Spina Bifida Moms My experiences as a disabled mom with spina bifida raising my healthy and active daughter Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 0 0 59 3487

Articles from Spina Bifida Moms

Sweetie Saturday #95 2008-02-09 07:23:00 This past Monday I told Sweetie we should go to her room and change her magnetic calendar for the month of February.She was very happy to do so, challenging me on our way upstairs:Race ya like a bowling alley!(???? I have no idea.)----------------------------A couple nights ago, we three had a simple dinner - pasta with butter and cheese. Actually, it was organic alphabet pasta. We'd never had this particular kind before. But Sweetie sure loved it!This is the best dinner I've ever had!We don't always have a dessert after dinner, but on that night I happened to remember some special ice cream treats we had in the freezer (meant for a party Hubby and I were going to have, but it fizzled out).Sweetie loved that too.This is the best dessert I've ever had!As you can imagine, for the rest of that evening, similar proclamations were often heard.You're the best Mama I've ever had!You're the best Daddy I've ever had!Etc.(BTW - I guess Sweetie really did love those noodles, as they qual ...

Books, Books, Books! 2008-02-06 20:24:00 For book club this month we're reading The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. I only have the very last chapter left to read, which I'll do before bed tonight. I've LOVED this book and have been fascinated with all its twists and turns. Yet my mom and aunt, who've both just read it, say that, even with only one chapter left, I've still got a lot to discover. Wow! One of the next books I'm going to suggest we read in book club is The Other Mother by Gwendolen Gross. I started this novel several months ago, but I'm such a slow reader that I couldn't commit to reading two books at once (one as my own selection, the other for book club). Anyway, I really am intrigued by this one. It's the story of two neighbors - one a stay at home mom, and one who works out of the home. Their stories are told alternately in the first person, and the reader gets a very interesting look into how each mom views both her own family choices and those of her neighbor. I'm sure it will be a perfect ...

Mama Monday #9.1 2008-02-04 08:33:00 Theme: Focus Hey! The lovely ladies formerly of Mama Says Om (along with some new friends) have recently start a photo blog called Shutter Sisters. If your focus is photography, if you've taken it up as a new hobby, or if you simply love to look at lovely pictures - please do check it out!---------------------------Yesterday Sweetie and I joined some other family members to go see the Hannah Montana 3-D Concert Movie. Sweetie didn't seem to be too keen on the whole 3-D-ness at first, as the featured 3-D previews were rather scary for her 5-year old imagination. In fact, it took a bit of convincing to get her to wear the glasses for the actual movie.But - she did. And she loved it. And she even noted that, when she took off the glasses, the movie was really funny looking, but with them on, things were much clearer and more exciting.--------------------------And now - instead of going on and on about losing focus and staying in the moment and behavior, frustrations and the focus that ...

Sweetie Saturday #94 2008-02-02 08:18:00 Sweetie's still sick (ish). She's still got an occasional cough (it's been 2 weeks, people!). She's still occasionally blowing her nose. She's still on meds for her ear infection (although the pain of that was pretty much gone early this past week).She's generally back to her old self, spirit-wise. MOST of the time she's, if not happy, then quietly busying herself with activity books or imaginary play. However, there have been several instances which have made me think a good anger management workshop or two would be a beneficial addition to Sweetie's schedule.Whenever she's hurt, upset, angry - whatever - Sweetie has always been much more of a pouter, pointer and grunter than an explainer. This seems to have gotten much worse, though, in recent weeks.What's more, she's become a stomper. A HUGE stomper. Like - a 600 lb., 7 feet tall outraged giant, stomper. It's a wonder she hasn't broken her legs from the sheer impact.As you can imagine - none of this behavior is acceptab ...

A Penny For Your Thoughts... 2008-01-30 20:44:00 Caption me, please.Thank you. ...

Mama Monday #8.1 2008-01-28 06:49:00 Theme: HomeSweetie, who was sleeping over at Grammy and Grampy's this past weekend, was delivered back to us at just before 4 a.m. Sunday morning. She had a wonderful evening with them, but she came down with an awful earache in the middle of the night and just wanted to be home. (We took her to the doctor yesterday and she's got 1 and 1/2 ear infections. Her first ear infection ever! So I suppose, in that, we are lucky).She asked to go to bed right away when home, but wanted to be read a story. She wanted Runaway Bunny - of that she was clear.If you're not familiar with it, it tells the story of a little boy bunny who tells his mom he's going to run away. But no matter where the bunny says he'll run or what he'll do to hide from his mom, the mother always counters with her ideas of how she'll chase after him. Ultimately, the bunny decides it's just best to stay home and be with his Mama.It's a sweet story and I thought - given Sweetie's health troubles and personal feeling t ...

Sweetie Saturday #93 - I Used Up All My Material Edition 2008-01-26 07:00:00 That's right. I don't have much to offer today for Sweetie Saturday because I already wrote here and here about a few different funny things Sweetie said and/or did this week. Feel free to click the links and check 'em out.In the mean time, Sweetie did come through with this deductive reasoning gem last night when I put her to bed.Back story: the last couple nights, Sweetie has come to our room in the 4-5am range, asking for help with her covers. Apparently, they were messed up and she needed some retucking.So last night I told her I wanted her to practice something. I told her that, if she woke up in the night and found her covers messed up, that I wanted her to practice fixing it herself instead of coming to us for help.I bet you can do it, Sweetie. Okay?Okay. It will be like I'm practicing for a show!Yes! That's called rehearsing.Rehearsing?Yes. It means the same thing as "practice". You rehearse - or practice - before you're going to put on a show.Oh. Yeah!.... Hey, Mama.What ...

The One Where It Seems I'm Bragging and/or Conceited, But I'm Not. Really. 2008-01-23 20:29:00 Sweetie's got a miserable cold. A nasty, nasty cough and a stuffy, stuffy nose. She's feelin' pretty yucky.Still, if you ask her how she is, she'll answer with a weak-but-still-hanging-in-there: Great.Since she doesn't have a fever and she's acting pretty normal, I sent her to school yesterday. On the car ride home from school, she was interested in telling me all about the "Beach Party" activities she and her classmates did that day - interspersed with some pretty serious hacking coughs.And then we all sat in chairs like we (cough, cough, wheeze) were in a bus (hack, hack) and we pretended to go to the bea..(cough, hack) each!She played quietly with her paper dolls at home last night, not even getting upset when she'd accidently rip one of the paper dresses or shirts:Oh, I ripped it. That's okay. I'll just put some tape on it and it will be all better.I gave her medicine and we sent her to bed at her regular time. She did have an awful lot of difficulty falling asleep. She go ...

Mama Monday #7.1 2008-01-21 07:16:00 Theme: CultureA week ago yesterday, the house of Sweetie & Me (and Hubby) was absolutely drenched in culture.We three sat on our couch, snacking on crackers and brie, Hubby and I each with a glass of wine, Sweetie with some juice, as we watched an episode of From The Top.Classy, I tell ya. We were the very picture of a fine, upstanding, culturally astute family.And every Sunday - late afternoon - we will continue to engage is this highly sophisticated cultural experience.If only for a half hour or so. ...

Sweetie Saturday #92 2008-01-19 07:16:00 Earlier this week I found Sweetie stomping out of the bathroom, tears rolling down her face, loud cries coming from her pouting mouth. When I asked her what the problem was, she dramatically pointed to her hair.What?! Is it not curly enough? (Sweetie loves her curls!) It looks fine!But... it's not BEAUTIFUL! Waaaahhh!Oh, Goodness.-------------------------I had the pleasure of dining with a princess a couple nights ago:--------------------------I happened to remind Sweetie of the times, a couple years back, when she went to Toddlercize at her school. I told her about how, for some reason, she never liked it when the class played Wiggles songs, and how her teacher, Miss Kathleen, would always allow Sweetie to go hide in the bathroom whenever such songs played.Sweetie did not remember these instances at all, but she thought it was so funny! that she hid in the bathroom because of Wiggles songs!Hubby and I thought it was funny (peculiar) at the time, because Sweetie has always liked the W ...

House of Pain 2008-01-16 21:06:00 I've always contended that, since turning 30 some years ago, I can't quickly remember how old I am. I mean, if someone ever asks me, I really have to take a minute and do the math. Okay.... I was born in this year. And now it's this year. But it's not yet May, so.... I must be this old. Still, regardless of this lack of at-the-ready information, I'm reasonably confident that I'm not 90- years old.However, if I listened to my body, I'd say that's exactly how old I am.Meaning? I'm sore. All sore. All the time. Not good. Sad, really.I know my lower back has bothered me since Sweetie was an infant. But, honestly, I thought it only hurt when I first stood up after sitting for a long time. Or after standing for a long time. Or walking for a long time.But, no. I hurt. All over. And I suppose it's been for a long time now.See, those dang kids got me all thinkin' and stuff. Made me wonder what they'd ask and prepare answers ahead of time.Does spina bifida hurt? Oh, no! Just a littl ...

Mama Monday #6.1 2008-01-14 08:48:00 Theme: QuietAs you may already know if you've read these two posts of mine over at Disaboom, last Thursday I went to Sweetie's preschool to read a book to and answer questions from her classmates. The four year old class as well as the kindergarteners attended. It was a fun, humorous and interesting visit, but I won't repeat the details here. Please read my other posts for that.What I will mention here is this: for all the non-related statements, repeated questions, silly activity and seemingly unimpressed kids who made themselves known to me that day, there were several others who stayed quiet. Others who had questions - possibly legitimate questions - which I didn't have time to get to. Others who were intrigued, listening close, and truly curious about what I had to share.In fact, the very last question I addressed before my time with the kids was up was from a shy girl in the back row. I think she must have had her hand raised all along, since one of the teachers asked her what ...

Sweetie Saturday #91 - Back With A Vengeance Edition 2008-01-12 08:18:00 And,.... we're back!In preparation for this past Tuesday's First In The Nation Primary, Hubby and I wanted to watch last Saturday's televised debated among both political parties. I explained to Sweetie ahead of time that we were going to watch this, and she probably wouldn't like it. But it's important for Daddy and I to watch - so just deal with it.Actually, she did pretty well. She sat on the couch with us and snuggled in, didn't talk too much, and let us mostly pay attention.However, she did become mysteriously very tired much earlier than she usually does and asked to go to bed early. Fine. Whatever.The next morning we all came downstairs and I turned on the news. At the time, they were doing a recap of the previous night's event. Sweetie took one look at the T.V., saw the same scene she'd seen the night before, and exasperatedly exclaimed -This show is still on?! I do not believe it!----------------------------------------I think Sweetie - and kids in general - knows a lo ...

I Do Apologize 2008-01-09 20:48:00 Man! I am so sorry! I've denied y'all a Sweetie Saturday this past weekend. And now I'm here to tell you once again - sorry, I just don't have it in me to write tonight.I did have a blog post ready to write. A very good, most likely long-winded/insightful one at that. But I've been caught up in emailed discussions (basically IMing, without the actual technology) and haven't been able to get here to start writing.And now it's late. Too late for me to start in on a potentially long-winded/insightful post. But I do promise to keep it in mind for another day.I will tease you a bit though.... tomorrow I'm headed off to do something very exciting and possibly very interesting. After which I'll be posting about said experience tomorrow evening over here. So you may certainly want to stay tuned for that and check me out over there at that time.Until then...... Have a great day! ...

Mama Monday 5.1 2008-01-06 21:16:00 Theme: ChoiceYes, this week marks the New Hampshire Primary. No, I'm not going to use this week's theme to discuss my political beliefs or urge you all into action when your state's time comes around. I've already done that here and, tomorrow (Tuesday), I'll post about it over here. If you're interested, please do check those out. Otherwise, let's move on...------------------------Something's been running through my mind this weekend. It's the memory of Hubby and I wandering through our local kitchen and bath store years ago, trying to register our gift wishes for our impending marriage. As I recall, it all went down relatively smoothly... until we got to the silverware.Looking at all the various styles of knives, forks and spoons - ranging from plain and lightweight to artsy/craftsy and medium weight, to hoity/toity and heavy, and every style and weight in between, Hubby and I were absolutely dumbstruck about which set to choose.Seriously, we were debating the merits of each ...