Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Broken

I broke my foot 2 weeks ago and haven't been up to doing much since. I haven't been doing a lot computer-wise, either if I can't access it easily on something other than my Nook.

Honestly, I shouldn't complain. On one hand, of course there is pain and frustration and inability to go about my normal routine. On the other hand, my family (specifically my Gramma and my dad and my husband, but also my mom) and my friend Kat have gone above and beyond in helping me out around the house (my dad has done the dishes and the laundry and changed diapers on numerous occasions over the last 2 weeks) and I've gotten a lot of reading done.

It's a little weird, though. I'm irritated by the people who would I would have thought would be helpful - my best friend - her contribution was to invite me to the mall to do Easter Bunny pics for the kids (not happening - especially while I'm on crutches), and my in-laws. My younger SIL, LP, took Fuss and Little Man to dance 2 days after I broke it and then watched the Little Man at her house last week while my husband and I took Fuss to dance to do her pictures. And my MIL who spent a month out of town helping my pregnant/postpartum SIL, LB, drove me to my husband's game last night and took me to Target today. But they seem to b      e acting like they are all put out by helping me - even though, mostly I'm asking for help with the kids, not for myself. I can't lift the baby on crutches. I can't get stuff off shelves or get up every time one of them needs a drink refill.

I am grateful for the help I've been given. But I'm also tired and irritable (I also got my period this week, which contributes to the attitude right now) and still hurting and frustrated by the fact that I can't get up and do what I want to do, etc.

I'm not looking forward to the physical therapy they prescribed. I was hoping I wouldn't need it at all, but it looks like that's not the case.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Sick of being unwell

I wouldn't say that I am "sick" per se, but I swear I've been unwell more often than not for what seems like forever. Headaches, stomach issues, other body pains. Sure, some of it has got to be just age, getting older, and the fact that I am over weight and don't get nearly enough exercise. But some of it... I think there might be something else I can't put my finger on.

I'm going to have to bite the bullet and find a GP and ask for a referral to a head doctor. I think I need my head examined in that "why is she having so many headaches?" sort of way (not that I couldn't use a good counselor some days, too! ha!)

I feel weird about it, though. I guess I'm assuming that it's nothing, while knowing in the back of my mind that it could be something. But the headaches suck and I'm at the frequency of more-often-than-not so something needs to be done. (And seriously? WHEN did all the Excedrin Migraine get recalled? Because there are days when that is the only thing that keeps me from hiding under the covers in the fetal position moaning softly into my pillow and praying the kids don't light the house on fire while I am in my misery.)

Monday, March 5, 2012

It's a Barbie World

But does my daughter have to be a Barbie girl? At age 4?

Fuss received her first Barbie this year. Technically, her cousin got her one for Christmas, but it was a Barbie-made Princess Ariel use-it-in-the-bath Barbie and I decided to consider it a bath toy and shrug since my SIL (the one who is a mom of same-aged children and should totally know better) gave it to her with the "I don't know if you're doing Barbies yet, but..." But then she got another (and a seriously ugly one, at that!) from my ultra-conservative friend, Jo, for her birthday. Seriously people? Do you not understand that Barbies were originally designed for girls who were learning the concepts of fashion and that a 4 year old, while not likely to put the tiny pieces in her mouth and choke on them can't actually get those tiny pieces on said doll herself? So then Mommy has to do it? And for whatever reason, I just don't feel it's an age-appropriate toy for my pre-schooler! She has plenty of time in her future to be inundated with stereo-typed, yet unrealistic images of what a female should look like.

In addition, she was also given a Moxie-girl giant makeover head to do some make up and hair color stripes. What the heck, people?

I'm not that conservative overall. I played with Barbies and make-up long before I became a preteen. But at age 4? I was still digging in the dirt to find earth worms, chasing lizards, and making mud pies and snuggling with my baby dolls. (And those who know me now are sort of baffled by the fact that I liked dirt, earth worms and lizards in my childhood. Believe me, so am I. But I did.) I was still proudly sporting my Osh Kosh corduroy overalls to preschool and not even paying attention to what I looked like. And there are days when I long for that freedom again and I want my daughter to have as many days of that as she can.