Friday, February 29, 2008

A Dialogue with Cinderella...


Have you ever wondered what some of those stuffed animals or dolls laying around the house must think? I know it sounds insane, but when my days are so hectic getting the children ready and the dog out and once I settle down I stare around the room and I see these little figures all over and at times I just think to myself-What must these things think about me?
So one day I decided to have a conversation with a figurine on my window sill and that happened to be cinderella.
It was a great conversation and after talking to her I realized that she knew a lot more than I ever would have thought. I remember her telling me that everyone ultimately wants a happy ending. That is why I am here to always remind you and your family that we can get there. At times it will be tough, but if you try hard enough for anything it can and will be yours. Do you have a favorite doll or toy that you can converse with? If you have kids I'm sure you do.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

"I'm Not Depressed I Have Lyme Disease"


One would think that being in the medical field things should not slip by, however as a medical provider I have noticed that as patients we tend to either ask too many questions or not enough. As a mother I think at times I also down play a lot of my children's symptoms as well. I have seen this type of behavior being on both ends of the spectrum. An example of that was when my daughter was having vague symptoms and it took three years to have her diagnosed with Lyme disease.
She was having vague symptoms of headaches, dizziness, and feeling tired all the time she was twelve at the time. I had taken her to the pediatrician whom in turn did some lab work, then told me all was normal. The pediatrician stated that sometimes with puberty these vague symptoms may occur, understandably I accepted this diagnosis. Then I was told that she may have the beginning of depression. So I went in a circle for several years until finally someone listened to her say "I'm not depressed, listen to me please."
Unknown to me that some of these symptoms could have been resolved if only the proper testing was done in a timely fashion.
My advice is to ask questions, many questions and if they are not answered ask more questions!

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Rewarding Our Children in Moderation is Acceptable


Do you reward your children for certain behaviors? Are they doing what is expected of them without incentives? These are questions that I asked several people and most of the responses were "yes they get rewards" and "I am not sure if they expect incentives." Well, my point of view is that children today are being rewarded way too much for certain behaviors that should be the norm. What do you think?
Parenting is a difficult job, especially in today's world where most of the children are growing up in a household where both parents are working. As well as the parent that stays at home, it is becoming increasingly difficult to parent. The hype of the media and socialization along with extra curricular activities has taken a burden on us all. But is all this added stress causing extra rewarding in our children's behavior. Are we compensating for the lack of what we may feel is "quality" time?

Monday, February 25, 2008

Thinking About A Visit To Lake George, NY


Isn't it a shame when you move somewhere new and have no clues as to where to visit, you sense that you are at a loss. Thankfully, I moved to a very diverse area that had plenty of activities.
Ans as a newcomer to the North Country in Upstate New York, I was at a loss as to where I should or could take my children for indoor activities or to host a birthday party. However, after careful research, and as my children became more familiarized with the area and developed friendships, we soon learned all the cool spots to entertain and be entertained. These locations and hot spots serve as a great place to have birthday parties or to visit when vacationing in the magnificent Lake George region.
We have such a great time at these locations, that my frequent visits have now made me a frequent flyer and the workers know my children by their first names. Please if ever in the Northeast stop by these hot spots and I know you will not regret it.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

The Word "Friend" Also Means "Acquaintance"


Does anybody ever wonder what the term friend actually means? According to the dictionary the word "friend" has many different meanings:
- a person whom one likes or trusts
- an acquaintance
- a person whom one is allied in a struggle or cause, a comrade
- one who supports sympathizes with, or patronizes a group
I find this to be a strange definition of the term "friend" since it can mean that anyone we come into contact with would be a friend. How many of us have friends that are true friends, then we have the soso friend that we may chit chat with at times. Then there is the friend that we have by association.
So who is the person that we disclose our inner thoughts too?
This was just a tempoarary act of thinking out loud and it actually came about after talking to my kids and trying to get their input on whom they consider a friend, since different ages having different meanings and the best that they came up with was bff (best friends forever). Any ideas on a new one word out there?

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Cheerleading is a Sport...What are your thoughts?


What do you think of when you hear the word "cheerleader"?

This was a question that I raised to several of my friends, relatives, and co-workers. I was very surprised to the answers I had received. Most of the responses were all very similar in that they viewed it not as a sport, but just as an entertainment at sporting events. As one person put it, "I am not sure what a cheerleader is, but I know that they are a bunch of girls standing around in short skirts cheering and yelling 'rah,rah,rah.'
I feel terrible when my daughter who happens to be a cheerleader, is somtimes only viewed as a performer and not as an athlete. Her team and coaches work very hard to be able to compete. Some of these individuals have to invest extra time and money in other activities in order to excel and become the best in what they do.
So, I am hear to tell you that cheerleading is a sport. And according to Forbes magazine it is one of the most dangerous sports around. The next time you run into a cheerleader pat them on the back and tell them that they are a great "athlete." I am sure they will appreciate it.

Monday, February 18, 2008

How We Got Our Dog...


I was by no means a dog lover, yes I would pet them when I saw a neighbor or a friend with their companion. However, I just never felt a connection. I guess they were cool to look at, but when I thought of the time and commitment that would take into getting an animal it wasn't something I wanted to do.
And after years of battling with my four children as to why we could not have a dog, I finally caved in but not reluctantly. It took months of researching that people thought I was actually insane. I think it took more out of me choosing a pet then I did for my car. I knew there were things I definitely did not want and things I did want. After long hours of surfing and interviewing I can honestly now say that my choice of a golden retriever was my best bet. I wouldn't change a thing, he is everything I wanted and so much part of our family.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Weekends are supposed to be relaxing?


How can anyone even imagine relaxing with kids around, huh? Weekends, oh yeah those are the days that we play catch up with laundry, cleaning and how about the extra curricular activities. Sports, birthday parties, play dates don’t they seem to come around on the weekends as well.
I think there should be two weekends yearly dedicated to do NOTHING! That is when we can actually spend true quality time with family and friends. Sometimes I feel like everything is so rushed that there just isn’t enough time. Monday rolls around so quickly then it’s back to a different tune. Well, I hope you enjoyed your weekend!

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Valentines Day!


How cool is it when your kids are more excited about Valentines Day then you are. My kids just know it as a day they get extra chocolate versus there normal chocolate. Oh yeah it's about love, sweethearts, and romance but when the kiddies around it's about heart shaped lip gloss, Valentine's Day parties at school, and of course the make believe mailbox to get all of the Valentine's.
It is fun to watch this and it's also an excuse when you forget, well sort of forget to get your significant other something. You can always make it up with sex or something later on right?

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

On Being a Mom...


Being a mother has to be one of the most challenging jobs in the world. I often wonder how many women think to themselves and say “Why did I do this?” But we all know that we love and care for the little darlings and I say little because when they are our children age is not a factor. As a mother of four there are times that I just cross the days off on the calendar and say “another day closer to another birthday” and then there are those days in which we wish time would just slow down so we can spend that extra day with them.
No right or wrong answer to mommyhood, but we all just do what we can and hope that those choices are the best. I think the hardest part of being a mom is trying to make time for yourself no matter what that may be.