I'm going to be 31 in less than 2 months. My birthday is at the end of the year which means I literally kiss another year goodbye everytime that stupid apple in NYC drops. And while 30 was somewhat painful for me, 31 is even worse. You would think I would have used this year to adjust to this new position but as 31 draws closer, I'm realizing I didn't. All year I was able to say, "Oh, I JUST turned 30" with a wink and smile. But now...NOW...I'm knee deep in it and I guess it's time I accept it.
Which is why I decided to hit the dreadmill (no typo there) this morning. I worked 2 days shifts on Sat. and Sun. which each started at 5:30 a.m. and ended a little after 6 p.m. which meant that by Sunday night, I was beat. I crawled into bed at the unheard of bedtime hour of 9:30 p.m. and set my alarm for 6:20 a.m. (I'd decided the only way I was going to stick with this exercise thing once and for all was if I got it done before #3 and #4 got up for the day.) I figured if I couldn't pull my sorry arse outta bed after 9 hours of sleep then there would never be any hope for me at all.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. I forgot that #4 has a sixth sense and can tell when I've set my alarm for any time earlier than the sun comes up. We started playing musical beds at midnight and didn't wrap it up till after 3 a.m. First she wanted her sippy filled, then she wanted mommy to lay with her. Then she wanted to lay with mommy and daddy. Mommy gave up on any hope of sleep around 2 a.m. and snuck out of her bed and into #4's bed. #4's sixth sense kicked in again, woke her up and made her daddy bring her back to her own bed so he could sleep. Mommy snuck BACK down to her own bed, finally alone and exhausted, cursing the alarm clock that had less than 3 hours to go.
That all being said...I still got up with the alarm and hit the dreadmill for 49 minutes. (And no, I could not have gone another second to make it an even 50. Believe me, I tried.) I took my laptop with me and watched Brothers and Sisters on abc.com. I need to write a letter to the suits at ABC and thank them for the brilliant decision to put full episodes on line. Who really has time to drop everything at 8:00 p.m. and watch an HOUR LONG program? Not me. So this is my new motivation. I can only catch up with all my shows if I do it on the dreadmill. One episode is about 43-44 minutes which means after the "limited commercial interuptions" I get 46-47 minutes of viewing time. Perfect.
Anyhoo, after catching up with the Walkers online, I rushed around trying to get myself and #3 and 4 ready for the day so we could pick #2 up from school and get him to the doctor by 9:30 a.m.
I've never been one to pull my kids out of school for doctors appointments, but my doctor has become incredibly busy and he was booked 3 weeks out as it was taking the morning appointment. Of course they leave spots open daily for the sick and dying but #2 didn't qualify.
You see, #2 recently failed two differnt routine hearing screenings the district audiologist does at the first of each school year. Never mind that #2 passed in Kindergarten and 1st grade. This year he failed the first one and the follow up 6 weeks later. I find out about this at parent-teacher conference about a week after the 2nd test and FREAK out. I call the doctor's office the minute I get home to follow-up (just like the audiologist told me) and REALLY start panicking when they tell me the closest available appointment is 3 weeks away. I politely accept the appointment and then nearly start bawling when I hang up and start thinking that #2 is going deaf. Well, being a nurse has it's perks, especially when you work at a small hospital with only a handful of doctors, one of which is my family doc. I got to work that night and called him on his cell the first free minute I got. He laughed, told me he sees this kind of thing all the time (would have been nice if the audiologist had meantioned that in his WARNING letter) and told me waiting 3 weeks would be just fine.
And guess what? It was. #2's ears are fine. He probably had an minor ear infection at the time, which may have affected the screening process. But Family Doc had a good point today: Why do we take perfectly healthy children, screen them for disease processes they are asymptomatic for and then scare the you-know-what out of their parents? #2's never complained of not being able to hear well. He has no speech impediments and is right on track in the 2nd grade. I never would have bothered with the hearing screen in the first place - had I been asked about it - and I could have done without the added stress!
That being said, of course, I'm grateful he's fine and I'm lucky Family Doc is down to earth enough to just say it like it is. And the appointment wasn't a total bust. #2 and #3 woke up with some nasty coughs this morning so at least I was able to get some presciptions for phenergan and codeine syrup while I was there (best dang cough medicine there is, in case you're wondering!)
After running a few more errands while we were in town (I asked #2 if he minded, which of course, he didn't), we ran through the drive-thru at MickieD's to grab lunch (my errands had taken so long that #2 missed school lunch...oops), made #2 scarf it down on the way back (another example of prime parenting), dropped him off and school and got home just in time to get #3 and 4 down for their afternoon naps. And Voila! Here I am, pecking away at this keyboard. WHEWWW! I tell ya, days like these make work feel like an afternoon at the spa!
(Wish me luck on the dreadmill in the morning. Two mornings in a row will be a new record!!)
Which is why I decided to hit the dreadmill (no typo there) this morning. I worked 2 days shifts on Sat. and Sun. which each started at 5:30 a.m. and ended a little after 6 p.m. which meant that by Sunday night, I was beat. I crawled into bed at the unheard of bedtime hour of 9:30 p.m. and set my alarm for 6:20 a.m. (I'd decided the only way I was going to stick with this exercise thing once and for all was if I got it done before #3 and #4 got up for the day.) I figured if I couldn't pull my sorry arse outta bed after 9 hours of sleep then there would never be any hope for me at all.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. I forgot that #4 has a sixth sense and can tell when I've set my alarm for any time earlier than the sun comes up. We started playing musical beds at midnight and didn't wrap it up till after 3 a.m. First she wanted her sippy filled, then she wanted mommy to lay with her. Then she wanted to lay with mommy and daddy. Mommy gave up on any hope of sleep around 2 a.m. and snuck out of her bed and into #4's bed. #4's sixth sense kicked in again, woke her up and made her daddy bring her back to her own bed so he could sleep. Mommy snuck BACK down to her own bed, finally alone and exhausted, cursing the alarm clock that had less than 3 hours to go.
That all being said...I still got up with the alarm and hit the dreadmill for 49 minutes. (And no, I could not have gone another second to make it an even 50. Believe me, I tried.) I took my laptop with me and watched Brothers and Sisters on abc.com. I need to write a letter to the suits at ABC and thank them for the brilliant decision to put full episodes on line. Who really has time to drop everything at 8:00 p.m. and watch an HOUR LONG program? Not me. So this is my new motivation. I can only catch up with all my shows if I do it on the dreadmill. One episode is about 43-44 minutes which means after the "limited commercial interuptions" I get 46-47 minutes of viewing time. Perfect.
Anyhoo, after catching up with the Walkers online, I rushed around trying to get myself and #3 and 4 ready for the day so we could pick #2 up from school and get him to the doctor by 9:30 a.m.
I've never been one to pull my kids out of school for doctors appointments, but my doctor has become incredibly busy and he was booked 3 weeks out as it was taking the morning appointment. Of course they leave spots open daily for the sick and dying but #2 didn't qualify.
You see, #2 recently failed two differnt routine hearing screenings the district audiologist does at the first of each school year. Never mind that #2 passed in Kindergarten and 1st grade. This year he failed the first one and the follow up 6 weeks later. I find out about this at parent-teacher conference about a week after the 2nd test and FREAK out. I call the doctor's office the minute I get home to follow-up (just like the audiologist told me) and REALLY start panicking when they tell me the closest available appointment is 3 weeks away. I politely accept the appointment and then nearly start bawling when I hang up and start thinking that #2 is going deaf. Well, being a nurse has it's perks, especially when you work at a small hospital with only a handful of doctors, one of which is my family doc. I got to work that night and called him on his cell the first free minute I got. He laughed, told me he sees this kind of thing all the time (would have been nice if the audiologist had meantioned that in his WARNING letter) and told me waiting 3 weeks would be just fine.
And guess what? It was. #2's ears are fine. He probably had an minor ear infection at the time, which may have affected the screening process. But Family Doc had a good point today: Why do we take perfectly healthy children, screen them for disease processes they are asymptomatic for and then scare the you-know-what out of their parents? #2's never complained of not being able to hear well. He has no speech impediments and is right on track in the 2nd grade. I never would have bothered with the hearing screen in the first place - had I been asked about it - and I could have done without the added stress!
That being said, of course, I'm grateful he's fine and I'm lucky Family Doc is down to earth enough to just say it like it is. And the appointment wasn't a total bust. #2 and #3 woke up with some nasty coughs this morning so at least I was able to get some presciptions for phenergan and codeine syrup while I was there (best dang cough medicine there is, in case you're wondering!)
After running a few more errands while we were in town (I asked #2 if he minded, which of course, he didn't), we ran through the drive-thru at MickieD's to grab lunch (my errands had taken so long that #2 missed school lunch...oops), made #2 scarf it down on the way back (another example of prime parenting), dropped him off and school and got home just in time to get #3 and 4 down for their afternoon naps. And Voila! Here I am, pecking away at this keyboard. WHEWWW! I tell ya, days like these make work feel like an afternoon at the spa!
(Wish me luck on the dreadmill in the morning. Two mornings in a row will be a new record!!)
