You may suspect that I avoid going to the doctor because I’m afraid of bad news. If so, you don’t know me very well. This is the girl who, upon completing her first Judy Blume book, insisted on a trip to the doctor to be checked for scoliosis. As it turned out, I did have a mild case and spent the next year or two or whatever being photographed half naked all in the name of science. That probably makes it sound worse than it was, but for an adolescent, it was hardly a high point. The truth is that I’m a proactive worrier. Maybe that’s called being a hypochondriac. Anyway, the point is… if something is wrong, I want to know what it is and what I do to fix it.

And then Bug came along. Before he was even born, he was dealing with specialists. We had additional ultrasounds, maternal-fetal specialist consultations, and quite a few trips to the ER. And after he was born, it was like "Parade of the –Ists." He had things you would never think about. He had things you’ve never heard of. I couldn’t even make this stuff up. Before he was one, he had seen (or was seeing) a dermatologist, opthamologist, physical therapist, psychologist (ok, maybe she was for me), allergist, and some sort of developmental expert. The kid had to have surgery on his tear ducts. And then I found out I was pregnant with LadyBug. At just a year later, I was considered "an older mom," resulting in extra tests and appointments. Plus, I had problems with that pregnancy, too, which added even more special attention. She had hearing loss. Sort of. And that meant repeated visits to the audiologist where I had to try to convince a squirmy infant to fall asleep with probes in her ears. You can imagine how well that went. And then she needed to see an orthopedist. Seriously. Later we added a urologist to the mix, as well as another developmental person. We’ve worked with an OT and a speech therapist, too. I just want to point out here that Bug is only six and, other than Bug’s food allergies, they’re pretty healthy kids.

I share all of this in part because it amuses me, but mainly to explain why I let my own doctor’s visits slide, even though I knew I shouldn’t have. I had a scare in the past, shortly after LadyBug was born and knew I should stay on top of it. I was simply tired of waiting rooms and insurance papers (yes, that IS my husband, even though we don’t have the same last name) and blood draws (UGH) and follow-up visits. The last medical abnormality we had just pushed me over the edge, I think. I stopped scheduling almost anything. My kids’ physicals are up-to-date, but did fall behind schedule (bah. physical, schmysical – certainly one of the 10 other doctors would have noticed if anything was wrong) and they haven’t even seen a dentist. Yeah, I know. I’m an awful mom and my kids’ teeth will fall out and they’ll hate me forever. But at least they’ll be alive, and hearing, and walking, and talking, and all of that. [Note: It's on my To-Do list, right after my own EKG]

Anyway. I called my doctor and asked for an appointment. "When do you want to come?" the receptionist asked. I wanted to answer "NOW" but managed to come up with a reasonable time and date. And then I stopped sleeping through the night because all I could do was worry. I had finally stopped worrying (for one brief moment) about my kids and started to worry about me, which was actually scarier, because I KNEW they were healthy. I also have to blame this partly on the Grey’s Anatomy marathon I’ve been taking part in, which has me imagining all of the many ways I could be dying and not even know. That and the heart palpitations, which I might blame on Grey’s Anatomy stress as well.

I met my doctor for the first time (long story) and gave her a long list of complaints and concerns. I updated my medical history with some scary new stuff. And then I waited for the bad news. As you can probably imagine, the news wasn’t that bad at the appointment. She didn’t find a tumor the size of a basketball or anything. I left the appointment with the longest laundry lists of tests and labs and yadda yadda yadda. Who knew that your 40th birthday was the day you suddenly became old? I’ve got an order for a Mammogram, Colonoscopy (joy), EKG, and a whole host of things involving blood and other bodily byproduct. Actually, the list is a bit freaky.

You might imagine that I’d be even more stressed as I wait for more tests and test results. Uhm, if so, you probably skipped the second paragraph. The truth is that I feel somewhat better. I’m anxiously hoping for good news across the board, but right now, I’m feeling more peaceful just for taking the step to know. There is power in knowledge.

I hope that you have been rolling your eyes at my sheer stupidity for not staying on top of each and every doctor visit. But if not, please take a moment to make the call for yourself. Call your doctor. Call a local clinic. Just call and get yourself checked out. It is scary to think that something might be wrong. On the other hand, if you can stay on top of your health, you significantly increase their ability to fix anything that does go wrong.

In the meantime, please send some good vibes my way…

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I thought we left the house with plenty of time, but traffic getting into the parking garage was sloooow. By the time we got inside, picked up our tickets, and made our way to our seats, the opening music was starting. I zipped out to pick up food because there is no bigger disaster for LadyBug than to be underfed. Plus, she lives for popcorn. In all of the hurry, I dropped the ball as a mom. It was the day after a very busy Christmas. We didn’t arrive early enough for the kids to acclimate. I didn’t bring earplugs or a hat or anything for Bug. I had no idea where our seats would be and I simply didn’t prepare. And then I left right as the fanfare began.  By the time I got back, Bug was curled up in his aunt’s lap and tears were still streaming down his face. In the midst of my attempt to have a fun day with the kids, I managed a big parenting fail.

The show itself was wonderful, at least what I saw of it. It was a celebration of Disney animation from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (or the “Seven Doors” according to Bug when he was younger) all the way to the 50th animated feature, Tangled. There were so many different characters… Peter Pan, the Tick-Tock Croc, Captain Hook, Smee, Tiana, Rapunzel, Flynn Rider, Simba, Nala, Scar, Rafiki, Jasmine, Aladdin, the Genie, Tinker Bell… and the list goes on. There was flying, stunts, humor, music, and plenty of magical surprises. LadyBug was captivated. She couldn’t take her eyes off the ice and the look on her face when Tinkerbell arrived was priceless. She would have stayed all day. If you have the chance to see this show, I highly recommend it. It was one of my favorites.

I’d like to say that Bug recovered, but that’s not really the case. He had dealt with a stomach bug the week before and his stomach was hurting him off and on throughout the holiday. He wasn’t really sick, but I think all of the excitement and anxiety and running around was keeping him from getting back to 100%. That, combined with the noise (or perhaps it was caused by the noise) really kept him from really enjoying himself. It’s too bad, because  I think he otherwise would have loved it.

We’ve been invited to Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream over February break. I, of course, wouldn’t miss it. But this time, I’ll be armed with earplugs for my little guy who apparently hasn’t totally outgrown his sound sensitivity. Then again, I have threatened to bump him for one of his female cousins since he complained loudest over the princesses…

P.S. I’ll have a giveaway coming up for that very, very soon!

Disclosure: We received complimentary tickets to Disney On Ice Presents Treasure Trove for review purposes. There was no promise of a positive review and the opinions contained in this post are my own.

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3. It’s a Small World and Family Dynamics

CES 2011 in Vegas… Danny Gokey Concert

A LOT of Snow

Trip to Disney as the Traveling Mom Food Allergies Blogger

A new room for my girly little girl

A 40th Birthday! (Yikes)

A trip to NOLA for the Mom 2.0 Conference (Thanks, Microsoft!)

Lots of baking…

Forward with Ford

Visit to GE with the lovely Charlene

Family travel

More family travel

And more…

BlogHer San Diego (with some of my favorite Boston Parent Bloggers)

Bug’s First Day of Kindergarten

A Hurricane (yeah, this is the only picture I got!)

Big Guy Turns 40 (Bug turns 6)

Freak October Snowstorm (haven’t really had any snow since…)

A visit with Walter Wick

Gaming with PlayStation Family

Happy, albeit sick, holiday season…

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The Spectacular is at the Wang Theater, which is a beautiful space. We were seated in the dress circle, which was a bit removed from the action, especially at the 5pm performance on a Friday. It worked out well, though, because it gave the kids room to stretch and no one could hear when LadyBug exclaimed excitedly over every thing that happened on stage.

I don’t want to ruin the surprises, but I’ll give a quick overview. The show is narrated by Santa, who flies on his sleigh to Boston and then takes us on a special journey that includes a visit New York City, the Nutcracker Ballet, and even back to the North Pole. Every scene is magic-filled in large part due to a 50-foot LED screen that serves as an ever-changing backdrop.

Every dance number is a spectacle unto itself and the story moved along quickly enough to keep my kids from getting restless. The show is 2 hours long with a 15-minute intermission which arrived at just the right time. We took a bathroom break and bought some snacks. The kids looked around the theater for a bit and were then eager to see the second half of the show.

I’m pretty sure that most of the seats in the house are wonderful, but there is something to keep in mind when you’re purchasing tickets. Some of the characters walk through the audience on the floor, which is typically pretty cool for kids. They also (*spoiler alert*) shoot confetti canons into the audience at one point. I was completely unprepared for it and I imagine that some of the kids in the orchestra seating might have been scared half to death. On the other hand, the kids on the floor seemed to have fun collecting the streamers when all was said and done. We were too far up/back to be in the midst of any of that, which I had mixed feelings about. If you have a kid with sensory issues, especially noise, that might have sent them over the edge.

There is still plenty of time left to nab tickets to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Boston. The show runs through the 28th. Unfortunately, my giveaway is over, but I’ve got a discount code that’s still available in that post. I can’t recommend it enough as a family holiday event.

Disclosure: We were given complimentary tickets for the purpose of writing a review. There was no promise of a positive review and the opinions in this post are my own.

Related posts:

1. LadyBug, Vomit and Christmas Cheer
2. It’s a Small World and Family Dynamics
3. This Is the Christmas that Never Ends…

Me: When your baby teeth fall out, you’ll put them under your pillow and then the Tooth Fairy will come. She takes the teeth and leaves money.

LadyBug: Where does the Tooth Fairy put the teeth?

Me: She brings them to Fairyland…

Bug: There’s no such thing as Fairyland!

And here, as I’m scrambling to get around this apparent truth, something unexpected happens.

Bug: She must take the teeth to Tooth Town!

Huh? Tooth Town? And with that, my son apparently decides that my version of the story makes no sense, but the version that he has simply conjured out of thin air is the stone-cold truth. LadyBug is easily swayed, and their now private conversation continues with all of the little-known information about Tooth Town. Honestly, I was so baffled by the turn of the events that I can’t remember anything about it, other than the baby teeth get to join all of the other teeth that were already living there.

Sound like a happy place. Maybe I’ll head on over to Tooth Town…

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We have a few big philosophies, but these in particular stand out:

1. Giving girls the space to be what they want without pressure to do “girl” things. Ah, nature vs. nurture. Do girls like pink and purple because of genetics, or because everyone behaves like it’s a foregone conclusion? Do they play with dolls and favor social play because they have learned to do so from the people in their lives? I think it’s a little of both, but it was important to me to create a space where my daughter could choose her own path. We shied away from the pale pink and purple clothes that many purchase exclusively. We went instead with neutral pastels and bold colors like turquoise, plum, and red. We made sure she had equal access to blocks and cars as to dolls and and play kitchens. It’s challenging, quite honestly, because many family and friends around us still believe that girls prefer dolls over trucks. They give her everything “girly,” while Bug gets all of the engineering toys. I believe that sends a message to both of my children about what they should like and what their roles should be.

2. Guns. I am not a violent person and I don’t believe that violence is generally the best solution to any problem. Big Guy and I have struggled a bit more with this particular area. Not that my husband believes in guns or violence either, but we’re gamers and sci-fi fans, and weaponry plays a role in our hobbies. We both fondly remember Star Wars from our own childhoods and wanted to share them movies with our own kids. But it’s a slippery slope. Is a light saber a gun? Yeah, kind of. And I’m sure my husband thought I was a lunatic when I was furious with him for purchasing a Toy Story 3 Lego set with green army men. Once Bug started school, it became virtually impossible to avoid the influence of guns and a battle culture, even if we hadn’t been great about dealing with it in the first place. This past Halloween, Bug decided to go as a Clone Trooper (they were good guys before they became Storm Troopers). And when I balked about getting him a toy blaster, he counseled me, “It’s just a piece of plastic that makes noise. It’s not REAL.” This is where I had to make a choice. Do I blindly hold onto this rule, or do I make an occasional exception, but use it as a chance to talk more with my kids about the subject. I went with the latter, although it’s an uneasy decision for me. Still, Bug reminds me frequently that his battle play is pretend, while I continue to request less violent games. Lady Bug is younger and it’s hard to tell what she understands and what she doesn’t. This makes the whole situation far more complicated.

There are plenty of other decisions we have made as parents that are the same as some families and different than others. It’s not about right or wrong; it’s about making the choices that we feel comfortable with and that seem best for our family.

That brings us to today. LadyBug is making out her Christmas wish list and it has two items on it. The first is a My Little Pony play set with a slide. For the record, Hasbro doesn’t currently make any. The second? A pink and purple gun. And it is those minutes of parenthood in which you know, without any doubt whatsoever, that you have failed your children.

The good news? Guns are not typically girly, so there aren’t many toy gun options in pink and purple. Sadly, there are more pink toy guns in production than My Little Pony slides. LadyBug is going to have to come up with a new list and I have a whole new parenting challenge ahead. How do I explain that Santa doesn’t really make either of those toys?

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That said, here are my Clone Trooper and Snow Princess. Lady Bug was thrilled with her glow wand, but has requested “a gun” for her birthday. Lovely, right? And I’m not sure who designed that Clone Trooper costume, but next time could you leave room for the kids’ noses? I mean, maybe you could let a Real Child try on the costume before you start the manufacturing process.

We have a whole new meaning behind “checking the Halloween candy.” Remember how you had to hand it all over to be inspected for razor blades and such? We don’t really do that here, although I suppose I should check it a bit more closely. We’ve got a pretty friendly neighborhood, so I’m more trusting than I might be somewhere else. Anyway, we have to separate out all of Bug’s candy and it breaks my heart every year. It’s not the candy that’s really the issue – we always have plenty available for him to swap and he’s got more than he needs anyway – it’s just sad to me to see how many things he can’t eat. I easily pulled out half of his candy (maybe more) for nuts and possible nuts. We snag Lady Bugs nut candy, too, although she can keep the stuff that is just a possible contamination. They’re too young to take the chance that he won’t accidentally grab something from her bucket.

By the end of Halloween, we were all exhausted. Two days without power (and heat), the Halloween party, the birthday party, an impromptu slumber party at my in-law’s house (where it was warm!) was draining. We all snuggled on the couch for “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”

Big Guy didn’t even make it that long…

I don’t really love the costumes, but I enjoy all the decor, music, and ambiance around Halloween. And it has special meaning, because we brought Bug home for the first time on Halloween night. It was our first Halloween in the house, but we had all of the outdoor lights off. The kids saw us in the house and started shouting, “Give us candy!” We shouted back, “We just came home with a newborn!” Luckily, we had a stash of candy on hand, but it’s still a memory that makes me smile. Here he is in his first costume just home from the hospital:

And LadyBug’s first:

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Radio Shack has the limited edition HEXBUG Halloween Zombie Nanos, and you can bet that they’re going to be selling out. These adorable HEXBUGs come in a black or orange coffin and have a glow-in-the dark exoskeleton. They retail for $5.99 and are only available from Radio Shack. Don’t wait to pick up a couple of these. They’re really nice gifts for your kids, and a nice way to swap out some candy for something without sugar!

We also had a chance to take a look at the new HEXBUG Larva up close. Admittedly, these guys creep me out, and have since I first saw them. But once we had the time to play with them, I also decided they’re pretty cool. They have a sensor that causes them to change direction when they approach an obstacle. It makes them decidedly creepier, since now they seem to have some intelligence, but they have grown me. I hope HEXBUG makes one in the future with an LED or a glow-in-the-dark shell, because they would be perfect for a disturbing haunted house display.

Here’s what Larva looks when it’s just roaming around:

So, there you go. Our HEXBUG Halloween party was a hit. The kids were all thrilled to go home with HEXBUGs of their own. My kids, of course, believe that you can never have too many HEXBUGs and I am inclined to agree. Shh… don’t tell, but we’ll be surprising another bunch of kids with HEXBUG fun at Bug’s friend birthday party at the end of the month. We love to share the HEXBUG goodness!

Disclosure: We received a HEXBUG Halloween party kit from BSM Media and InnovationFirst. There was no promise of a positive review and the opinions contained in this post are my own.

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Every other Saturday morning, Lowes offers a free workshop for kids. The Build and Grow Clinic gives each child an apron, safety goggles and a kit with all the supplies needed for one project. You can keep all the gear. They also loan you kid-sized tools to use.

The kits are great for little people, but are most appropriate for kids in grade school on up. Younger kids will need more help with assembly. Still, the directions were clear and required little to no reading, and the holes for the nails are predrilled.

This particular craft was a wooden police car with working lights and wheels. Pretty cool. And when they finished their cars, the kids each got a mall police badge patch to sew onto their aprons. Over time, they can amass a collection of badges to show off the projects they’ve completed.

Although the Build and Grow clinics are free, it is recommended that you sign up in advance and show up early in the timeslot to ensure you don’t miss out. It didn’t seem like an issue in our store, but it did get pretty crowded!

Disclosure: N/A – This is not a compensated post.

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“I was sitting by myself on the bus. The bus driver was singing songs, but I was too sad to sing. Then J came and sat down next to me and we became best friends.”

LadyBug shared that she had a good day, really loves her new purple sneakers (thanks, Nordstrom Rack) and met new friends at preschool.

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