Know your Body

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is upon us.  There are many fundraising activities around the nation geared toward helping find a cure, helping those who have breast cancer, and educating those who don’t know about breast cancer.

I am not a breast cancer survivor, but I do know someone who died from breast cancer.  So I know the importance of understanding my body.  Catching things at an early stage can be critical to a longer, healthier life.  So take the time to know your body.  I observe the basic things:

Lumps and bumps

Soreness that last for long periods of time

New moles; Moles that grow in size or change shape

Extreme tiredness or weakness in muscles

Pain & type of pain (sharp, dull, reoccurring)

Discoloration of the skin

If any of these things become unusual or drastically change then be on alert.  Your body is telling you something and it would be a good idea to have it checked out.  It may not be the extreme case of cancer, but knowing your body will help prevent things from getting worse. 

Who knows your body better than you.  So take that extra 5 minutes after your shower and look over your body.  If 5 minutes is all it takes, it would be worth the time.

Technology freaks

As a parent you always want more for your children that you didn’t have for yourself.  I worried when the children were younger that I wouldn’t be able to achieve this goal.  But when I look about me it is easy to see that I have already reached this goal and the children haven’t even made it to college yet.

Game systems that are eons more sophisticated than my Atari.  Communication devices that connect anywhere and can reach anyone.  Knowledge at their fingertips.

And I guess all generations have gone through the laughable, archaic nature of the older generation, especially when it comes to technology.  My 9 year old uses a promethean board at school and knows how to calibrate it.  I didn’t even know what calibrate meant at 9!  This reminds me of my parents and the VCR.  I didn’t understand how it was difficult for them to grasp.  Sorry Mom and Dad. 

It’s amazing how quickly technology takes hold and spirals out of control.  Six months from now my awesome new computer can be the thing of the past when a newer, faster, smaller, easier techie toy has come out, and does the same thing.  I don’t think I can even keep up!  Or afford to.

The Jetsons would be envious of some of the things we have…Roomba can vacuum the floor when we are away, escalators, elevators and moving walkways when we don’t feel like walking, at the click of a button we can choose instant food and drinks (vending and coffee machines), restaurants in the sky, robots that help with surgery.  The most phenomenal for me is a car that parks itself!

I’m beginning to wonder…what do we need humans for? Oh wait, someone’s got to create the next techie toy.

Back to School

August always brings the combination of the dread and excitement of going back to school.  We ALL dread getting up earlier than usual and the waiting, either in traffic or for the school bus.  The excitement of getting new clothes, seeing friends all day, maybe just getting out of the house, or maybe learning something new…NAH!

The Back to school sales fell short this year. I didn’t really see many deals I can say was worth driving around for because my gas going from one store to another cost more than the savings.  And the ones that did have a good sale were either short-lived or just good on paper.

Tax free week was only three days, which for those who didn’t get paid that week may not have been able to take advantage.  In some stores you would think that it was Christmas. And yet I still didn’t see much worth getting (that I actually needed, lots that I didn’t).  The only ones who really made out that weekend was the ones who planned for it, the early Christmas shoppers, and maybe the ones with stamina.  I clearly didn’t have the stamina and if I started Christmas shopping now I will have gotten 5 things for each person by Christmas!  Because, clearly, if I couldn’t plan right for tax free weekend, I can’t remember what I bought in August for December. Right?

So, I think I’m done with crayons, paper, folders, and binders in the oddest sizes.  So I apologize to all the teachers out there that has the one student who didn’t have markers available, or wide ruled paper, or the green, pocket folder with prongs. I’m sorry.  I couldn’t take it anymore.  There was a hundred other people crowding around the same bin with markers, they ran out of the green folders, and I thought I had wide ruled paper that turned out to be college ruled.  But I would love to know what they really use those green folders for?

Now that I have time, where did everybody go?

I taught them to be independent (my kids that is).  So perhaps I am partly to blame as they don’t seem to need my companionship these days. 

I remember yesterday when my children were underfoot as soon as I got home from work, when my only thought was getting dinner started and the ten other things on my daily to do list.  These were the days when I began to put the cereal on the bottom shelves of the pantry and milk on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.  (A tip that I share with any parent that is overwhelmed with time or lack of) 

Now, when I’m not rushing to get dinner on the stove or baths done before bed, I have to seek them all out for a “How was your day?” conversation.  The pick me up cries turned into a mini shadows, into goodnight kisses, and now a back seat to the tv shows, ipod, facebook, and texting.  Mom is no longer numero uno.

With all the multitasking, sacrificing, planning and trying to keep everything in line, I forgot to enjoy the everyday family life.  I miss the hugs, silly games, watching movies, and uncontrollable belly laughs.  So for all the multi-taskers out there, slow down.  Things can still get done without sacrificing the time with the family. 

So my new tip: Have your kids help with dinner, looking up recipes online, cutting vegetables into interesting shapes, baking dinner rolls, or making desserts.  If you teach them the recipes along the way (or start creating your own) you can add to their independence and still enjoy the process.  My kids may not depend on me for breakfast anymore but creating breakfast together is a great way to start my Saturdays.  The few extra minutes meals may take will be worth the memory it creates. 

Does anyone else have any tips they can share?