Category: Around the House

A Small, Purple, Multi-faceted, Sphere in Her Ear

January 30, 2012 · Leave a comment ·

“Oh my Gosh! What is that?” Not the words you want to hear come out of your pediatrician’s mouth when looking in your child’s ear.

Last week Fish told me her ear hurt. Meh, colds have been going around and we were headed to the doctor the next day for a follow up on a different issue, so we could get it checked out then. At the doctor’s, we discussed the primary reason for the visit and then the doctor looked in her ear and uttered the above statement. Fish had no idea what was in her ear, or more importantly how it got there. Oy! The Doctor tried to get it out but was unsuccessful. Off to an emergency appointment with the Ear Nose and Throat specialist. After 45 minutes they squeezed us in.

Diagnosis confirmed. Something small and purple was in her ear and it didn’t belong there. He tried to remove it, but the pediatrician scratched the ear canal during her extraction attempts and Fish found it impossible to hold still. The ENT was worried about puncturing her ear drum so the decision was made to put her under general anesthesia to retrieve the foreign object. Dear Lord!

Of course the only opening at the surgical center was more than a week later. He wasn’t overly concerned about it and it only seemed to impact her when she changed elevations (when from lying flat to vertical). So, we waited.

The procedure was yesterday and Fish was a good sport, smiling and talking to everyone. The staff was excellent and made sure to explain everything they were doing before they did it. She was only in surgery for fifteen minutes and they quickly brought me back to recovery to be with her. She was still smiling albeit a little groggy.

On the medical chart, the doctor noted, “Removed foreign object from patient’s ear. Object was a small, purple, multi-faceted sphere.” A bead! It was a small purple bead and Fish still maintains she has no idea how it got there or how long it had been there for that matter.

Fish's hospital monitor — I don't care who you are, when this is hooked up to your kid and an alarm goes off you jump even if she's laying right next to you smiling.

Like I said, she was very brave and I thought I was fine, it was very minor surgery after all. After we got home and I had a few minutes to myself, I was overwhelmed. It was a bigger deal to me than I thought. Thankfully everything went smoothly, but general anesthesia is not something to be taken lightly. I’m grateful we have access to good medical care and the means to pay for it, I just wish, we never had to take advantage of it.

My supervisor

January 14, 2012 · Leave a comment ·

She frequently sleeps on the job. then gets mad when I tap her paws.

Apparently I only require close supervision during the winter months. In the summer she feels I am capable of completing my duties unattended.

Here we go!

January 9, 2012 · Leave a comment ·

Well, hello there! How are you?

Sorry to have been away for so long. Christmas was great and we had a great New Year’s Eve with friends. My 2012 began with a 7 year old sobbing my arms “I’m going to MISS 2011!! There are too many good memories.”

Santa brought me a new iMac and I spend much of last week getting that set up and my office cleaned out. It was one of the few rooms passed over in the great purge of 2011.

I took about an hour last Tuesday and completed this worksheet from Susannah Conway (Hat Tip to Jennifer Louden for the link on Facebook) I found it provided a valuable perspective on 2011 and allowed me to plan for 2012. My word is commitment.

I have make three commitments to myself for 2012.

I will lose ten pounds.
I will build a writing practice (that will ultimately lead to a book). I did a good job in 2011 posting here regularly and I have several snippets of books in play. It is time to commit the time to finish the first drafts so there is something to edit.
I will find a financial planner and get our retirement funds in order.

One week in I’ve made some progress. I’ve signed up for Sparks People, downloaded the app to my phone and started tracking my intake and exercise. tracking what I ate worked before, it is time to commit and do it again. I’ve also sent inquiries to a few people looking for recommendations for a fee-for-service financial planner. I don’t have a lot of leads yet, but it’s a start.

Today, I’m starting to build my writing practice. I’m trying to carve out the mornings for writing and afternoon for life management activities. Everyone knows that a mom’s life is not her own from 3pm until 8pm weeknights. It’s going to take some work on my part to put my writing first, but it is important to me so it’s time to make it happen.

That’s what’s new from here.

What are you plans for 2012?

We Built This City

December 22, 2011 · Leave a comment ·

For the first time in 6 years, we set up our Department 56 Christmas In the City village. It stayed hidden in previous years as much because of hurricane Mimmy as a lack of time necessary to set it up. This year, the hurricane is a bit more aware of his surroundings and the time seemed right. The kids had a blast setting it up with A-Man. I enjoyed floating in the background soaking it all in.

This Makes Me Happy

December 20, 2011 · 2 Comments ·

I can’t tell you why, but this tacky plastic Santa Claus makes me grin every time I see him. When Santa makes his appearance, the Christmas season has begun in my heart.

He’s kitschy, but at the same time, he’s comforting. I had one just like him when I was itty bitty. He was my nightlight during December. I don’t know what happened to the original. I think there may have been a melting issue somewhere along the way.

This Santa appeared when I was older. I was in college I think. My mom and Dennis told me there was something in the kitchen for me. My immature brain was thinking something flashy and instead, I found Santa. I was momentarily disappointed he wasn’t the latest doodad, but I quickly got over it.

It’s tacky, I know, but this little 1 foot tall hunk-o-molded plastic is special to me.

What is your favorite Christmas decoration?

Rise ‘n Shine! Or, not.

December 12, 2011 · 2 Comments ·

I woke up at 5:53am and thought “great I have 5 more minutes.” When I rolled over again it was 6:23am. Panic! The bus comes in less than 20 minutes and if he doesn’t see you standing there, he rolls on by.

I’m a heavy sleeper. I do not wake quickly. I jumped out of bed but couldn’t figure out what to do next. Eventually, I made the decision to drive Fish to school. Since A-man was home he could get Mim to his later bus. I headed for the shower but then thought I should at least tell Fish what was going on so she didn’t panic if she woke up.

Like her mother she wakes slowly and startling her is not a great way to start the day. I called her name softly, no response not even a rustle. I reached into the top bunk to scratch her back but she wasn’t within arms reach. I patted around a bit and finally figured out there wasn’t anybody in the bunk bed. I turned and headed downstairs. When I hit the landing I could tell the light in the kitchen was on. When I hit the 1st floor I could smell toasted Eggos. I called her name still no answer but I could hear somebody banging around in the mud room. When I peeked in, she was loading up her backpack dressed and ready to go. When I asked her why she didn’t wake me she said “I thought I’d let you sleep.” Can I get a collective “Awwwww!”? I got some clothes on and drove her to the bus stop. Once in the car I thanked her and she told me that she was kind of proud of herself. I assured her she should be proud.

I think when we become parents we all have things that we are going to do differently than our parents. Mine was being up with my kids in the morning. My mom was a night owl and had her own challenges so from the time I was in 5th grade on, I made my own lunch and breakfast and got myself out the door. This wasn’t bad there were no major problems, but I always kind of wished I had one of those moms who was there in the morning. So I set out to be that mom for my kids. During elementary school this wasn’t that big of a deal they were both on the same schedule and generally needed some prodding. This year they’re on different schedules and Fish is on the bus at 0’dark hundred. That means I’m up at a quarter before 0’dark hundred. Did I mention I wake slowly? I’m not necessarily the best company but I’m there. Turns out, my presence is unnecessary.

After school, we talked more about the morning routine and she explained that she’d really rather get up and get going by herself she wants the independence. I want to sleep so hey, it’s a win-win right? Well, she’s still my baby, it’s dark and cold out and while not far, the bus stop is out of sight from the house.

We struck a compromise, I only have to get up in time to drive her to the bus stop. She gets her indepndence. I get more sleep, but still get a few minutes to see her smiling face in the morning. I know she’s safe and I have a few minutes to enjoy my tea and journal in peace and quiet before her brother wakes up. It just strikes me as funny that something I thought was so important was an imposition on my daughter’s quest for independence. Yet another, reminder, she’s not me 🙂

Project Dumpster

November 28, 2011 · Leave a comment ·

I used to be a keeper, I inherited this trait from my mother. When I was 30, we had to relocate all of her belongings including a commercial grade four drawer file cabinet. A four drawer file cabinet full of files related solely to me. Files dating all the way back to my nursery school days! It was then that I started to realize that some things could be thrown away, repurposed or recycled. Since then, I’ve done a decent job of recycling, or repurposing things, but still the clutter adds up.

There is nothing like a good move to help you pair down your “stuff”. We bought land from my mother-in-law and her husband to build this house. I’ll never say never, but we have no plans to move in the foreseeable future yet we still have accumulated a bunch of STUFF much of which we don’t need.

The solution? Yep, a dumpster.

My husband tackled most of the basement and some of the trash came from my mother-in-law’s barn. I went through the attic and the kids rooms. There were at least two trips to Good Will, numerous posts to Facebook offering items and my neighbor got to the point where she answered my phone calls with “No, I don’t want it.” only to be followed a second later by “Ok, what is it this time?”.

When I originally heralded the arrival of the dumpster on Facebook, someone suggested Freecycle and someone else suggested a yard sale. I’ve used Freecycle with varying degree of success and I don’t have the time or patience for a yard sale. Some might say I’m giving (or throwing) money away, but I prefer to think of it as adding to the cycle of hand-me-downs. I have been very blessed by the hand-me-down cycle through the years. I did not purchase clothing for either child (save the occasional must-have) until they were at least six years old. It feels like it is my turn to pay back a little.

Another friend commented that by clearing the clutter out of my life I was making room for good things to happen. While never one too look a gift horse in the mouth, in all honestly, the process itself was my reward. I literally feel lighter. I recommend the purge to anyone and everyone!

Thankful . . .

November 24, 2011 · Leave a comment ·

…for a wonderful man who walks beside me in this world, who won’t let me take myself too seriously, who provides so I can follow my dreams, who helps me raise these two beautiful children we created together.

… for friends who love me for who I am, warts and all, who help when I ask and even when I don’t (but I should), who call bullshit when necessary, and encourage me always. (NOTE: No photo because I am blessed with so many friends all of their photos wouldn’t fit on this page).

… for family, related by genetics or by choice, who show me from where I came and who collectively, share the experiences that make me who I am. (Again no photo because I am blessed to call many people family).

My husband, my kids, my friends and my family, those are the big ones, if I lost everything else tomorrow, so long as I had them, I would survive.

I am thankful for a host of other things that make my life more pleasant, including:

Happy Thanksgiving!

P.S. to Dennis, even though the smell of turnips, hell even the thought of turnips makes me gag, some how it just isn’t Thanksgiving with out at least the THREAT of turnips appearing on the table. Miss you.

Snowtober

November 1, 2011 · Leave a comment ·

Yeah, so um, THIS happened.

Which lead to THIS.

In New England we joke about making costumes big enough so the kids can wear their winter coats, but never have we had to dig out the snow boots for Halloween. That is until 2011. We saw 21 inches of snow at the peak of accumulation, but we were fortunate that we never lost power. Still, this will be something my kids can brag about to their grandkids. “When we were kids, we Trick or Treated in THE SNOW!!”

Restraint

October 19, 2011 · Leave a comment ·

My friend Jeanne and I went to the Outlets is Kittery, Maine last Saturday. There is a Le Creuset outlet in Kittery, Maine. These are pictures of all the beautiful deep purple cookware I did NOT buy. I did however score three red canisters for 25% off the outlet price, so I settled for a purple mug. I think I showed tremendous restraint.

Live Fearless Lee

Or at least that's what I tell myself