Harms Family News

I put it off all weekend. The task was too monumental, too difficult, too stressful. Every time I thought of it, I got that almost sick feeling in my stomach. What would they think? Was I asking too much? Finally, I could put it off no longer. It was Monday, and I had to do it. What was this task? Make a phone call. To someone I had never met. To ask about a tax related question. Surprised? If you know me, you probably aren’t. I am terrified of the phone. Why? I’m not sure. I would rather give blood than talk on the phone, unless I know the person I’m calling and have called them before so I know that it’s not an interruption. Where does this fear come from? I have no idea. I was probably a junior in high school before I was comfortable calling friends, and usually only if it was pre-arranged. Calling a friend out of the blue? Nope, not me! So today I picked up the phone and called D. Carlson at Miss M’s school to ask for the employee identification number and my total I paid this year...

Dear Mrs ____________, I know we do not know each other, and that you have a full class of little people to love this year, but I just wanted to give you some insight into how my Miss M works, because it just might make your job of teaching her a little better. I hope you have a good sense of humor, because once she is comfortable, Miss M is likely to be your class clown. She doesn’t have much care for what others think about her, as long as they are laughing. Even at two, she has an excellent sense of humor, and loves to play jokes and tease to keep us laughing. She doesn’t tolerate being bored easily, and if she is bored, she will find her own ideas about what to do. Like today for instance, when I was busy in the kitchen, she found her own entertainment by repeatedly pumping the soap dispenser in the bathroom until her hands were drenched. Thankfully today it was just her hands. You have to keep her mind busy, or she will find a way to keep it occupied herself. Miss M needs to be mo...

Today, I embrace my 30s and say goodbye to my 20s. I think it's pretty cool that my 30th fell on 1-11-11. It's going to be a good decade, right? In honor of going "over the hill," I decided to sort of revamp my post at the beginning of 2010. It's amazing how many life-changing events occurred in my 20s. I guess this is the decade when we really "grow up." Here are the amazing milestones I have conquered in my 20s. 1. I toured Israel. 2. I graduated college. 3. I got my first teaching job. 4. I discovered freelance writing. 5. I got married to my best friend and moved to Rockford. 6. We bought our first house. 7. We had two beautiful children. 8. I had my first major surgery (c-section with Megan). 9. I traveled to the island of Guam (farther than I have ever gone, and probably the farthest I ever will go). 10. We made the hard decision to leave on church and join Heritage Baptist Church. It was very much the right thing for our family. God has blessed. 1...

Sunday morning I was helping Miss N get ready for rest time. I was removing some dirty tissues from her nightstand by her bed, when I discovered her glasses, which were broken, carefully hidden underneath them. She has two pairs, and earlier that day I had noticed that she changed and found it odd, but didn’t think anything else of it. Swallowing my first instinct to get upset, I asked her if she had broken them, realizing her sister could very easily have been the culprit, and she admitted to it. After coming to the conclusion that she was not doing anything wrong and it was an accident, I then asked her why she hid them instead of telling me. She looked down at the floor and said, “I thought you would be disappointed in me.” After assuring her that I love her no matter what she does, even if she did something really bad, I would still love her. I also explained that telling mommy right away, rather than trying to cover up the problem, is always better. Even if I am upset, and I going...

I have come to a few conclusions. Miss N has pneumonia again. A-typical pneumonia (walking), but still pneumonia. Thankfully, she's not "that" sick this time around. Although I'd almost prefer if she had a fever because then her body would be doing more to fight it off. This makes the third time in her life she's had it (or second, one time was a bit inconclusive). Plus she had bronchiolitis , which led to a scary episode ending in wheezing and a breathing treatment and an inhaler at home. The bronchiolitis and the last pneumonia situation were within the past 12 months, making three events in the past year. That's too much for my comfort level. Something is causing her to have this respiratory issue over and over. I know some kids are just more prone to problems, but I want to get to the bottom of it if possible. So I have come to a few conclusions. The first is that she needs more regular chiropractic care (hi Melinda). If you have read my blog for a while,...

Since Miss N has pneumonia (again, but that's another post altogether) today was a stay home day to help her rest and recuperate. Here is how we spent our sick day. Not too bad, if I do say so myself. Pretending to be a "ball" in the ball bucket (ignore the poor photography, first day with the new camera) playing with the coolest-ever bath toy that makes huge bubble globs See? Playing playdough Mommy played too. Quack Making a craft (note to self, when the box says ages six and up, believe it) And dressing up. This picture cracks me up. She's like a mermaid, cowgirl, punk rocker. How do you spend your sick days?

The Internet is a curse for me sometimes. Miss N has a cough and sore throat she's had for a few days, and I am debating about taking her in to get it checked out since Strep is going around town. Most likely she's entering into her endless cycle of colds that happens this time of year all of the time. Yes, she takes a probiotic and a daily vitamin. The probiotic is an expensive fancy one. The vitamin, not so much. But I am not a fan of antibiotics, and she just finished a round for her ear infection (I know, not always necessary for those, but she was in tremendous pain and her doc thought it was a bad one). Well meaning people who I respect have offered a variety of natural methods to help her. Therein lies my frustration. Garlic oil in the ear, thieves oil in the house, Vitamin supplements (oh and of course only certain ones are effective enough), even a special silver that kills bacteria. HOW IS A MOMMY SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT"S SAFE AND WHAT"S NOT? Sure, garlic oil...

She stood on the edge, willing herself to go, but not quite able to take the leap. Her hands shook with the adrenaline pumping through her body. She started to leap, then stopped and took a step back. She looked to me for reassurance. I nodded my head. She started again, then stopped again. She willed herself to go, but reached for my hand. Just one hand this time, not two, but she still needed mom. She climbed the tower again, this time willing herself to go. I could see the heart pumping in her chest, the nervous smile playing in the corner of her lips. “Count for me mommy,” she said. So I did. One. Two. Three. She jumped. She landed on her feet on the squishy carpeted surface and ran as fast as she could to me, a huge smile spread across her face. “I did it Mommy, I did it! I really did it!” She was still shaking from the excitement of it all, but a sense of accomplishment and healthy pride were there too. After many months of wish, she finally took the plunge and jumped from the to...

I've had so much on my mind lately, but not enough time or enough coherent thought to make a blog post. Sometimes I wish I could write beautiful posts like my friend "A" does on her blog (read it if you love beautiful writing), but I guess this is just my dumping ground. And I guess it doesn't matter since no one reads here anyways. I'm still sad. I'm functioning almost 100 percent normal and now that my pregnancy hormones are gone I am feeling back to normal, but I am still sad. I don't really understand it, and it's difficult to accept. And it's difficult when the world seems to be moving on around me unaware of this constant dull pain. I think I have never really thought about the pain others carry until this. Like the random stranger who was rude in the grocery store could have had a horrible diagnosis, lost someone they loved, or had hopes dashed. I guess it puts into perspective others around you. Sometimes I feel mad that those around me ha...