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Theta Mom®

Redefining Motherhood

Reason 5,629 I Continue to be THAT Mom

It started out like any other day, the typical rushing around upstairs getting the kids ready for school. I did the usual routine like making the beds, helping the kids get dressed, washing their faces and ensuring they brushed their teeth. I noticed my son had some marker on his face so I washed his face with what I had near the sink, trying to get it off quickly. Before you know it, the kids were dressed, ate breakfast, grabbed their backpacks and we were off to school in a flash.

It was just like any other morning.

And then, my phone rang.

The school number was showing up on my caller ID.

Every single time I see that number, my heart always beats a little faster. I always worry that something is dramatically wrong – that something happened.

The nurse was calling to let me know my son’s face had mysteriously broken out in hives but none appeared on any other parts of his body – just on his face, specifically around his mouth and chin. Immediately, I began to panic and my mind raced with so many thoughts:

Did he ingest something he shouldn’t have? Did the afterschool program not clean the tables well enough from the day before? Did my son touch a child’s hand or even a pencil at school that had come into contact with nuts? Will the hives get worse? Will they spread? Is his lip about to blow up? Will his breathing change???

I was so confused and the nurse continued to rattle off a list of questions:

Did you change his breakfast routine? Anything he could have touched or eaten that would have caused the breakout? Anything else out of the ordinary, perhaps a new lotion, cream or soap on his face?

And then it hit me.

I remembered that I washed my son’s face (to get that stupid marker off) with my exfoliating cream, a cream I had never used on him before.

I ran upstairs to get the bottle to read the ingredients and before I could even get to the bottom of the label, I read the top which stated:

“Soothing, gentle scrub with micro-spheres and natural extracts of honey, ALMOND and yeast…

ALMOND.

My son has a severe NUT allergy, he is allergic to ALMONDS.

“Sweet almond protein” is an ingredient found in the scrub that I used to wash my son’s face that morning. Total #MOMFAIL

I felt relieved in one sense that I discovered the culprit of the mysterious hives on my son’s face, but what didn’t sit well with me is the fact that after all these years of dealing with my son’s severe allergy, it’s crap like this that *still* happens and continues to spook me. It’s the idea that we don’t live in a bubble and I know there will be many more moments like this for him growing up, making an honest (but potentially deadly mistake) like putting a new cream on my son’s face.

The big lesson learned for me?

I need to read EVERY single label – not just FOOD labels, EVERY label.

Aside from what he ingests, I need to be conscious of every product that he puts on his face, in his hair, on his teeth, lips and all over his body.

EVERY single label.

We’ve had a few scary episodes in the past, two of which I blogged very openly about and yes, I continue to be THAT mom.

Unfortunately for my son, this allergy is not going away anytime soon. We recently had him re-tested and he is *just* as allergic as he was five years ago.

And so it goes – we continue to live with this terrible allergy, one that has the potential to KILL my son. No, I’m not talking about the common cold from time to time or a cough that won’t seem to quit, I am talking about something that he could actually die from.

For the record, I know many of my bloggy friends would want to know how he is doing – Thankfully, with a dose of Benadryl he was ok. Had I used this exfoliating cream repeatedly or if he actually ingested some, it could have been a much different outcome.

This is reason #5,629 I am haunted by this allergy and will continue to blog about my experiences, hoping that if you are a mom who deals with this as well, you can totally empathize with me and know that you are NOT alone. And to the moms who don’t have children who suffer from this allergy, I hope my words resonate with you and that you find compassion in your heart for moms like me. Ultimately, my hope is that you’ll have a better understanding of why I continue to be THAT mom.

Because I just don’t have any other choice – it’s a matter of life and death.

Best of Theta Mom

Right now is the perfect time to reflect upon the triumphs, accomplishments and lessons learned of the past year. It’s also a time to look forward to another new year, full of exciting new opportunities and continued growth on the uncharted territory that lies ahead. Today, I am reflecting back on 2011 and sharing some of my favorite posts.

January: You are Not Alone {One of my absolute all-time favorite posts to date}

February: Making a Memory in Rockefeller Center {I was totally awarded Cool Aunt of the Year for this}

March: In a Heartbeat {A story about my dad, a true testament that all things happen for a reason}

April: A Warrior Mom {A mom I know I was meant to “meet”}

May: Be Careful What You Wish For {A simple but important reminder for every mom}

June: Parenting in the Digital Age {Raising the question of what the future holds for our kids}

July: Blogging, Freelancing and Maintaining your Tribe {Balancing it all in the social media space}

August: Motherhood is a Game Changer {Need I say more?}

September: After the Storm {Memories even Irene could not wash away}

October: No One {A moment of huge success for me as a WAHM}

November: An Open Letter to My Little Girl {The post I can’t wait for my daughter to read one day}

December: When Blogging becomes a ‘Real’ Job {One of my proudest posts and moment as a blogger}

And as a side note, thank you the never ending comment love, tweets, emails, support and friendship that has evolved from this little ol’ blog. Life has never been the same since I launched Theta Mom, publishing my first post and sharing my very first tweet – I look forward to another amazing year with you!!

Just Pass Me Some Bread, Salt and Wine

Well, we made it! The New Year is here, a time when resolutions are beginning to develop and take shape. When thinking about what I hope to accomplish this year and what I really want in 2012, I have to be honest and tell you that each year it never really changes.

I just want some bread, salt and wine.

That’s right – please pass me some bread, salt and wine in 2012. Taken from one of my favorite movies It’s a Wonderful Life, allow me to share why:

Bread–so that this house may never know hunger.

 

Salt–that life may always have flavor.

 

Wine–that joy and prosperity may reign forever.

 

Along with good health, please pass me the bread, salt, and wine in 2012. Cheers to a happy and healthy New Year Theta Moms! I look forward to an amazing 2012 with you – TONS of fabulous new developments (including a BIG new venture) and more surprises are on the horizon. That TOTALLY deserves a #WOOHOO!!

And the fabulous Lauren from Restored 316 will also be helping me add a fun new feature to Theta Mom® very soon! Can’t wait to share it all in the coming months and continue this journey with YOU!

A Well Deserved Blogcation

I look forward to the holiday season every single year because it forces me to slow down (after the stress of decorating, baking, shopping and wrapping is done of course). But once Christmas is actually here, it’s a wonderful time to spend with the family and just ENJOY life. Christmas week is a vacation of sorts for my family even if we don’t leave the house because we are taking some well deserved time together.

Basically, this means I am taking the rest of this week off from the blog (and part of next week) to do just that – spend some quality time with my family. I call it my blogcation and will return later next week excited to share some reflections of 2011, ringing in the New Year with you!

Until then, you know I’m never far – just an email or tweet away. And if you’re a blogger, I highly encourage you to take a blogcation or a mini-blogcation for yourself…Trust me, some time away will curb blog burnout and may even inspire you to return to your blog with tons of new ideas as well as some brand new energy. As a blogger with some experience, a little blogcation is good for the soul!

So from my home to yours…

Wishing you a safe and wonderful holiday!!!

xoxoxo

The Tangible Place to Forge a New Path as a Writer

My guest blogger today is Angela, author of the blog Tiaras and Trucks. She is such a supportive blogger and one who is about to make the exciting leap from the Blogger platform to WordPress. But her story here today is about so much more than blog design, it’s about making that fundamental decision to chase a dream – which she is doing through her very own blog.

My path to teaching wasn’t a straight one; I went back to school to obtain a master’s degree and teaching certificate simultaneously. Finding a job seemed like the end of a journey. Pregnant with my daughter Abbey, I graded papers, planned lessons, and thought about my career in terms of what sort of school I wanted to work at in the future. As an enchanted new mother, I started a blog, a place to document her photos and a few funny stories, creating a virtual baby book.

Between night awakenings, planning authentic assessments, early morning runs and contacting parents, I felt my passion for teaching wane. I dove into planning sessions, literature circles and stayed up working in the silence of the hours past midnight but my heart was divided.

By the time I was pregnant with Dylan, I knew I wanted to take a break with plans to teach again once he went to Kindergarten. Nursing Dylan in the stillness of a darkened room, I began clicking around, finding blogs I would come back to day after day. Soon, my own blog posts evolved, my language deepened and I rediscovered a joy for writing without the specific deadlines or expectations of academic assignments.

Slowly, my voice appeared; my writer’s voice – dormant for years, it called me forward in a whisper and then a SHOUT. 

I followed, uncertain and tentative, hiding behind words like hobby and just-for-fun.

I found communities like Theta Mom, which was like stepping into a candy store; blogs filled with sweetness, hilarity or with common sense advice. Women were sharing their stories and forming tribes of support, encouragement, and inspiration. I began reaching out, commenting and linking and exploring the meandering path of the blogosphere. 

Posts used to fly from my mind to the screen, published without more than a brief edit.  Now I draft and edit, taking pride in the record I’m leaving for my children, but somehow still left wondering if it could be something more.

I found Write on Edge, where I tasted fiction writing again and found a group of women who would unequivocally change how I view my own writing and the writing process. The idea of teaching again lost its appeal; freelance writing tickled softly behind my ears, hidden and unspoken, a goal I was afraid to voice should it fizzle out of existence once it met the air outside of my dreams.

I found Just.Be.Enough. where I have the opportunity to share my journey to find and accept who I am as a mother, a writer, a wife, a woman.

I found BlogHer and began to entertain thoughts of syndication and reviewing books and freelance work, both writing and copy editing.

Unlike my teaching career, this path is one I’m walking without a direct goal; there are obstacles and fears and doubts blocking my way. But there is beauty as well; the flowers of community and support that help cushion those obstacles.

Because of blogging, my teaching career is slowly becoming part of my past.  My blog, once a place to record milestones and memories, has become a tangible place to forge my new path as a writer.

My blog has helped my dreams take shape, and now I need to see how they hold their shape in the freedom of the breeze.