It’s been a rough 2012 so far.  It could be worse, but I have felt like a muddy shoelace that’s been trampled on for weeks without being tied and put into the safe keeping of the little lacing eyelet.  Not sure where that came from but it sounds about right.

This is my daughter but is exactly how I feel.

It all started when my 5 year old daughter had a cough and runny nose and I had a major sinus thing going on, a couple of weeks ago. We were due to go to Florida to visit my Dad and step-mom right after Christmas so I took myself and my daughter to urgent care the day before our departure date, to get checked out.  After waiting at urgent care for three hours, I got two shots (steroid and anti-biotic) and antibiotic meds and she got antibiotic meds to take for five days.  I was told I had a sinus infection and that it was a good thing that I came in because my eustachian tubes looked like they were about to burst.  This all happened after a 2.5 hour wait and upon seeing the actual dr for less than 4 minutes tops.

Anyway, the kids and I drove on to Florida the next day and silly me, I thought that my daughter and I would be all cleared up of our illnesses within 24 hours of taking the antibiotics but here I am almost two weeks later, still sick with a cough, wheezing, and now abdominal pain.

I have been resting a lot. I hate resting.  I hate sleeping.  Both seem like a waste of time. I like to be busy.  I like to feel like I’m always accomplishing something.  There’s always something to accomplish, right?

Resting isn’t for me.  It’s a form of torture.  I think my husband likes it when I rest though.  He doesn’t have to watch me clean, work, organize, do laundry, brush tangles out of hair, mark the calendar up, create lists, etc.

Why isn’t this darn sickness going away? I’m resting, taking steroids, using cough syrup, drinking straight honey, using my inhaler, and drinking plenty of clear fluids gosh darn it!

On that note, I know I am behind on chosing winners for my December contests and will get to that as soon as I have the mental energy to commit to what it takes to choose winners.  I use random.org to choose winners randomly and that’s the easy part.  It’s the contacting the winner’s, writing the email with all the contest specs, contacting the PR representative/company about shipping the prizes, etc that is time consuming.  I love what I do though and that’s why I’ve been doing it for ten years now and will keep it up!

I feel bad for not having chosen winners for my most recent contests and for not keeping up with the 21,867 emails in my inbox but I have to take care of my self or I’m never going to get over this.

Thanks for your patience and support!

This Blogger is Down and Out (Temporarily). I’ll be Announcing Contest Winners Soon – I Promise! is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

I had big plans for today, the kid’s first day back at school. I have a newsletter to write, an events calendar to update, a massive spreadsheet to fill out, a dr. appointment to make, I need to exercise, take a shower, I have meals to plan, travel decisions to make, the library to call about a reserved book, schools to call about my kid’s lunch money payments, a house to clean, laundry to do, and I need to get my oil changed. I’m not sure why but I REALLY thought I could pull all of the things off today while the kids were in school. What was I thinking?

It’s almost 11am now, the kids have been in school for 4 and 2 hours and, I have answered a few emails, cleaned part of the kitchen, put a dent in the spreadsheet project, taken a few phone calls, and am currently staring at the computer in a daze of confusion wondering what do I do now?

I’m exhausted from lack of sleep for the past few days and my husband is rubbing my huge to-do list in my face by singing Bruno Mars’ Lazy Song (you know the one…”Today I Don’t Feel Like Doing Anything”).. he doesn’t have to do anything!
But.. I am so grateful that my daughter who started kindergarten and my son who started sixth grade (middle school) got onto their buses without a hitch and with big smiles on their faces.  That makes me feel great.

I think I’ll spend a few minutes making a list of what I absolutely need to get done today and let the rest go until tomorrow.  I’ll also enjoy the photograph above, of my daughter and neighbor’s daughter with their cute smiles before getting on the bus.  The morning couldn’t have gone more smoothly.

The Kids Started School Today, I’m Alone in an Almost Quiet House and I Can’t Get Motivated! is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

My Mom brought my five year old two activity toys this morning.  My mom felt bad because she had planned on taking my daughter hiking this morning at 9:30 but while she (my mom) was on the treadmill this morning, she remembered that she has class and can’t take my daughter hiking after all.  She was going to take my daughter hiking because I have an 11am conference call and she knows that it’s difficult for me to talk on the phone when my daughter is with me.

Despite the fact that she’s five years old she doesn’t seem to understand the concept of not interrupting.  I’ve been telling her for years to not interrupt me while I’m on the phone, she thinks that tapping on my leg repeatedly or asking me a ‘very important’ question isn’t interrupting.

How I’m going to try to get my five year old to not interrupt me while I’m on my conference call today:

• I will set up a play space for her with the new activities that my mom brought over for her this morning.  The activities involve coloring and easy things that she should be able to do by herself.
• I am going to make a “No Talking!” sign which I will hold up whenever my daughter looks like she’s going to interrupt me while I’m on the phone.
• I will talk to her before the phone call and explain to her that she is not to interrupt me and that there will be consequences if she does.  What those consequences are yet, I don’t know.
• I will probably also reward her if she doesn’t interrupt me at all during the phone call.

Add Your Tips!

Working From Home, Talking on the Phone, All While My 5 Year Old is With Me is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

I am exhausted.  I want to go to bed but I can’t.  I have two kids to take care of, a house to keep, and work to do.  On top of all of that, one of my kids, my 4 year old, has Pneumonia and I have Bronchitis.  WHYYYY?  I don’t have time for this and I feel terrible for my daughter.

The poor thing is coughing, stuffy, runny, hot, cold, tired, hyper.  She doesn’t know which way to turn, what to eat, or drink, or when to open and close her eyes.

This is one of those days when I’m so grateful that I work from home.  At least I’m able to take care of my kids when they’re sick but it can be very difficult to take care of myself.  The kids just don’t understand that Mom needs some down time when she’s not feeling well and so it doesn’t happen, then I get all cranky by about 2pm.

What do you do when both you and your child are home sick? Do you plant yourselves on the couch and watch TV all day?  Do you try to find things to do like coloring books, stickers, etc?
I’m curious!  Please tell me in the comments below.  Thanks!

Daughter has Pnuemonia, I have Bronchitis. I Need Advice! is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

Click image for a printable view (print size about 5in x 3.5in)

Moms are always on the go.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining.  I knew when I ‘signed up’ to have children, that having kids was going to be a game changer. I had been a nanny before and was totally in love with the kids I nannied and they still hold a special place in my heart.  Sorry, got of track..

However, no matter how much we love our kids, moms sometimes get so overwhelmed we don’t know which way to turn, who to turn to, or how to take care of ourselves and sometimes we let go.  That’s not a good place to be or a good feeling.  I recently read this quote by Charles Austin Bear: “When it is dark enough, you can see the stars” and after reading that quote, I realized that the darker things get in life, the more I appreciate what I have. What stinks is then I usually get MAD at myself for letting myself get depressed because I know that I have a great life.

I like to put inspirational quotes on my refrigerator or in my purse so I can read them often.

Click the image above to print and tape this inspirational quote on your fridge or put in your wallet for quick and easy access when you need a lift.

Inspirational Quote: When it is Dark Enough, You Can See the Stars is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

If your kids are like mine, they are inquisitive.  With the tsunamis all over the news that you may be watching now, your kids may be asking you what a tsunami is.  What do I do when my kids ask questions like this?  I look it up online and SHOW them!

Here are a few great resources for kids that explain what a tsunami is:

FEMA For Kids

A tsunami (pronounced soo-nahm-ee) is a series of huge waves that happen after an undersea disturbance, such as an earthquake or volcano eruption. (Tsunami is from the Japanese word for harbor wave.) The waves travel in all directions from the area of disturbance, much like the ripples that happen after throwing a rock. The waves may travel in the open sea as fast as 450 miles per hour. As the big waves approach shallow waters along the coast they grow to a great height and smash into the shore. They can be as high as 100 feet. They can cause a lot of destruction on the shore. They are sometimes mistakenly called “tidal waves,” but tsunami have nothing to do with the tides.

Tsunami Facts from National Geographic

A tsunami is a series of ocean waves that sends surges of water, sometimes reaching heights of over 100 feet (30.5 meters), onto land. These walls of water can cause widespread destruction when they crash ashore.  These awe-inspiring waves are typically caused by large, undersea earthquakes at tectonic plate boundaries. When the ocean floor at a plate boundary rises or falls suddenly it displaces the water above it and launches the rolling waves that will become a tsunami.

Tsunami Warning Brochure

Hopefully these tsunami resources will help you explain what exactly a tsunami is, to your kids.  While your explaining be sure to remind your kids to say a little prayer for those affected by the earthquake in Japan and the tsunamis.

You can keep up with the latest tsunami news on Twitter (search for Tsunami), CNN.com, and FoxNews.com.

Are your Kids Asking “Mommy, What’s a Tsunami”? – Tsunami Facts for Kids is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!