Here's a riddle for you:
Question: How many nights of being awakened by a sick child does it take before you become so sleep-addled you can no longer function?
Answer: Four
Well, I didn't say it was going to be a funny riddle.
While we thought Miss Serious was all fixed yesterday, we were clearly wrong, and so she is home again. She is rather endearing however, because when I told her she was going to have to miss school (she really likes school) she was sad, but asked, "Well, if I have to stay home, could I at least watch the inauguration?" Warms your heart when a 7-year old wants to watch the presidential inauguration.
We watched it together, and it made me realize what a cynic I have become about politics, politicians, and government in general. I don't buy into the whole rock-star following of Obama thing, but his speech today filled me with a sense of hope that I haven't felt about our country for a very long time. It was so heartening to hear our president talk about environmental issues, tolerance, peace, personal responsibility, and the importance of being the people we were meant to be.
I don't know if these promises will be fulfilled, but I am overwhelmed with gratitude to have a president who plans on trying.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
The More Things Change...
I am a thrifty gal. Part of this urge comes from the fact that we don't have lots of money, and we live in a really expensive area. (The other part is genetics - my family has been known to squeeze a penny or two in their time.) Now, I like living here, so I'm willing to spend a little time on our finances to allow us to benefit from the great schools, beautiful public spaces, and all the other amenities that go along with breathtakingly high property taxes.This week has been designated National Thrift Week. It was started in 1916, and occurs right around the time of Benjamin Franklin's birthday. Thrift was something he was well known for (as well as awesome inventions, somewhat annoying phrases, and a proclivity for the ladies), and even though I often think of spending problems as something more recent, they obviously have existed forever.
In a New York Times Article from 1/15/22 (yes, that's 1922), ten ideas were outlined to try to get Americans on board with the ideas of thriftiness. Now, one would think that they would be different from what people are advised to do with their finances today, judging from the incredible proliferation of financial writers out there. You can't turn on the television these days without seeing a segment (or 2, or 3, or 11) about how to have healthy finances. The 1922 article gives us these 10 suggestions:
1. Work and earn
2. Make a budget
3. Record expenditures
4. Have a bank account
5. Carry life insurance
6. Own your own home
7. Make a will
8. Pay your bills promptly
9. Invest in reliable securities
10. Share with others
Hmmmm......almost verbatim what the financial folks are trying to sell us in their books today. Which means that maybe everyone already knows all the steps, but they're hard. And they're a pain. And they're generally not fun at all. It's a lot like losing weight - I remember a segment from a tv show where a character is lamenting about losing weight, and she's told that she just needs to eat less and exercise more. She answers that if it were that easy, everyone would be doing it. (And yes, I still do have those 4 Christmas pounds hovering around my own mid-section...don't judge me.)
Happy National Thrift Week, but it would probably be best not to buy something to celebrate.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
It's Hot!
No, sadly not the weather (it's actually really cold), but Miss Serious' forehead. And stomach, legs, feet, etc. She woke us up on Friday morning (just FYI - it's really dark out at 5:00 am) with a cough and a temperature of 102.5. I considered this a high temperature for her, as this is about as hot as she gets.
Until that night, when she called me from her bed. I touched her, and was stunned by the amount of heat that was radiating off of her. Whipping out my trusty thermometer, I stuck it in her mouth, and saw the number 104.5. No, no, my sleep-addled brain told me. That can't be right. Try again. Same.
I'm generally a calm person when the kids get sick, but situations like these are definitely times when it's hard to be the grown-up in charge. It's nice to be able to turn to someone else in authority and have them take charge. Unfortunately, part of being a parent involves the whole in-charge thing, so I hustled over to The Professor and announced that he should probably get dressed because we may be going for a little ride. It also doesn't help when your burning hot 7 year old asks you in a croaky whisper if you can die from having a fever. Miss Serious rarely fools around when asking questions....
Luckily, one of the wonderful benefits of living in a country such as ours is that not only do we have a great doctor, but said doctor has an emergency line that you can call at 2:30 in the morning when you need some answers right quick. She calmly gave us some helpful instructions and within 45 minutes the fever reduced to a less horrifying 103.
We took her in to see the doctor the following day (how someone can be so bright and alert after being awakened in the middle of the night coupled with having an office full of sick kids on a Saturday completely eludes me - I myself looked like death on a cracker), all tests came back negative, and we were told that she had a virus, and just to treat the symptoms. After another tough night, Miss Serious woke with a much lower fever, and when she rolled her eyes at The Professor when he made a joke, we knew she was on the mend.
I often lament the amount of money that we pay towards our health care, but at times like these, I couldn't be more grateful for it, or for the wonderful people who make it their life's work to minister to the likes of me and my family. We (and Miss Serious' much cooler forehead) thank you.
Until that night, when she called me from her bed. I touched her, and was stunned by the amount of heat that was radiating off of her. Whipping out my trusty thermometer, I stuck it in her mouth, and saw the number 104.5. No, no, my sleep-addled brain told me. That can't be right. Try again. Same.
I'm generally a calm person when the kids get sick, but situations like these are definitely times when it's hard to be the grown-up in charge. It's nice to be able to turn to someone else in authority and have them take charge. Unfortunately, part of being a parent involves the whole in-charge thing, so I hustled over to The Professor and announced that he should probably get dressed because we may be going for a little ride. It also doesn't help when your burning hot 7 year old asks you in a croaky whisper if you can die from having a fever. Miss Serious rarely fools around when asking questions....
Luckily, one of the wonderful benefits of living in a country such as ours is that not only do we have a great doctor, but said doctor has an emergency line that you can call at 2:30 in the morning when you need some answers right quick. She calmly gave us some helpful instructions and within 45 minutes the fever reduced to a less horrifying 103.
We took her in to see the doctor the following day (how someone can be so bright and alert after being awakened in the middle of the night coupled with having an office full of sick kids on a Saturday completely eludes me - I myself looked like death on a cracker), all tests came back negative, and we were told that she had a virus, and just to treat the symptoms. After another tough night, Miss Serious woke with a much lower fever, and when she rolled her eyes at The Professor when he made a joke, we knew she was on the mend.
I often lament the amount of money that we pay towards our health care, but at times like these, I couldn't be more grateful for it, or for the wonderful people who make it their life's work to minister to the likes of me and my family. We (and Miss Serious' much cooler forehead) thank you.
Friday, January 16, 2009
The Friendly Skies
I don't fly often, mostly out of lack of funds. Also, being a somewhat highly-strung personality, I am not the most comfortable person in the air. I know that it is infinitely safer than traveling by car. I KNOW this. And yet, when I am in a plane (only taken 3 round trips in my life) and it begins its ascent, I can't quiet the little voice that keeps saying, "You know, this is just not possible."
Well, we finally got ourselves together and decided to go visit my grandparents in Florida. They moved down several years ago, and even though they come up to visit regularly, it would be nice to see where they live and enjoy a little Florida sunshine. We began hunting on the web for airfares - I admit to being somewhat stunned by the costs, especially when you added in the "taxes and fees" portion, which is so adorably left off the fare price. In this state of shock, we actually began exploring taking the train - oh my gosh - not much cheaper, and a 26 hour trip, the last 3 1/2 of which are on a bus. Yes, on a bus. Taking such an excursion with a 6 and 7 year old began to sound like one of Dante's circles of hell. So, we thought, we could drive. Yes drive! We could see the South. Hmmm.... then we'll need to pay for hotels. The Professor to the rescue - we can camp! Yes - camping! And then we remembered that in the summer (when such an excursion would need to take place) the South tends to get a tad warm. And they have really big bugs.
Surprisingly, we thus hopped back onto the airline sites, and said airfares began looking much more reasonable. We found some flights that would work, and got ready to book. Then The Professor calls me over to the television and we see this:
(Credit: Janis Krums)
What an amazing story - even more amazing that everyone was safe. I couldn't bring myself to book the flights last night, although it did occur to me that airlines should be offering a substantial discount to anyone who booked that day.
We'll get back on that horse and book soon, although I have the distinct feeling that the little voice in my ear will be a bit louder on the flight. Fortunately, this time around my children will probably drown it out.
Well, we finally got ourselves together and decided to go visit my grandparents in Florida. They moved down several years ago, and even though they come up to visit regularly, it would be nice to see where they live and enjoy a little Florida sunshine. We began hunting on the web for airfares - I admit to being somewhat stunned by the costs, especially when you added in the "taxes and fees" portion, which is so adorably left off the fare price. In this state of shock, we actually began exploring taking the train - oh my gosh - not much cheaper, and a 26 hour trip, the last 3 1/2 of which are on a bus. Yes, on a bus. Taking such an excursion with a 6 and 7 year old began to sound like one of Dante's circles of hell. So, we thought, we could drive. Yes drive! We could see the South. Hmmm.... then we'll need to pay for hotels. The Professor to the rescue - we can camp! Yes - camping! And then we remembered that in the summer (when such an excursion would need to take place) the South tends to get a tad warm. And they have really big bugs.
Surprisingly, we thus hopped back onto the airline sites, and said airfares began looking much more reasonable. We found some flights that would work, and got ready to book. Then The Professor calls me over to the television and we see this:
(Credit: Janis Krums)What an amazing story - even more amazing that everyone was safe. I couldn't bring myself to book the flights last night, although it did occur to me that airlines should be offering a substantial discount to anyone who booked that day.
We'll get back on that horse and book soon, although I have the distinct feeling that the little voice in my ear will be a bit louder on the flight. Fortunately, this time around my children will probably drown it out.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Taking the Plunge
That phrase often brings up thoughts of doing something new and exciting, but not so much the way I heard it this morning from the vicinity of my bathroom: "Mommy, somebody's toothbrush took the plunge!" Now, being a bathroom, there really is only one location that one would describe a toothbrush "plunging" into. And I'll give you 3 guesses whose toothbrush it was....
Here at Chez Necessity, we suffer from a shortage of space. I have, therefore, placed a little shelf on the back of the toilet to hold toothpaste, toothbrushes (for some inane reason, 3 out of the 4 toothbrushes in this house have a bulbous base which will not fit into the toothbrush holder mounted on the wall), shaving cream, and the like. While this storage solution works, it allows for the unfortunate possibility of something falling into the toilet.
The Professor (and unfortunately me) found this out one evening in rather a dramatic way. I was awakened from a sound sleep by my husband whispering lovingly in my ear, "I just accidentally flushed one of the kids' toothbrushes down the toilet." If such a sentence has never been whispered to you in the middle of the night, let me assure you that it will wake you up right quick. Hoping against hope, I stuck my hand in the toilet to see if it was there. It was not. All the while, the question that is buzzing around my head is how it would be possible for someone to flip a toothbrush into the toilet while simultaneously flushing said toilet, but apparently this is possible.
I'm not a terribly handy gal, and The Professor, while very clever and witty, is less handy than me. Not knowing if there would be dire consequences if one flushed the toilet while a toothbrush was wedged inside (and absolutely not wanting to clean up a flood at 1:00 in the morning) I decided to go visit my ever available and helpful friend Google.
I must tell you, it's quite astounding to read about the various objects that people have flushed down their toilets, but the only useful information I gained was that if it was indeed stuck, the only way to get it out would be to remove the toilet. At this point, I decided to wait until morning to find out if we were indeed in such a bind. I wasn't worried about my children accidentally flushing in the night, as they don't seem to know what actually makes our toilet flush (leading to the oft asked question, "Whose poo is this?") and I crawled back to bed.
The next morning I held my breath, pushed down the handle, and.....it flushed. Wow. I guess a child-sized toothbrush is just short enough to get around that curve in the toilet. It was one of those toothbrushes that blinks while the kid is brushing so that they know when to stop.
I still wonder if somewhere in the vast pipe system of Westchester there is a little red toothbrush blinking on and off, waiting to be rescued.
Here at Chez Necessity, we suffer from a shortage of space. I have, therefore, placed a little shelf on the back of the toilet to hold toothpaste, toothbrushes (for some inane reason, 3 out of the 4 toothbrushes in this house have a bulbous base which will not fit into the toothbrush holder mounted on the wall), shaving cream, and the like. While this storage solution works, it allows for the unfortunate possibility of something falling into the toilet.
The Professor (and unfortunately me) found this out one evening in rather a dramatic way. I was awakened from a sound sleep by my husband whispering lovingly in my ear, "I just accidentally flushed one of the kids' toothbrushes down the toilet." If such a sentence has never been whispered to you in the middle of the night, let me assure you that it will wake you up right quick. Hoping against hope, I stuck my hand in the toilet to see if it was there. It was not. All the while, the question that is buzzing around my head is how it would be possible for someone to flip a toothbrush into the toilet while simultaneously flushing said toilet, but apparently this is possible.
I'm not a terribly handy gal, and The Professor, while very clever and witty, is less handy than me. Not knowing if there would be dire consequences if one flushed the toilet while a toothbrush was wedged inside (and absolutely not wanting to clean up a flood at 1:00 in the morning) I decided to go visit my ever available and helpful friend Google.
I must tell you, it's quite astounding to read about the various objects that people have flushed down their toilets, but the only useful information I gained was that if it was indeed stuck, the only way to get it out would be to remove the toilet. At this point, I decided to wait until morning to find out if we were indeed in such a bind. I wasn't worried about my children accidentally flushing in the night, as they don't seem to know what actually makes our toilet flush (leading to the oft asked question, "Whose poo is this?") and I crawled back to bed.
The next morning I held my breath, pushed down the handle, and.....it flushed. Wow. I guess a child-sized toothbrush is just short enough to get around that curve in the toilet. It was one of those toothbrushes that blinks while the kid is brushing so that they know when to stop.
I still wonder if somewhere in the vast pipe system of Westchester there is a little red toothbrush blinking on and off, waiting to be rescued.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Happy Birthday!
Today is my mother's birthday - she is affectionately known as Bammy to my kids. She gave this name to herself (it was originally Grammy Bammy, but young mouths shortened it to the most fun word) and it stuck. She tried (unsuccessfully) a few years back to change it to the more socially acceptable Grammy, but the kids were having none of it.
We were planning on all getting together to celebrate over the weekend, but the snow/ice festival effectively put the kibosh on that. So now, we must celebrate virtually. Bammy has her own blog, where she keeps everyone updated and gives us a peek into her life (I think this is why I enjoy blogs so much - I am a voyeur, and enjoy the peeking). Being an interesting person with some unusual hobbies, peeking over there can sometimes be a fun surprise.
We hope you have a wonderful day, Bammy, and enjoy your birthday. We all love you very much, and hopefully can celebrate in person soon!
We were planning on all getting together to celebrate over the weekend, but the snow/ice festival effectively put the kibosh on that. So now, we must celebrate virtually. Bammy has her own blog, where she keeps everyone updated and gives us a peek into her life (I think this is why I enjoy blogs so much - I am a voyeur, and enjoy the peeking). Being an interesting person with some unusual hobbies, peeking over there can sometimes be a fun surprise.
We hope you have a wonderful day, Bammy, and enjoy your birthday. We all love you very much, and hopefully can celebrate in person soon!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Holiday Lessons Learned
Well, although the holidays are officially over, I seem to still be celebrating them. Of course, by "celebrating" I mean carrying around the several extra pounds I managed to pack on in a breathtakingly short amount of time.
I am a person with absolutely no self-control when it comes to delicious (but completely horrendous for me) food. Armed with this knowledge, I do my best to avoid bringing such food into my home. This plan works pretty well the majority of the time, and then the holidays hit. Not only do people bring me wonderful things to eat, but I make candy for friends and family. Thus, my generally ascetic kitchen cabinets are filled for several weeks with crunchy, salty, fatty, sweet, delicious, awesomely awful for me tidbits. And, shockingly, when I eat this food all day long, my pants no longer fit.
My solution to all of this was to take out about 19 yoga/pilates DVD's from the library. Unfortunately said solution has not involved placing any of these DVD's into the player and actually doing any exercise. Is it odd that I'm shocked when the scale continues to read the same number every morning?
Also, on a related note, eggnog makes an awesome coffee creamer. Just thought you'd like to know.
I am a person with absolutely no self-control when it comes to delicious (but completely horrendous for me) food. Armed with this knowledge, I do my best to avoid bringing such food into my home. This plan works pretty well the majority of the time, and then the holidays hit. Not only do people bring me wonderful things to eat, but I make candy for friends and family. Thus, my generally ascetic kitchen cabinets are filled for several weeks with crunchy, salty, fatty, sweet, delicious, awesomely awful for me tidbits. And, shockingly, when I eat this food all day long, my pants no longer fit.
My solution to all of this was to take out about 19 yoga/pilates DVD's from the library. Unfortunately said solution has not involved placing any of these DVD's into the player and actually doing any exercise. Is it odd that I'm shocked when the scale continues to read the same number every morning?
Also, on a related note, eggnog makes an awesome coffee creamer. Just thought you'd like to know.
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