Thursday, April 30, 2009

Swine Flu

Do these words send chills up your spine or make you want to panic and hide in a closet for the next three years? In my position, it is most important to be cool, calm and collected at all times while also remaining well informed. Lucky for me, I have two views on this issue.
A boss in the school setting who is very knowledgeable and has unlimited resources and a local physician group and one doc in particular with infectious disease background. So far, all resources around me are saying not to worry.....so I am trying not to worry. Frankly, I worry less for me than I do for Jr. Birdman. But he is in good hands during the day (and a night too).





So for those who worry, remember the basics from grade school:

1. Stay home if you are sick! And avoid contact with others who are sick.


2. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you are coughing or sneezing. Throw the tissue away when you are done using it.


3. Wash your hands often. Washing your hands and those of your children helps protect everyone from germs.


4. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.


5. Pracitce other good health habits. Simple stuff that we are not always good at - getting plenty of sleep, be physically acitve, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.





These are all basic things we should practice every day but are not always good at......now is the time to get better!


At least these germs are cute......and I do not think they will make any of us sick.
Happy Thursday.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

This is profound....enjoy my friends....

A friend sent this to me this morning and I wanted to share this with all of you. Take the time to take care of you my friends.....

READ THIS VERY SLOWLY.... IT'S PRETTY PROFOUND.
Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.
I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.
How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you?
How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television?
I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, 'How about going to lunch in a half hour?' She would gas up and stammer, 'I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain.' And my personal favorite: 'It's Monday.' She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.
Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!
We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.
Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday, when things are settled down a bit.'
When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Roller blades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.
My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-Decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.
Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?
Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent this to you.
Have y ou ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask ' How are you?' Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.' And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say 'Hi?
When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away..... Life is not a race Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.
It's National Friendship Week.. Show your friends how much you care. Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND. If it comes back to you, then you'll know you have a circle of friends.
To those I have sent this to... I cherish our friendship and appreciate all you do.
'Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance!

I love my friends........

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Nice?!

As usual, our Monday started with a flurry of kids who wanted to show us their injuries from the weekend or because they did not want to be in school today. By 9:30 we had seen over 20 kids. By lunch time we were up to 36....38....40 it was changing by the minute! And by the end of the day....over 50. When I talk about this subject at cocktail parties on the weekends (Ha!), my friends tell me I am too nice. Do you think if I acted and looked like this, they would stop coming?

Monday, April 27, 2009

Too Hot!


It is way too hot already.....we need time to get used to the warmer temperatures. I hope this is not a prediction of the summer. Maybe I am having a very long hot flash..........


This seems like a good solution.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Opening Day

Take me out to the ball game.....today is the official opening day for National Little League in our fine town. Ceremonies abound, hot dogs to eat, pictures to take, ceremonies to go through...would someone please wake me when it is over? :)

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Baseball Season


At the time of this posting, we will all be at Jr. Birdman's first baseball game of the season. Hoping that coach pitch will be a bit more exciting than Tball. The team is the Reds this year. New socks again! But I do love the color red and my dude looks good in red.


I hope we are all awake for the game as Fly Boy did not arrive home until after midnight and we had to go and pick him up!


Happy Saturday and go Reds!!!!!

Friday, April 24, 2009

Definition of Old?



The mind of an elementary school student is always fun and often exhausting to try and understand. We were treated to two kindergartners coming to visit today with lovely cupcakes! In their attempt to share them with us, one dropped on the floor. Oh my...no five second rule in the Health Office riddled with germs. So, I needed to cut the remaining one in half so that they would have a treat for the PE teacher.

On a side note, TSAnnie was kind enough to share the remaining half with me (I ate the whole thing and did not record the points - frosting has zero points after all).

At the same time this was taking place, we had a group of fifth graders watching a video about scoliosis screening. Very stressful for them. These two K students went over to check out the activities and one turned to the other and said, "those are old people watching that, it is not for us." OLD! If they think a 10 year old is old, they must think I am petrified and have been around since before the dinosaurs!!!!! SIGH :(

Happy Friday - Fly boy comes home tonight and Jr. Birdman and I cannot wait. Hope will be happy too, I think she is really tired of taking care of both of us!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

A Lousy Problem




As a school nurse, there are different issues I deal with every year. The issue this year has been head lice. While not life threatening, these small creatures are enough to send the calmest parent over the hills! It has been weeks since we had our last case and I was finally breathing a sigh of relief....guess what? They're back.....UGH. Only nine weeks left to this school year. Cannot come fast enough for me....I would give anything for a simple case of strep throat.




Now I need to go take a shower because I am itching all over :)

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Spring


Spring has finally sprung in our yard. The two favorite trees in our yard are the star magnolia bushes. Arrving home from vacation, we found them in full bloom. And we have been enjoying them every day despite the poor weather this week.


Spring is also a time of renewal and new beginnings. For me the renewal is embarking on a new fitness adventure. I have a goal for this year and next year. This year, the goal is to run a half marathon in November. Next year, the full marathon to celebrate moving into the next decade of my life. I have never run in any competition or a long distance. I know nothing about it and am giving myself 5 months to train....can I do it? We shall see.....
More importantly...am I insane?

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Final Vacation Moments



Thought I would share some of our final moments from our latest NC adventure....




First, Jr. Birdman full and happy after breakfast at his favorite place in the world, IHOP.






Second, our Hope working on her tan. Do you think the car protects us from harmful UV rays?

Happy Tuesday!!!!!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Dad Time


As this post appears, Fly Boy is on his way to San Francisco for the week. Lucky him, a week of vacation and then a week away on business. He will explore some of his favorite spots in SF between meetings including the Napa Valley Winery Exchange. We should expect a large box next week and our wine cellar (racks in the basement) will be well stocked....


Anyhow, in anticipation of his departure, Jr. Birdman spent every waking second with Fly Boy this weekend... He worked his little fingers to the bone (washing cars, polishing cars, and changing oil) but loved every moment of it because it meant being with Dad.


We miss you Dad and love you lots and cannot wait for your safe return......

Friday, April 17, 2009

Like Father Like Son


As my buddy Ellen would say, "Geek alert!"
The other evening, we ventured into the world of telescopes. A gift from the jolly man in the red suit from Christmas, we had not had time to truly explore and understand what this wonderful machine could do. So on a clear night, in a location where the stars are better than any I have ever seen, my two guys tackled the lenses, spotting scopes and all other things....took the microscope outside and searched for the stars. After about 30 minutes of comings and goings....the resulting comments was this..."really cool Mom but everything looks upside down." Turned out that one critical extension eye piece had been neglected...but good fun was had by all. And, "Dad did not even say crap once!"
For those who do not know, my Fly Guy does not swear but we know when life is bad because the dog comes running for cover and we hear the word "Crap" alot!


Happy Friday!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Garbage Day




Wednesday is trash and recycling day on the OBX. From the time that Jr. Birdman was old enough to speak, it has been all about trucks and the garbage man. As always, today we could go no where until the garbage and recycling man had come by with their robotic armed vehicle and appropriately disposed and compacted our trash. Nice to be environmentally aware at such a young age......now off for an adventure.


p.s. Pardon the unmade bed...this is vacation after all!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Commitment







So my Jr. Birdman and I were watching the Phillies and Nationals play the other day and, as always, he made me laugh. We were talking about who to root for and the answer was as follows..."I am routing for both the Phillies and the Nationals." "Excuse me?" "I am rooting for the Phillies because of Cool J but I have to root for the Nationals because I don't really like the Phillies.....they are mean to the Mets." The logic of a 7 year old....you gotta love it.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Gone to the Beach!!!!!




As we speak, my family and I are headed to the beach! We will spend the next week working and playing on the Outer Banks for North Carolina. Rental season is around the corner and all the preparation required to get our home ready is calling to us! However, there will be plenty of time for walking and playing on the beach...everyone loves the beach including our trusty canine, Hope. Fly boy has a bumper sticker on his car that explains Hope's love of the beach - OBK9.


I had a photo of Hope on the beach to add to this post, but it did not come over to my thumb drive! UGH.


Not sure I will be blogging on vacation.....we shall see if I have stories worth sharing :)




Thursday, April 9, 2009

For love of the game


Ah a new sports season has begun. Even though it does not feel much like spring outside, the most favorite sports season of my family has begun...baseball. We are all Mets fans (yes it has been very painful over the years) and so far our team is 2-0! If only it was October and the World Series had just ended our team would be world champions....but I digress. Need to squash that other team from PA and show them whose boss (yeah right)!
For the next several months, we will watch any and all baseball games we can find and hope to see a few in person as well. This photo is from last year and it makes me smile every time I see it as you can see that "the apple does not fall far from the tree." Let's go Mets!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

A Day in the Life


This cartoon, previously used by TS Annie, is an acurate representation of what we deal with every day....and also what our little ones face in school every day. Very cute! Happy Wednesday to all!


Tuesday, April 7, 2009

CCD Ends!

I am always so thankful when CCD ends for the year. Today is the last day and Jr. Flyboy and I are both happy to have an extra hour in our lives on Tuesday. This has been a nice year as his teacher is a good friend of mine and one of his buddies is in his class. I had the added pleasure of watching my friends three year old daughter during class. This gave me a "girl fix" and totally cured me from ever wanting another child! It is nice to have our time together but the drama and whining I could do without. I know it can happen with boys too.....but it has not happened with mine so I am lucky.

Next year is First Communion....a whole new adventure.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Friends and Family

I spent the weekend surrounded by friends and family.....can it get any better!

Our good friends, Ellen and Big J came to cheer their son, Cool J, at a scrimmage for the crew team. Junior Fly Boy went to check it out as well and struggled with support since one of the competing teams was Army. But personal connections won out over the team!

Saturday night, Ellen and I attended a school play for another friends daughter. The Wizard of Oz done by 5th through 8th graders. Always entertaining and very well done. We got the "sillies" in the middle of the play and were reduced to tears with the giggles....a moment that only good friends with warped senses of humor can appreciate. We topped of the evening with a nice glass of Chardonnay.....our friend Mental P Mama would have been proud.

The weekend ended with Sunday family dinner. I hosted my family to a dinner of homemade ravioli (my Nonnie's recipe), homemade meatballs and homemade tomato sauce (we call it gravy in our house). Are your mouths watering...mine is. I cannot wait to go home and peel off a few that are left over for a snack.

While the weekend was busy and tiring, I went to sleep last night thinking how lucky I am to have such wonderful people around me.....Happy Monday everyone.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Adventures with Charlie

So, this is how my day as a school nurse started on April Fool's Day. Almost every morning, my colleague, TS Annie and I can count on a flurry of visits to our office between 7:45 and 8:15 AM. School starts at 8:00 AM.

The other day we were graced with one of our classic drama kings. Brought to us by a paraprofessional who shared the message..."his Mom would like him to lay down with a warm pack and will come to pick him up in an hour if his stomach does not feel better." PLEASE! In the background is Charlie with a smile on his face, quickly replaced by a pained look when I caught his eye. No fever or anything else.....so he layed down with a warm pack for a few minutes and spent the entire time talking! If I felt the way he wanted us to believe, I would be incapable of coherent conversation. After 10 minutes, I said "time to go to class....I bet you will forget how you feel once you start you day." He walked out looking pained.....we expected to see him back at 9:15 (the bewitching hour his Mom promised she would return if he did not get better). Not to disappoint us...he showed up at 9:16! And, he went home.....

I feel sorry for my Jr Birdman becuase he has to be really sick to get my attention.....thankfully, that does not happen very often.

Did you visit the school nurse when you were in school? I never did!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Passions


This picture tells the perfect story of my guy - know as Jr Birdman. All three of his passions are in one photo. He is dressed for hockey, hugging his dog, Hope, , and his hero, Bruce, is in the background. If only our passions could stay this simple.


What are your passions? Please share.........

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Reinvention


I often read that we spend our whole lives reinventing ourselves. With that said, today I embark on a new reinvention adventure. A year ago, if you asked me what a blog was, I would have told you it was a scary movie or something that you read when you had nothing better to do. How wrong I was and now I am addicted to reading blogs every day! Not only do I read them, but I have met some wonderful new people as a result – like Mental P Mama, Jules and TS Annie. One of my dearest friends, Ellen, also writes a blog that my family has been featured in a few times along the way (glad that we are not too far out there). And now there is today (4/1), April Fools Day, a day on which I start my own blog…..at the insistence of my good buddies who all feel that I have so many wonderful stories to tell as a woman, wife, mother, daughter, sister and school nurse…and a blogger. So I said, why not! Could not think of a better practical joke to play on the world then to tell and share stories about my life. Stay tuned, the ride could be interesting.