer's husband is still in the hospital, but his body is starting to heal. Jennifer is in Heaven, and her family left behind will be slower to heal. People from all over are bringing in truckloads of supplies. People are sacrificing their time to hand out meals, clear trees and debris, wash clothes, and whatever else is needed. People are being reunited with their pets who went missing that day. Sam's uncle is getting back a page from a family photo album that blew away when their trailer (which was not at their house) was destroyed by a tornado. That page was found in Georgia. Through social networking people have found people, pets, and belongings that might otherwise have been missing for who knows how long. Through this tragedy God is bringing families and communities close together than they ever have been.
Tomorrow is another day. Tomorrow I am taking a truckload of pet food and supplies to a mobile shelter to help hand them out to families who need them. Tomorrow I will help treat pets with injuries in an area where the vet clinics aren't functional yet. Tomorrow I will kiss my husband and my son and thank God that he spared us, and that I have another day with them. Tomorrow life goes on, even though it will never be the same.
April 26, 2011 was a Tuesday.
That night I watched the weather reports and planned for the next day. There were some storms coming through overnight, but probably not severe. There was a big storm coming through the next afternoon, with possible tornadoes after lunch. We went to bed.
April 27, 2011 was a Wednesday.
I woke up to thunder and lightening. While I was in the shower the power blinked 4 times, so I knew the storm must be powerful, since we very rarely lose power. I turned on the TV while I got dressed, and saw that a line of storms had passed through the state, with high winds and some possible tornadoes. The storm passed, the rain stopped, and I got ready for work. I decided to take the dog to work, since he needed a bath, and that way he'd be with me if the weather got bad. I kissed Sam goodbye and Tommy, Hank, and I headed out.
My day changed as I pulled up to daycare. One of the workers headed out to the truck and told me that their power was out, and they were closed. Apparently the morning storm had knocked trees down all over the area, and power was out to much of the city. As I was reforming my game plan, my cell phone rang. It was one of my employees letting me know that her parents' house in north Alabama had tornado damage and she'd be gone for a few days helping them out. She assured me that they were fine but their house was heavily damaged. Little did I know that was just the beginning.
I pulled into work expecting the generator to be running, but we hadn't lost power. I lugged Tommy and Hank into the clinic, put Hank in a cage, and tried to figure out what to do with Tommy. I figured I could do a few things, then head home since I didn't think we had much to do. Little did I know that enough cases had already come in to keep me busy for two and a half hours. Poor Tommy did his best to behave, and my staff did their best to entertain him, but there's only so much iPhone and markers and goldfish crackers can do when he's used to running around with his friends. I finally finished my cases and turned the clinic over to the other vet working that day. I was going to head to my grandparents' house, but they didn't have power either. So I loaded everyone back in the truck and headed back home. I reminded the employees to watch the weather and close early if needed. I didn't want anyone driving home in bad weather.
Tommy and I enjoyed the warm, although slightly windy, weather by playing on his new swingset. Sam's job sent the employees home at noon due to the incoming storms, and we all had lunch together - quite an unusual occurrence in the middle of the week. Tommy went down for a nap and we watched the weather and cleared out some room on the closet floor in case we needed to head in there. After Tommy woke up he wanted to go back outside, but since the sky was dark and I didn't know how far away the lightening was, we found things inside to keep him busy. And we continued to watch the weather.
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| Cullman tornado |
Around 3pm the storms were starting to get close to Birmingham. We first watched coverage of a tornado in Cullman, AL, where some friends of ours live. After texting them and finding out that they were ok, we relaxed. We figured that was the big one. We were wrong.
Sometime around 5pm a tornado headed to Tuscaloosa. It looked massive. We watched in shock as it was spotted by a tower camera, spinning and whipping debris around. It looked like something out of a movie, something computer generated. I couldn't believe it was real. We watched in horror as it moved across the radar through Tuscaloosa and into Birmingham. It stayed north of my family, but seemed headed for Sam's mom's house. We called her and she assured us she was in her safe place. Somehow it lifted and skipped over her area. We ate dinner. I bathed Tommy. We went back to watching the TV.
They were tracking 2 storms to the southwest of us, both had tornado signatures. At 6:45 it was time for us to take cover. We packed into the closet and tried to hear the weather on my shower radio over Tommy playing with his Easter basket that we had stashed in the closet a few days before. As one and then a second storm passed us by without much but a little hard rain, we felt safe, and so we came out to get Tommy ready for bed. We checked the weather and were assured that our area was done with storms for the day. We went to bed.
April 29, 2011 was a Thursday.
I'm off on Thursdays, so Tommy and I planned to just stay home and have a quiet day. Sam checked in with work, and since they were open, he went on in. I turned on the news in one room while Tommy watched Disney Channel in the other room. I logged into Facebook to see how all my friends were doing. Reports of damage and lives lost began to come in. One or two here, three or four there, then a dozen, then 2 dozen, then 60, 70, the numbers kept rising. I had already called into work to make sure there wasn't any damage there, and all employees were accounted for. Several were without power, but everyone was ok. Then I got a text from Shelly, an employee who is also off on Thursdays. She lived only a few miles from the tornado's path. She and her husband had driven over to a neighborhood where some friends live right after the storms, and she saw that our friend Jennifer's house wasn't there anymore. Jennifer used to work with us, and she still used us as her dog's vet. Cell coverage was spotty there, and she didn't have power, so she asked if I could find out if Jennifer and her husband Garrett had gone to one of their family's houses to ride out the storm. So I began my search for Jennifer.
I started with her Facebook page. She had posted about watching the Cullman tornado on TV. Then, about 6pm, there was a post from her brother asking why she wasn't answering her cell. I started to get worried. I checked her husband's page, no posts. I checked her brother's page - he reposted a Bible verse she had posted on Good Friday, and said how grateful he was for her faith. I really got worried. I started hunting down their relatives and I found a post on Garrett's dad's page where someone had posted a prayer request because they had been in their house when the tornado hit, and Garrett was in the hospital and they didn't know where Jennifer was. Now I panicked. I started calling our friends to let them know what was going on. I emailed her brother, letting him know who I was, and asking if they knew anything. He informed me that they were still looking for her. Later that day I got a message from his wife that they had been informed that Jennifer had most likely been killed in the storm. I stayed up late that night, I couldn't stop watching the news. I just couldn't comprehend what had happened all over our state.
April 29th was a Friday.
I went back to work. Daycare had power again, and Tommy was glad to get back to his friends. I got to work and told my employees about Jennifer. We were just waiting for confirmation from her family. I went to check my Facebook messages - the clinic's internet was down. I went to check on my phone, my phone went dead. I started to get frustrated. On a day when I really needed the internet, I was without it. For several hours. Then I realized that there were people not too far away without power, without homes, without family. I went back to doing my job. The phone company fixed our internet. Jennifer's family told me they had confirmation. The news sites told me that over a hundred people had died, hundreds of thousands were without power, thousands were without homes. I picked my son up at daycare that night and gave him a huge hug. I went home and reset my phone. I sat at my computer watching TV and trying to figure out what I could do to help.
April 30th was a Saturday.
Sam was called down to Tuscaloosa to help in the morgue. His mom came down and watched Tommy while I was at work that morning. When I came home we ate lunch together and talked about what had happened. When Tommy went down for his nap she headed home and I made a game plan. That afternoon Tommy and I headed to Walmart and picked up some items the storm shelters said they were needing. It seemed lots of people in our area had done the same, since flashlights, batteries, diapers, and formula were mostly wiped out. We found a few bag fulls of things to donate and headed home. When Sam got home that evening we were very glad to see him. It felt wonderful to be together. Both Sam and I had a new sense of gratitude for what God has given us. We watched TV and saw how the people of Alabama were helping each other.
May 1st was a Sunday.
We went to church and prayed for the storm survivors. I found out that one of the families was going down to one of the hardest hit areas that afternoon, and we loaded our donations into their trunk. That afternoon I talked to one of my employees and we decided to organize a pet food and supply donation drive at work. I watched on Facebook as people from all over the state, and all over the country, donated money, supplies, and time to help the people of Alabama, and the other states affected, recover from this tragedy.
Today is Wednesday. As of tonight the death toll stands at 236, with 30 people unaccounted for. Jennifer's husband is still in the hospital, but his body is starting to heal. Jennifer is in Heaven, and her family left behind will be slower to heal. People from all over are bringing in truckloads of supplies. People are sacrificing their time to hand out meals, clear trees and debris, wash clothes, and whatever else is needed. People are being reunited with their pets who went missing that day. Sam's uncle is getting back a page from a family photo album that blew away when their trailer (which was not at their house) was destroyed by a tornado. That page was found in Georgia. Through social networking people have found people, pets, and belongings that might otherwise have been missing for who knows how long. Through this tragedy God is bringing families and communities close together than they ever have been.
Tomorrow is another day. Tomorrow I am taking a truckload of pet food and supplies to a mobile shelter to help hand them out to families who need them. Tomorrow I will help treat pets with injuries in an area where the vet clinics aren't functional yet. Tomorrow I will kiss my husband and my son and thank God that he spared us, and that I have another day with them. Tomorrow life goes on, even though it will never be the same.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
What would I do if disaster hit?
For the last week I've been glued to the television and internet as I followed the situation in Japan. Much like I was glued to coverage of Katrina a few years ago, I couldn't get enough news stories and videos to quench my thirst for information. The shear size of the tragedy, and the impact it is having on the people who live over there, just baffles my mind. I just can't wrap my head around what they must be going through.
What's different this time around is how I'm viewing the tragedy. Katrina hit while I was in vet school. Sam and I were already married, but we were still somewhat independent. It was just me and Sam (plus the pets). What's different about how I'm looking at the Japan events is that now I'm a mom. I think about the parents who did what they could to gather up their kids in the few minutes they had to escape. I wonder how many of the people who were lost were rushing home to get their families to safety. It breaks my heart to think of the ones who didn't make it. Of the families who aren't whole anymore. The parents without children, the children without parents.
I live with a level of fear in my life now. Ever since my son was born, I've always had a nagging fear in the back of my mind. What if he gets hurt at daycare? What if I get in an accident and leave Sam and Tommy alone? What if Sam and Tommy are in an accident and leave me alone? I don't allow these thoughts to rule my life - I'd be a basket case if I did. But they're always there, somewhere, in the dark places of my brain. I find I'm constantly watching the weather during storm seasons now. Tornadoes have always frightened me. We didn't see them much where I grew up. But now I'm glued to severe weather coverage. Ready at a moment's notice to leave work and drive the 3 minutes to daycare to whisk him to the safety of my grandparents' basement if it's necessary. Ready to pull him from his bed in the middle of the night and head to the safety of our closet with no windows. Willing to be late to work if the weather reporters on the local news say "if you don't need to be on the roads stay home for a little while." Things I never did before I was a mom. Things I thought were overkill before Tommy was the main focus of my life.
Luckily I don't live in an area where a hurricane or tsunami could reach us with that kind of force. Earthquakes are quite small scale here, and don't tend to cause much damage. Tornadoes are a threat, but even those don't happen too often, and we usually have a few hours of warning before the conditions are ripe for a twister. Still, I wonder what I would do if I ever found myself in a situation like the one these Japanese parents found themselves in almost a week ago. I just hope that God would give me the strength and wisdom to do what was best for my family, and that He'd give me the peace to deal with the consequences. In the meantime, I'll continue to pray for all the people impacted by the events in Japan. They may be a world away, but a mother's love is the same here as it is there.
What's different this time around is how I'm viewing the tragedy. Katrina hit while I was in vet school. Sam and I were already married, but we were still somewhat independent. It was just me and Sam (plus the pets). What's different about how I'm looking at the Japan events is that now I'm a mom. I think about the parents who did what they could to gather up their kids in the few minutes they had to escape. I wonder how many of the people who were lost were rushing home to get their families to safety. It breaks my heart to think of the ones who didn't make it. Of the families who aren't whole anymore. The parents without children, the children without parents.
I live with a level of fear in my life now. Ever since my son was born, I've always had a nagging fear in the back of my mind. What if he gets hurt at daycare? What if I get in an accident and leave Sam and Tommy alone? What if Sam and Tommy are in an accident and leave me alone? I don't allow these thoughts to rule my life - I'd be a basket case if I did. But they're always there, somewhere, in the dark places of my brain. I find I'm constantly watching the weather during storm seasons now. Tornadoes have always frightened me. We didn't see them much where I grew up. But now I'm glued to severe weather coverage. Ready at a moment's notice to leave work and drive the 3 minutes to daycare to whisk him to the safety of my grandparents' basement if it's necessary. Ready to pull him from his bed in the middle of the night and head to the safety of our closet with no windows. Willing to be late to work if the weather reporters on the local news say "if you don't need to be on the roads stay home for a little while." Things I never did before I was a mom. Things I thought were overkill before Tommy was the main focus of my life.
Luckily I don't live in an area where a hurricane or tsunami could reach us with that kind of force. Earthquakes are quite small scale here, and don't tend to cause much damage. Tornadoes are a threat, but even those don't happen too often, and we usually have a few hours of warning before the conditions are ripe for a twister. Still, I wonder what I would do if I ever found myself in a situation like the one these Japanese parents found themselves in almost a week ago. I just hope that God would give me the strength and wisdom to do what was best for my family, and that He'd give me the peace to deal with the consequences. In the meantime, I'll continue to pray for all the people impacted by the events in Japan. They may be a world away, but a mother's love is the same here as it is there.
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A woman holds her child at a shelter after being evacuated from an area near the Fukushima nuclear power plant Photo: AP Link to original article |
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Animal time
Well, I started this blog to talk about my life as a wife, mom, and vet. So I guess it's about time to talk about the work part of my life. I've been working at animal hospitals for about almost 14 years. I started out working kennels and worked my way up to a technician assistant, finally going to vet school and graduating in 2006. I've always loved animals, and I really enjoy working with them and their owners in order to keep them as healthy and happy as possible.
Spring is coming (or may already be here for those of us in the south), and with it comes flea, tick, and mosquito season. I cannot stress enough the need for proper parasite prevention in our pets.
Heartworms are worms that live in the blood vessels between the heart and the lungs. In advanced cases the worms can actually plug the vessels and decrease or stop blood flow. Even in mild cases they cause damage to the vessel walls. Heartworms are spread by mosquitoes, so even pets who never leave their house or yard are at risk. Heartworms are easy to prevent with monthly medication. Treatment costs around $500, but prevention only costs about $10-12 a month. In warmer states (like mine), we often have days when the temperature rises above 60 degrees even in winter. Because of this I recommend using heartworm prevention every month, just in case the mosquitoes don't know it's supposed to be winter.
Fleas and ticks are just plain nasty! Ticks crawl up blades of grass and just wait for someone to come by so they can hitch a ride. Then they move up the leg and find a nice warm spot to dig in and feed. Many ticks can carry diseases, like lyme and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Fleas like to set up shop inside our homes. The adult flea spends all of its time on your dog or cat. The females lay eggs, which immediately fall off and land wherever your pet is standing/sitting. Then the larvae hatches from the eggs, and they crawl around in whatever carpet, bedding, etc the eggs landed on. Soon these larvae form cocoons where they develop into an adult flea. This part of the life cycle can last for months. They don't hatch out until the conditions are right - temperature, carbon dioxide, and movement are all triggers for them. They are also protected from pesticides while in the cocoon. This long life cycle means that you should never wait until you start seeing fleas to start using flea prevention. Once you're seeing the adults, they've already started laying eggs. Once fleas set up house in your house, it can take 3 months or more to kill all of them, since you have to wait for all the cocoons to hatch before you can get them all. Again, if you live in the south you should probably use flea and tick prevention all year round. If you live somewhere where there is snow on the ground all year, you may be able to get away without using it during the winter. Just remember, it's still warm in your house. If you haven't killed all the fleas that live there, they'll just keep multiplying all winter long.
So, to sum up, please remember to treat your cats and dogs with flea, tick, and heartworm prevention. It's much easier (and cheaper) to prevent these things than to treat your animals once they've been infested/infected. Always buy your prevention from your veterinarian. We keep up to date on the newest research and best products for our areas of the country. Sometimes prevention you can buy at other stores can cause skin irritation or even seizures. When you buy medication over the internet you can't always be sure that it was stored and shipped at the proper temperatures. Because of this many companies won't stand behind their product unless it was sold by a veterinarian.
Keep your pets pest free!
Spring is coming (or may already be here for those of us in the south), and with it comes flea, tick, and mosquito season. I cannot stress enough the need for proper parasite prevention in our pets.
Heartworms are worms that live in the blood vessels between the heart and the lungs. In advanced cases the worms can actually plug the vessels and decrease or stop blood flow. Even in mild cases they cause damage to the vessel walls. Heartworms are spread by mosquitoes, so even pets who never leave their house or yard are at risk. Heartworms are easy to prevent with monthly medication. Treatment costs around $500, but prevention only costs about $10-12 a month. In warmer states (like mine), we often have days when the temperature rises above 60 degrees even in winter. Because of this I recommend using heartworm prevention every month, just in case the mosquitoes don't know it's supposed to be winter.
Fleas and ticks are just plain nasty! Ticks crawl up blades of grass and just wait for someone to come by so they can hitch a ride. Then they move up the leg and find a nice warm spot to dig in and feed. Many ticks can carry diseases, like lyme and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Fleas like to set up shop inside our homes. The adult flea spends all of its time on your dog or cat. The females lay eggs, which immediately fall off and land wherever your pet is standing/sitting. Then the larvae hatches from the eggs, and they crawl around in whatever carpet, bedding, etc the eggs landed on. Soon these larvae form cocoons where they develop into an adult flea. This part of the life cycle can last for months. They don't hatch out until the conditions are right - temperature, carbon dioxide, and movement are all triggers for them. They are also protected from pesticides while in the cocoon. This long life cycle means that you should never wait until you start seeing fleas to start using flea prevention. Once you're seeing the adults, they've already started laying eggs. Once fleas set up house in your house, it can take 3 months or more to kill all of them, since you have to wait for all the cocoons to hatch before you can get them all. Again, if you live in the south you should probably use flea and tick prevention all year round. If you live somewhere where there is snow on the ground all year, you may be able to get away without using it during the winter. Just remember, it's still warm in your house. If you haven't killed all the fleas that live there, they'll just keep multiplying all winter long.
So, to sum up, please remember to treat your cats and dogs with flea, tick, and heartworm prevention. It's much easier (and cheaper) to prevent these things than to treat your animals once they've been infested/infected. Always buy your prevention from your veterinarian. We keep up to date on the newest research and best products for our areas of the country. Sometimes prevention you can buy at other stores can cause skin irritation or even seizures. When you buy medication over the internet you can't always be sure that it was stored and shipped at the proper temperatures. Because of this many companies won't stand behind their product unless it was sold by a veterinarian.
Keep your pets pest free!
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