Mom is Just a Nickname

I finally got in to see a doctor today, for the cough that won’t go away. According to him, I have a sinus infection and bronchitis, aggravated by allergies. Go me.

The kids both seem to be doing better. X no longer has the huge dark rings under his eyes, and he’s not taking the unusual naps. He is still going to bed very easily at night, as if he’s exhausted, but I won’t argue about that! It sure makes bedtime easier this week, what with the time change. J has trouble at bedtime, between her cough and her conviction that it’s not late enough to be bedtime.

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I was thinking a bit ago that it takes a certain amount of ego to write a blog about myself and my family and hope that anyone who doesn’t know us will want to read it. Truthfully, it blows my mind that anyone does read this, since we’re a pretty boring, drama free, family. Oh well. I’ll have to think of something interesting to share soon. Being sick doesn’t make for compelling writing!

Happy Monday, everyone!

Renee, at 21st Century Parenting talked about how she was making a new baby carrier. I thought I’d show some baby sling pictures of my own, for the fun of it.

X riding in the Hug-A-Bub carrier I borrowed from a friend. The learning curve was high, but once I figured how it worked, this style became my favorite baby carrier. Toph called me Obi-Wan whenever he saw me putting it on. heh.

I loved the style of the sling I borrowed so much, I asked my inlaws to make me one of my own. It quickly became my favorite way to keep the monkey close. The great thing about the wrap slings is that they distributed X’s weight so evenly through my shoulders and hips, I could carry him for long periods without hurting my back. I carried him in one of these slings when we spent three days at Disney in 2004, when X was 4 months old!

I wish I’d discovered this kind of sling much earlier in my parenting career.

(Get your mind outta the gutter. sheesh)

One husband, home from work today because he’s caught the plague.
Gone to one meeting where I learned I’ll soon be working my butt off to run a booth for my daughter’s school’s spring carnival. (Mental note: reread before publishing. Thank you very much.)
Two children now on antibiotics after seeing the doctor. Thankfully, no problems with asthma, ear infections, pneumonia or sinus infections; all of which I worried about.
Two trips to the grocery store = more comfort food for the sickies.
One mommy ready to drop.

Is it bedtime yet?

I began taking Spanish in seventh grade. We were required to take a certain number of Foreign Language credits from junior high up through high school graduation. It seemed a natural thing for me to choose Spanish for a number of reasons: being part Spanish, having a VERY Spanish last name, having a grandfather who spoke the language.

I quickly found out that it was not my strongest subject. I had to work hard to get even a B in Spanish. Although I caught on fairly quickly to the writing and reading aspects of learning the language, SPEAKING it was my downfall. Even in English, I preferred the written word to the spoken. I suppose it makes sense that that also applied to Spanish.

For some reason, I stuck with Spanish throughout high school. I was in love with the language, I was determined to make myself fluent. The mediocre grades were not for lack of trying.

When I looked at colleges, I didn’t really give a thought to their foreign language programs. It wasn’t my strong suit, and I didn’t expect I’d do more than take the basic classes (if I couldn’t test out of requirements).

Somehow, Spanish became my minor. I took every class offered, I tutored students at lower levels, I helped the Spanish professor a lot. I continued to get just average grades.

I became frustrated with my lack of fluency. Truthfully, I think I was heartbroken that a language I had come to love so much did not come easily to me, ever. I think I’m still sore about it now, ten years later. Now, I have to add a certain bitterness that I let all of that determination and learning time go to waste. The only thing I use my Spanish for now is to read books in Spanish to my children.

I know X is feeling fine when he starts his “singing”. That’s what he calls it: singing. I think it’s…not singing. I’ve called it yodeling, warbling, screeching, and all manner of other things, but today it occurs to me that it’s howling.

He’s like a wolf, baying at a full moon which only he can see. He can’t seem to help himself, he just breaks out in these howls any time he’s feeling good.

This morning, I knew he felt bad. He was laying around, lethargic and frowning. He didn’t want hugs, didn’t want food. He just wanted to lay in the chair. By about 9:30am, he was sprawled on the floor beside my chair, his head burrowed under one of his special blankets, and he was napping. (Perpetual motion naps?)

Around noon, he woke up. I’ve been listening to him joyfully serenade his personal moon ever since.

I guess we all have ways of expressing our joy in life. J likes to sing. She always seems to have a song in her head and often will start humming or singing any time she’s not thinking about holding it in. I’m not really sure what I do…but I’m sure there’s something. Toph could probably tell me what it is. heh.