All About Kimberly

Sailing Along the Life of Single Parenthood

Tag Archives: illness

I Don’t Want to Miss

To teenagers missing those important moments – prom, homecoming, that big game, or that special party – is a crisis.  While maybe being sick and missing a day of school is ok, they simply can not fathom the idea of missing those major social aspects of their life.  However, we are remind each year around this time of just how easy it is to get sick and miss out on these moments that they will remember forever (or at least they think they will).

Brooke White, Clorox, and Dr. Harley Rotbart have all joined together to launch “I Don’t Want to Miss.”  This a a contest to raise awareness of flu education and prevention.  Why is this necessary? This year the Center for Disease Control (CDC) expanded flu vaccination guidelines to include all children six months through 18 years old.  However, a new national survey shows that only 16% of parents with teens are aware of this new recommendation.

To encourage this awareness and education, the “I Don’t Want To Miss” campaign is hosting a contest where one grand prize winner will win a trip by Brooke White (American Idol finalist) to perform an acoustic concert at their school.  The second place winner will receive a guitar autographed by Brooke White herself, and three runners-up will win autographed photos.

So how do you win this contest? Well to begin with, you have to create a 45-60 second video PSA. The video must be related to cold and flu education and prevention and why it is important. The judges will expect contestants to relate the video to their school experiences that they do not want to miss out on with a good amount of humor.  The judges will pick their top five picks and from there videos will be voted on at schooltube.com.  The deadline to enter is coming up quickly (March 11) so if you are interested (or know someone who might be), start preparing your videos and get them submitted.  (I’d love for you to come back here and let me know if you do enter.)

Stay at Home Mom……for the Day

We woke up first thing this morning and began our morning routine as we also do on school mornings with a few exceptions.  Cameron woke up about 1:00 this morning and was sick to her stomach.  We had a little vomiting and then moaned and was sad and still feeling icky for a couple hours.  She did finally settle down though.  But when I woke her up this morning, she assured me she was ok.

We had slept in a little too late so I had her just jump in the shower with me as that keeps both of us on track, and we get in and get out.  After her hair was conditioned, she said she was getting out so I let her and continued my shower.  After finishing, I pushed back the shower curtain, and she was laying in teh bathroom floor.  I again inquired into how she felt and she assured me she was ok.  ”So why are you laying on the bathroom floor?”  ”I’m just tired.”  She gets up and gets ready for school.  I can tell she doesn’t feel herself, but she was up for 3 hours last night. She finally admits that every time she stands up, her belly hurts. “But it’s ok, Mom. I don’t stand much at school. I sit in a desk.”

I know she doesn’t need to go, but she is worried because she has 3 tests and she really wants perfect attendance.  So I cave in and write her a note letting her teacher’s know that she’s not entirely well and asking to please let her sit out during pe and recess.  I also tell her if she decides she can’t do it, to just go to the nurse and she’ll bring her over to my room.  Once we get to school, I go in and talk to our high school secretary and let her know, I’ll probably be leaving at lunch as I don’t think Cameron will make it all day.

8:45 (one hour into school) the nurse walks in my room and I just said, she already needs to go home, huh?  Of course she did.  She says Cameron is laying on a cot in her office so I tell her, I’ll be there for her as soon as they can get me a sub.  After my sub arrives, I head over to the elementary office to sign her out of school. The nurse brings her to the office, and Cameron is in tears.  She does NOT want to go home.  I have to carry her out bawling her eyes out.  Once we are out on the sidewalk, she says that she just wanted a cold washcloth from the nurse – she didn’t want to be sent home.  I assured her I understood, and I was proud of her for making school so important.

So we are now home.  I’ve done the dishes and laundry.  My baby is curled up on the couch – sound asleep, and I am on my UNFILTERED Internet for the day.  Ok.  I’m not so happy to have to be docked a day at work, but I have been coming down with the crud too so thought I’d spend the afternoon sleeping myself in hopes of sleeping off this before I get to the point that Cameron was at today.