I am under so my pressure during the day that my dreams are now really getting crazy as well. Two nights ago I dreamt that I was having significant memory problems. It was like I was in the early stages of Alzheimer's (God forbid). So yesterday I just felt like shit. I know Alzheimer's is a horrible disease but to acutally have a taste of it was terrible. Last night I had another bad night. Filled with all kinds of stressful situations. I remember one of the dreams being about getting my hair done. I need my roots done plus I want to have highlights.
I went to Empire Beauty School (I actually do go to Empire to get my hair done, I found a great woman who is in school and she did a wonderful job on my hair about 3 weeks ago and it only cost $12 for highlights wash and blow dry) and the woman who was going to do my hair told me she only could do my roots not my highlights. I kept trying to tell her that my old hairdresser (who I haven't been going to because it is sooooo expensive) can do roots and highlights at the same time. She just wouldn't budge. She eventually started yelling at me and told me I was never allowed back to Empire. Which was very upsetting since highlights start at $2 a foil!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Friday, October 15, 2010
Hunters and Gatherers
I have to hide certain foods in my house. This practice was started a number of months ago when I came home to find that someone (or a small select group of someones) hadconsumed the entire package of Hershey's chocolate bars, 6 to a package.
When the boys were young I could leave food around the house. This actually was the preferred method of feeding at the time. An extension of the concept of feeding on demand that I learned with breast feeding. Remember it was the late 1990's, food was abundant and we weren't in the economic recession we find ourselves in today. It really started out of a need for sleep. With 2 children 19 months apart you never sleep. There is always some reason you are not getting a good night sleep. Someone is up or you just have a big meeting in Connecticut the next morning and you can't sleep anyway for fear of not waking up in time to leave and make it to the meeting.
I would leave graham crackers and pretzels on the floor so that the kids could help themselves. I wanted them to eat when they were hungry and this enabled them to listen to their own bodies and not just eat when they were bored. I actually had a fantasy, well I thought it would be a great invention actually, to have something that functioned like a gerbil feeder attached to the side of the crib. It could dispense cheerios and water if the kids wanted it. Unfortunately I was never able to get this concept off the ground because when I started to talk about it people looked at me strange or started laughing. I didn't think it was funny!
So now things have changed. I don't seem to have to hide the carrots, apples, chicken, sliced turkey or water. But for some reason the following items go very fast if left out and available.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Smart Food
Hershey's chocolate bars (no longer buying)
Tootsie Roll lollipops
Ritz crackers
Cosmic Brownies by Little Debbie
Chedder Chex Mix
Soda
This hiding of food has become challenging for me in two respects.
1. Finding places to hide the food. My children have taken it upon themselves to look everywhere in the house. Open drawers, cabinets etc..like they live here AND
2. I can't remember where I have hidden things.
Just the other day I went to go put on a scarf. I went upstairs to my bedroom and opened up my dresser and pulled it out. Lucky day it was for me and Sam, I found a box of Cosmic Brownies.
When the boys were young I could leave food around the house. This actually was the preferred method of feeding at the time. An extension of the concept of feeding on demand that I learned with breast feeding. Remember it was the late 1990's, food was abundant and we weren't in the economic recession we find ourselves in today. It really started out of a need for sleep. With 2 children 19 months apart you never sleep. There is always some reason you are not getting a good night sleep. Someone is up or you just have a big meeting in Connecticut the next morning and you can't sleep anyway for fear of not waking up in time to leave and make it to the meeting.
I would leave graham crackers and pretzels on the floor so that the kids could help themselves. I wanted them to eat when they were hungry and this enabled them to listen to their own bodies and not just eat when they were bored. I actually had a fantasy, well I thought it would be a great invention actually, to have something that functioned like a gerbil feeder attached to the side of the crib. It could dispense cheerios and water if the kids wanted it. Unfortunately I was never able to get this concept off the ground because when I started to talk about it people looked at me strange or started laughing. I didn't think it was funny!
So now things have changed. I don't seem to have to hide the carrots, apples, chicken, sliced turkey or water. But for some reason the following items go very fast if left out and available.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Smart Food
Hershey's chocolate bars (no longer buying)
Tootsie Roll lollipops
Ritz crackers
Cosmic Brownies by Little Debbie
Chedder Chex Mix
Soda
This hiding of food has become challenging for me in two respects.
1. Finding places to hide the food. My children have taken it upon themselves to look everywhere in the house. Open drawers, cabinets etc..like they live here AND
2. I can't remember where I have hidden things.
Just the other day I went to go put on a scarf. I went upstairs to my bedroom and opened up my dresser and pulled it out. Lucky day it was for me and Sam, I found a box of Cosmic Brownies.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Dieting is expensive and dangerous!
Well now that I am shopping for my son so he can have healthy nutritious food because he is on a diet I open up my Skinny in the City website/blog/email and it is all about
DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR SALMON COMES FROM?
Guess what I made my family for dinner? Yummy Yummy Salmon. Yup, what are the chances of that? And it wasn't cheap. When you aren't working and you want to diet it is challenging. You can't lose weight eating pasta and pizza.
Now I have been on a diet for the past 2 weeks. The F-Factor (does not stand for Fuck but Fiber)
I have been comfortable spending the money on the GG Crackers ($2.99 for 6 crackers) but if I am going to feed my boys well and they eat a alot you have to buy things like:
Jicama-delicious and very pricey!
Red Peppers-Green are gross
Cucumbers-$.79 each
Cauliflower 2 for $5 dollars (not bad)
Salmon-$7.99 or something per pound at BJ's so it definitely is contaminated fish, I mean I can't even imagine what it would cost at Whole Foods.
and it goes on and on!
DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR SALMON COMES FROM?
Guess what I made my family for dinner? Yummy Yummy Salmon. Yup, what are the chances of that? And it wasn't cheap. When you aren't working and you want to diet it is challenging. You can't lose weight eating pasta and pizza.
Now I have been on a diet for the past 2 weeks. The F-Factor (does not stand for Fuck but Fiber)
I have been comfortable spending the money on the GG Crackers ($2.99 for 6 crackers) but if I am going to feed my boys well and they eat a alot you have to buy things like:
Jicama-delicious and very pricey!
Red Peppers-Green are gross
Cucumbers-$.79 each
Cauliflower 2 for $5 dollars (not bad)
Salmon-$7.99 or something per pound at BJ's so it definitely is contaminated fish, I mean I can't even imagine what it would cost at Whole Foods.
and it goes on and on!
Mild Sleep Apnea
Today was an exhausting day and stressful. Rami and I went for the follow-up of his sleep study that he had about a month ago. He has sleep apnea, that is why he is lethargic sometimes even though he is much better this year than last. His tonsils are huge. He gets that wonderful trait from his dad.
Our appt was at 10:50, we arrived early to fill out paperwork and wait. I sat there observing kids who have some significant issues and count my blessings that we are just dealing with obesity and some breathing that stops and starts while he is asleep. The highlight of the wait for me was when this teenage boy was pushed in a wheelchair to the reception desk. He had a white blanket covering his legs and his hands. One of the men was handing him one of the sheets to sign and it was difficult for him to move. I was thinking, Oh my god he must have some sort of paralysis, he can't move his hands. Imagine my surprise when one of the men he was with pulled out some keys and seperated the handcuffs. I felt horrible for this kid and then my mind starts to race. Rami was in the bathroom and what if this kid overtakes the guards and holds us hostage? I was thinking of moving my seat. If anyone saw the season finale of "Grey's Anatomy" you will know what I am talking about. Or wasn't this on the news a few weeks ago where someone shot a doctor because he couldn't fix the problem?
Anyway, the kid was rolled away and then Rami came back to his seat next to me. I then decided I had to go to the bathroom, Rami questioned me, Again? Yes, I have to go again. I had already been once before but it had been about 20mins. Plus I knew that when I was sitting on the toilet they would call us. They did and we went in.
Nurse comes in and runs a wand over Rami's forehead and ends up behind his ear. Temperature Normal
Listens to heart, fine
Physicians Assistant comes in-very sweet, young, wearing pantyhose,(can't stand them) and cute little kitten heel pumps. I wonder how she walks around all day like that.
She explains, anything over 1.5 episodes of breathing interruption is concerning. Rami is a 2. Of course a gray area. I love the color gray, I just painted my new bathroom that color. Anyway we talk with this woman and we feel pretty good. Mild Sleep Apnea, mild is good. The report recommends medication and weight loss and Rami and I are feeling positive. I mean she mentioned surgery but it seemed to me that with diet and exercise, which I know how to do, I guess Rami will have to diet and exercise too, and then we can fix this non-invasively.
Dr. Amin comes in well, yes lose weight but you need to be concerned with right sided heart failure. She says that if she was going to die she would want to die right away not suffer for a few years before hand. What? Are you fuckin kidding me? Rami's eyes begin to get red and I say to her, defending my son, because she isn't going to. I don't mean to offend you but surgery really is a last resort. Surgeons like to do surgery and this isn't your child. We will wait and see. Take our time to decide.
Rami says he wants everything God gave him when he was born until the day he dies! Chip off the old block.
We leave and I tell him I love him and we will figure this out.
Our appt was at 10:50, we arrived early to fill out paperwork and wait. I sat there observing kids who have some significant issues and count my blessings that we are just dealing with obesity and some breathing that stops and starts while he is asleep. The highlight of the wait for me was when this teenage boy was pushed in a wheelchair to the reception desk. He had a white blanket covering his legs and his hands. One of the men was handing him one of the sheets to sign and it was difficult for him to move. I was thinking, Oh my god he must have some sort of paralysis, he can't move his hands. Imagine my surprise when one of the men he was with pulled out some keys and seperated the handcuffs. I felt horrible for this kid and then my mind starts to race. Rami was in the bathroom and what if this kid overtakes the guards and holds us hostage? I was thinking of moving my seat. If anyone saw the season finale of "Grey's Anatomy" you will know what I am talking about. Or wasn't this on the news a few weeks ago where someone shot a doctor because he couldn't fix the problem?
Anyway, the kid was rolled away and then Rami came back to his seat next to me. I then decided I had to go to the bathroom, Rami questioned me, Again? Yes, I have to go again. I had already been once before but it had been about 20mins. Plus I knew that when I was sitting on the toilet they would call us. They did and we went in.
Nurse comes in and runs a wand over Rami's forehead and ends up behind his ear. Temperature Normal
Listens to heart, fine
Physicians Assistant comes in-very sweet, young, wearing pantyhose,(can't stand them) and cute little kitten heel pumps. I wonder how she walks around all day like that.
She explains, anything over 1.5 episodes of breathing interruption is concerning. Rami is a 2. Of course a gray area. I love the color gray, I just painted my new bathroom that color. Anyway we talk with this woman and we feel pretty good. Mild Sleep Apnea, mild is good. The report recommends medication and weight loss and Rami and I are feeling positive. I mean she mentioned surgery but it seemed to me that with diet and exercise, which I know how to do, I guess Rami will have to diet and exercise too, and then we can fix this non-invasively.
Dr. Amin comes in well, yes lose weight but you need to be concerned with right sided heart failure. She says that if she was going to die she would want to die right away not suffer for a few years before hand. What? Are you fuckin kidding me? Rami's eyes begin to get red and I say to her, defending my son, because she isn't going to. I don't mean to offend you but surgery really is a last resort. Surgeons like to do surgery and this isn't your child. We will wait and see. Take our time to decide.
Rami says he wants everything God gave him when he was born until the day he dies! Chip off the old block.
We leave and I tell him I love him and we will figure this out.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Walmart v. Target
Okay, so this economy is taking its toll on all of us. At least I hope it is all of us and I am not the only one who is actually looking at what milk costs and thinking can I get it cheaper? At least I am not shopping around for gasoline. That might mean I have hit rock bottom and I haven't gone there yet.
You know you can get great jeans for your kids at Walmart and they are only $9. Who knew? Just think if I had been shopping all along at Walmart I might have so much more in my savings account. My middle son is so flexible. He doesn't know or care if his jeans cost $9. My older son has had to be convinced that shopping at TJ Maxx doesn't mean that we are poor, just smart.
You see I am a Target shopper. I shopped at Target when we lived in California. I was so excited when they arrived in our town. The isles are wider, it has always been fun to go shopping there and buy some things that I need and some that I don't. In retrospect the Target shoppers are the stupid ones. Walmart shoppers know that a congested store with narrow isles means savings in the wallet.
My little one started eating Slim Jims. When he first told me this the only place I could think of to buy them was at a gas station. Guess what? They sell them at Walmart. They aren't that cheap. A Slim Jim Slim is $1.00. On the receipt it says they are meat. Well that is good because we haven't been serving much meat here lately. I mean we have it, but we have chicken almost every night. If I do make red meat my people usually have a problem with it. I am not really a cook.
Anyway Target, for now, will have to be reserved for special occasions, like taking my son Sam there for their chicken fingers with extra BBQ sauce.
You know you can get great jeans for your kids at Walmart and they are only $9. Who knew? Just think if I had been shopping all along at Walmart I might have so much more in my savings account. My middle son is so flexible. He doesn't know or care if his jeans cost $9. My older son has had to be convinced that shopping at TJ Maxx doesn't mean that we are poor, just smart.
You see I am a Target shopper. I shopped at Target when we lived in California. I was so excited when they arrived in our town. The isles are wider, it has always been fun to go shopping there and buy some things that I need and some that I don't. In retrospect the Target shoppers are the stupid ones. Walmart shoppers know that a congested store with narrow isles means savings in the wallet.
My little one started eating Slim Jims. When he first told me this the only place I could think of to buy them was at a gas station. Guess what? They sell them at Walmart. They aren't that cheap. A Slim Jim Slim is $1.00. On the receipt it says they are meat. Well that is good because we haven't been serving much meat here lately. I mean we have it, but we have chicken almost every night. If I do make red meat my people usually have a problem with it. I am not really a cook.
Anyway Target, for now, will have to be reserved for special occasions, like taking my son Sam there for their chicken fingers with extra BBQ sauce.
I am a Doula-it is not always pretty but always appreciated!
Do you know what a Doula is? A few years, ago, well probably more like 10 years ago I helped a very good friend deliver her baby at home. There was a midwife but I was a Doula. I helped with support, love and getting things that the Midwife needed.
Since that time my doula duties have expanded.
I have been a real estate doula and most recently a doodie doula.
You may be wondering what a doodie doula is and I will tell you.
I can't imagine why anyone would not want to make a doodie if they had to make a doodie. But my children have struggled with this. Too busy? Watching television? I am sorry but this is something that I don't ignore.
Anyway recently I took on the role of doodie doula. It didn't occur to me that I was actually a doodie doula until I was in the thick of it with my youngest son but there were so many uncanny similiarities to the actually birthing of a baby to helping a constipated child make a doodie I thought I would share with you. Just in case you find yourself in a similiar situation, as a doodie coach, you will know what to do. Who knew that my doula duties of so long ago were skills that could be transferable.
When to get involved or when is your kid in labor?
Things to look for:
Instead of bloody show you will notice doodie show on the child's underpants
Contractions start, irritability, denial "no I don't need to make a doodie"
Yeah right I say
The first time this happened I had to use a suppository to assist with the so called 'birth'
We place and then we wait, up to an hour. You know your child is not really in full labor if he is asking for food at this point.
Warn your child that when he starts to feel the need he must run to the toilet and find you.
We arrive in the bathroom, we are face to face, I am squatting in front of him, he is crying, no I don't need to go, he says.
I say yes you do. Relax and push.
The contractions start, Take a break, relax, breath, okay push again.
I can see it, it is coming.
Rest, more crying, it hurts.
I know but you will feel so much better.
Breath, push, push, push, keep pushing. I see it I see it, keep pushing!
And it is out! The doodie is born. Thank God!
He is so happy, elated. So relieved, so proud of himself.
And me? If this is not real love and true mothering I don't know what is.
Since that time my doula duties have expanded.
I have been a real estate doula and most recently a doodie doula.
You may be wondering what a doodie doula is and I will tell you.
I can't imagine why anyone would not want to make a doodie if they had to make a doodie. But my children have struggled with this. Too busy? Watching television? I am sorry but this is something that I don't ignore.
Anyway recently I took on the role of doodie doula. It didn't occur to me that I was actually a doodie doula until I was in the thick of it with my youngest son but there were so many uncanny similiarities to the actually birthing of a baby to helping a constipated child make a doodie I thought I would share with you. Just in case you find yourself in a similiar situation, as a doodie coach, you will know what to do. Who knew that my doula duties of so long ago were skills that could be transferable.
When to get involved or when is your kid in labor?
Things to look for:
Instead of bloody show you will notice doodie show on the child's underpants
Contractions start, irritability, denial "no I don't need to make a doodie"
Yeah right I say
The first time this happened I had to use a suppository to assist with the so called 'birth'
We place and then we wait, up to an hour. You know your child is not really in full labor if he is asking for food at this point.
Warn your child that when he starts to feel the need he must run to the toilet and find you.
We arrive in the bathroom, we are face to face, I am squatting in front of him, he is crying, no I don't need to go, he says.
I say yes you do. Relax and push.
The contractions start, Take a break, relax, breath, okay push again.
I can see it, it is coming.
Rest, more crying, it hurts.
I know but you will feel so much better.
Breath, push, push, push, keep pushing. I see it I see it, keep pushing!
And it is out! The doodie is born. Thank God!
He is so happy, elated. So relieved, so proud of himself.
And me? If this is not real love and true mothering I don't know what is.
Sorry, these aren't your glasses
About a year ago my two older sons received their first pair of glasses. I am happy to say that my children have for the most part inherited my husband's good eyes. Mine on the other hand are not so great. I have worn glasses since first grade.
Well when my middle son came home from sleep over camp at the end of August he was finally wearing his glasses. It only took about 8 months for him to warm up to the idea of actually seeing things clearer.
About 1 month ago the glasses broke, the lens fell out when he was away with my mother and step-father on a social studies vacation in Atlanta to learn about Martin Luther King and the Coca Cola Factory. According to my 8 year old there were huge crowds at the Coca Cola Factory and not so many people interested in all of the wonderful work of Martin Luther King. (What a wonderful commentary on our current society)
Anyway, I try to be a good mother and the glasses broke again this past weekend. Rami (my middle one) didn't actually tell me until I saw him squinting and asked him where his glasses were. Well they are in the basement but I can't find one of the lenses. Great, I thought, these are $300 dollar glasses.
I go down and find the wayward lens under the couch and head off to lens crafters. I really wanted to go to Ocean State Job Lot but I determined it is important for my son to be able to see clearly.
I go in and I am readying for battle. I mean this is the 2nd time in 2 months that this glasses have broken. The woman was very nice and looked up Rami in the computer and then looked a the glasses and said to me, "These are not the glasses we made and sold to you for your son Rami"
"What?"
She then searches the computer and determines that these glasses, my son has been wearing are my husbands old glasses.
Of course this she had never seen, what are the chances of this happening? I feel I should earn some sort of award, prize money, but then again my kid is not wearing the right glasses.
She replaces the lens, tightens it down and I leave.
It is all starting to make sense now. A pair of very nice glasses as been sitting on the bookcase in my kitchen and when I ask whose they are, no one claims them.
Rami arrives from school and I tell him that I went to have his glasses fixed and guess what Ram? They are not your glasses. These are. I hand him the correct pair and he puts them on and says he can't see out of them. Unbelievable.
Time to set up another appointment with the eye doctor.
Rami left for school today with his father's old glasses.
Well when my middle son came home from sleep over camp at the end of August he was finally wearing his glasses. It only took about 8 months for him to warm up to the idea of actually seeing things clearer.
About 1 month ago the glasses broke, the lens fell out when he was away with my mother and step-father on a social studies vacation in Atlanta to learn about Martin Luther King and the Coca Cola Factory. According to my 8 year old there were huge crowds at the Coca Cola Factory and not so many people interested in all of the wonderful work of Martin Luther King. (What a wonderful commentary on our current society)
Anyway, I try to be a good mother and the glasses broke again this past weekend. Rami (my middle one) didn't actually tell me until I saw him squinting and asked him where his glasses were. Well they are in the basement but I can't find one of the lenses. Great, I thought, these are $300 dollar glasses.
I go down and find the wayward lens under the couch and head off to lens crafters. I really wanted to go to Ocean State Job Lot but I determined it is important for my son to be able to see clearly.
I go in and I am readying for battle. I mean this is the 2nd time in 2 months that this glasses have broken. The woman was very nice and looked up Rami in the computer and then looked a the glasses and said to me, "These are not the glasses we made and sold to you for your son Rami"
"What?"
She then searches the computer and determines that these glasses, my son has been wearing are my husbands old glasses.
Of course this she had never seen, what are the chances of this happening? I feel I should earn some sort of award, prize money, but then again my kid is not wearing the right glasses.
She replaces the lens, tightens it down and I leave.
It is all starting to make sense now. A pair of very nice glasses as been sitting on the bookcase in my kitchen and when I ask whose they are, no one claims them.
Rami arrives from school and I tell him that I went to have his glasses fixed and guess what Ram? They are not your glasses. These are. I hand him the correct pair and he puts them on and says he can't see out of them. Unbelievable.
Time to set up another appointment with the eye doctor.
Rami left for school today with his father's old glasses.
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