One of the reasons I have gone incognito for the last couple of months is I had an ovarian cyst rupture and was completed incapacitated for four very long days.
Technically, ovarian cysts are fluid filled sacs within or on the surface of the ovary. On occasion, one of these lovely sacs may rupture and the act of rupturing can cause some serious symptoms.
It’s funny, depending on who you talk to; the symptoms can be slightly bothersome or extreme pain. Unfortunately, mine was the latter. I was picking up a box and all of a sudden I was hovered over in pain. By the time I got home, there was no getting comfortable and if I moved too much I felt like someone was trying to slice me through my midsection.
That weekend, I literally laid around; my husband was Mr. Mom taking care of all the household chores and planning a mini-birthday party for my daughter. At one moment, I was sitting in our recliner looking out the window, I noticed the beautiful oak trees and how the sunlight shone so beautifully through the branches. I had such a longing to get up and get out and was completed humbled by the pain.
Needless to say, I have recovered; it doesn’t happen overnight and actually there is some tenderness for a couple of weeks. Because of the 4 days of recuperation, I am officially a week behind in chores and activities. As I go about my day I will sometimes cause the discomfort and am reminded of those four days, I take a breath and remember how much I longed to go outside and am grateful to be able to do so.
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I have found another electronic item that I truly can’t live without. When it comes to gadgets these days, some our more work than they are convenient. This one totally makes my life easier as a semi-workout junkie.
I love to vary my exercise routines and one of my favorite things to do is walk/run (notice how I made walking the priority). With my arm band snuggling my iPhone, I am constantly fighting with the headphone cords that I either leave swinging from the armband or tuck under one of the straps of my sports bra. Either way, it always ends the same, tangling cords or ear buds falling from my ears, UGH!
I recently came into some Livingsocial Deal Buck’s and saw they had a Bluetooth sport headset for a wonderfully reasonable price of, drum roll please. . . . $12!
Unfortunately, this item is no longer available, but I found one that resembles it on Amazon. The best thing about it? It cost even less than the one I bought, $9! Click on the image below to get more information.
The style of the headset is wonderful. I can still control what songs I want to hear with the backward and forward buttons and, of course, I have the play/pause option as well. Now walking/running is so much easier. My only con is that the charging cord doesn’t fit the other charging cords I have, so I have to use another charging plug, which is not included.
As I am slowly floating down the lazy river at the water park, the children are at sight-distance from me. Sight distance means that if they can’t see me, they are in big trouble. At 8 and 10 years old, they love to test the boundaries of independence.
Another Mom is basking in the sun and laying in a very relaxed manner on the inner tube. I envy the peace, and she sees me vigilantly looking ahead at my children.
After a small exchange of pleasant conversation, I notice the kids have started to test me and pick up my pace. The Mom looks at me and seems nostalgic.
I tell her to enjoy her day and she tells me that she misses the moments I am having right now. Her children are in middle and high school so they go off on their own and she relaxes in solitude.
As I catch up to my two, they are disappointed and a little thrilled by my chase. I take a deep breath and make it a point to enjoy this moment with them. All too soon, they will do all of it on their own.
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I’m at an age where my children are school age but a new wave of friends having babies has started. All the little feet and round bald heads have made me nostalgic for that time when I used to read to my little babies and toddlers. As an actress, I was a total ham and remember many a nights when I was completely exhausted and forced myself to find the energy to read to them. I didn’t think I would miss it as much as I do, but thought it would be fun to share some of our favorite books.
Good Night, Gorilla
One of my all time favorites and it really doesn’t contain many words. This one is fun because you can look at the pictures and find the balloon floating away on every page.
A great little section is when all the animals are saying good night, the kiddies always loved that Mommy and Daddy used different voices for every single one.
Goodnight Moon
This book is not a surprise, as it is a classic. Another great book for finding little items on every page and there is nothing cuter than a toddler saying good night to everything in the room. I also owned a Spanish version of this book which let me introduce them to a different language at a very early age.
The Snowy Day
It is no surprise that this book is a Caldecott winner. Living in Florida, means my children were fascinated with snow, and Peter’s day outside playing with it let them join in, on the fun. The children loved that Peter enjoyed the snow so much, he wanted to take a snowball in with him at the end of the day.
Swimmy
This little book carries a big punch, as Swimmy, a very little fish; tries to stay alive in an ocean of very big ones. It is a very clever book and by the end, the little fish comes up with the best solution for making himself bigger than he is.
Where the Wild Things Are
Another no brainer in the land of children’s books, but it really does deserve all the praise it has received. Max is so mischievous, and his imagination so vivid; you can’t help but be swept up in his story. A wonderful lesson and at the end of the day, even those who are mischievous, love to come home.
I Love You, Stinky Face
A wonderful story that lets your child know, that your love is unconditional. It doesn’t matter what kind of creature your imagination can create, a mother will love you no matter how scary or stinky you can become.
The Big Wide-Mouthed Frog
As an actress, this one is lots of fun to act out. This poor little frog is quite a talker and his inquisitive nature tests the patience of some of the animals he runs into in his journey. Humorous and fun as children learn the value of asking questions.
Time For Bed
I have fond memories of reading this book to my little ones. A lovely story about Mommies putting their babies to bed. Beautiful pictures and lovely words give a lulling sensation to the listener and reader alike.
Guji Guji
A fun adventure about a crocodile egg that is accidentally included in a nest of ducks. Although Guji Guji is extremely different than his siblings he is loved exactly the same. Follow the journey as Guji Guji meets some other crocodiles and has to decide who is family really is.
Robert Guillaume reads the book on Storyline Online and does a wonderful job. I recommend checking it out and the other books available.
And You?
Now it is your turn, share your favorite books and memories, in the comments. I would love to hear about them.
As I step into the family room of my childhood, I would return to when I was 17 years old and my Father was home for the longest he had ever been home with us. Unfortunately, the reason for his long stay was because he was diagnosed with brain cancer and had, had surgery. He was given a time frame to live and it wasn’t years, but barely a month or so.
You might be wondering why I would return to that time? You see, my father was a Doctor and as a Doctor; he never truly belonged to us. My father would arrive home late evening and be off before my sister and I were out of bed for school. Summer vacations were rarely taken together as Dad had to work and if he joined us, it would be for two weeks. Those two weeks would be spent not just with us but visiting all his family that lived in the Dominican Republic.
I remember the family room, it still looks about the same. The wood paneling with the dark, dark shag carpet. The furniture was also wood back then, and the sofa cushions looked like they were crocheted with the same dark tones found in the paneling. The sofa is gone, but the matching rocking chair is still there. The rocking chair that Dad used to sit in and watch baseball, which didn’t happen very often.
My last memory of him in the rocking chair was when I was cutting his fingernails, he lost some of his vision with the removal of most of the tumor; so I would take care of that for him. He would be so angry about having to have someone else do for him, he was a man use to his independence. It broke his heart that his own daughter had to take care of those little things we take for granted everyday.
As I cut his fingernails or read to him from his books, it was the first time I had felt like he didn’t see a curly haired little girl that he had nothing in common with but rather someone he could talk to about life and about what he liked. I knew baseball was important to him. I knew he had his own spiritual beliefs and that although he loved medicine; he felt that it owned him and his time and he didn’t want that for us.
My father and I were both the introverts in the family so a lot was not spoken between us, but understood. We would watch TV together and not talk about anything, just be. After the show was over, we would share our thoughts and continue with our day.
I would love to go back to that family room as the 40 year old Mom of two and show him pictures of his grandchildren. To let him know that I listened to him when he said find your calling and follow it as long as it makes you happy. Tell the ones you love, you love them. He had so much to think about at that time, and the 17 year old in front of him had no idea.
The family room defines that relationship to me, one that was cut short but made a lasting impression.
It’s Monday, we all know what Mondays means to us. For me, it means I wake up at 6 AM, pop out of bed, brush my teeth and get down to making lunches for my two children. Mondays are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, with portable yogurt, juice box, granola and some lightly salted crackers. As I prepare the lunch I mumble under my breath, how I wish that they would enjoy fresh cut fruit and veggies instead of lightly salted crackers. I remind myself to make more of an effort to change their eating habits this summer by having fruits and veggies readily available to them and laying off of the salty and sugary snacks that are easy to pack but not the best, health wise.
I watch the kiddies get on the bus and feel a little excited, knowing that this is the last week of school and how I remember loving the last week of school at their age. I whisk away to have a little breakfast and prepare myself for grocery shopping. I usually stop at three different stores to get everything I need and recently we had a big box store open less than two miles from my house, so I am done with all of it in less than an hour. Do I like all the new traffic? No; but the optimist in me is quite happy that it has cut my shopping time in half.
As I walk into the stores, I smile at everyone I see and I say, “Good morning.” The introvert in me is trying to break out of my shell and now I find it interesting to see what kind of response I get from a smile radiating from a disheveled Mom of two with a loose bun of black curls. I chat up the cashiers and wish everyone a good day as I leave.
I sit back in my car and check my phone before starting up the engine. I can’t wait to rush home and start my blogging challenge. The day has started off quite well, I continue to smile as I put everything away and make sure to print out some uplifting posts for my dream board.
Yep, smiling is always a great way to start your day.
“The Mommy Drain,” is a phrase I have come up with to express a Mother’s ability to do everything for others until they inevitably burn out. Sometimes it is easy to see the root cause of the drain but other times it manifests itself into grouchiness, crying for no reason, or a physical, spiritual, and emotional exhaustion.
On Monday of this week I experienced “The Mommy Drain,” and it was the first time in a long time. I would like to state, that this was not a typical Monday, although always hectic; it is almost never this crazy.
* In the morning I took a long walk with a family member. We hosted a special event for my son and had family come in from out of town and stay with us for the weekend.
*At noon, I had a 1 hour training at my daughter’s school. Another Mom and I were asked to teach a special lesson in their class next week for 3 hours. Teaching a group of 4th graders for 3 hours (trust me, I know how hard it is being a teacher) gave me a little anxiety. The leader of the training thanked all of us and told us that the training normally lasts two hours but we were all going to be great (no pressure).
*Mid-afternoon, I attended a memorial service for a friend who had lost a parent, unexpectedly. The service was a beautiful homage to her and it wasn’t long before I felt like that 18 year old girl that lost her father and had to attend his service. The fog of grieving started to settle in but I ignored it because my day was not in anyway over.
*Late afternoon I ran home after grocery shopping to prepare a quick dinner. I also went over the children’s homework, signed planners and prepped everything for the next morning.
*In the evening, I attended a meeting for a group that supports local artists. They have quarterly meetings and in the whole time I have been registered with them, I have never been able to attend because of conflicts. I decided this would be the one time I could go, so I did. In retrospect, not the best idea, I was solemn from earlier and listening to all the items that needed to be done and what they hoped to accomplish made the feeling of being overwhelmed stronger.
Needless to say “The Mommy Drain,” completely set in on Tuesday Morning. I made the kids their lunches and got them on the bus. I was exhausted, and the morning had just started! I called my Mom, who has had a tough year after breaking her arm in January. I was choked up on the phone after thinking back on the service I attended. I wished her a good day and said, “I love you.”
At that moment, something told me that I needed to take some me time. I had a nice breakfast and then walked into my bedroom. The room was still dark because I hadn’t opened the blinds and I felt a kind of peace. All my senses were dull and I think that is exactly what I needed. I took a 2 hour nap and looking back, I realized that I really hadn’t slept much in the past three days. As I laid there after the nap, I really didn’t want to get up, but remembered I needed to do things and thought of a blog post I had read recently.
In Ever Upward, a post resonated with me the week before titled The Overwhelming Unknown. In the post, Justine Froelker talks about being overwhelmed and how going back to the basics can help you come back to being and feeling yourself again.
I popped out of bed and started making all the phone calls I needed to make, completed the day to day chores that keep our home running smoothly and even took a little time to catch up on my reading for the week.
Taking time to take care of yourself is so vital. I sometimes forget the value of what I do because I don’t get a paycheck at the end of the week and I definitely don’t get a quarterly review. But then I look back at how my Husband totally panics if I am not feeling well, or my kids come home with good grades and hugs to remind me of why spending that extra time doing homework and making sure they are fed and nurtured, are important.
Enjoy your Mothers day this year. Let your family spoil you and always take time for yourself.
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An Ode to Whirley Pop
Oh Whirley Pop, you came into my life when my Air Popper died,
Popcorn is my favorite snack, and you know, I have never lied.
I was hesitant to buy you because you seemed so contrite,
But after filling you with corn and a bit of coconut oil, it was love at first bite.
Yes, it’s work to crank for three minutes and to wait for the corn to pop,
But the payoff is crunchy big popcorn with no microwave bag residuals and the taste is top!
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HMDX Neutron
In the last couple of months, my children (8 and 10 years old) have become music fanatics.
Their passion for music led to MP3 players and for Easter this year they received the best gift ever: Bluetooth Wireless Suction Speakers by HMDX called Neutron. Below I will explain why we love them so much.
Wireless and AUX line
Fortunately for us, the MP3s we own have Bluetooth so we took less than 2 minutes to pair the device to the speaker. It’s easy, and we do not need to pair it every time we use them because the device and speaker find each other.
We still have devices that do not have Bluetooth capability, so the AUX line is a wonderful backup. AUX cord is not included, you are going to have to spring for one if you don’t have one hanging around the house.
The best part and I think the major reason the Easter Bunny gave the kiddies these speakers is its capability of working wireless for up to 30 feet. This way, the kids leave their MP3 player in their rooms and carry the speaker into the bathroom for shower time. Most MP3s are not waterproof so the fact that they remain away from any wet areas means less, “Whoops, I dropped water on my MP3, Mommy.”
Suction Cup Speaker
So much fun and here is why:
This definitely is the toy like feature that the kiddies enjoy.
Speakerphone
I admit, this function will not be used much since my children do not have smartphones. If a call comes in while you are listening to music through the speaker, the music will pause and the Neutron becomes a hands-free speaker.
Splash Friendly
Please understand, “splash friendly” does not mean you can take this puppy for a swim. Avoid submerging.
Micro – USB Charging
The speaker includes a cord with a Micro USB on one side and USB on the other for charging with your computer. Wall adapter is not included so you would have to buy one if you don’t have one around. Because so many devices use Micro USBs, we have plenty of extras at home. This comes in super handy when the children are like, “Mommy I can’t find my cord to charge my speaker,” or, “What cord?”
One charge will give you 4 hours of play time wirelessly or 12 hours with your aux cord.
Where to Buy
You can buy the HMDX Neutron at Bed Bath and Beyond, and recently I have also found them on Amazon.
Hope you enjoy your speaker as much as we have enjoyed ours.
BTW, I found the sound to be impressive from such a small device.
March 2025 Update: Unable to find this speaker anymore. Hopefully you were able to get one before they were gone.
Isabel Natera 