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?

5 Reasons To Go For A Run In The Cold

Okay, here’s my disclaimer: I live in Southern California and I don’t know real cold compared to other parts of the country. BUT, I am an early morning runner and run regularly in temperatures from the mid-30’s on up. So, I’m kind of qualified to make this post. Here goes...


5. Don't over think it.  Stop trying to find a logical reason for running in the cold. You will have much more success if you absolutely refuse to think about. Sure, it takes discipline to get out the door, but it takes as much, if not more, discipline to keep your left brain out of it. You’re going. Period. Do what you have to do to get out the door.


4. Schedule it. Why? Because you will always find something better to do than run in the cold. See #5. The more you can make it a habit, the easier it is to find the discipline. Don’t expect to “find” the time- you won’t; you must “make” the time.

3. The views are spectacular. Seriously, weather always makes for something interesting to look at. Whether it’s the glistening of ice on rooftops, the brilliant sunrise/sunset, or the sights and sounds of winter, you can find inspiration from the world around you. For me, it’s the silhouette of the mountains in the distance contrasted with the sunrise in the early morning. Some days I’m lucky enough to watch the moon set simultaneously. And, yes, some mornings THIS is what gets me out the door. It’s peaceful, beautiful and refreshing to see life from the perspective of my own moving feet.


2. The colder it is, the faster you will go. I’m not sure this is a scientific theory, but it’s been my experience. You are anxious to get to the point of not being freezing and the only way to accomplish that is to break a sweat (just be sure you are not wearing anything cotton). And, once you’re out there, the sooner you get back, the sooner you find warmth; it’s a good incentive when you need it to be.  Likewise, (and maybe equally unscientific) is that I always feel like I burn more calories in the cold because my body is working extra hard to keep warm.  And it's pretty darn cool to create your own steam cloud when you're done- kinda makes me feel superheroish.


1. It’s impossible to be tired and cold at the same time. Again, not sure about the science behind this statement, but I’m speaking from experience. Cold air wakes up the senses. If your excuse to not run is the because you're too tired, then turn that excuse into your reason to run! You will feel more awake after a good run in the cold.  I have yet to regret going for a run.  Ever.  But have many times regretted not going.  Don't let the cold keep you from being the athlete you want to be.

A couple additional pieces of advice. Dress appropriately. I wear gloves, a hat and make sure to double (and sometimes triple) up on layers, especially around my core. For those of you in “real” weather, here are some more good tips. If it’s dark, be sure to wear reflective gear (I have an arm band I can easily strap on to be visible to unsuspecting drivers). From a safety standpoint, it’s always a good idea to run against traffic and off the road, and stay aware of the cars and people around you. If you’re a female (and even if you’re not), take a self defense class regularly and carry pepper spray and your phone. And, lastly, be sure to tell someone your route before you leave, and try to vary that often.

And for those of you who still aren’t convinced it’s worth running in the cold, don’t worry, the there’s always the heat and humidity to look forward to. :) Happy running!

Camping Out

My 3 year old daughter was born to camp. It’s not her fault, it’s in her genes. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) And she’s only really been real camping once, but she’s a natural.

Which is the one thing I kept going back to over the past year and then some that she’s been sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag. Oh, she has a bed. A nice toddler bed with cute sheets with trains, trucks and airplanes. (She was supposed to have bed with the pretty pink flowered bedding, but true to her personality and intense competitiveness, she decided the bed intended for her brother was to be hers. Good thing he didn’t really care. And no one needs to know his bedding has pink flowers, right?).

But this is all beside the point. Following a visit from her Aunt (who is a wildlife biologist and spends much of her time camping) and thanks to the sleeping bag her Aunt left behind, my daughter has become a floor sleeper. Her bed sits empty while she chooses night after night to sleep in the sleeping bag on the floor. Hey, if she’s willing to actually sleep, I’m not going to complain about where that occurs, as long as I get to also.

So, now that we’ve played musical rooms and switched the bedrooms around, she and her twin brother have inherited the biggest bedroom...with wood floors. I thought this would be my opportunity to get her sleeping in her bed again. It’s not a huge issue, but I do like the thought of her being up off the floor for the sake of things that crawl. And so far she’s been receptive to the idea- as long as she still gets to sleep in her sleeping bag. Okay, great, that’s fair!

But I discovered something. She’s a super squirmy sleeper and has been rolling out of bed (still in her sleeping bag) multiple times a night and onto the wood floor. Her bed is low to the ground and it does have a small guard rail, but it’s no match for the wiggling girl in a sleeping bag that easily hurdles it. So, the problem now is that I’m up 3-4 times every.single.night. getting her back to bed since the hard landing always wakes her up.

She is finally content to sleep in her bed but now I’m not getting enough sleep. I’ll figure out a way to solve this unanticipated problem (I’m thinking it may involve a carpeted indoor tent), but I had to take a moment to examine the irony of how trying to solve what we perceive to be a small problem- like unnecessarily sleeping on the floor- creates a bigger problem. My daughter is not an in-the-box child OR in-the-bed kind of sleeper; the more I can embrace that, the better. However I look at it, it’s a great reminder that, even thought I’m MOM, I don’t know everything...and sometimes she knows best- like the fact that her sleeping habits are just not suited for a bed. Happy camping, my love!

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?