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Medication and the First Trimester

At the beginning of the week I cautioned against going off medication when you get pregnant.  Now I want to write a follow-up, because it actually is important to know any potential dangers with medicine and the first trimester. As a rule I’ve avoided reading lists of dangers, side effects, and rare pregnancy and birth problems.  They’ll just cause me unnecessary stress, and since pregnant women usually see their doctors at least once a month, I trust mine to keep me informed about anything that will actually/is actually affecting me.  But it is important to know that the first trimester … Continue reading →

Fun Father’s Day Reads

Forget about the tacky tie, fluorescent golf balls, and the tennis racket-shaped bug zapper.  What Dad really wants this Father’s Day is some quality time with the TV remote, his trusty recliner and a plate of bacon. Of course, what Dad wants for the upcoming holiday and what his enthusiastic young offspring want for him may be vastly different.  Fortunately, the following Father’s Day reads may be the key to compromise.  Kids can cuddle up with Dad on his favorite chair and share quality time reading the delightful holiday-themed page turners… while Mom cooks a pile of pork products for a post-story time … Continue reading →

Are You Too Critical?

How often do you start the day with a morning lecture? My 8-year-old daughter’s answer:  “Too many!” She’s probably right. If she asks for help locating her backpack, I spend five minutes “suggesting” that she hang it in the back hall where she can easily find it. If she complains about taking the same home lunch to school every day I “propose” that she expand her palate because there’s only so much I can do with strawberries, crackers and plain chicken. When she whines about not having enough time to eat a leisurely breakfast before school I “recommend” moving up … Continue reading →

Don’t Feed Your Pets Leftovers from Thanksgiving

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. Today, many of us have lots of delicious leftovers to eat. Don’t feed the leftovers to your pets! People food can make pets really sick. VPI has a list of holiday-related medical conditions that you definitely don’t want your pet to suffer with! It can be very tempting to feed your dog or cat some leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner. Many pets will beg for food every time your family eat dinner, (even when it isn’t Thanksgiving). Some pet owners do give in and will toss their dog or cat some people food to eat. Got more leftovers … Continue reading →

Should You Get Your Dog A Flu Shot?

Today in “vaccines I didn’t know existed for dogs” (last time it was for Lyme disease): canine influenza. That’s right, you can get a flu shot for your dog. Pet website ZooToo takes a look at it. Apparently, dog flu is a thing. I have to say I’ve never heard of it, not the way I’ve heard about bird or even pig flus. The difference is that while those strains can pass to humans, canine influenza doesn’t. It’s basically just dogs getting the flu, in a particular strain that won’t infect us. So while we might have to worry about … Continue reading →

Don’t Erase Your History

A few weeks ago I was pulling out an old book that my mom needed for book club. As I picked up the book a picture of my ex-husband and I fell onto the floor. For a moment I was back in high school remembering how things used to be before life got so complicated. I turned the picture over and left it on the dresser in my room and took the book to my mother. The next day my four year old brought the picture to me. He hadn’t seen pictures of us together for a very long time. … Continue reading →

Cats Eating People Food

Yesterday a good friend of mine posted on her Facebook that she caught her two cats eating coleslaw. It’s not the first time her cats have gone after people food; one ate a strawberry last week, and when they were kittens she had to lock them in a room when I’d have lunch at her house. Otherwise they’d jump up on the table, put their paws in our water glasses, and otherwise view our plates as their personal buffet. When I think about it, I can recall many incidents of cats I knew eating people food. My old roommate’s cat … Continue reading →

Coming Home From Vacation

Today was a travel and transition day for my family. This morning, we woke up in our hotel on Cape Cod. By bedtime, we were back home in Vermont. Transitions can be difficult for toddlers, and I could tell that today was a little rough for Dylan. He did his best, though, and I am proud of how well he has done this week with all of the new places, excitement, and different experiences. I am hoping that as we unpack and get settled back in to our home, Dylan will feel happy to be at home. I’m expecting that … Continue reading →

Preparing Your Kids For An Emergency

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It’s scary to think you might be separated from your child in an emergency. All the fires we are having here are making me think about our family emergency plan. When I got divorced one of my biggest fears was that there would be some sort of disaster and I wouldn’t be able to get to Hailey. She went to school on the other side of town from where I worked so if there was an earthquake I probably would not be able to get to her. Once she got a little older and had a cell phone I took … Continue reading →

Putting Your Feelings Aside

My little brother opened his LDS mission call tonight. For those of you unfamiliar with this custom, it is a huge milestone in the lives of these young men. They prepare from the time they are little boys for this moment. It takes a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication and is a momentous occasion in their lives. Sadly, my brother’s father chose not to attend this special event. He was too bitter about a divorce that happened nearly fifteen years ago to come to an event where his ex-wife, our mother, would be present. My brother puts on … Continue reading →