Calming the back-to-school jitters
By Diane Griffith, Staff Writer, myOptumHealth
Some kids welcome the start of a new school year with the same enthusiasm as the first day of summer vacation. Others dread the day and start showing signs of rattled nerves come mid-August.
If your child is less than happy about the coming school year, you may be able to help by working with him on coping strategies to deal with his feelings.
For tips on how you can help, click here to read the rest of this article
Mommy’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day
Mommy’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
By Charlotte Bowman
© 2011 – Muscogee Moms LLC, muscogeemoms.com
Some say becoming scatterbrained is a sign of old age. I think it’s a sign of being a parent. Like every mom, I have good days and bad — days when I am super organized and on top of it all, and days when I suspect my brain has left the building.
But there was one day not so long ago that takes the cake. That day I accidentally double booked myself for lunch AND dinner.
I discovered the double dinner date early that morning and worked it out with only moderate groveling and apologizing. But I didn’t remember my double lunch date at Miriam’s Cafe — until halfway through my salad at MacAlisters.
Time for Plan A: “A little white lie will fix almost anything.” No problem. I would simply call her and make an excuse. I reached in my purse for my cell phone and discovered… MY CELL PHONE WASN’T THERE!
Time for Plan B: “Being late is better than not showing up at all.” I scarfed down the rest of my lunch, raced downtown to pick up my preschooler, then flew to the restaurant with the faint hope of catching up with my friend. To my lack of surprise, she had already left. But at least I had avoided the police.
Time for Plan C: “Groveling is an acceptable solution when you have no other choice.” I drove across the street to the florist to purchase a small bouquet. I grabbed what I needed from my purse and locked it in the trunk (because that’s obviously the most logical place for it).
I then unbuckled my child from his car seat and carried him inside, conveniently forgetting Parenting Law #7: “The greater the number of expensive and breakable items in a store, the greater the probability that your toddler will get loose and destroy things.”
Quite naturally, once we got inside my precocious tot squirmed out of my arms and shot off.
Adrenaline is great stuff. I demonstrated the speed and agility of a mad hippo as I chased him around the tightly packed displays of pricey, breakable merchandise. I finally caught him, tucked him under my arm like a sack of potatoes, paid for my purchase and left.
I delivered the bouquet to my friend’s house with profuse apologies and headed home to try and recover the last shreds of my dignity and good cheer. One might think at this point that the universe would show mercy. One might think…
I pulled into my driveway to find my husband waiting. He needed our insurance card for a doctor appointment. No problem. The card was in my wallet in my purse in the trunk. I patiently ignored his look of “what the heck is it doing there for?” as I went to retrieve it.
I inserted the key into the lock of the trunk and… IT BROKE OFF IN THE LOCK!
I took a deep breath and repressed the urge to punch something. Oh forget it! It was time to put my dignity out of its misery and just give it a quick death. I’d already displayed some pseudo-agility earlier, so I contorted myself into position between the car seats and crawled into the trunk from the inside of the car. YES!! I managed to unlock the trunk! This day would NOT defeat me!
I could feel my good cheer starting to return. I reach into my purse for my wallet and discovered… IT WAS AT THE FLORAL SHOP!
For some odd reason, my husband and children avoided me for the rest of the day.
Duplication and/or Publication without permission is strictly prohibited.
Please contact Charlotte Bowman, Muscogee Moms LLC,
(706) 888-0260, or charlotte@muscogeemoms.com for duplication/publication use.
Unplugging with the Bowmans
Unplugging with the Bowmans
By Charlotte Bowman
© 2011 – Muscogee Moms LLC, muscogeemoms.com
Last year my husband and I came to the painful realization that our posteriors were beginning to resemble our easy chairs. So in a fit of righteous indignation (also known as shame and guilt), we hauled our family outside for the “Bowman First Annual Unplug, Get Out, Get Dirty, Get Fit Adventure.”
For our first official outing we decided to investigate just how “family-friendly” Georgia’s State Parks and Historic Sites actually are.
We decided upon Amicalola Falls State Park and Lodge, a beautiful 56-room hideaway perched atop a breathtaking mountain vista overlooking 2,050 acres of the Chattahoochee National Forest. The Lodge is supposedly a great place to unwind and unplug your family from its electronic addictions. Supposedly.
Amicalola Falls State Park and Lodge - (Photo courtesy of GA Dept of Natural Resources)
“Where is the V-smile?” our son, 4, whined.
“Can I play on your laptop?” our other son, 6, demanded.
Right! There we were–smack in the middle of one of Georgia’s loveliest state parks–and all my boys wanted to do was find the nearest TV. Clearly, the “unplug” aspect of our family adventure was long overdue.
Of course, this is our fault. My husband and I are usually working, so we always travel with two laptops, two cell phones, cell modems, powerstrips and various other electronic media. So, it is important to select a destination that can accommodate our electronic lifestyle.
Fortunately, five of the 63 state parks and historic sites in Georgia offer secluded lodges with hotel-style rooms, restaurants and meeting facilities for guests looking for a getaway without sacrificing modern technology. They have conveniences such as wireless Internet, digital satellite televisions, air conditioning and private indoor plumbing.
Old habits die hard, so we selected a state park with a lodge that would allow us to “unplug” our boys, but not ourselves. Granted, it was a naive plan. My boys aren’t idiots, so I should have seen this coming. All hail the mighty power of distraction!
Enjoying the veranda at the Lodge
After paying due lip service to the “Unplug” part of our plan, we moved on to phase two: “Get Out.” After dinner, we hauled our grumbling boys downstairs to the veranda where several other families were relaxing. At the sight of a dozen other youngsters the same age, our boys eagerly joined in. My husband and I kicked back in the glider rockers and watched the sunset while they played tag with their new friends.
The following morning we launched phase three and four: “Get Dirty and Get fit.” Armed with a map, drinks, snacks and a first-aid kit, we set out to explore the park’s recreational amenities. First stop: The top of the park’s famous 729-foot waterfall namesake.
The staircase of doom!
Stairs wound down the mountain to an observation deck 428 feet below. “Come on, mama! Let’s go!” my boys shouted as they flung themselves down the steep cliff.
With my heart in my throat, I accompanied them down the staircase of doom. Within 20 steps my legs were jelly. By 50 steps I was clinging to the rail and wishing I were in better shape. By 100 steps I was trying to determine how much pain and fear I could endure before blacking out.
Mercifully, I finally made it the rest of the way down to the reflection pond at the bottom of the falls. The pond is stocked with rainbow trout every other week. They were a welcome distraction while I rubbed my sore calves and thanked God I was on level ground.
A visit to the playground was next on the boys’ agenda, so we bypassed the fishing and went straight to the swings. While the boys explored the playground that afternoon, I limped next door to the visitors’ center and discovered, much to my delight, that there are lots of things to do at Georgia’s State Parks that don’t constantly remind you how out of shape, fearful of heights and dependent on technology you are.
Some of those activities include interpretive nature programs and geocaching. You can even earn badges to become a Junior Ranger. We watched a fascinating program about North Georgia’s native snakes. The Park naturalist brought several non-venomous (live!) snakes for everyone to see and touch. My boys thought it was great. After overcoming the urge to scream, I said, “No thanks” to their request for snakes as pets.
Taking a nature walk
So what did my family learn from “The Bowman First Annual Unplug, Get Out, Get Dirty, Get Fit Adventure?”
For starters, it’s fairly difficult to convince your kids to unplug if you’re not willing to do it yourself. My husband and I plan our destinations based on the availability of WiFi, so we’re still working on that one.
Getting out is actually easy once you’ve worked up the appropriate momentum and get past the front door. After that, the opportunities are endless.
With kids, getting dirty is their default setting, so that’s a cinch. My boys have more energy than a flock of hummingbirds on steroids, and if there’s a mud puddle within 100 feet, they’ll find it.
We’re still working on the “Get Fit” part of the plan. I braved those horrible stairs under that goal, whereas my husband DROVE down to the bottom of the waterfall. He claimed it was for our benefit so we wouldn’t have to climb back up. Which one of us made the smarter choice is still up for debate.
And finally, we did have fun, although our youngest son came down with a pitiful case of homesickness on the last day. So the “annual” part of our plan remains to be seen. But with kids, the “adventure” is every day. The only thing that really changes is the location.
Happy trails!
Duplication and/or Publication without permission is strictly prohibited.
Please contact Charlotte Bowman, Muscogee Moms LLC,
(706) 888-0260, or charlotte@muscogeemoms.com for duplication/publication use.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Your babies need their Mommy! Do your monthly breast self-exam. Call your friends and remind them too. Go take a bubble bath or shower and check out your breasts. Schedule that physical. Get that dreaded mammogram.
If you’ve never had a mammogram before, Columbus has two locations to choose from. Both offer curb-side parking, a pleasant atmosphere and, most importantly, privacy. Both are dedicated to improving the health of women in our community through an array of diagnostic services, including digital mammography, counseling and wellness programs.
Columbus Regional Breast Care Center
2200 Hamilton Road, Columbus
(706) 571-1234
St Francis Hospital Center for Breast Health
3720 Woodruff Road, Columbus
706-257-7700
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women. It accounts for nearly one in three cancers diagnosed in women across the nation. While the exact cause of breast cancer is unknown, the biggest risk factor is age. Most breast cancers occur in women over the age of 50. Your risk also increases if you have a family history of breast cancer. However, 85 percent of women who develop breast cancer have no know family history of the disease.
Beginning by age 20, women should conduct monthly breast self-examinations and have annual exams by a physician. Women ages 35 to 40 should also have annual mammograms.
