I often said we were a family of three. But really, we were a family of four. Daddy, Mommy, little girl, and cat. Claude came into my life at the start of my final college semester. I was feeling down about boys, the future, and life in general. I went for a drive. Something made me turn into the PetSmart parking lot. And go in. There I saw a tiny, 9-week old gray cat. He snuggled in my arms and melted my heart.
I took him back to my apartment. Hoping my sister and other roommate wouldn't get upset with me. They fell in love with him too. He scampered and played and snuggled with his fuzzy worm toy. He had a red rhinestone collar - we named him Jean-Claude.
I considered him my child. Until I had a human child... then I unintentionally pushed Claude aside. He still got his basic needs met. I petted him and gave him attention as best I could. He probably enjoyed my switch to at-home work; at least we were together all day.
Tonight, Claude is leaving us.
He can no longer walk. His entire back half is immobile. He barely lifts his head to eat the tidbits I place under his nose. He's not living a life befitting his regal presence. He's 11 years old and has been through several medical issues since age three. It's his time.
I'll miss him. And despite a rocky start, my husband will miss him too. He's family.
Amelia will be devastated. I still don't know what I'm supposed to say to her.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Georgia voter?
Our family had a personal experience with trauma this summer. Far from a sophisticated hospital, my sister-in-law was medevaced from a river ravine via helicopter. No level 1 trauma center in the area, but she was lucky to be treated at a level 2 center upon arrival and by a talented surgeon a few days later.
No one expects to experience a trauma. But none of us are immune. That's why the Yes 2 Save Lives campaign is urging Georgia voters to check "yes" on ballot amendment 2 in the upcoming November 2nd election. According to this organization, Georgia has a 20% higher death rate from trauma compared to the national average because access to trauma centers is limited. Especially in the southern rural areas - the same areas where thousands of families speed down the interstates, headed to sunny Florida.
The Yes 2 Save Lives campaign is working to improve and expand Georgia's trauma care system. The measure calls for imposing a $10 registration fee on motor vehicles to raise funds for the state's trauma care centers. The new fee is projected to raise $80 million per year for a dedicated trauma care improvement fund.
I am not a political person. I admit I am never very enthusiastic about elections. But I do try to get informed before heading into the voting booth. If you're a Georgia voter, take a moment to investigate amendment 2 and at least get informed. You never know when trauma will burst its way into your life.
(And why not learn about the other amendments while you're at it... they never make any sense on the ballots! I'll be doing my homework this year too.)
(Working to grow my Google Connect followers - click on the followers box at the right to follow publicly. Thanks!)
No one expects to experience a trauma. But none of us are immune. That's why the Yes 2 Save Lives campaign is urging Georgia voters to check "yes" on ballot amendment 2 in the upcoming November 2nd election. According to this organization, Georgia has a 20% higher death rate from trauma compared to the national average because access to trauma centers is limited. Especially in the southern rural areas - the same areas where thousands of families speed down the interstates, headed to sunny Florida.
The Yes 2 Save Lives campaign is working to improve and expand Georgia's trauma care system. The measure calls for imposing a $10 registration fee on motor vehicles to raise funds for the state's trauma care centers. The new fee is projected to raise $80 million per year for a dedicated trauma care improvement fund.
I am not a political person. I admit I am never very enthusiastic about elections. But I do try to get informed before heading into the voting booth. If you're a Georgia voter, take a moment to investigate amendment 2 and at least get informed. You never know when trauma will burst its way into your life.
(And why not learn about the other amendments while you're at it... they never make any sense on the ballots! I'll be doing my homework this year too.)
(Working to grow my Google Connect followers - click on the followers box at the right to follow publicly. Thanks!)
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
The researchy marketing person in me can’t help but share this article:
Neuromarketing & the Mommy Brain
At first I thought to myself, “oh good – they’re going to tell me I’m normal!”
It seems my mommy brain from pregnancy never quite went away. As my pregnancy belly grew, so did my forgetfulness. But now, 2-1/2 years after Amelia’s birth, I’m still more forgetful than I was before pregnancy. Maybe it’s because I juggle so many things now. Leaving the house requires at least 10 minutes of snack preparation, gathering of pull-ups & wipes, searching for shoes, picking out books for the car ride... but it seems even the smallest of tasks (i.e., turning off the car before getting out) often have me befuddled.
It seems that neurological changes really do occur during pregnancy. And although it doesn’t address forgetfulness, the article reminds marketers to tap into these changes. “Mommy brain” controls 80-85% of all U.S. household purchases… no wonder so many marketers are embracing our (your) blogs!
I’m not so sure about scent marketing to pregnant women, though. Based on my experience, you just never know what will make a pregnant mama happy – or make her throw up.
(Working to grow my Google Connect followers - click on the followers box at the right to follow publicly. Thanks!)
Neuromarketing & the Mommy Brain
At first I thought to myself, “oh good – they’re going to tell me I’m normal!”
It seems my mommy brain from pregnancy never quite went away. As my pregnancy belly grew, so did my forgetfulness. But now, 2-1/2 years after Amelia’s birth, I’m still more forgetful than I was before pregnancy. Maybe it’s because I juggle so many things now. Leaving the house requires at least 10 minutes of snack preparation, gathering of pull-ups & wipes, searching for shoes, picking out books for the car ride... but it seems even the smallest of tasks (i.e., turning off the car before getting out) often have me befuddled.
It seems that neurological changes really do occur during pregnancy. And although it doesn’t address forgetfulness, the article reminds marketers to tap into these changes. “Mommy brain” controls 80-85% of all U.S. household purchases… no wonder so many marketers are embracing our (your) blogs!
I’m not so sure about scent marketing to pregnant women, though. Based on my experience, you just never know what will make a pregnant mama happy – or make her throw up.
(Working to grow my Google Connect followers - click on the followers box at the right to follow publicly. Thanks!)
Monday, October 4, 2010
What a mommy will do
My heart breaks when my girl is in pain. I don't like scrapes, I don't like head bumps, and I especially loathe hand, foot, & mouth disease!
Our introduction to the nastly little virus began on Thursday, with a letter home to parents on blue copy paper:
"Dear parents, We wish to inform you that a student in your child's class was diagnosed with hand, foot, & mouth disease this morning..."
OK, great. So we'll be super vigilant and keep an eye out for symptoms.
Friday night, Amelia was quite a little meanie. We held out hope... maybe it's just a cold? Saturday morning, Amelia slept in really late. We gloated about how lucky we were to get extra sleep that day. But on Sunday, we were greeted with red blisters when we looked in her mouth. And now there are blisters on her hands and bottom.
Hello, HFMD. You are not welcome here.
Amelia is in a lot of pain.
She is hungry, but cries if she drinks or eats. "My tongue hurts, Mommy! My tongue hurts!" My precious girl is in pain and there is nothing I can do to help her. She's too young to understand that we just need to wait. She wants Mommy and Daddy to fix it. And fix it now.
I wish I could.
Amelia slept for a couple hours initially last night. Then she woke up crying. Daddy got her back to sleep rather quickly, but an hour later we heard the sobs again. So, despite knowing I would be miserably uncomfortable all night, I grabbed a bunch of blankets and my pillows and camped out on her bedroom floor.
She kept crying. She kept whining. She kept repeating, "Mommy, my tongue hurts!". She would give in to sleep once in a while, but the sleep was fleeting each and every time.
Meanwhile, my hip hurt. My shoulder was throbbing. The ticking of Amelia's nightlight clock was driving me insane. I was getting a headache from lack of sleep. But I stayed. I tossed and turned on her floor, ready to assure her I was by her side should she cry again. And cry she did. Cried and cried and cried. From 1:00 a.m. until at least 4:00.
I think we slept for 90 minutes. We were awake again before 6:00 a.m. Now we're trying to go through our day, although Mommy is a zombie. It will, undoubtedly, be a cuddles & movies kind of day.
If Amelia cries again, I may need to cry with her.
(Working to grow my Google Connect followers - click on the followers box at the right to follow publicly. Thanks!)
Our introduction to the nastly little virus began on Thursday, with a letter home to parents on blue copy paper:
"Dear parents, We wish to inform you that a student in your child's class was diagnosed with hand, foot, & mouth disease this morning..."
OK, great. So we'll be super vigilant and keep an eye out for symptoms.
Friday night, Amelia was quite a little meanie. We held out hope... maybe it's just a cold? Saturday morning, Amelia slept in really late. We gloated about how lucky we were to get extra sleep that day. But on Sunday, we were greeted with red blisters when we looked in her mouth. And now there are blisters on her hands and bottom.
Hello, HFMD. You are not welcome here.
Amelia is in a lot of pain.
She is hungry, but cries if she drinks or eats. "My tongue hurts, Mommy! My tongue hurts!" My precious girl is in pain and there is nothing I can do to help her. She's too young to understand that we just need to wait. She wants Mommy and Daddy to fix it. And fix it now.
I wish I could.
Amelia slept for a couple hours initially last night. Then she woke up crying. Daddy got her back to sleep rather quickly, but an hour later we heard the sobs again. So, despite knowing I would be miserably uncomfortable all night, I grabbed a bunch of blankets and my pillows and camped out on her bedroom floor.
She kept crying. She kept whining. She kept repeating, "Mommy, my tongue hurts!". She would give in to sleep once in a while, but the sleep was fleeting each and every time.
Meanwhile, my hip hurt. My shoulder was throbbing. The ticking of Amelia's nightlight clock was driving me insane. I was getting a headache from lack of sleep. But I stayed. I tossed and turned on her floor, ready to assure her I was by her side should she cry again. And cry she did. Cried and cried and cried. From 1:00 a.m. until at least 4:00.
I think we slept for 90 minutes. We were awake again before 6:00 a.m. Now we're trying to go through our day, although Mommy is a zombie. It will, undoubtedly, be a cuddles & movies kind of day.
If Amelia cries again, I may need to cry with her.
(Working to grow my Google Connect followers - click on the followers box at the right to follow publicly. Thanks!)
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Another mall moan
I posted several months ago about my not-so-enjoyable visit to the mall after 5:00. Today I'm back with another gripe about our little suburban mall.
Pushy mall peddlers.
The ones who jump in front of you and try to file your nails, lotion your hands, sign your kid up for photos, upgrade your cell phone plan. Since when am I deprived of my peaceful mall experience? Why can't I walk quietly through the mall without getting accosted by someone who mastered "Overkill Sales 101"?
It's bad enough when I'm alone. But when I have a 2-1/2 year old in the stroller yelling "I want to go PLAY, Mommy! I'm hungry, Mommy!", WHY must these people stop my forward progress? One guy shoves me a flyer for mineral cosmetics. Asks me if he can put some on my eyelids. I glance at the cart...
then I wonder, do I, with my sneakers, plain khaki capris and a t-shirt from Target, look like the kind of girl who wants ultra shimmery hot pink & green eyeshadow? Can these people not see that I'm perfectly happy being a plain Jane? Never in a million years will I spend $40 for eyeshadow so bright and shiny it looks (and possibly is) radioactive.
I grab some soap samples from the new spa store - hey, samples are cool. But then, yet again, I am sucked in by an overzealous saleswoman. She wants to scrub my hands with some salt oil scrubby stuff. I'm a sucker for spa products, so I tell her I have 1 minute. Amelia: "Mommy, you said we're going to PLAY! I want to PLAY!" Really, one minute before this kid has every right to blow a gasket on me. Of course that one minute becomes three, and the pitch closes with her telling me the salt scrub is...
$75!!! Um, not a chance. I have a kid! I'm wearing clothes from Target, for goodness' sake. $75 can buy my child 4-5 fall outfits from Kohls. Or enough canned veggies and peanut butter to feed her for weeks. I absolutely do not need smooth hands that badly. I'm totally going to buy some $2 epsom salts, mix them with a drop or two of peppermint oil from the pantry, and do this myself at home.
I understand these people are doing their jobs. But maybe they should do some profiling before they jump in front of a moving stroller with a fidgety preschooler.
Next time I may just run over their toes.
(Working to grow my Google Connect followers - click on the followers box at the right to follow publicly. Thanks!)
Pushy mall peddlers.
The ones who jump in front of you and try to file your nails, lotion your hands, sign your kid up for photos, upgrade your cell phone plan. Since when am I deprived of my peaceful mall experience? Why can't I walk quietly through the mall without getting accosted by someone who mastered "Overkill Sales 101"?
It's bad enough when I'm alone. But when I have a 2-1/2 year old in the stroller yelling "I want to go PLAY, Mommy! I'm hungry, Mommy!", WHY must these people stop my forward progress? One guy shoves me a flyer for mineral cosmetics. Asks me if he can put some on my eyelids. I glance at the cart...
then I wonder, do I, with my sneakers, plain khaki capris and a t-shirt from Target, look like the kind of girl who wants ultra shimmery hot pink & green eyeshadow? Can these people not see that I'm perfectly happy being a plain Jane? Never in a million years will I spend $40 for eyeshadow so bright and shiny it looks (and possibly is) radioactive.
I grab some soap samples from the new spa store - hey, samples are cool. But then, yet again, I am sucked in by an overzealous saleswoman. She wants to scrub my hands with some salt oil scrubby stuff. I'm a sucker for spa products, so I tell her I have 1 minute. Amelia: "Mommy, you said we're going to PLAY! I want to PLAY!" Really, one minute before this kid has every right to blow a gasket on me. Of course that one minute becomes three, and the pitch closes with her telling me the salt scrub is...
$75!!! Um, not a chance. I have a kid! I'm wearing clothes from Target, for goodness' sake. $75 can buy my child 4-5 fall outfits from Kohls. Or enough canned veggies and peanut butter to feed her for weeks. I absolutely do not need smooth hands that badly. I'm totally going to buy some $2 epsom salts, mix them with a drop or two of peppermint oil from the pantry, and do this myself at home.
I understand these people are doing their jobs. But maybe they should do some profiling before they jump in front of a moving stroller with a fidgety preschooler.
Next time I may just run over their toes.
(Working to grow my Google Connect followers - click on the followers box at the right to follow publicly. Thanks!)
Friday, October 1, 2010
And then Kate
Welcome to Friends 2 Follow Friday!
I enjoyed my blogging break so much, that I'm going to make it a regular feature. What better way to get to know some amazing bloggers than a little one-on-one time?
I enjoyed my blogging break so much, that I'm going to make it a regular feature. What better way to get to know some amazing bloggers than a little one-on-one time?
The writer behind the words? My name is Kate House. I'm the mom of the almost-four-year-old Aura, a little girl who gives new meaning to the words chatty and early-onset chocoholic. We live a few miles outside of Boston, which is still too many miles for our comfort. But when Aura's toys threatened to take over and rule our city apartment two years ago, we surrendered and moved. We now have the space we need, yet we find ourselves having a difficult time adjusting to Life in Suburbia. So very many green lawns, so very few takeout Thai places.When (& why) did you start the blog?
I was a freelance writer for several years before Aura was born in 2006, and still work (from home) in educational publishing on a very part-time basis. Last fall, I looked up from my latest project (something no doubt scintillating, such as the early dental history of George Washington or the Top Five Ways to Teach Your Kids About the Electoral College), and thought, I might need to write this, but I don't have to want to write this. So I took what I suddenly knew best— motherhood and everything that goes along with it—and started my blog (originally called And Then I Was a Mom). It started as and remains primarily a humor blog, though now and then I surprise myself with a little soupçon of sentimentality. (Don't tell anyone.)
You live in the Boston area... what is a must-see in/around Boston for a family vacation? For a city that is, geographically speaking, actually very small, Boston is positively overflowing with family-friendly entertainment options. My advice for visitors? Dabble in the obvious options, like Quincy Market and the infamous Boston Duck Tours, but then just make yourself get lost. A person could spend hours staring at the gorgeous brownstones and playgrounds in the South End, and the reflecting pool and walk-in fountains at the Christian Science Center (an unlikely tourist spot, but a good one) are worth experiencing.
My favorite food in Boston - Mike's Pastry! (Holy cannoli!) Have you ever been? YUM. LOVE THE BROWNIES THERE, TOO. Next time you come, try Flour Bakery, too. SO good!
Name one thing that surprised you about parenthood. For four years now, I have been shocked and awed at the unadulterated physical labor involved in parenthood: the carrying, the schlepping up and down stairs with toys and laundry, the after-craft cleaning up. I mean, NO ONE mentioned all this in childbirth class. Sneaky suckers.
What does "balance" mean to you? Hmm, that's a tricky one. I know I'm supposed to say something like "Balance is making sure my family is happy, while remaining contented with the progress of my own personal goals blah blah UNICORNS AND RAINBOWS!" But to be honest, I still don't know exactly how to find the elusive balance. When I head to bed at night, if I've kept everyone clean, happy, and well-fed, I'm feeling pretty decent about life. In desperate need of a pedicure, but decent.
If you had two hours of pure "me" time, what would you do? WAIT. Pure "me" time exists? I'd always thought it was just a legend, kind of like those so-called true stories of kids who play by themselves for more than three-and-a-half minutes.
Anyway. If I had two hours purely to myself, during which I was absolutely forbidden to clean the house, prep dinner, or do anything caretaker-y related, I would grab a book, get myself an enormous Diet Coke from the nearest drive-thru, and camp out on the beach for a blissful 120 minutes. Books always make me happy, Diet Coke keeps me awake to read them, and the beach remains the most perfect place on Earth. The end.
@andthenkate on Twitter
Hey blogging friends - I'll be looking for more Friends 2 Follow Friday participants. EMAIL ME if you want to join in the fun. I'll send you a quick & easy interview.
Use the Linky Tool below to link up YOUR blog! Happy Friday!
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