Giving Thanks Challenge

It's November 1st. The summer like weather is definitely over. Time to start thinking about the holidays. I love this time of year. Family, friends, food, laughter - good times; good memories. I've even started seeing Christmas ads on tv; and I thought my son was going to bust with excitment when the Toys 'R Us toy book came in the newspaper last weekend. But before Christmas, comes Thanksgiving. I think it some times gets overlooked. In an effort on my part to not overlook it, I'm going to challenge myself to remember each day something that I am thankful for.


I don't subscribe to many magazines - two to be exact. Both of them this month had articles regarding "giving thanks". So I figure if I can give thanks for something every day this month, then maybe if I'm having a rough day it will make it a little easier; a rant will turn into something truly positive; a frown turned upside down - that type of thing.


So since today is November 1st - All Saints Day in the Roman Catholic church. A day when we remember the deceased. I am thankful for my grandparents. Though most of them have past now, I have wonderful memories from my childhood of spending time and vacations with them. And I know that they are in heaven watching over me and my family now.

I'm Amazed

Okay - so I've got a premature newborn at home and the pediatrician keeps on me about getting everyone in the house to have the flu shot this year so that she's a little bit more protected from infant RDS. They've been on me since she was born in August. So where's the vaccine? Every time I called the peds office and my own doctor's office, I keep getting told it's coming, it's coming. It's been coming for a month. It's worse than "the check's in the mail." And who decides which category of the public take precedence over another - why do they make sure the 65+ older group get the vaccine first? I'm prone to asthma when I get really sick, and have a premature newborn in the house. What's make's an older person's health more important than mine or my child's? (No offense to anyone over 65.) I'm also tired of being told that if the doctor's office runs out they have lots of other clinics they can refer me to. Well, last year, the doc's office kept me hanging so long before they told me that they were out and weren't getting anymore that I missed all the clinics. And besides, why should I have the additional hastle of having to submit the claim to my insurance company, when the insurance would pay for it directly if I received it in the doctor's office? I really do believe in the vaccine. When I used to work for a (gulp) health insurance company we got the shot for free, and I never really got more than a cold during the winter. That was 3 years ago. Now I have to plan way ahead of time and basically harrass the doctor's office, and if I don't get it, I usually end up sick for weeks on end. I'm just amazed that our health care system can't get it together enough year after year!

Too Much To Do

I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately. Some people think it's so easy being a WAHM - you can do laundry while you're working, do things with your kids when you want, not worry about dressing up, or even getting dressed if you don't want to. I don't know about other WAHMs but some days I miss the routine of dropping the kids off at daycare and going to a traditional job. At least I got to "leave" or "forget" about things for a while. I didn't have to stare at the laundry piling up because I'm trying to catch up and not miss deadlines for work. Or obsess about the dirt trail every time someone walks into house because we're doing construction. Or, God help me - and please no one take this the wrong way - get a break from a baby who has cholic and reflux, and just never seems to be content, even in her sleep she fusses most of the time. I love my kids - I can't imagine my world without them. But I just want a break every now and then. It's not easy being home. Between the baby and work the only time I really get out of the house is the drive to and from school for my son. And there's always someone crying, or asking me for help with homework, or asking me when dinner's going to be ready, or double checking me that I paid all the bills that need to be paid, or telling me that the baby's crying and I need to take care of her.

I know I'm just overtired and venting. I'm truly not on the verge of doing anything drastic. I think tomorrow weather permitting I'll bundle the baby up and we'll go over to the park for a walk. If not the park, maybe we'll just go to the mall and walk around, window shop, exchange a few outfits that she got - just something to get out of this house, and away from the usual routine, just a break.

Thoughts on Freelancing/Working from Home

Let me just get it right out in the open. The biggest hurdle I've found to being self-employed/working from home is that people in general think that just because you're home you're not working. Not true my friends! In fact, it's the exact opposite. Between working with Adrian, doing freelance work, managing my Avon business and normal, taking care of a newborn and a 5 year old, and just everyday work with the family and house, I don't remember ever being so busy. I may go to bed at 9:00 p.m. , but I don't fall fast asleep. I take a "nap" until 12:00 for a feeding. Then another nap until 3:00, and then if I'm lucky another one until 6:00 or so. Then my day begins.
The difference now is I choose how much I want to work, when I want to work, etc. So if I want to chaperone a preschool field trip, or have a sick child, or want to go visit family, I don't feel as guilty as I did when I worked a traditional job. I know I have to answer ultimately to people I have contracts with but I have more freedom and flexibility to work as I want to work. I decide when I work and how much I want/need to work. It's working out for me and my family and I'm loving it!

New to This

Okay - so I've gotten addicted to reading one blog in particular. So much so that it's inspired me to write my own. I don't know how entertaining this will be for anyone else, but I'm doing it more as an outlet for me. If you find it humorous or insightful, that's great. If you agree with my opinions, that's great; if not, that's fine, too.

Every mom has been there at one time or another. Picture this. . . it's 6 o'clock. You're trying to get dinner on the table. Your 5 year old is crying that he's hungry; your newborn is crying to nurse. The phone is ringing. You haven't been able to find time to even pee all day. And then a full glass of milk ends up on the floor, that you just cleaned earlier that day. Mount St. Mom is about to errupt. But instead of screaming at the top of your lungs, or grabbing your purse and running from the house screaming, or breaking all your Pyrex dishes, you need to step outside yourself. It's like a scene from your favorite family sitcom on TV. But it's really your life. It's not perfect. Chaos seems to run rampit from time to time, or all the time. So what's a mom to do? The best she can. You turn the burners a little lower, pick up the newborn to calm her crying, grab a handful of papertowels and help your 5 year old clean up the milk. Then you grab a handful of goldfish crackers for him to munch on while you finish up dinner, all the while doing the mommy bounce to keep the newborn from going horse. You then plate up the older child's dinner, give him a new glass of milk and sit down with him at the dinner table to nurse your infant while he eats dinner. When do you get to eat, hopefully at some point after both the kids are fed and content (are they ever really?). And where's darling hubby during all this - dealing with his own trials and tribulations of owning his own business and working 60+ hours a week - all so you can stay at home with the newborn and not have to put her in daycare. So what are parents to do? They best they can. At the end of the day, if there are no broken bones, tummies are full, faces are clean, it's been a good day. You've done the best you can - that's all anyone can ask.