School meetings, vomiting, and long division, oh my...

Today was generally a pretty good day. I got the kids to school on time by more than the skin of our teeth. My husband remembered the kids' dentist appts. early enough for me to call in the antibiotic Rx that O (my oldest) has to take prior to her dental exams and to get her out of school in time for the appt. I even finished up my work early enough clean off another shelf in my office (in preparation of a meeting next week with the assistant to the new dean of our medical school) and still get out at a reasonable time. From there things changed. On my arrival home my son (M) informed me that he was feeling queasy and still had a lot of homework to do. I figured it was probably from swallowing too much of something at the dentist and he would feel fine once his homework was done. Unfortunately, I couldn't stick around to see how that turned out because there was a back to school meeting at D's school. On my return all was quiet and everyone was asleep, but then I heard that dreaded and unmistakable sound of a child vomiting. The good news is that he made it to the bathroom, so I didn't have to change sheets or scrub rugs. Actually, that was GREAT news as I can do blood and bugs, but I hate vomit. The bad news is that it happened several times and he hadn't finished his homework. He presented me with a sheet of long division problems (something new for him) with only a few problems done, and most of those incorrectly. I know what you're thinking, "I can't believe she tried to make him do his work when he was sick". Well, I did try when I thought the vomiting was going to be a one time thing and he'd be going back to school tomorrow. I thought it was important to do a few with him to make sure he understood it before he started doing them tomorrow since I won't be around. He is now soundly asleep on the couch with a bucket next to him. He normally sleeps in a top bunk with his sister underneath, so I don't want to take the chance of hitting her if he wakes up and can't get out of bed on time. We've had some close calls before.

On a bit heavier note, I received some scary news the other night. My mother, 77 years young, had a breast biopsy come back positive for cancer. With the stats being what they are, I know many of you can relate all too well in regard to a mother, sister, friend or self in this matter. She actually had a wide excision of a melanoma on her leg at the same time they did her needle biopsy. When I called my parents to find out if they had any results, my father said yes, and not good. I immediately assumed it was the melanoma, but it was the breast. We're still waiting to hear about the margins of the skin lesion so we'll know whether they'll have to check groin lymph nodes when they have her in next week to do her lumpectomy. You have to understand that my mom is really healthy. I don't mean she's a fitness nut or into health food, she's just never sick other than a cold here and there. She's lived a good moderate life. I don't think she knows how to be sick. She's worrying about whether her kitchen which is currently being redone will be done in time for her to get everything back into the cabinets before she has her surgery next week. Yes, I did tell her to quit worrying about that. Any way, please keep her in your prayers, thoughts, meditations, or whatever it is you may do to send positive energy her way, and for my dad too. They've been married more that 50 years and this will be tough on him too. I do mean emotionally, he isn't helpless and he can certainly step up to the plate as far as pitching in to get things done.

Time for bed if I'm to get up and go to a 6 a.m. body pump class. I took the summer off and just went back yesterday morning after about 2 1/2 months and boy am I sore. Good Night.

And so It begins again ...

For anyone who may have seen my first entries and figured I had fizzled out when they hadn't seen any more postings for a few weeks, I'm back. It isn't that I haven't thought about sitting down to do this on several occasions, it's just that sleep, or reading a bit, or retouching the trim in the new (redo) bathroom have seemed to take precedence. I'll admit, that all of those were still in competition for my time tonight. There is one more reason I have put off doing this and it has to do with some views I read in a few blogs when I was going from one link to another a few weeks ago, but that will have to wait. I didn't have a chance to compose myself in a thoughtful manner when the fire was hot, so I just didn't write at all. Now I've cooled off a bit, but I'd still like to put in my views, but not tonight.

The last few weeks have been filled with finishing up and enjoying the last of summer break while starting to gear up for "back to school" again. My 12 year old spent a week at the beach with her cousin and family, then my 9 year old went to camp for the first time (during the hottest week of the year-we're talking over 1oo for days in a row in the southeast, no, not the dry heat). He still came home with a resounding YES when asked if he wanted to go back again next year, and no this camp does not have ac in the cabins. It's pretty rustic. Since we've been slowly finishing off school supply lists and trying to comply with recent uniform policy changes at one school while trying to learn everything about the middle school my daughter will be attending this year. I've had two years with all three children in the same school, but now that will change as my oldest is moving on. At least we got to wait until 7th grade unlike most of the middle schools in our area that start at 6th grade.(sorry about the grammar)

Work too is picking up as parents realize that it is time for that back to school check up or those school medication forms that have been sitting on a counter all summer suddenly need to be filled out yesterday and oh yes, sorry, but we just realized that Johnny doesn't have any ADHD medicine to start school tomorrow. Alas, I am not the only procrastinator out there.

On top of that our long standing remodel of our master suite is making progress to the point that I can start letting myself imagine where we'll hang the towels and what will go in the drawers of the vanity. Finding currents is my current quest. If anyone knows a good site to look for panel drapes by color and length, let me know. I found a nice set at Linens n things, but I'm going to have to hem then and I'd prefer not to.

Once again, the time is past midnight, so I'll sign out. Hopefully I'll return sooner than last time, though probably not before next week with open houses, parent teacher meetings, checkups, karate, soccer, chess.......

One last thing, when I went to edit this posting, I found a draft that I composed a few weeks ago and thought I lost. It's showing up in order of when I first wrote it, so if you have time, scroll down and take a look. It gives a little more insight into me that I haven't had time to go back and recompose.

Back again, almost

Hello again. I am suddenly very sad. I just spent the last 45 minutes trying to introduce myself. Composing is and always has been a struggle for me, so what I got done was quite an accomplishment. What did I do? I lost it. I didn't have enough foresight to hit the save now button and didn't realize I'd lose it all trying when I tried to reference something on another page. Being that it is now after midnight and I am just starting now instead of finishing, I guess lengthy introductions will have to wait.
Some of what I initially wrote is that I am, at least in part, what my blog name says I am, a doctor and a mom to three as well as wife to one. If there were room, my full name should be Organizationally challenged doctor mom who can barely keep her head above the waters of life. My losing what I typed earlier is a perfect example of that. Until next time ...

The first "Back Again" has been found!

August 21st, 12:41 a.m.: For anyone who read my earlier entries, you recall that I was remorseful at losing a lengthy draft before I had saved it. Well, unbeknownst to me, it was saved. I just found it when I went back to edit the posting I composed tonight and saw this saved draft on the list. Thank you blogspot for autosave. So here it is ,though a little out of order, but on rereading it, all still relevent. I'll go to bed with something more to smile about tonight.

I'm finally back home again to stay for a while, probably for the rest of the year since I've used most of my vacation time, so I figured I'd try this again. Every time I've thought about doing this since the first time I posted, it seems that the clock manages to roll around past midnight by the time I've finished my other tasks, both planned and as the result of being sidetracked. The latter sometimes more than the first as I'm sure will become evident in my ramblings if I stick with this. I do tend to be a night owl and summer allows me to function a bit more toward that tendancy. I like to settle in and get my "work" done after my family is soundly asleep. That also tends to happen a bit later in the summer.

My blog name is really what I am, a pediatrician and mother of three as well as wife to one. And if I'm to be even more honest, I should expand the name to 'Organizationally challenged Doctor Mom who much of the time feels she can barely keep her head above water'. That being said, I probably have no business spending time on a blog, but I thought it might be a little therapeutic and something that is just for me. I don't feel I get a whole lot of that (which really doesn't bother me too much), but my husband would likely differ with that opinion. It often seems to me that he thinks anytime away from home without the kids is me time, even if that is being at work. This stems from the fact that he stays home with the kids. I'll admit that I might have to agree with him during the summer, but I have a harder time being sympathetic during the school year when they are all out of the house for 7 hour stretches. He certainly has plenty to do to fill those hours as he occasionally does contracted carpentry work and he has been remodeling our master bedroom for the last 4 years. If I can keep up with this blog, I'm sure that subject of me time will be brought up again. I'll be curious to see if other couples with the same arrangement have similar issues.

Well, though I'm not a writer and I have always disliked with a passion having to do any written composition, I'm finding the words flowing a bit more easily as I go. But alas, the clock has again rolled around past midnight so I will say goodnight. Before I do, one more thing, if I didn't mention her in the last post, my sister-in-law is my inspiration to do this. I have enjoyed reading hers to keep up with her since we seldom get to see each other. At the same time, I am a little intimidated my hers because she is such a good writer......

First Entry

Hello to anyone who stumbles upon this. This is my first entry in my first blog. I'm not really ready to say anything profound at the moment, I just wanted to get this set up and figured it would be nice to have a few words on the first page.

I am organizationally challenged so entries here will be rather sporadic, but I hope it will be a better outlet than talking to myself and the cats after everyone else is asleep. I tend to be a night owl so I get most of my work done after everyone else retires.

I take a lot of pictures, mostly of family these days, but sometimes I try to get creative, so I'm sure at times I'll let the photos speak for me. I also struggle with compostition whether it be a thank you note or an essay, so the pictures my help me get past that at times. Until next time.