The Mamahood

A Swine Flu Survival Guide

My oldest spent Halloween on the couch, suffering from the first onslaught of what became a lost week for the Mamahood household, as each of us was felled in turn by what the pediatrician called "one of many viruses going around, possibly H1N1." (Not that he'd do the test to figure it out.)

But since we've suffered through a week of some sort of swine-like virus, I can give you a few pointers to help you through the flu.

1. Don't expect to get through unscathed. The whole thing about quarantining the sick person to one room away from everyone else seems a little far fetched to me. If your child (and let's face it, it always starts with the child) is one to willingly be separated out from the crowd to a sick room, you're a lucky person. But mine just want to crawl in my lap and cough right into my face. And I can't exactly blame them.

2. Have your takeout menus at the ready. No one was really up to cooking for the duration of the flu, so we ended up calling in several cultures' versions of comfort food to keep us going. For me, the two quarts of wonton soup I downed this week was like a big shot in the arm of Tamiflu.

3. Remember: What happens during flu season, stays during flu season. Your house will look like a disaster (as will you). Your feverish mate will likely do something to tick you off—and you will do the same to him. And you may just decide to let your kids eat lollipops for lunch, because they're sick anyway and you can't get up off the couch. But none of it should ever be brought up once the quarantine is lifted. You get a free pass. You have the flu.

4. Hope your stars align and it happens when there isn't a whole lot going on. I was lucky, in some respects, as this came when my daughter's school was closed for the bulk of the week (darned teacher's conference). She didn't miss much. But it did occur during a key week for several of my clients, which meant I got a lot of, "That sucks that you and your family have swine flu. So when are you getting that to me?" e-mails.

5. Remember that there's no rest for the wicked—or for moms, apparently. You will still be expected to keep the family in some semblance of civilization. Even if you do wear the same pajamas three days in a row.

Good luck to you.

Potty Training Success?

I don't want to jinx it, but I think we might be close to becoming a diaper-free family. Our youngest spent the past two days being very nearly perfect at keeping her pants dry (even during naps!), so we celebrated tonight with a little ice cream.

It's really amazing how quickly kids grow up—it's like you blink and they're 13.

Now With Reviews!

I've started a new section on my blog today—The Mamahood Reviews—where I'll offer my critiques of various products and services. Through my relationship with BlogHer, some of the reviews will be compensated (like my inaugural review), but those will be duly noted in the blog. (Though you best believe my opinions will not be swayed by the swag.) And through BlogHer, the reviews will sometimes include some stellar contests, so be sure to check that page out when you can.

Hopefully, the reviews can help you navigate your way toward the best products and services for your family (and help you avoid wasting your money on the not so good).

This is Why I Hate Kate Gosselin

What kind of mom drinks water in front of her thirsty kids? A mean mom. Check it out.

Now Hear This...

Today was the big day...our youngest finally got her BAHA hearing aid, which she's wearing on a pretty pink headband. Her face just lit up...and you can tell how hard she's concentrating on taking in sounds, now that she can hear them from both ears. She's dancing, she's singing...she's just joyful.

It's truly amazing what one little, postage stamp-sized piece of electronics can do for one little girl.

Close Calls

Last night, Flight 3407 crashed into a house, a few miles from where my sister and her family were sleeping—a few doors down from where my mother's colleague lives. My uncle, who works in New Jersey and commutes home to Buffalo on the weekends, often takes that flight, and was friendly with the pilots. He had opted to drive home yesterday. Acquaintances of mine helped put out the fire—they say it was the most horrific thing they've ever witnessed. And I know that I've taken that flight, at least once or twice, to get home quickly to see my family.

Tragedies like this are hard enough to deal with when they happen far away, when there's little to no chance that your life has been impacted. Because you know that somewhere out there, there are parents, children, husband and wives, friends who have had their lives forever ripped apart in one horrific moment. But when something crashes right into the middle of the web of your life, you spend a lot of time worrying, wondering, hoping that somehow, you won't feel the impact. I am holding my breath.

Thoughts on the Inauguration

I spent most of the day tuned into the inauguration yesterday, and felt all the same emotions that most of the country seemed to feel: overwhelming pride, joy, excitement, and optimism for the future of this country. President Obama's speech was everything it needed to be—serious, with a good measure of hope that we will all soldier on and fix the many things that need fixing.

And I'm extremely excited that today he embarks on his first full day as President, and already plans to take action from day one.

But while I do pay attention to the issues and the serious side of our democratic process, I also like to look for the weird little details that make these people in power a little more human. Here, some observations:

1. It was discussed at length in our household that the wheelchair-bound Cheney bore more than a passing resemblance to Mr. Potter, the nasty old banker from It's a Wonderful Life. I kept waiting for some addled member of Obama's cabinet to pass him a newspaper with the bailout money wrapped in it.

2. The flubbing of the oath. First off, they ran late, so I was too busy watching the clock to enjoy the wonderful performance by Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman...wasn't it time for him to say the oath already? (Apparently, it doesn't matter if the oath happens a few minutes late...by the time Obama was sworn in, he was already officially the president.) Then, when they finally get around to it, the Chief Justice and Obama flub the lines. At least there wasn't a single misstep in that fabulous speech that followed.

3. As mom to two small girls, I was amazed at how well-behaved the Obama girls were through what was probably a very boring morning and afternoon for them, without a Leapster, DVD player or other entertainment in sight. I did have to chuckle, though, when I saw Sasha fiddling with her mittens during the speech.

4. Obama's a lefty. There are 10 percent of us in the world, so that is quite a few people. But I always marvel when I find a fellow southpaw. Since so many recent presidents have been lefties, I'm sure they've stocked up on left-handed scissors.

5. They could have used a choreographer. The first dance felt just like a wedding, with the First Lady's sparkling ivory gown and the choice of the ubiquitous "At Last." (Though, of course, not many newlyweds would be lucky enough to have Beyonce serenading them as they tripped the light fantastic.) I know they're busy saving the world, but maybe they could have taken an hour or two to meet up with a private instructor for a little waltz training. How cool would it have been to have them gliding across the floor instead of looking like a couple of tweens at a junior high dance?

So, what were your thoughts on the big day?

The Mamahood Is Not Bad for Your Computer's Health

Sorry for the scary warning some of you may have seen when you attempted to view my blog over the last several days. Google's clever bots found an older version of my blog on a different platform and thought that was "malware," though it was just an older version of my blog. I deleted it, and we've all moved on with our lives.

Help Save Handmade Toys

I've now totally swallowed the Etsy Kool-Aid...I'm determined to buy as many handmade products as I can for my house (everything from soap to clothing). But there's one huge area where we'll soon be unable to buy handmade, if the government has anything to do about it: toys.

You remember all those lead paint issues with toys manufactured in China. Well, in order to protect us from that, the government is requiring that all toys go through extensive (and ultraexpensive) testing in order to be approved as safe for kids. Even if that toy is a little wooden train that's been finished in beeswax and lovingly handmade by someone's grandpa, or a organic cotton doll made by another mom. Small toymakers will be driven out of business, as they can't afford thousands of dollars to test each of their products to ensure that lead paint hasn't been used (even if the product isn't painted!). Which means we'll only be able to get toys from the pink-plastic conglomerates like Mattel, Hasbro, etc.

Want to stop the madness? Check out the Handmade Toy Alliance, and find out how you can help the thousands of artisans who create handmade products for kids from shuttering their businesses. I've already signed a petition. And I'm hoping that this post can help somehow, too!

Amazing Progress

Our first daughter came home completely on target developmentally, thanks to a very loving foster family. But our youngest, who spent much longer in China's care,in a less-than-stellar orphanage, had some pretty significant delays, especially relating to speech.

I had heard that kids who lag behind because of institutional delays often make up ground pretty quickly once they're given good, loving care. But until I saw this miracle with my own eyes, I didn't believe it. In four months, our daughter is now fully caught up in every aspect (including speech, despite a mild hearing loss), has gained enough weight that she went from being in the third percentile for weight to the 25th percentile, and has transformed from the very serious little girl we saw in all the orphanage photos (not a smile to be found) to the amazingly cheerful and sweet little girl with a brilliant smile that lights up a room.

It's nothing short of a miracle—that we are lucky enough to be allowed to be her parents, and that we are blessed enough that she survived the orphanage and has thrived with us.