Flu season is upon us!!

This time of year is never any fun.  The weather is miserable and sickness is running rampant.  Everyone understands this.  What people don't always understand is how serious some of these sicknesses are.

Working in the health care field has opened my eyes to so much.  I have lost people close to me, but working in a hospital has truly shown me how quickly peoples lives can change.  In the past couple months, I have seen normally healthy people be intubated and put on ventilators because of the flu/H1N1.  These are young people…even kids.  It is so scary to see how quickly these people can go downhill.  

What really irks me, is that I come home from taking care of these people to find someone posting on Facebook about how the flu can't be that bad, the flu shot is bad for you, etc.  People have NO CLUE how bad the flu can be.  I strongly urge everyone to take every precaution.  Avoid other sick people (don't take your kids to a hospital to visit sick people), constantly wash your hands, drink lots of water, take your vitamins, and get some sleep!! :)  Get the flu shot and be educated. 

Every little thing can make a difference.  If your kid is sick at all, keep them home to rest and recover.  Do not take them to school.  Not only will it take them longer to recover, but they will infect everyone else.  I just want everyone to take care of themselves and be healthy!! 

Check out these sites for more info-

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/flu/downloads/PL-dis-influenza-color-office.pdf

All Mommies are DIFFERENT!!

Yesterday, I shared my very first blog.  I almost didn't post it on Facebook.  I  was nervous about what people would think…basically what I try and teach my kids not to do.  I still struggle with this everyday.  The truth is, I have no idea what I am doing.  When I had Kamdyn, I was nowhere near ready to be a parent.  I was too young, too selfish, and very immature.  I always joked about how God knew that we weren't ready for kids, so he gave us the perfect child.  By the time we had Kalyn, it had been so long that we could barely remember everything we went through.  Luckily, Kalyn was a great baby, just like her big sister.  As the girls grow and change every day, I wonder if I am doing everything I can for them.  After attending a few class parties for Kamdyn, I discovered that I am not the typical Johnson County mom.  I wear sweats everyday and rarely wear makeup.  I work the night shift and am not able to make all the PTA meetings and events.  I hate that I am not able to make such creative snacks for birthdays.  I wish I could participate in the parties more.  Unfortunately, I am not creative and I sleep during most days (because of my job).  I have to remind myself that all moms are different.  My kids are my world, and I will do whatever I can for them.  Right know, that includes working three nights a week.  I try to be as involved as much as I can, spending as much time as possible with them.  I can only hope I am teaching them the right things.  I pray that I am disciplining them enough, but not too much.  I want my kids to respect others, but I don't want them to be doormats.  Being a mom is so much harder than I ever expected.  Over the years, I have learned that other moms feel the same pressures.  We all question ourselves.  Are we doing enough?  Are we doing too much?   All we want is the best for our kids.  BUT it gets sticky. What I think is the best for my kids and the way I choose to raise them may be completely different from what you feel is best for your kids.  This is FINE.  However, many moms feel the need to give advice on how to raise your kids.  Everything seems to be a competition.  Other moms will tell you "nicely" the way you should actually be doing things.  Why does it have to be this way??  It drives me bonkers!!! Our kids are all different.  We are all different.  We all have different ways to handle things, and we all have different beliefs.  Moms should all be supporting each other not tearing each other down.  I have been lucky enough to find a group of moms who all support one another.  We don't all do things the same way, and we all question ourselves daily.  Some choose public school, some choose private, and others choose to homeschool.  All are great options.  Like I said before, I have no idea what I am doing.  I stress about it everyday, but I do my best.  I want my kids to know that I can be their friend, but I am their parent first.  They need to know that they have to work hard for the things they want; nothing is going to be handed to them.  I want my girls to know that I love them more than anything, but there will be limits.  I will tell them NO and they will probably hate me at times.  That's just the way life is.  I went through this roller coaster with my mom, as I'm sure, many have.  My mom is now my best friend.  Even through the roller coaster times, we were extremely close.  I hope to have the same relationship with my girls…I'd be okay with skipping the roller coaster part! :)  Being a mom is truly a blessing.  It is a challenge everyday, but it is sooo worth it!!

Be WEIRD!

I always wanted to be mom.   A mom of all girls….not exactly.  God had his own plans, though, and I am now the mother of two beautiful girls.  These girls are my everything.  I have truly discovered what a mother's love is all about.  Anything your child feels, you feel 1000 fold.  When they are happy, you are elated.  When they are sad/hurt/sick/etc, your world is a wreck.  A couple years ago, my oldest told me that someone at school had called her weird.  In my head, I was thinking that kid was stupid…not exactly mature, I know, but I did NOT say this out loud.  Instead, I told her that it was cool to be weird.  She wasn't convinced.  So, I asked her if it would be boring if everyone liked the same thing, looked the same, etc.  She said yes.  I informed her that we are all different.  Sometimes, if we do something differently than someone else, they may think we are weird.  That isn't bad; it is okay.  Over the years, we have embraced this theory that it is cool to be weird.  Life is more fun!  She has had people call her weird, tell her they didn't want to be friends, and even call her names.  It happens in childhood….it even happens in adulthood.  Every time she tells me, it breaks my heart.  I try to keep it as positive as I can, but in life, not everyone gets along.   All you can do is be nice and stay away from the "mean" people.  It is much easier to say it than to actually do it.  I just want her to be happy and to surround herself with positive (and weird) people.  I want her to be herself and be proud of who she is, no matter what.  I don't want her to be worried about what everyone thinks about her or the way she dresses.  Goodness gracious, being a mommy is hard work!! I struggle on a daily basis with whether I say or do the right thing, and I have so many years ahead of me.  I will continue being "weird" and having dance parties in the car on the way to school.  I will dance and sing with my daughters in the store.  I will make funny faces and talk in strange voices to make them laugh.  I will be myself, and, yes, I am weird.  Being told you are weird is now a compliment in our house.  I want my kids to know that it is okay not to conform to what is "normal".  It is okay to be WEIRD! Embrace it!!  Be yourself and love yourself!!  Be WEIRD!!! :)