Month: July 2012

I was so emotionally, mentally, and physically tired last night I didn’t get a chance to post. While lying in bed I was watching the Olympic gymnastics qualifying trials and it got me thinking, I feel like I am training for the Olympic qualifying trials for moms? And this is why…..

Mental challenges….

All this time at home has turned our soon-to-be first grader into quite the artist and novelist. And her younger sister is trying so hard to keep up!

She has been painting and writing non-stop. Wait, strike that, I have been technically writing, or should I say spelling non-stop.  There has been a lot of, “mommy, how do you spell….” going on in our home.  Meanwhile our little inquisitive son has been asking how EVERYTHING works. I caught him doing the classic open the refrigerator door, close the refrigerator door, repeat, routine the other day trying to determine if that light actually stays on or not.  This is a good thing, don’t get me wrong, but, I feel like I need a refresher course and maybe even an all-nighters, on the various mechanisms around our home.  I am contemplating studying up on the carburetor and transmission today, just in case he pulls a question like…”Mommy, what is under the hood of the car?”.   Thankfully I noticed that the show, “How it’s Made” is on Netflix now, that will at least give me a little breather from my studies. I would also like to give a shout out to another screen, the computer screen and the EWTN kids. We obviously didn’t go to church but we did read the Sunday readings and the kiddos got a chance to play on the EWTN kids site.

Physical Challenges….

Do you have an energetic toddler? I mean the type that will just climb up on anything (within reason) and leap, assuming someone will be there to grab her?  We do. I suppose the best way to describe her is to say she is similar to a monkey.  I hate describing any of my children as a type of animal but when it comes to an animal that best mimics her actions, or vice versa, the climbing, jumping, and I am sure she would swing from things hanging off the ceiling if we had them (and she really likes bananas but that is beside the point) mimics that of a monkey.  So, watching her includes being able to make a mad dash from one room to the next with arms extended ready to catch.  She is also currently infatuated with belly buttons and has been doing belly button checks on all family members practically every hour around the clock.  I have decided that making dinner while simultaneously emptying the dishwasher, spelling  random words, teaching how the oven works, and having a belly button check done to you should totally be an Olympic event….any mommy up for the challenge? Can you relate?

It got to a point yesterday that the kids just had to go outside and play off some of their energy. Thankfully they are, for lack of a better term, molting.  The rashes scabbed over and the scabs/skin are slowly peeling off naturally (the kiddos did a great job of not pulling off the scabs/skin).  You can still see where the rash was, I am hoping that it is not scaring but rather the final healing process. So we let them have some fun in the water.

And they had a cold treat… 

As a precaution I did add a dash of oatmeal to their baths, just in case.

Emotionally……..

As if being a mommy isn’t emotional enough, as I am sure ALL moms can relate. One minute the kiddos will have me in stitches over something they said (Like last week we were in the car and our toddler got a little ornery. I said I think she might be getting her eye-teeth. Our little man was quick to correct me, you mean mouth teeth mom, not eye-teeth, Haha!) Then the next minute they will almost have me in tears witnessing them do a selfless act for one another. Then as fast as a bolt of lightning the mood can change and they can be irritating each other which can lead me to a sense of being overwhelmed.

It Happened…….

But our emotions extend beyond motherhood, in fact sometimes they are in no way related, while other times they can be in a consequential way, which is where my feelings of guilt, sorrow, empathy, and compassion accompanied by a need to rectify have evolved. Remember how we were around other children last Sunday? Well, my hubby received a call….and guess what? Yep!! Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease! Their child contracted HFMD from our children whom they were in contact with a week before. Looks like our children shared more than just popcorn!

Please pass the tissues…..

I feel so guilty for passing this onto another family, if there was any way I knew our children were contagious there is no way I would have allowed them to share popcorn, let alone be in contact, or out in public with children or anyone else.  (I am learning so much about HFMD and it seems as though you really have no idea that your child/children have been exposed and are contagious until the rash shows up and it seems to take roughly 7-8 days for the rash to appear after the initial encounter. Once you have received confirmation that your child indeed does have HFMD in order to minimize the spread to others, or out of respect for others, you need to quarantine them until the fluid in the blisters are totally gone, and any sores in the nose and throat have healed and it is difficult to determine when they have healed, especially with small children and toddlers who can’t express their symptoms. Our doctor advised 6 days). I am so sorry. Their family, like ours, has 3 children and as of right now one is showing symptoms, including the rash, but I am sure it will only be a matter of time before all have visible symptoms.  I feel so horrible; they were probably looking forward to 4^th of July festivities this week.  I can empathize with their mom.  I know how the next week will be playing out in their household and I just wish there was something I could do to make things better. I know I can’t make it go away or fully rectify the situation but maybe there is something I can do, our family can do? Do you have any suggestions?