Many Doctors are Creative

Ever wonder what doctors do in their spare time?  Here’s the web site and description of one really creative pediatrician.  He combines his love of woodworking with his love of kids:

 http://hallowellwoodworks.com/wp/

Hallowell Woodworks, LLC is a one man woodworking business located in the beautiful and eclectic city of Hallowell, Maine. Although officially established in 2011, I have been a passionate woodworker dating back to 1988 when I built a cradle for my first born child. As I constructed the cradle, I was amazed at how it was possible to take rough cut lumber and create what would one day become a family heirloom, enjoyed by many generations to come.

I have been a practicing general pediatrician for the last twenty-two years and during this time, I have always been thinking about a way to combine my love of woodworking and my love of pediatrics. I have recently embarked on designing and turning a line of custom, heirloom baby rattles. The rattles are the result of my personal observations of infant development and are designed to enhance your infant’s auditory, visual and tactile senses. Each rattle is custom turned in my shop and finished with a natural, baby safe finish composed of mineral oil and beeswax. I have been quite pleased with the positive feedback I have received from parents as well as the smiles on the faces of their babies. I have full confidence that you too will be pleased with your purchase.



Tell him Lasermed sent you.

Thoughts on Discipline with My Children

We have been having an online discussion on my doctor’s web site about parents that bring their children to the pediatrician because they “won’t behave”.   I was amazed that anyone would take their children to a doctor for this.  I’m still trying to work this out.

Discipline starts when children are very little.  It starts with love and being firm.  My children are indeed the center of my universe.  Still, they need to be civilized human beings, not wild beasts.

That's why I'm a "Mean Mom".  My kids started calling me that after they learned to talk.

I tell them that "I'm Mean because I love you", that they need to learn whatever. There is always love, even if "I don't like you very much right now".

I love to hear the stomping of feet as they go off to do what needs to be done. Or see that lip stick out. My Mom used to say "Stick it out a little farther so I can sit on it!" My younger brother was really good at it.

No physical punishment, but correction and correction and correction.  Then lots of hugs and kisses and snuggles. 

Funny when they start doing it back.  I love getting my language corrected by adolescents.  Sometimes they will correct my historical facts.  That’s OK.  If they are right, I will choke out the words, “I was .... wrong.”

Stay involved in their lives, give them enough freedom to fly, roots to stay grounded and try to have enough wisdom to know the difference.

When you're not sure, call your Mom and ask.  That’s what I did when I left my 14 year old freshmen at a senior graduation party at the end of freshman year.  I think I talked to her for an hour.  They did great.  No alcohol.  Parental supervision.  Band geeks.  We all grew up that day. 

Semper Fi

Little-known story from the Pentagon on 09/11/2001

During a visit with a fellow chaplain, who happened to be assigned to
the Pentagon, I had a chance to hear a first-hand account of an
incident that happened right after Flight 77 hit the Pentagon.

The chaplain told me what happened at a daycare center near where the
impact occurred. This daycare had many children, including infants
who were in heavy cribs. The daycare supervisor, looking at all the
children they needed to evacuate, was in a panic over what they could
do. There were many children, mostly toddlers, as well as the infants
that would need to be taken out with the cribs There was no time to
try to bundle them into carriers and strollers. Just then a young
Marine came running into the center and asked what they needed. After
hearing what the center director was trying to do, he ran back out
into the hallway and disappeared. The director thought, 'Well, here
we are-on our own.'

About 2 minutes later, that Marine returned with 40 other Marines in
tow. Each of them grabbed a crib with a child, and the rest started
gathering up toddlers. The director and her staff then helped them
take all the children out of the center and down toward the park near
the Potomac and the Pentagon. Once they got about 3/4 of a mile
outside the building, the Marines stopped in the park, and then did a
fabulous thing - they formed a circle with the cribs, which were
quite sturdy and heavy, like the covered wagons in the Old West.
Inside this circle of cribs, they put the toddlers, to keep them from
wandering off.

Outside this circle were the 40 Marines, forming a perimeter around
the children and waiting for instructions. There they remained until
the parents could be notified and come get their children.

The chaplain then said, "I don't think any of us saw nor heard of
this on any of the news stories of the day. It was an incredible
story of our men there. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. The
thought of those Marines and what they did and how fast they reacted;
could we expect any less from them? It was one of the most touching
stories from the Pentagon."

Remember Ronald Reagan's great compliment: "Most of us wonder if our
lives made any difference. Marines don't have that problem."


Pray for our men and women who have served and are currently serving
our country and pray for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice
for freedom.

**** This was sent to me on the internet.  I haven’t verified it, but my source is usually factual.  It just made me feel good. 

Addendum, Same day

I posted this on my doctor’s web site.  My doctor friends did the research I did not do.  Unfortunately, my friends, this is not true according to Snopes:

http://www.snopes.com/rumors/glurge/daycare.asp

And Snopes will not let me copy the post in any way. 

·        No cribs

·        No marines

·        There was a group of park rangers that helped a bunch of kids later in the day evacuate to VDOT on an empty tour bus

·        One of the parents left his duty station to check on his child.  The duty station was hit and he was spared.

Mondays

Finding the Silver Lining Inside the Cloud

This time of year is time for many of us to do taxes.  It is not my favorite thing to do.  Fortunately, I am somewhat obsessive about keeping track regularly on my computer of expenditures. 

I print out the year from my check book and cash expenditures.  Check.

I print out the year from my office receipts.  Check.

I start looking for all the other paperwork.  Not so check.

This is where I have to depend on other people.  The members of my family who swear that they have given me whatever paper it is that I am currently looking for (the spousal division).  Or look at me with that blank stare that tells me that they have no idea what I am talking about (the high school division). 

I spent 4 days last week looking for a 1099 that my husband swore he had given me.  I cleaned the entire surface of my desk.  That’s the silver lining.  I didn’t find it.  I asked him to look for it at home.  He found it in less than 5 minutes.

Yes, he is still alive.  No, you may not inquire about my blood pressure. 

They Never Grow Up

I was running errands with two of my 17 year olds this afternoon.  We stopped at McDonalds to get something to eat.  From the passenger’s seat came a small voice, “Can I have a Star Wars toy, Mom?”

I turned to the speaker and said, “…and two Star Wars toys, please.” 

Then I asked the “child” in the back seat if he wanted one.  “No, Mom.” 

You see, I knew if I came home with one for the kid in the car, the one at home would pout all evening.  Not gonna live with that. 

They never grow up.

Inside a Toddler's Brain

This image is courtesy my friend Maureen A. Doolan Boyle

of MOST (Mothers of SuperTwins - an organization for parents of multiple children).  The image comes from ALEX Toys.

Another Band Fundraiser

 This is year four of high school marching band.  I have written elsewhere about how much it costs to run the marching band.  And the kids have to raise money for any extra trips that they take.  They are going to Boston over spring break.

So – one more time – my boys (2) – and therefore their parents (2) are selling stuff to try and raise money for a band trip.

Anyone interested in candles or gourmet coffee?

We are even selling first aid kits.  Everyone needs one of those!

SIGH!!!

This is the LAST fundraiser for high school band. 

Can I paraphrase Martin Luther King, Jr.?  “Free at last.  Free at last.  Thank God Almighty, I’m Free at last!”

But I really do need to sell some of those candles and coffees. 

Grandchildren and other little ones who don’t go home with you

Family gatherings are fun, especially when there are little ones there.  They are sooo cute.  The best part, at my age, is that the little ones do NOT belong to me, and I do NOT have to take them home.

My niece has a daughter who is not quite a year old.  She is great to watch.  She reminds me of all the things my kids did at that age.  Lots of falling on her (well padded) bottom.  She cruises the furniture but doesn’t walk quite yet.  She discovers new things and gets that wonderful grin on her face.  Her giggle makes everyone in the room light up, too.  I said I understand why there are so many laughing baby videos on YouTube. 

She is in that “Mommy adhesive” phase right now.  That’s too bad, because I would have loved a cuddle.  Oh, well.  Maybe when she gets a little bigger and gets to know me better, I’ll get a few hugs.  I did get some wonderful smiles today, though. 

Just don’t call me great-auntie, ‘kay?

Playing with the box – not the gift

I have a niece who is almost a year old.  I have been reminded of my children’s second Christmas.  Since they were born in the summer, they were still infants the first year.  The second year they were walking, babbling human beings.  They really enjoyed watching orchestral Christmas music on TV.  Their favorite movie was Toy Story. (To Infiggity and beyond…..)

This was the year that Christmas lasted and lasted.  Each gift was really two gifts.  If it had a box big enough, the box was a toy, also.  Boxes were for climbing in, building with, making trains out of, putting on their heads, using for shoes and any other activity they could think of.  Then they would play with what was in the box.        

One toy would make my boys happy for several days. 

There was no rush to open all the presents.  Nobody was greedy.  When it seemed like they had started to get a bit tired of any particular toy, we would get out the next set of packages that looked the same.  We would repeat the process. 

This year Christmas lasted two or three months.  Every time they got to open another “set” of presents, we went through the same process.  Peals of laughter rang through my house.  There was lots of crawling around on the floor chasing kids who were chasing toys. 

It was a glorious time.  They are only little once.  Enjoy it Moms and Dads. 

Differential Diagnosis – Mom of Toddlers

When my children were little, one of my favorite parts of the day was right after I came home from wherever I had been.  The three little guys would drop whatever they were doing (unless they were eating) and come running.  It was “climb on Mom time”.  Literally.  

As they got bigger, I learned to sit down on the floor as soon as I could so we could have our “group hug” / “pile on Mom” without me getting hurt.  I still would end up with bruises from feet and hands grabbing.  I considered them badges of honor.  We would roll around and hug and tickle.  I got to hear the laughter and excitement of my little guys. 

I also spent lots of time getting my glasses adjusted from getting them grabbed or knocked off.  I stopped wearing jewelry for quite some time because it was so fascinating to little hands. 

Now you know how to tell those Moms of toddlers – no jewelry, bruises in funny places, often a short haircut or hair pulled up, dark circles under the eyes, a little disorganized, speaking in “small words”, correcting your grammar, and always talking about their kids. 

It’s a phase.  I wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world. 

When Something is Wrong With Your Child

A parent knows his or her children.  As a Mom of triplets, I often say “I have age-matched controls”.  In other words, I have two others who are EXACTLY the same age (OK, there is a 4 minute difference, but, for purposes of comparison, we can call it exactly).  If they are not doing things at about the same age, I know there is a problem.  

I do try not to over-react.  I also remember that they are individuals.  The boys are fraternal, so I expect some variability.  They started getting teeth at different times.  Mr. Impatient was last, then he got five in one week.  Poor guy.  Walking was within a month or so, but Mr. Impatient didn’t walk for six months after the other two.  It turns out he had a foot problem that should have been addressed at that time. 

My pediatrician told me that Mr. Impatient was “just a little slow”.  Just like the teachers at school told me that Three Speed was “just being a normal boy”.  I listened at first, but things just didn’t seem to be right, so I got other opinions.  Mr. Impatient is autistic.  Three Speed has ADD.  Dealing with their problems has made a major difference in our lives.  Then we had Tall Guy tested.  He's in the accelerated program.  His IQ is way up there.  Three Speed might have been there, too, but he couldn't pay attention.  

Mr. Impatient got early intervention, special classes, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, social services, a special diet, and appropriate medical interventions for other problems as they came up.  He has had a pediatric metabolic geneticist, a pulmonologist, an ophthalmologist, ……   He finally started talking when he was six.  We still work with him all the time.  He continues to make amazing progress. 

Three Speed’s teachers weren’t convinced about the ADD.  That is, until his pediatrician started him on medication.  I had several of them stop me in the hall and tell me that he was a different child.  He wasn’t a bad kid, just wasn’t reaching his full potential because he couldn’t focus.  These are the same teachers who didn’t believe me.  A parent knows. 

If you are concerned about your child, get a professional opinion.  Sometimes getting a second or even a third opinion from someone who doesn’t know the child well and can look at him or her with fresh eyes may help.  It worked for me. 

Season of Giving

The holiday season has been commercialized so much recently.  Little children always made their “lists”.  They wait for Santa, Saint Nicholas or whoever the gift giver is in their culture.  The day and the tradition may vary, but the idea is the same.

In days of old, when I was young, we also thought about giving to others.  The holiday season should be a season of renewal and support for others.  The birth of the baby who started all of this was supposed to be heaven’s gift to humankind. 

I remember making cards and ornaments in school to give to Mom and Dad.  My Mom still had many of these up until she died.  Kids – Moms and Dads treasure those things you make, because they are made with innocence and love.  The glitter and glue may be clumpy, and the macaroni may be stuck on at funny angles, but that’s what makes them special.

We have a “mitten tree” at our church.  We put scarves and mittens on it for those who don’t have things to keep them warm.  It’s a good time to think of your local food pantry, women’s shelter, children’s shelter, soup kitchen or other location where people who are having trouble with food or clothing go for help. 

It’s also important to remember this feeling throughout the year.  The need doesn’t stop because the holidays are over.  It just seems to be a little less visible.  Keep up with those “random acts of kindness” throughout the year. 

I’ll try to tell you periodically what I’ve done or seen.  You will probably find those stories under “Random Acts of ‘It’s Not My Job’”.  Here’s one:

http://dr-lasermed.blogspot.com/2011/11/random-acts-of-its-not-my-job.html

Your stories appreciated. 

 

It Takes a Village (Literally)

It Takes a Village (Literally)

This video from the small Yupiq Eskimo Village of Quinhagak, Alaska, was a school computer project intended for the other Yupiq villages in the area. It is going “viral”.  If you haven’t seen this treatment of one of Handel’s greatest works usually done at Christmas, it’s worth the four minutes or so it takes to watch this.  You might get a couple of smiles.  I did.  Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=LyviyF-N23A

Shop Amazon's Christmas Corner - Holiday decor, tableware, and entertainment

Teenager Audio Reception Problem

Do You Think I’m Talking Just to Hear Myself?

I’m sure every parent has had this problem.  I have asked my children to do the exact task for the last three or four days.  It isn’t difficult.  It is something I am not physically capable of doing.  Last night I specifically asked to have it done after dinner.  Again. 

What I asked them to do was restock the refrigerator in our garage with drinks so we would have cold beverages.  This is not hard.  But I am having issues with postural hypotension from medications, so can’t deal with it right now.  

Evidently they each assumed the other one was going to do the stocking.  This morning, when I went out to get our morning drinks “to go”, there were none in the refrigerator. 

Do you want to know how mad I was?  This was not the way to start my day.  I got some wimpy excuses on the drive to school, but nothing to make me happy.  I discussed communication, since they had not discussed it.  They just both assumed that the other one was going to do it.  We will have to have a “sit down when I am not angry.   I discuss stuff better when I am calm. 

That’s something I have learned over the last (number deleted to preserve my dignity) years. 

Triplet Stuff #1

Why Did You Have Them So Close Together?

My triplets are fraternal.  That means that they all developed from different eggs.  That happens sometimes when you have in vitro fertilization, or even when you don’t, and have multiples.  Anyway, they are genetically as different as if they were from different pregnancies.

They look like brothers, but are slightly different in size and weight.  They have looked like “stair-steps” since they were preschoolers.  I loved the question from the elderly woman who wanted to know “why did you have them so close together?”

Later on, Mr. Lasermed decided on what we now think is the best answer:

Because once the first one came out, the others wouldn’t stay in!

(Triplet parents are welcome to give me other answers)