Recommended for New Moms the MMR Vaccine, but There Is Another Option which helps with Shingles too.

After I gave birth to my Baby Girl in January 2010, I was informed that my rubella resistance was low and an MMR, Measles, Mumps Rubella vaccine booster was recommended.

I DO believe in vaccines. I DO NOT believe in Doctors / CDC Vaccination Schedule which is a completely separate post.

So I went ahead and got the MMR booster before my discharge from the hospital. Since then I have had three family members come down with the shingles virus. Shingles is HORRIBLE!

-- My step mother had it - age 58. She developed a rash all over bot her arms and neck. She itched horribly and had severe pain. She still went to work (which blows my mind that we allow this contagious disease in workplaces. Who wants to stay home and ache. I too would want to get my mind off things, and the pain. But I don't think putting others at risk is AT ALL a responsible act. Why hasn't there been a law limiting social interaction with this disease?). On a scale of 1-10, about a 8, she'd say a 6.

-- My mother had it as a small rash on her chest/breast area. Causing aching and pain, on a scale of 1-10, about a 5 in pain, and a 9 in irritation. My mom also went to work, see comment above.

-- Lastly, my 83 year old grandmother had shingles. A thin red line developed along her back, near her bra strap. She thought it was an irritation, until the pain set in 5 days later. The rash stayed small. On a scale of 1-10, about a 8 in pain, and 10 for the family's burden and hearing about it every day.

As employees of CPS, we have this wellness / survey program as a health insurance requirement. I was reading my wellness report and saw the Recommended Health Vaccination Schedule for Adults. And the Shingles Vaccine was listed for 60+, however the Varicella vaccine for Chickenpox was also listed.

My Wellness Preventative Health Vaccine Assessment (copied from my personal wellness page) Includes:

Shingles Vaccine

Age 60+: 1 dose

Varicella (Chickenpox) Vaccine

Age 19+: 2 doses (if no evidence of prior 2-dose vaccination or of immunity)

Well upon further reading it turns out Merck, the manufacturer of both these vaccines makes a combo vaccine for MMRV- a combination measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox vaccine, and zoster, or shingles vaccine. I wish I'd know this because I would have preferred the combination shot MMRV instead of the standard MMR for me. I was exposed to my Step Mother, Mother and Grandmother while they had there shingles, my children were not. However, I don't want to suffer this disease. And I'll be requesting the Varicella Booster / and or shingles ASAP.

Original Post: February 24, 2014

Make Mistakes. Breathe. Reflect. And Laugh.Out.Loud

A Day in the Life of Being a Mom, Evolution of Our Daily Schedule

A day on the life of #beingamom. What do you do all day? We Stay at Home Moms (SAHM) LOVE that question. I prefer "family manager" because I do way more then "Stay at Home." There's loads of moms on lockdown. And Loads more who are actively raising their kids and taking this privilege by the horns. I hope I am that mom.

I have posted our NO T.V. Schedule here. And this is one of my most popular posts. This is an updated version. And Yes, you will notice there IS TV time in our routine. I mentioned why absolutely NO television or tube time for my older son was a bad choice!

Here you go! A day in the life of a Stay at Home (Family Manager) mom.

Mom's days are busy, all the time! But WHAT do I do? My facebook friends can see the bug collecting, kids outing, and nature stuff. But those are our "outing days" that we squeeze into our reality. And our reality is also busy eventho it can be mundane at times.

My highlights are the moments with my kids. Reading books, at the park, playing outside, and cuddling - because there's always time for cuddling!

I think of my day in parts. In blocks of time where "I have responsibilities" to fullfill or in blocks of time that "I can fill:"

Daily Time Blocks

7:00 - 8:00 a.m. Morning routine to get to school.

8:30 - 11:30 a.m. get thing done like errands outside the house if needed.

And coffee!!

11:30 - 2:00 p.m. lunch and nap time for baby girl. I either nap with her or get a project list item worked on.

2:00 - 6:00 p.m. after school responsibilities and dinner.

7:00 p.m. Bedtime routine

9:00 p.m. Hopefully the day is over and we are looking forward to tomorrow.

Yesterday

Morning Routine

6:45 am Alarm goes off

Hopefully I've awoken before it rings and turned over. I still snooze until 7:00 (terrible habit, I know).

7:05 get up

Usually 1-2 boys are already dressed or getting dressed

Either get dressed for the day, or if I lack motivation stay in PJs.

Breakfast for the kids.

Make lunches + 1 snack for older son.

Walk to school and back (get in first batch of 2,000 steps).

Back home...

8:20 a.m.

Make coffee.

Get baby girl started on cartoons.

Preview Facebook and Twitter News.

Usually I:

Daily load of laundry, 1 washed 1 folded.

Put said laundry away.

In between play with baby girl, put a puzzle together, we are constantly chatting.

But today we are going grocery shopping. So I got dressed when we came back from drop off, and got coffee! Last night I made a yummy tomato soup and grilled cheese for dinner. It's been a cold Spring and we are in the mood for chili. By 9:00 am we are at the store. First at Target looking for a white straw hat for an event I have coming up. No luck.

Completed shopping, then pick up and drop off my Babcia at 11:00 a.m. She's sending a gift package to Poland. I usually drop her off at the mail facility. She likes taking the bus back home.

___________________________________

Usually: by 10:00 a.m. 

Get dressed for the day if I haven't already (Its ubber important for me to dress well, and show my kids the same).

Dress baby girl.

Pack a snack if needed.

10:30 a.m.

Run errands.

11:30 a.m.

Return home for lunch. Then nap time.

Then I can do something I want to do, hobby wise, or a project with baby girl. 

___________________________________

Today tho I am cooking.

Get home. Unpack groceries. Baby girl plays in toy room.

Start cooking that chili. Recipi is here.

Make a sandwich for lunch and eat.

We eat in the kitchen and read a book, or chat, or color to help baby girl eat.

12:45 p.m. it's her nap time so we read a book, or two. Then play music so she can fall asleep. (I have played gentle music for my kids to fall asleep to since their birth!) 

Sometimes I nap with her (since I need it and these snuggle moments are fleeting).

Today I have some tasks that I can do by baby girl. My chili needs to simmer for an hour. By 1:15 she's asleep.

I am on pinterest looking at how to make my own derby hat (for an upcoming event).

Afternoon Routine

2:00 I make a cup of tea and check the chili. (I am trying to cut back on my coffee intake so I am less irritable.)

At 2:15 my alarm will go off for school pick up reminder. 

Wake baby girl, give her something to drink, use the bathroom, get ready (my next 2,000 steps) to pick up the boys from school. Shoes, coats.

We pick up the boys and talk on the way home about their day, school work, and our girls day too. We often talk into homework time.

3:15 or so, if we didn't stop at the park we tend to be back with the boys in tow. They empty backpacks, lunch bags and change into play clothes. Unuforms go on their chairs for the next day, check pants for stains and get a fresh shirt. I prep snack. Baby girl trails them to hear about their day or play.

Snack and start homework Routine

4:00 p.m. Homework. I stay with the boys to help and start dinner.

Baby girl gets a project or plays.

5:00 p.m. homework is over, younger son gets to play while older son finishes up - at the kitchen table or the desk in his room. 

Dinner Routine and Some Playtime

We either wait for dad to get home to eat between 5:30-6:00 or start on our own if he is going to be late. Kids will do chores as needed like empty the dishwasher, put clothes away or sweep, feed the dog, wipe up spills, clear tables etc.

Set the dinner table with the kids help.

Helping with Garden chores and picking Red Current Bushes

Bedtime Routine

7:00 p.m. Get ready for bed.

Baths or showers. Change into PJs, brush our teeth.

7:30 Snuggles, secret feet tucks and read a book before bed. Hopefully we are done by 8:00 p.m. And I don't mind the hour commitment here. 

And so there goes the day! 

Previously over the years I would stay up and fold a basket of laundry, work on a project, watch TV and have a cup of tea. But then I find myself exhausted for the next day. Instead I get into bed. I chat with my husband, read, watch something on Netflix on the iPad, Pinterest, or mostly go to sleep.

And so the day starts again... Tomorrow.

Fridays are the start of the weekend!!

I make it a point to do a hobby or project list stuff on Friday. Otherwise I don't make much progress on "me" and "family" projects. I have found myself feeling less motivated too. Irony!!! Because I am energetic, idea filled and enthused all the time. And then my motivation lacks. I'll figure this out and get back on track. Thus Fridays are me days.

I make a project list so I can keep track of everything that needs to get done... And for the joy of crossing off the list! I'll have to post my to do list: and what keeps me busy in between my responsibilities. 

Make Mistakes, breathe, reflect and Laugh.Out.Loud 

Vogelei Park, Splashpad and Safety Town, Weekly Cousins Playdates andSummer Bucket List, Exploring Area Parks

Vogelei Park came up in a splashpad search for Elgin area. Our first of many weekly cousin playdates was here. A very fun park, small splashpad, but water and kids always is fun - small or large. 

We snacked under a tree... (I always bring food and snacks with me when I am out with the kids. We keep bottled water in the car, but bring our own too in the "go bag." We have hats, sunscreen, bug spray and crackers and fruits with us always!! I have a change of summer or winter clothes in the car depending on the season, with an extra jacket or hoodie, for All.Of.Us in a bag in the trunk, also 3 kid size small blankets. If I use something its quickly replaced so I am not in a jam next time.)

It was really nice. Theres a little walking path, over a bridge which kids always like. A mini pavillion and a safety town!! We brought our plasma cars and scooters for the seven kids to pretend play, it was a huge hit!

Bathrooms are super clean too. 

There are many native prarie flowers allowing for super bug observations. We are going to have to start shlepping our nature journals with us. We saw dragon and damsel flies, red ahpids, a new type of beetle, bees and beautiful plants.

For some reason the address on yelp is linked to Blackhawk park in the area. Vogelei is actually located at the cross intersection of Golf and Higgins road.

Lastly they have the Northern Illinois Raptor Center here. While I didnt see it I did read that they have paid learning sessions. I may explore that for a birthday party here?

NEW UPDATE :: YOUTUBE CHANNEL INFO ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT BLOG

Our family has had many adventures through the years. Mom, the @Minstr0Interior had an a-ha moment . . .  Suddenly I See what we will have filled our life with, ADVENTURES! We travel, craft, sing, dance, collect insects and spend loads of time together. Sometimes too much time together. Our kids have recently begun to document their own adventures, and so this channel was born. Enjoy our adventures. Or not. WANT MORE? If there is a blog post accompanying this video we will share it here. Sometimes we will include the ingredients list of the craft or recipe, or the itinerary of our trip. In the meantime click play. 

From our family: 👍 + 🙃 + ❤️ ( Thumbs up, emoji face, hearts! )

See It Live >>> 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2mGpujQIVgxdfTImFnQuLA

Make Mistakes, breathe, reflect and Laugh.Out.Loud. 

Summer Bucketlist, 2015. The early weeks and our 3 kids summer routine. At Home Day Camp.

We have had a wonderful start to the summer. Logging long days, early mornings, and we are only in our first week with all 3 kids. My younger sons school dismissal was a week earlier then older sons.

The Summer Routine

Being a mom, staying at home, can feel mundane. You are a slave to the stove, snack queen, mediator of the sibling rivalry, etc. Etc. 

While I am making pancakes this morning, a moment of I can't believe I'm cooking again overtook me. However we aren't rushing. Eventho i sort of put this burden on myself since we don't eat cereal every morning, the kids eat something fresh everyday! Toast and fruit, leftovers, potato pancakes, etc. Today I am making pancakes from scratch, but we are not rushed, so I can use a skillet, and put a pat of butter before I latle each batch. If course its more time consuming, but ridiculously yummy too!! We are on summer break, why rush? The schedule today calls for some vintage shopping and the beach.

The kids get plates and forks for breakfast, my older son came in the kitchen mid pancake making and started playing the iPad songs. As I finish they are discussing their dreams, Men in Black and Donna Summers "I survive" which is playing, and baby girl was practiceing her ballet spins. 

As we eat We will talk about the plan for the day and "make a plan." 

Monday was a lazy day, lotsa of sleeping, TV, iPads and reading. We were bums on out first day of summer. I framed some of the kids art from the year and finished younger sons Kindergarten memory book. We ran errands, getting parts for some projects I have at home, hanging a mirror, completing my sons shelves, etc.

Tuesday - we hit the beach. I rock collected, babies built sand castles and older son played soccer... For two hours!

Wednesday we went to Vogelei Park in Hoffman Estates to meet our cousins for the first of many weekly playdates.

I googled splash pads near Elgin, which is where our cousins live. Yelp brought up a long list and there were some fun blog posts. I have a separate post on the park visit with pictures.

The Birds Nest Teachable Moment

{We discussed our cousins moving to their new house, and the 2nd daughter mentioned finding a bird nest. I'm very into teachable moments, so the kids brought this subject to me and I just extended the conversation: I asked her why she thought it was on the ground? Why it had strings in it? And why I put the nest we found in our freezer? 

As the kids answer I repeat what they said, incorrect answers are not corrected, instead I keep repeating until someone gives me the right answer. I say "what else" when I want them to keep shooting answers at me. Why all this created conversation?? After a child answers a question, and you say NO or immediately give them the right answer- children assume "guessing" is wrong. But instead guessing answers, even when their incorrect is sheer brilliance at work!! Their little minds are working to FIND a solution, even when they don't know what that solution is. By guessing kids are learning the process of problem solving and critical thinking, in their own little head. As an adult, well its my job to be patient (god that's hard!) and not blurt out the answer. 

Sometimes the discussion naturally dies before I get an answer... And that's okay. In this case part of learning is the PROCESS of the conversation, not the answer. When the conversation dies, i let it, and later, even hours or a few days later, I will remind the kids "do you remember when we were talking about the Birds nest, well you never gave me the answer to my question." And I'll fill in an ending to bring closure to what was discussed. 

We don't have these conversations every day, but at least once a week something naturally will come up in conversation and I will extend it by asking the kids questions about the object. It's important to know that sometimes I don't even know the answers to the questions that I'm asking, however the kids are still brainstorming and not afraid of questions they don't know the answer to. And mommy often says "i don't know, I'll google it."

Well nearly all the kids had come for a snack and were participating in the convo. I asked their mom secretly if I could frame a birds nest for them to hang in their new home, she said yes, "it could say 'Bless this Nest." And so my next project, due in 2 weeks or so, is born. (Today while shopping in Indy I'll be looking for a deep shadow box and maybe a small elegant bird or fake eggs?}

Afterwards, since it was on our way home, my kids and I went to Ikea for lunch. Its yummy and $2.99 kids meals are well priced for a treat to eat out. I had a shelf part to buy so this trip was 2 for 1. We didn't explore the whole store, instead we just got what we came for.

Thursday - Saturday

Visiting Grandma and the Indiana Dunes. Which includes many beach visits, antique and vintage shopping at the spots we love, buying Saturdays birthday party gift, and eating out!

Insects this week

These fun insect finds were by the kids keen eye! The red aphids near the daisy was at our weekly cousins playdate, the first of the season, at Vogelei Park.

A day later we are in Indiana visiting grandma, and this little caterpillar was enjoying a snack on her perennial. I have not started any soft body collecting, eventho my entomology toolbox gift does have the viles needed, and the gel pen for labels! 

We always hit the beach, almost as soon as we arrive in Indy. And my munchkins wanted to climb the big dune (instead of letting my inside voice say "I'm too old for this" I try to change it too "this keeps me young!") we stopped to take pictures when we conquered the summit - okay, we made it to the top.

This milkweed was tall and luscious. Then baby girl spyed the bumble bee, younger son asked if the milkweeds we "stuck?" Nope, just mating. 

I also did some bug net collecting at grandmas, I am thinking of an elegant box for her, a muslin backing, Insects in Baba's garden. Posts and pictures to follow.

As I blog, on my phone, over pancakes and after breakfast - older Son is laying down, ready to shower up, and the younger ones are playing with toys (only found at grandmas).

Make Mistakes, breathe, reflect and Laugh.Out.Loud 

Learning about Spittlebugs, First Week on our Summer Bucket List 2015

Last week we went on a walk at our local Nature Center, and I found these bunches of bubbles on plants. I assumed it was some sort of insect but I didn't know what it was. My daughter shouts enthusiastically now, it was a Spittlebug!! 

I remember being on a trip to Wisconsin Dells and feeling these six drops of rain falling on me from under the trees. However it wasn't raining. That trip was last year when I was already paying attention to the bugs around me. I still did not know what it was, until seen this at the nature center. They had a handout on programs they had which included learning about spittlebugs which I assumed was this little creature. 

Free learning at nature centers, these activities eat up our day! 

Make Mistakes, breathe, reflect and Laugh.Out.Loud.