LocalMommy.com

Health Care Reform

LocalMommy — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:32:56 +0000

There is alot of information whirling around in the media about this new health reform bill. As a mom we know how important good health care is to our family. Some of us have really good health insurance even though it does cost us but it does give us control of our family’s health care needs. I want to pick my doctors and I want my health care on my time table not on a goverment waiting list. I think it is important to research this reform and become informed and write your congress people. Their are aspects of this reform that sound promising;however, as we have seen before the way it comes out in the end is not always the same as the way it starts in Wsahington. We need to have a say so talk to other moms compare information and know your health care needs and fight to protect them.

Until Next Time,

LocalMommy

Breast Health

LocalMommy — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:49:16 +0000

I wanted to write about Breast Health today because it is a worry and focus of so many American women. Breast Cancer is something that really hits home in my family because my mother had breast cancer in her 30’s and I was about 9 when I actually found out that she went had a mastectomy. This was about 35 plus years ago and it was a very radical procedure. They got all the cancer without her having to do chemo or radiation. The Susan G. Komen Foundation is an amazing organization that supports and promotes Breast Cancer Awareness they stress the importance of having regular mammograms and most importantly doing regular monthly self-examinations.Women that have had breast cancer in their family are not destined to have cancer it is just a marker that alerts us know that we are at a greater risk so we must be more aware of our bodies and have regular checkups. A recent survey showed that many women don’t realize that as you get older your chance of developing breast cancer increases just menopause alone brings about many changes in the female body. It is important to try to maintain a healthy lifestyle.Always be aware of certain breast changes that may require further evaluation such as a new lump or lumpiness especially if it is only one breast; a change in the size or shape of your breast; a change to the nipple, such as crusting, ulcer, redness or inversion; a nipple discharge that occurs without squeezing;) a change in the skin of the breast such as redness or dimpling; an unusual pain that doesn’t go away. Most of these changes aren’t due to the development of breast cancer but it is a change and you should be aware and see your doctor for further questions. I have 3 daughters and I have always stressed the importance of breast health and overall health. Since there is breast cancer in our family I want my girls to know what to look for. When it comes time for my yearly check up and mammogram I take my mother with me so she can get hers done that day too. It is important as a woman and especially if you are a mommy to know your body and be comfortable with it. When you are comfortable and know everything about your body when something is unusual or doesn’t feel right then you will be able to catch something quickly. I encourage every woman-wife-girlfriend-friend and mother to take care of your self. Get your yearly mammograms and OBGYN check-ups. Modern medicine has come along way to where the “C” word is not always a death sentence. It is our responsibility to do our part. Have a healthy life!

Until Next Time,

LocalMommy

Busy! Busy! Busy!

LocalMommy — Thu, 21 May 2009 19:34:12 +0000

Hello LocalMommy readers. I apoligize that I haven’t written in awhile Im sorry. I have been very busy lately. There has been so many new things going on at home. For starters the garden had to get planted so my husband and I had to plant that. My grandsons started school this month. They are doing really well and loving it. My grandson is really blossoming and doing well. He really needed that even though we did education related things with him he needs the day to day interaction with other children his age. My youngest grandson is doing well in school. He has never been looked after by anyone other than family so he was the one that I was most concerned about. He is very attached to everyone at home and I was worried that he would have some separation issues but he didn’t. My son is loving this time of year. I have taken him to the beach a couple times and he didn’t like it at first but now he loves it and always wants to go. He thinks that everytime he gets in the car that we are going to the beach. He will now go in the water a little by himself. He let’s it come up on his feet or he lets it get close to him then runs away. He is very cute with it. He is growing up so fast. I like to do lots of things with him like the Zoo and the Aquarium and stuff like that. He loves doing stuff like that and he teaches him alot. He can name every animal at the Zoo. I am sorry that I haven’t written and I will start writing again seeing as things are calming down a little.

Until Next Time,

LocalMommy

Don’t Panic Be Aware

LocalMommy — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 01:22:05 +0000

All of us are paying attention to the news and following the swine flu pandemic. It is important to not panic and stay informed and aware. It is important to wash your hands and if you can’t use hand sanitizer with alcohol. They recommend not going to work or sending kids to school if anyone is feeling unwell until you make sure what is going on. It is certainly better to be safe rather than sorry and during this type of health emergency it is understandable. I think avoiding groups in closed in areas and covering your mouth when you sneeze and cough and avoid others who are sneezing and coughing is a good idea too. Use the hand sanitizers and wipe things you and your family touch alot with lysol wipes just to keep other germs down. It is important to talk to your children about this in a calm and informative way so they understand what needs to be done without being scared. Stay healthy.

Until Next Time,

LocalMommy

Wash your Hands!!!

LocalMommy — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:48:21 +0000

As a child we all remember our parents saying wash your hands with soap and water and it still holds true that one of the most effective ways to fight the spread of germs is the simple act of washing your hands. We encourage our kids to wash their hands often and we have taught them to use soap and to scrub their fingers and wash for at least 20 seconds or the time it takes to sing the Happy Birthday song. This new scare with the swine flu reminds us that we have to be consistent with our germ fighting. It is alot easier if you already have good habits established from a young age with your children. You do not wantthem to be compulsive but it is important to be cautious and aware especially when it is cold or flu season or an outbreak of a new virus. So lets all wash our hands alot and be careful.

Until Next TIme,

LocaclMommy

We are Going to the Circus!

LocalMommy — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:27:10 +0000

Each day my husband says we live in a circus because our home is full of people; for example, we have older kids and grand kids and our three year old son plus a cat, dog and a goldfish. But today we are going to the real circus and I think I am more excited than my son. My mother is alos going and she hasn’t been since she was seventeen. It was the last trip she made with her parents before they passed away. I have never been and I am very excited. My son loves animals and I can’t wait to see his reactions to the animals up close and live. I also love circus food so that will be a special treat. We bought one of those little monkey kid harness to keep track of him while allowing him a little freedom. Hope it works. See you after the circus. Have A Fun day!

Until next Time,

LocalMommy

Value Your Parents

LocalMommy — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:36:49 +0000

As we get older we begin to appreciate things more and one thing we should value is our parents. My parents are in their seventies and very self-sufficient. They are in relatively good health and are able to take care of themselves. They both still drive and are very active. I am very grateful my father is retired military and they do not have to worry about health insurance and expenses. I do realize more and more each day that they are old and it is inevitable that our time is limited. I look at my fathers strong hands and they are a little shaky and the skin is thinning. Our son has my father’s hands with long fingers. I watch them move a little slower and I listen as they recall the past and forget more little things. I see two people who have loved me in their own ways each making me the person I am. I appreciate the difference now even though as a child I didn’t always understand my father’s reserved ways and my mother’s unconditional and abiding love. When I became a parent and through the years it has become very clear. The things that use to bother or annoy me now make me smile. The straight forwardness of my father is now appreciated and longed for when I need advice. My mother’s support and “the glass is half full” attitude are welcomed when the day is crazy. I am going to try real hard to be more aware of those moments that will soon be my memories.

Until Next Time,

LocalMommy

Taking Great Pictures of Your Kids

LocalMommy — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:46:43 +0000

First I have learned you need a good camera that you are comfortable with all the buttons and features. The camera should be easy to manage along with all the other things mom has to keep up with. Next the experts say take lots of picture of the same thing since digital is not expensive. Make sure you are set to the mode that will takes the best shots of fast moving kids. I read in a magazine that some cameras have a sports or child setting that works great for kids. It is also suggested to have your kids say words starting with an “M” because it seems to make a more happy expression. When our son was born my husband took pictures of his hands and feet and his hand in his dad’s hand, these picture were so profound. I try to look for those little moments that you want to capture because no one will really get it without a picture. On movement shots like jumping I try to focus on where they are headed and then snap the picture as soon as they come into focus and keep taking them to get the best shot. This new age of digital pictures has changed the typical photo album;but, it sure has made it much easier and faster to share our memories.

Until Next Time,

LocalMommy

It is Pollen Time Again!

LocalMommy — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 19:04:31 +0000

We all know it is pollen time again when we see the light green dusting covering our cars and outdoor furniture. This light green dust quickly becomes a thick dust which blows all over and makes your eyes water and your nose run. I ran across some helpful hints to help our children cope with the spring time dusting. First wash your childrens’ face and hands when they come in from outside and remove shoes and jackets at the door to help with tracking stuff through the house. Next use a children’s saline nasal spray to rinse out the nose. Do not let your little ones take their naps on top of their bed linens, always cover them or change their clothes so the outside dirt and dust doesn’t get in the bedclothes. On windy days when the pollen is real high limit outdoor time. These few little ideas are not hard to do and seem to help with the runny nose and sneezing. Give them a try.

Until Next Time,

LocalMommy

Words to Remember

LocalMommy — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:26:14 +0000

Sometimes you read something and you say to yourself I have to remember that or I must write that down. Words can be so profound and we remember certain phrases we grew up with as words to live by. My mother would always tell me that “this is what mommies are supposed to do” when she was always there to dry the tears and kiss the boo boos and I know what that means now that I am a mommy and grandma. My grandmother used to say “a little birdie told me” when we were curious how she knew everything and never left the house. When I was a teenager my grandfather would say ” when you go out always behave like I am sitting on your shoulder. I ran across a few more the other day and thought I would share them.

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” William Arthur Ward

“We do not know the true value of our moments until they have undergone the test of memory.” George Duhamel

“Every problem has a gift for you in its hands.” Richard Bach

“Trust yourself, you know more than you think you do.”Benjamin Spock

“A mother’s heart is the child’s schoolroom.” Henry Ward Beecher

Until Next Time,

LocalMommy