About Me

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Northern Indiana, United States
I am, among many other things, wife to Gil Jr., mom to Samuel-9 and Evelyn-6. Homeschooler. Also an avid reader, music enthusiast, and wanna be green thumb.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Hormones are the Bitch, Not Me.

It's that time again folks.  You know, that time of the month we all look so forward to.  Menstruation.  For me it always seems like I am a mess more of the month than not.  I get all sore first, everywhere.  Next the "beboos" get so tender, I can't stand the thought of NOT wearing a bra.  Then come the cramps from HELL.  They have gotten progressively worse each year since I have had kids.  If I am lucky enough to preempt them by taking Advil a few days prior, sometimes I can head them off at the pass.  I was lucky this month.  Finally, enter the hormones.  I am an emotional person on a good day, and this is a whole new level of crazy emotional.  I struggle to not scream at everyone within viewing distance.  Sometimes it feels like I could crawl out of my own skin.  Like right now I am trying to write this Blog post and Evelyn is screaming questions at me in her typical fashion.  Serenity now!!  God forbid I see a sad story on the news, or a commercial even.  This results in a bout of uncontrollable crying, followed by looks from my kiddos or husband that say "are you insane?"  All in all, I am very unpleasant for at least a week and a half of each month.

I thought that this kind of thing got easier with age, not more intense.  I don't understand why, when I don't even need them for anything anymore, my ovaries/uterus give me such misery.  I used to try taking Midol to ease the symptoms, but the caffeine they contain made me jittery.  I was on birth control for a good portion of my early marital years and have NO desire to start those again.  I never could remember to take them everyday, as a person must, and they are unbelievably expensive depending on the brand your physician chooses to prescribe to you.  I might have to resort to total isolation.

I hope I am not the only one out there who has this sort of experience.  I mean, I don't wish this kind of hormonal assault on anyone, but it always helps to know you aren't alone.  What do those of you who must endure this do to lessen the blow, so to speak?  I know if I improved my diet, I would most likely see immediate results, but, easier said then done.  It's a process, what can I say?  Do you adjust your diet, take an herb, meditate, or have some sort of routine you follow?  I will take any advice I can get, after all, it's for the future of my marriage;) 

Friday, June 10, 2011

How Do You Handle Summer Bedtimes?

I pose this question to all the moms and dads.  I ask because I battle with this every Summer.  During the school year we struggle almost every night to get to bed at 8:00 PM for my 5 year old, and 8:30 PM for the 8 year old.   I am informed that this is a really "unfair" bedtime by my 8 year old son.  He says most of his friends get to stay up until at least 9:00 or 10:00 PM on school nights which, actually, explains a lot. 
The last 3 years I have been a helper in the kids lunchroom at school, I was surprised how many kids would complain about being exhausted on a daily basis.  We are pretty well into a routine around here during the school year.  Home from school, we start homework, & I start dinner.  We eat dinner when my husband returns home.  After dinner, baths, then stories followed by lights out.  We try to stick to this.  Then baseball begins and throws a wrench in everything. 
When school is winding down, baseball season is usually in full swing.  I'm lucky if they are in bed by 9:30 most of these nights, and if there is a 7:45 game forget it.  But then school lets out and we get into the later games.  When baseball season is over mid June, we are beyond repair.  Most nights I demand they be in bed by 9:00 PM- both of them, just so that we don't have total anarchy.  My daughter, the 5 year old, cries and complains every night, even thought she knows she's tired and NEEDS to go to bed.  My 8 year old son, on the other hand, NEVER wants to go to bed.  He could stay up until midnight and wake at 7 AM and be fine.  I would let him stay up later, but somehow I always give him the short end of the stick and make him suffer to spare her temper tantrum. 
I guess my question is, what time do you put your children to bed?  Is there an appropriate time for each age, or do you tailor it more to your child's personality or needs?  Do the "older" children have much later bedtimes?  What does your routine consist of?   Please share your wisdom with me, I am in dire need of it!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

I Think I Was Just Over-Medicated

For the past year I have been, what I would consider for me, highly medicated.  It needs to be said that 2 out of the 4 meds I am taking are actually over-the-counter medications.  I take one for <gasp> depression, a prescription nasal spray, an allergy med, and a prescription sleep aid.  Of the 4, I would say, maybe 2 are doing their job.  I have been feeling pretty good for the most part, except for the fact that I am SO GROGGY most of the time.  This is no good for me.  No housework was getting done, I was taking naps like 2 times a day, not because I had the time for them, but because I couldn't keep my eyes open!  I mean, I could literally fall asleep sitting up.  If you know me, you know this is NOT normal. 
I kept complaining to the Dr. that it was the over-the-counter allergy med that was dragging me down.  He swore up and down that this wasn't the case.  Well, 3 days ago I ran out of said allergy med and never got out to buy a refill.  I decided to take a leftover bottle of my sons that we weren't using anymore.  I have felt no grogginess whatsoever in these 3 days.  I am ecstatic!  I woke up at 8:30 this morning, and haven't stopped since.  I haven't even felt like taking a nap.  This is a BIG deal.  The kids keep asking, as much as I hate to admit it, "Mommy, aren't you going back to bed?"  My kids even noticed how absent I have been (sad face).
 The good news is that I am on the upswing.  It's not to say that I will never again take a nap, but I don't feel like I need one right now, and that is all that matters.  I am doing laundry, catching up on what I left lay for so long.  The bathrooms need cleaned, but there is always tomorrow.  I think that goes to show me that I am the person who knows my body the best, and when I tell the Dr. I am sinking in quicksand, he needs to take me at my word dammit