Category Archives: Personal

I’m Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired!

Health, Personal
Will putting on a pink Tutu, cape, and goggles make me feel better?

I’ve had it with being sick.  I’m over it.  Doneso.  Finito!

I am a very grateful person. I appreciate everything I have.  Like most people, I didn’t come out of the womb a grateful person.  About 10 years ago I was in a car accident that left me with a new outlook on life and a new appreciation for life.  But I have been sick for over 3 months now and I am getting to the point where I can’t fight the depression that comes along with not feeling well, anymore.

I could handle not feeling good for a month or so but 3 months of feeling lethargic, in pain, and scared.. it’s taking a toll on me.   It started in late December and I haven’t felt normal since. I was on meds for a double ear infection and bronchitis in January, two strong meds for the lymph node issue I’m dealing with now, for 21 days in February, and during that time I also had a mild Pneumonia and a Staff infection.  Then only a week later (now) I get Strep.  What gives?  I understand that my body is just worn out and I hate taking anti-biotics so often but I don’t know what else to do. I’m not asking for medical advice.  Just venting I suppose.

I have a business to run, two kids to care for and play with, and a home to keep clean.  I really don’t know how to keep up with it all and get the rest I need, to recover.

How do you stay positive when you’ve been sick for a long period of time?

Alicia Hagan, Editor

This Blogger is Down and Out (Temporarily). I’ll be Announcing Contest Winners Soon – I Promise!

Health, New posts, Personal

It’s been a rough 2012 so far.  It could be worse, but I have felt like a muddy shoelace that’s been trampled on for weeks without being tied and put into the safe keeping of the little lacing eyelet.  Not sure where that came from but it sounds about right.

This is my daughter but is how I feel.
This is my daughter but is exactly how I feel.

It all started when my 5 year old daughter had a cough and runny nose and I had a major sinus thing going on, a couple of weeks ago. We were due to go to Florida to visit my Dad and step-mom right after Christmas so I took myself and my daughter to urgent care the day before our departure date, to get checked out.  After waiting at urgent care for three hours, I got two shots (steroid and anti-biotic) and antibiotic meds and she got antibiotic meds to take for five days.  I was told I had a sinus infection and that it was a good thing that I came in because my eustachian tubes looked like they were about to burst.  This all happened after a 2.5 hour wait and upon seeing the actual dr for less than 4 minutes tops.

Anyway, the kids and I drove on to Florida the next day and silly me, I thought that my daughter and I would be all cleared up of our illnesses within 24 hours of taking the antibiotics but here I am almost two weeks later, still sick with a cough, wheezing, and now abdominal pain.

I have been resting a lot. I hate resting.  I hate sleeping.  Both seem like a waste of time. I like to be busy.  I like to feel like I’m always accomplishing something.  There’s always something to accomplish, right?

Resting isn’t for me.  It’s a form of torture.  I think my husband likes it when I rest though.  He doesn’t have to watch me clean, work, organize, do laundry, brush tangles out of hair, mark the calendar up, create lists, etc.

Why isn’t this darn sickness going away? I’m resting, taking steroids, using cough syrup, drinking straight honey, using my inhaler, and drinking plenty of clear fluids gosh darn it!

On that note, I know I am behind on chosing winners for my December contests and will get to that as soon as I have the mental energy to commit to what it takes to choose winners.  I use random.org to choose winners randomly and that’s the easy part.  It’s the contacting the winner’s, writing the email with all the contest specs, contacting the PR representative/company about shipping the prizes, etc that is time consuming.  I love what I do though and that’s why I’ve been doing it for ten years now and will keep it up!

I feel bad for not having chosen winners for my most recent contests and for not keeping up with the 21,867 emails in my inbox but I have to take care of my self or I’m never going to get over this.

Thanks for your patience and support!

Alicia Hagan, Editor

The Kids Started School Today, I’m Alone in an Almost Quiet House and I Can’t Get Motivated!

New posts, Personal, School,

First day of Kindergarten

I had big plans for today, the kid’s first day back at school. I have a newsletter to write, an events calendar to update, a massive spreadsheet to fill out, a dr. appointment to make, I need to exercise, take a shower, I have meals to plan, travel decisions to make, the library to call about a reserved book, schools to call about my kid’s lunch money payments, a house to clean, laundry to do, and I need to get my oil changed. I’m not sure why but I REALLY thought I could pull all of the things off today while the kids were in school. What was I thinking?

It’s almost 11am now, the kids have been in school for 4 and 2 hours and, I have answered a few emails, cleaned part of the kitchen, put a dent in the spreadsheet project, taken a few phone calls, and am currently staring at the computer in a daze of confusion wondering what do I do now?

I’m exhausted from lack of sleep for the past few days and my husband is rubbing my huge to-do list in my face by singing Bruno Mars’ Lazy Song (you know the one…”Today I Don’t Feel Like Doing Anything”).. he doesn’t have to do anything!
But.. I am so grateful that my daughter who started kindergarten and my son who started sixth grade (middle school) got onto their buses without a hitch and with big smiles on their faces.  That makes me feel great.

I think I’ll spend a few minutes making a list of what I absolutely need to get done today and let the rest go until tomorrow.  I’ll also enjoy the photograph above, of my daughter and neighbor’s daughter with their cute smiles before getting on the bus.  The morning couldn’t have gone more smoothly.

 

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Working From Home, Talking on the Phone, All While My 5 Year Old is With Me

Blogger Resources, New posts, Personal, Work From Home, , ,

Work from home and talk on the phoneMy Mom brought my five year old two activity toys this morning.  My mom felt bad because she had planned on taking my daughter hiking this morning at 9:30 but while she (my mom) was on the treadmill this morning, she remembered that she has class and can’t take my daughter hiking after all.  She was going to take my daughter hiking because I have an 11am conference call and she knows that it’s difficult for me to talk on the phone when my daughter is with me.

Despite the fact that she’s five years old she doesn’t seem to understand the concept of not interrupting.  I’ve been telling her for years to not interrupt me while I’m on the phone, she thinks that tapping on my leg repeatedly or asking me a ‘very important’ question isn’t interrupting.

How I’m going to try to get my five year old to not interrupt me while I’m on my conference call today:

  • I will set up a play space for her with the new activities that my mom brought over for her this morning.  The activities involve coloring and easy things that she should be able to do by herself.
  • I am going to make a “No Talking!” sign which I will hold up whenever my daughter looks like she’s going to interrupt me while I’m on the phone.
  • I will talk to her before the phone call and explain to her that she is not to interrupt me and that there will be consequences if she does.  What those consequences are yet, I don’t know.
  • I will probably also reward her if she doesn’t interrupt me at all during the phone call.
Conference and business calls are an almost daily occurrence for me but, either my husband or son are usually here to watch or entertain my daughter while I’m on the phone so that helps and is what makes today’s call a little different.  Neither of them are here so I don’t have anyone to watch her.  I told my mom this morning that she is like a little suction cup.. she’s stuck to me all of the time, so trying to get her to spend 30 minutes doing something by herself will be quite a feat but I know she can do it and I hope to report back to you with good news!

Add Your Tips!

If you work from home and have to talk on the phone for business, how do you keep your child from interrupting your phone conversations?
Alicia Hagan, Editor

Daughter has Pnuemonia, I have Bronchitis. I Need Advice!

New posts, Personal,

Daughter on breathing treatment

I am exhausted.  I want to go to bed but I can’t.  I have two kids to take care of, a house to keep, and work to do.  On top of all of that, one of my kids, my 4 year old, has Pneumonia and I have Bronchitis.  WHYYYY?  I don’t have time for this and I feel terrible for my daughter.

The poor thing is coughing, stuffy, runny, hot, cold, tired, hyper.  She doesn’t know which way to turn, what to eat, or drink, or when to open and close her eyes.

This is one of those days when I’m so grateful that I work from home.  At least I’m able to take care of my kids when they’re sick but it can be very difficult to take care of myself.  The kids just don’t understand that Mom needs some down time when she’s not feeling well and so it doesn’t happen, then I get all cranky by about 2pm.

What do you do when both you and your child are home sick? Do you plant yourselves on the couch and watch TV all day?  Do you try to find things to do like coloring books, stickers, etc?
I’m curious!  Please tell me in the comments below.  Thanks!

Alicia Hagan, Mom Blog editor