Did you think I gave up the ship? Or fallen overboard? Nope.
Let me tell you about my weekend and you will see that this whole TIP parade idea is a selfish means to get advice about my life! LOL!
Friday night as part of my volunteer position with the Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators, I had dinner with some pretty TOP NOTCH editors, reps and agents who are smack dab in the middle of the Children's Publishing world.
Saturday I had an all day conference where I met with an editor from Simon & Schuster who wants to see a book dummy (a mock up version of a finished book) of the manuscript I had sent her prior to the conference. This is the first book I have proposed that I illustrate as well as write so I was not sure how high to get my hopes.
I then met with a couple of lovely ladies who are art reps and we had some great discussions about my portfolio, what they liked and how to plump it up with one single style (that they loved, btw) to ready it for a trip to NEW YORK for some art rep reviews.
Yesterday is when it hit me...the sore throat that had my spitting in the sink instead of swallowing for the last 2 mornings @ 5am kicked me in the butt. Of course, I am the mom of 3...4 if you count my husband who is getting over being sick, too. I just wanted to climb back in bed after church and sleep the day away. But my daughter, the only NOT-SICK person in the house had to cheer at a football game so my husband took her and I was the parent in charge at home with the two sick boys. One thought he was dying and the other just bounced off the walls in hopes of making himself feel better by way of knocking himself senseless, I suppose.
So, then there is today. Columbus Day. ALL the kids stayed home b/c school was closed. (I even called to plead with the janitors to let them come in for some community service - no go!) Mommy is still sick. Oldest son needed a doctor's appt and I needed milk and butter from the store. Laying in bed all day and snurfling and moaning was not an option ONCE AGAIN! *sigh*
My daughter could stay home while I took my son to the appointment, but I couldn't ask her to watch my little hell-on-wheels so he came along, too. After he licked the chair and made out with the bottom of his shoes in the waiting room, I decided this germ-panic thing was useless...what could I do besides make him gargle with Germ-X? I said a, "please sanitize his innards prayer" and was done with stressing about it.
The doctor did a strep test and I briefly thought about asking her if she would do one on me so I wouldn't have to go to the Doctor's tomorrow when they are all back at school. I said another little prayer for strep...b/c I was thinking if it WAS strep I could just call MY doctor and tell him and he MIGHT just call in a prescription without making me come in....that day all snuggled in bed was on the horizon...I reached out to grab it when.....POP! The doctor returned, shook her head and uttered the V-word. VIRUS! Well, chicken crap, no hope for antibiotics now!
I came home feeling sorry for myself and looked at my calendar...my daughter has an ortho appt @ 10:45, I have a 1:30 dr appt and my daughter has gymnastics @ 4. I slumped to the floor and cried. Well, not really, because I have had no energy for the last week, the floor is DISGUSTING!
My tips?
I told the receptionist at the pediatrician as I was chasing my youngest in and out of exam rooms and through the stacks and shelves of files that they need a velcro wall and a couple massage chairs. You know, an entire wall of velcro. Each wild child receives a velcro suit upon checking in. VOILA! They spend the entire time trying to free themselves while you round the corner to the spa-like massage room where you sit and do NOTHING until your child has been seen and is ready to be checked out.
Does that make me heartless? I am sure to 1st time moms, the thought of not accompanying your child into the room while the doctor pokes and prods sounds horrifying. Well, let me be the first to tell you, it's overrated. The kids just want the sticker and lollipop when they leave. They could care less who walks them through the appointment.
Forget the Valium, hook us up with a Velcro-lined pediatrician's office and I believe we have found Utopia!
What are your Mommy sick day tips?
Go back and peek at some of the other tips, leave a tip that links back to you, post an anecdote to a mommy issue on your blog, link to me and tell your readers to join Sanity's Blogtober TIP parade!
Peace.
1 comment:
My kids are big now but mommy tip from when they were young....call grandma.
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