January 2011 - Forever In Mom Genes

Lists

Jan 25 2011

A friend reminded me today that trying to overcome depression of any kind, seasonal or otherwise by “reasoning your way out” is as futile as willing away cancer or trying to trick yourself out of the flu. It’s not possible. It needs to be dealt with. She’s a wise old broad. Fine, she’s 11 months younger than me, if we’re getting all technical, but she’s right. Thankfully, I have lots of support. Great friends, a loving family, an amazing husband, and a comfy chair by a sunny window. Today as I sat by the window, bathing in luminous Vitamin D, I explored the web, and only allowed myself to read POSITIVE content. Maybe you can’t trick yourself into a happier disposition, but by avoiding negativity and embracing the positive, you might end up with a sunnier outlook. Man, once I fire up my new light therapy box, I’m going to make Mary Poppins look sullen and downright pessimistic. LOL! Anyway, I stumbled upon a lovely blog called Demanding Joy. Not to be confused with my friend Joy, who’s not the least bit demanding, this blog is about “claiming the happy moments“. Meg, the author believes, “By focusing our attention and[…]

Little Miss Merry Sunshine I Ain’t

Jan 24 2011

It’s winter and I’m sad. This is so frustrating because I’m actually a very happy person. I love my life, yet I feel sad for no reason. It seems I’m sad because I have SAD—Seasonal Affective Disorder otherwise known as the “Winter Blues.” SAD makes me mad. And a bit embarrassed to be honest. It kind of sounds made up or like some lame excuse to be bitchy or mopey or lazy. I’m not just craving a trip to Florida or a day at the spa. My body physically reacts to this time of year in a bad/sad way. And FYI, this is not PMS and it’s not lack of sleep. These two elements certainly don’t help matters, but I’ve been dealing with this affliction since I was 19 years old. I know what it is and and what it is not. January/February is the peak, but come late March, I’m happy-go-lucky once again. Symptoms (of which I have EVERY one) include: -change in appetite, in particular a craving for sweet or starchy foods weight gain -decreased energy -fatigue -tendency to oversleep -difficulty concentrating -irritability avoidance of social situations -feelings of anxiety and despair There is no confirmed cause for SAD,[…]

Jan 20 2011

Since my first year of teaching, long before I had children of my own, I ran the Sign Language club at the school where I taught. I trotted out my choir of shiny faced six year olds onto the stage where they signed “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World” to music. There wasn’t a dry parent eye in the house. I obviously considered signing to be more of a novelty act, than a life altering skill. I had NO idea how important the role ASL would ultimately play in my life. When I taught my son sign language nearly eight years ago, I relied on library books and bland, one dimensional websites. Once Avery came along, and it became apparent sign language would be an essential tool in her development, I searched for innovative new ways to teach her. When Laura Berg posted a video on YouTube of her baby signing, it went viral. People were astounded by her 18 month old’s level of skill. They wanted to know how she did it and how they could teach their children to do the same and…My Smart Hands was born. I love Laura’s fresh approach to teaching ASL.[…]

Jan 17 2011

I have a very difficult time both asking for help, and accepting it when it’s offered. Friends and family have expressed that this a flaw. Their exact words, “This is one of your flaws.” My friend Julie Cole wrote about this topic so eloquently here –> Mabel Mama Of Many Julie says, “Help is a funny thing. Some people offer to help, but we don’t take them up on it. Is it because we don’t think it’s a genuine offer? Is it because we are selective about who we think is actually capable of helping us?” You nailed it Julie. The only thing more difficult for me than asking for help, is actually accepting it, willingly, without running away or attempting to take over. I’ve done both. Check out what Julie has to say about what YOU can do to help the stubborn fools who won’t accept your help even though they clearly need it. What? Why is everyone looking at me??

Jan 16 2011

Our daughter had a sleep study last week in hopes of getting to the bottom of why she has such a difficult time staying asleep. When we arrived at the Sleep Lab, Avery was happy to be there. I suppose there’s a certain air of excitement—new environment, friendly faces, lots of attention, rubber gloves. She was rigged with wires glued to her head and bands strapped around her tiny chest. And after some cuddle time and several rounds of ad-libbed lullabies sung horribly wrong by yours truly, she went to sleep like the little trooper she is. She was in a narrow bed, HIGH up off the hard floor and I told the technician I was concerned about her waking in the night and bolting as I slept unaware in my bed, aka petrified log with a whisper of a blanket and imagining of a pillow. Jeremy the tech guy told me “to relax” (Oh now I love it when people say that) and that they’ve never had any problems. He’d be watching on the monitor though just in case. Flash forward to 12:10 a.m…. Hellooooo bolter! The next two hours were your basic gong show. Avery wanted out of that bed and[…]

Archive - January 2011

Lists

Little Miss Merry Sunshine I Ain’t

All Signs Point To My Smart Hands

Help Isn’t Just A Song By The Beatles…

Sleep Studies Are Tiring!