Under the Weather

Absolutely, without question, one of the hardest parts of being a mom is when your child is sick. (Actually, the even harder part is being a sick mom, but that’s another story).

As moms we are programmed to become ultra-nurturing, extra protective and usually hyper-sensitive to symptoms when our little ones are feeling under the weather. After all, it’s our job to take care of them, and they need us more than ever when they’re sick. And I don’t mean a runny nose or daycare cough kind of sick...I mean fever-bearing, curled up on the couch just wanting to be held kind of sick.

It’s exhausting as a parent, especially when being nursemaid means getting up throughout the night for several days to give medicine and comfort. Not to mention having to tend to other kids.  So much so, that I am seriously questioning what state of mind I must have been in during the first year with twins...I guess the good news is that I don’t remember most of it (my body’s defense mechanism, I’m sure).

Anyway, all this pondering about illness made me wonder where the expression “under the weather” came from and what it’s supposed to mean. Here are some of the definitions I found:


under the weather
1. Somewhat indisposed; slightly ill.
2. Slang
     a. Intoxicated; drunk.
     b. Suffering from a hangover.


Under the Weather
'This popular phrase for "ill" dates back to 1827. It is commonly believed that bad weather can make you sick. One opinion about this idiom is that "under the weather" is an old sailor phrase used when men on a ship were sick, they would rest below “the weather [main] deck” and thus were literally "under" the weather on deck.'


Under the Weather
'When it's gray and rainy out, does that affect how you feel? This expression comes from the idea that bad weather might hurt a person's health and mood. The saying also may be related to "under the weather bow," the part of a boat that will take the force of rough seas during stormy weather. If you were in that part of the boat, you might get seasick!'

There is obvious reference here to being sick on a ship, but I’m still not clear if that’s seasickness or intoxication...? In our case, neither applies, but if we’re going to be sick at least we can learn something from it, right? (I mean something other than self diagnosing some terminal illness thanks to Google).

That concludes today’s lesson. Any questions?

Getting My App Kicked

So, I finally joined the smartphone revolution and invested in an iPhone. I had a Blackberry but apparently I wasn’t smart enough to really figure out the features of my smartphone. Now that I have an iPhone, I have a new appreciation for simple technology (or technology that is so brilliantly complex that the user THINKS it’s simple).

Originally, this post was going to be about the process of going through my old phone and transferring my phonebook. I had intentions of reflecting on all the phone numbers of friends I have been too busy to call and haven’t talked to in too long...phone numbers of parents from a school we have outgrown...phone numbers of people who have moved and with whom I’ve lost touch. And then there are the staple phone numbers of the people I love and depend on, and people, like parents, I don’t call often enough.  It's all a very poignant analogy for how motherhood and life with kids keeps us so busy sometimes that we forget to make the time for things that matter most- like family and friends.

But, then I got distracted. That’s been happening a lot since I got my iPhone. It’s not the phone...it’s the apps. I loved shopping apps and of course couldn’t resist downloading free app after free app.

The problem? I spend most of my precious free minutes here and there playing apps instead of letting my mind wander...processing thoughts...and looking up to take in the world around me. And while I do find solving a hard puzzle very rewarding, it’s not exactly relaxing (why do I insist on frustrating myself to feel that moment of victory?). I probably should be using those moments to do something like read...but that can be equally frustrating when I only get to read in increments of paragraphs instead of pages. And most books don’t fit in my pocket. Or, perhaps, my time would be better spent enjoying the quiet peace.

Ironic how using a device that's designed to make things more convenient causes me to waste my time. And how something that’s designed to be simple seems to be making life a little more complicated. I’m feeling a little conflicted about it all....is it a good thing or a bad thing?