Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut...

Ok, so I am sure you've all heard by now about our scary night in New Hampshire over Labor Day Weekend. (and no it wasn't just because with were with Mike, although he is alittle scary. hehe!)
Charlotte had an allergic reaction to what, we had no idea at the time. Swollen lip, turned into coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, and hives everywhere. By the time we got her to the emergency room, she was having such a hard time breathing, it was so scary. But, my little girl was so brave. So strong. She did great. And the doctors and nurses at the Parkland Medical Center were the best. They really help to keep Charlotte calm, and me calm. I think keeping me calm is sometimes hard.
Anyway, long story short, we now know she is severely allergic to tree nuts. Yep, tree nuts. Not peanuts, but pretty much everything else. Now epipens, reading labels, and teaching a four year old to ask about nuts before eating anything is our life. I feel like a tree nut Nut!

Then at work, I am trying to do the job of two right now. We are short handed and I am attempting to pick up the pieces, see twice as many kids, and get back to every teacher that asks me. It is crazy. I am exhausted! I am hoping people at work understand, but I know that deep down, people don't care that I am short handed. Everyone has a job to do and everyone keeps track of their own. So, I am doing what I can and praying each day for the strength to get through. Even at work I am feeling nutty!!!!

Now finally, the H1N1 vaccine! Ugh! What to do? Pregnant women are at the top of the list to get this vaccine. Now it is scary. It has been rushed to market because of the flu scare. My OB/GYN tells me that if I get the swine flu, I could have some serious complications. But getting the vaccine, my baby and I definitely will get the vaccine, with all the added ingredients, that we don't know what the side effects on me or my baby will be. I am losing sleep over this debate. I feel like a nut!

It's been forever since I've posted. It's been forever since I've seen my best friends, and been able to talk to them. It's been forever since I've gotten a good night sleep. It's been forever since I have felt good about my job each day. Something has got to give. I need to crack these nuts. Now you all know why it has taken me forever to post...

Does anyone have a nut cracker?

Stress!

Well, I made it atleast physically through the first week back to work. It was pretty tough. Up at 5:30am, getting myself and two kids ready for the day, out the door, to daycare and to work on time. Not to mention the craziness that is my job this time of year. Attempting to schedule 78 children into the OT schedules for the week without taking them from their core academics, their specials (music, art, etc.), and avoiding lunch and recess...is no easy task. Then on top of it all, there are not enough OT hours provided by the school system to cover all the needs. So I have to be creative, and efficient in making three schedules, for this large number of kids getting OT and all seven schools! Have a headache? I do when I think about it.
I told myself that I wasn't going to think about it during this long weekend, but coming online today I got an email about another new student that we have to fit in. It sent me to www.careerbuilder.com to look for something else. I really had had it! I kept thinking there has to be a place where the administration would value what I can do as an occupational therapist and appreciate the difficulty that lies in dealing with 78 kids, two assistants, some twenty-five special education teachers, and seven different schools. ugh! I promised myself that I wasn't going to let all this get to me this year, but...

Now I've complained too much!

Stress! I know, I know we all have stressful jobs. I am not the only one. I think I just have a harder time with stress management than most. How do you all handle stress? It is said that stress can have negative effects on your body and life. Maybe blogging will help relieve some.
Deep breath!

(atleast the wedding last night was a good start to stress relief! Thanks Vicki and Scott!) :)

Vacation Nights

I have a really good friend who has coined the term "vacation night" for the night when he is off the next day. I love this term, especially from him because he has quite the way of delivering the "vacation night" phrase.
So, I am borrowing his coined phrase to describe the fact that I only have two vacation nights left. School starts next week. Back to the grind, as they say. It has been a wonderful summer, and I am definitely not looking forward to all the stress that comes with working full time, and being a Mom full time as well. As I've said before I love my job, but it is stressful.

So two more vacation nights left...hummm, how to spend them. Saying so long to a wonderful summer full of vacation nights and hello to an exciting new school year. How are you all spending the last few days of summer? And when is the next vacation night?

OT and the Small Things

So as many of you know I am an occupational therapist and I work with children with all kinds of special needs in the public school setting.

Being an OT is so much of who I am.

I am dedicated to my work and to the families who look to me for advice, treatment, and results for their children.

I think as OT's we do things that are seem very small or something we think are so basic, but are so huge for a child or a family.

So remembering to appreciate the little things is huge.

Remembering to look at how you change the world one small thing at a time is huge too. That way you appreciate all the other small things around you, and at the same time it encourages you to see all the cool things in life you do.

This post is based on some great advice I got from a wonderful OT. Thanks Lisa!