Leading Mama

10 Unexpected Upsides of Hurricane Preparation

If you've been to my house, you know I care more about people, play and projects than I do about cleaning and organizing. And so, as I prepared for Hurricane Irene, I've experienced several unexpected benefits.

 

1. Learned about all the prepackaged convenience foods available in the grocery store. Now I know why experts recommend stocking 2-3 gallons of water per person per day in your emergency kit. The sodium content of prepackaged food is truly alarming. It will dehydrate us dramatically.

2. Found the AC/DC adapter for Little Man's portable DVD player. Not sure when I saw it last.

3. Cleaned the refrigerator, to make room for not-yet-spoiled food. I usually wait 'til we move to clean the whole thing top to bottom. (Yes, we move that often.)

4. Organized materials for ongoing writing projects and put them in bins so I can work from my laundry room if I want to. If there's any port in a storm, for me it is work. I love what I do!

5. Moved the rug in the screened-in porch, which gave me the opportunity to *really* wash away the dust underneath.

6. Organized the storage area in the garage to make room for everything that normally "lives" outside. Six deck chairs, two ottomans, a patio table, a cocktail table, toy box, kiddie pool, hoses and sprinkler.

7. Made enough pumpkin muffins to keep two kids full and happy for weeks.What we don't use now will be perfect for back-to-school snacks. Little Man is excited to put them in his monogrammed lunch sack.

8. Finished all the laundry. Yes, all of it. If I am trapped in my house with two small children and two puppies for two weeks, I may go crazy. If we're all trapped together and naked, I *know* I will.

9. Reaquainted myself with indoor activities to keep the kids busy during the storm. They'll be fresh(er) in my mind for the season's first snow day. Bring on art time and dress up.

10. Remembered how little I care about most of our personal belongings. We could lose everything but each other and it would all be okay. I'd miss Little Man's artwork and family photos. The rest: eh, not so much.

Now, we'll sit back and wait for the wind and water. We're not on the coast, so I don't expect serious damage. If you're in Irene's way, stay safe. And remember: people matter more than possessions.

Image credit: Some rights reserved by DUCKofD3ATH  

 

Good Nite, Sleep Well

As you may know if you've been following this blog for a while, Little Mama is a champion sleeper. Scratch that: WAS a champion sleeper....

 

Until I ruined her.

 

From early on, she slept soundly through the night, soothing herself back to sleep quickly by sucking on her two favorite fingers.

 

Then, in January, it all went south. Well, actually it went west. But that's confusing, right?

We went to visit family in California and she started waking in the night. Probably it was due to some combination of factors: time change, portable crib, too much light, too cold in our room, not enough quiet. Who knows exactly.

 

What did I do? I rewarded her. (Bad psychologist. Bad, bad psychologist!)

 

That's right? I nursed her back to calm composure, then popped her back in bed. The consequence? (It doesn't take a behaviorist to figure this out, right?!) She got hooked on "boppy." That's her new word for breastmilk "Boppy."

 

The vicious cycle set in. She cries; I nurse her. She goes to sleep. I toss and turn. Often for two hours of more. Before I go back to sleep...

 

She wakes again. I want to let her cry. But I. am. so. freaking. tired. And so I nurse her, again.

 

Before long, she's up every two hours all night long, nursing like a 3 week-old baby.

 

Nice.

 

In a recent effort to turn things around (and find the energy for my plan to achieve total world domination higher-level writing goals), I've redoubled my resolve. And so it was just in the nick of time that sleep journalist and Parenting Squad expert Malia Jacobson asked me if I'd review a final draft of her new e-book "Ready, Set, SLEEP: 50 Ways to Help Your Child Sleep, So You Can Sleep Too."

 

I'm happy to say that within a week, I'd recaptured some of that earlier baby magic. Turns out I didn't ruin Little Mama completely, and -- surprise! -- she's still just as capable of self-soothing as she ever was. Last night she slept from 7 p.m. to 7:20 a.m. (BLISS!) I just had to get out of her way. And stay out.

 

What I liked best about Malia's book was it didn't teach one specific strategy for sleep training (like Ferber and friends). Instead, Ready, Set, Sleep debunks several misperceptions parents have about sleep and helps you study your child's sleep "system" and tweak it until it works. For them. And for you.

If a one-size-fits-all approach is what you're looking for, don't read Malia's book. If you want to learn the ingredients of good sleep and build your own bedtime (and nighttime) routine, buy it NOW. Her wise advice will help you rethink your beliefs and behavior. Plus, she provides tools to study (and change) your situation.

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Disclosure: I received a free review copy of Malia's book "Ready, Set, SLEEP" but all opinions are my own.

 Photo Credit: NEWBORN SLEEPING © Denys Dolnikov | Dreamstime.com

 

I'm Jealous!

In honor of Pour Your Heart Out Wednesday, I'll share a dirty little (or not-so-little) secret. Lately, I've been seeing green. Not good-for-the-planet green, either.

For two weeks I've been reading pre-BlogHer bluster and post-BlogHer highlights. And I'm jealous that I missed it.

I wanted to go. I really, really, really wanted to go. (Picture me stomping one foot, hands on hips like a bratty four-year-old now.) I wanted to dress up and have drinks with women who love to write, and who can turn everyday doldrums and drama into A+ entertainment.

I don't so much care about swag bags, or meetings with company reps.

I don't so much care that I missed San Diego, which is a lovely place with stand-out Mexican food.

I don't worry I can't catch up with the latest blogging gadgets and gizmos. My friends online will keep me up-to-date on all that. (Thanks to Nicole at Moments that Define Life; Liz and Kristen at Eli Rose Social Media Marketing;  Jessica at My Time As Mom; Christina Katz, the Writer's Workout Coach, and Courtney at The Mommy Matters) 

Why so green, then, you ask???

I envy the time to think about work without interruption. It's a 7-hour flight from here to San Diego. 7 hours is more work time than I had all week.

I envy the opportunity to meet in person the people who make blogging fun and rewarding. (Like our hostess for today's linkup, Shell at Things I Can't Say; Nichole at In these Small Moments and the hostess of tomorrow's festivities, the cool cat behind Mama Kat's Losin' It)

Exclusive private parties? Who cares.

I'd like to hear all these ladies' real voices, see their quirky and not-so-quirky mannerisms, listen to them laugh. Those are the currency of friendship in-real-life, and I'm feeling a little bit bankrupt right now.

Oh, and I'd like to ogle (maybe even covet) their shoes. I simply love shoes.

Alas, the timing didn't work. At all. This wasn't my year for BlogHer for lots of reasons. And jealousy isn't all bad. Envious emotions are signals that smart people can leverage to learn more about what they value and to make better (more satisfying) decisions. (Read more about that on my other blog, The Psychologist Next Door)

Next year, I'll be at BlogHer in NYC. I'll wear something green so you'll recognize me.

 

Image credit: GREEN SHOES by Antonsokolov