This last week, we've had a few sickies here. Grace began on Monday complaining of a sore throat and of a mild tummyache. On Wednesday morning she began having a red rash over her bottom. I thought she was having an allergic reaction to something she ate or drank.
She had strep. The rash was a reaction to the strep. Since Tommy was in the office too, I went ahead and had them check him. Ever seen a child break a strep-culture-swab in half? I did! The doctor also checked him out. The first thing she did was listen to his heart. He looked at her like she was nuts and said, "My heart's not broken." LOL
Sure enough. That test was positive, too. He had NO symptoms at all. I'm glad mother's instinct kicked in to do a test "just in case". Besides, I was about to head over to drop Tommy off at preschool. So glad I did the test. He may have infected more kids.
So, Grace and Tommy and I were home from school on Thursday. I'm not sure if anyone out there has ever had a child with a terrible rash reaction to strep before. I looked it up on the web (a very reliable source, you know?) The articles I found referred to the rash as scarlatina (scarlet fever). The rash itself had me freaking out for a day or two. If you can imagine a bad sunburn with small blisters, this looked just like that... but in the area that your underwear would normally cover! After a day or two of the bright red, blistery rash, it began to peel and look all shriveled. Now, 5 days later, I can report that *most* of the peeling is done and *most* of the skin looks healthy and normal. Poor little girl. Fortunately the only time she really complained was when she was undressing or using the bathroom.
The things we learn each day, huh? I'd heard of fever, sore throat, headache, and even nausea with strep before... but never the blistery rash. So one day when your child is diagnosed with strep THROAT and breaks out in a blistery, peeling rash. They are (believe it or not) related.
Fortunately all looks well with both kids now. Also, (knock on wood) no other family member has caught it from Grace or Tommy yet. Maybe it's over. Here's hoping. I've missed too many days of work with Election Day and illnesses... it's time to get back and make some money. LOL
Monday, November 24, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Oooooohhhhhhmmmmmmm.....
Reagan's soccer team would do this before a game. One night I found these kiddos practicing...
Here are some wintry shots... taken inside, of course.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Economic Woes?
Ok, we are feeling the pinch. As is most everyone I know. Grocery bills, high energy costs, etc. But we live in a "wealthy" county... or so the Census tells us. I personally don't know a lot of wealthy people here, but I know they exist. I've seen their homes and cars and airplanes and car stickers of their children's elite academies. To add to that, I just saw today a new sign. Posted to a telephone pole was a sign that read, "We hang Christmas lights" with a phone number. Now, really. In these times when everyone is trying to watch what they spend and stick-to-a-budget, are there people out there able to afford to hire someone to hang their Christmas lights? Mike and I refuse to step foot onto a 20' ladder in cold weather continuously along our house in order to hang lights. Why? Because you then have to do it all over again in January. LOL I applaud everyone else who does... I just know I'd end up with frostbite and a broken arm. However, we are definitely Christmas-decoration-loving people. So, I hang the wreaths on the windows, prop up a few lighted trees in our foyer, decorate the bannister, put out a spotlight, and hope they look festive. :0)
I'm not knocking the concept of doing this business, though. I think it's quite innovative, and I applaud those who found a niche that wasn't being addressed. In this county, I'm sure they'll find many a person to pay for someone else to hang Christmas lights. I know in our neighborhood alone, I think about 90% of the homes decorate with lights at Christmas (if not more). Someone will be willing to pay others to win that first-prize ribbon! LOL I think we'll just continue our tradition of "low lights" ... and set a timer to save on electricity to boot. :-)
I'm not knocking the concept of doing this business, though. I think it's quite innovative, and I applaud those who found a niche that wasn't being addressed. In this county, I'm sure they'll find many a person to pay for someone else to hang Christmas lights. I know in our neighborhood alone, I think about 90% of the homes decorate with lights at Christmas (if not more). Someone will be willing to pay others to win that first-prize ribbon! LOL I think we'll just continue our tradition of "low lights" ... and set a timer to save on electricity to boot. :-)
Friday, November 7, 2008
Some Mommy Thoughts & Advice
1. Mammoth Crocs are awesome. (Bought myself a pair after admiring the kids'... can even fit my long orthotics UNDER the lining! Woo hoo!) However, they should NEVER be allowed on a mulched playground. That should be stated in bold print on the tag! The fleece lining attracts mulch like mad... it cannot be cleaned!!! Tommy now owns off-white-and-cedar-colored-fleece-lined Crocs that are a little scratchy.
2. A peanut-free preschool makes complete sense... I totally understand, especially as a teacher that wants to be ultra-safe. But man, it's tough on those of us whose kids' only source of protein is peanut butter. LOL
3. Shopping in the summer for Christmas is great... great deals, good things for cheap... but you may just end up with TOO much (and now darling little son is giving me lists and lists of items from catalogs he finally has the excitement to look through... none of which Santa bought.) Fortunately I was fairly smart and bought almost nothing for my picky older ones... they want the big expensive gifts that I just need to buy later... hopefully a great Black Friday deal?
4. Gottadeal.com is still my favorite source of deals. I haven't bought from Victoria's Secret in years... too expensive, didn't think they had my size. I just ordered FOUR bras and two free panties for $33 shipped! And, they had my size! Now, if only my body could possibly look good in those...
5. Another note on gottadeal... when you think you find a great deal, check what you own already. I bought a 2-DVD deal on Amazon for $16+. Turns out we own the one. Duh!
6. When you have a daughter that could eat 24/7, lock the pantry. We've found food and candy wrappers under cushions, behind shelving in hall closets, in pants pockets, under beds, in the rec room (a food-free zone), in toy baskets, under sofas, and more. Oh, and store Halloween candy baskets up HIGH! On November 1, we found so many empty wrappers around the house before 8am!!
7. Don't try to do the Lotus Focus on the Wii Fit with kids in the room (or dogs). I have successfully mastered that thing 3 times now (sitting absolutely still for 3 minutes while staring at a flame on the screen). However, just as I sit down, if I'm not alone, THAT is the moment the dog scratches my leg, Ben asks me questions, and Tommy and Grace drive their cars on me. Ugh. Can't they see I'm working. LOL
8. Another Wii Fit bit... if you don't normally box (... who does?) , don't do 12 consecutive minutes of rhythm boxing right off the bat while trying to punch really hard. Your back and arms will pay for it in the morning ... and the next morning.
9. Another Wii Fit piece of advice... don't get the body-test done while your kids are watching. They just laugh into hysterics when my Mii character explodes wide and looks at her big belly after the "measuring". Plus, they may learn a new O word. In my case, it was an awful 5 letter word that I refuse to utter. Meanwhile, the kids are struggling to be healthy, instead of underweight!
10. Don't post funny old photos on Facebook of college/high school years without expecting retaliation. There are now some old hairstyles of mine on the Internet for the world to see. And to think, in the 80's, we laughed at our choices of the 70's. In the 90's, we laughed at our choice of clothing in the 80's. What will people say about our butterfly-clipped hairdos, flare-leg jeans and hoodies in a few years? (... or at least mine) I know in a decade, my daughter will be telling me, "How could you make me wear that stuff?" when looking at her trendy Limited Too sweaters and Crocs. I know... I did it to my mom.
2. A peanut-free preschool makes complete sense... I totally understand, especially as a teacher that wants to be ultra-safe. But man, it's tough on those of us whose kids' only source of protein is peanut butter. LOL
3. Shopping in the summer for Christmas is great... great deals, good things for cheap... but you may just end up with TOO much (and now darling little son is giving me lists and lists of items from catalogs he finally has the excitement to look through... none of which Santa bought.) Fortunately I was fairly smart and bought almost nothing for my picky older ones... they want the big expensive gifts that I just need to buy later... hopefully a great Black Friday deal?
4. Gottadeal.com is still my favorite source of deals. I haven't bought from Victoria's Secret in years... too expensive, didn't think they had my size. I just ordered FOUR bras and two free panties for $33 shipped! And, they had my size! Now, if only my body could possibly look good in those...
5. Another note on gottadeal... when you think you find a great deal, check what you own already. I bought a 2-DVD deal on Amazon for $16+. Turns out we own the one. Duh!
6. When you have a daughter that could eat 24/7, lock the pantry. We've found food and candy wrappers under cushions, behind shelving in hall closets, in pants pockets, under beds, in the rec room (a food-free zone), in toy baskets, under sofas, and more. Oh, and store Halloween candy baskets up HIGH! On November 1, we found so many empty wrappers around the house before 8am!!
7. Don't try to do the Lotus Focus on the Wii Fit with kids in the room (or dogs). I have successfully mastered that thing 3 times now (sitting absolutely still for 3 minutes while staring at a flame on the screen). However, just as I sit down, if I'm not alone, THAT is the moment the dog scratches my leg, Ben asks me questions, and Tommy and Grace drive their cars on me. Ugh. Can't they see I'm working. LOL
8. Another Wii Fit bit... if you don't normally box (... who does?) , don't do 12 consecutive minutes of rhythm boxing right off the bat while trying to punch really hard. Your back and arms will pay for it in the morning ... and the next morning.
9. Another Wii Fit piece of advice... don't get the body-test done while your kids are watching. They just laugh into hysterics when my Mii character explodes wide and looks at her big belly after the "measuring". Plus, they may learn a new O word. In my case, it was an awful 5 letter word that I refuse to utter. Meanwhile, the kids are struggling to be healthy, instead of underweight!
10. Don't post funny old photos on Facebook of college/high school years without expecting retaliation. There are now some old hairstyles of mine on the Internet for the world to see. And to think, in the 80's, we laughed at our choices of the 70's. In the 90's, we laughed at our choice of clothing in the 80's. What will people say about our butterfly-clipped hairdos, flare-leg jeans and hoodies in a few years? (... or at least mine) I know in a decade, my daughter will be telling me, "How could you make me wear that stuff?" when looking at her trendy Limited Too sweaters and Crocs. I know... I did it to my mom.
Broken Teeth and Halloween
I apologize for the big pause in blogging. It seems like my "everyday" is now "busy day". After the Farm experience, we had a minor dental issue with Tommy. Those who knew him 1.5 years ago know that he fell at 2.5 years old and banged up his teeth. They were displaced at the time. Lots of blood... scared the daylights out of Mommy! After a three-adults-to-hold-him-down struggle, a cast-like bandage was applied to his front teeth. It took several months to chip away, but eventually the bandage fell off and his teeth were back to being cemented in place. Yeah! He managed to keep them... but about 6 months ago, they turned brown. :-( At his checkup, we were told to watch for abcesses, but in general it was good to keep the teeth in place despite the color.
Here is a picture of my baby boy (almost 3 at the time) with his fat lip and dental-bandage (hard to see, but it puffed out his lips for months):
On the Saturday that we went to the farm a few weeks ago, I noticed that his left front tooth had a chip. The chip was brown (due to the discolored tooth). I figured I'd call the dentist on Monday, since it didn't bother him. On Sunday, I noticed him playing with his mouth. I looked inside... half of his tooth was gone! So after calling the dentist and going in on Monday morning, we learned that there wasn't much to do. I had filed it down a tad with a nail file. He has no feeling in it since the nerve is dead. The X-ray showed that the root is all but gone. Basically we're just awaiting it to fall out on its own. The dentist did say she could wiggle it out if it became painful to him or if it bothered him, but she wanted to keep it as long as possible to hold the place for the permanent tooth. Here is Tommy now... imagine that the left half of his tooth was gone. That's what it looks like up close. The root (or what's left of it) is still in the socket, but the visible tooth is down to just the right half. Kind of funky looking. In the photo, you may think he's missing a tooth... no that long skinny thing in the middle is the remainder of the tooth. (Yes, the boy needs a haircut! LOL) Oh, the bang-up on his face... a fall on the sidewalk... a few days after losing the tooth that started with a fall on the sidewalk 18 months ago. Oh, I love my sweet little Tommy, but he's all boy!
Halloween was nuts this year, but fun. Ben dressed as a mad scientist (looks a bit like Einstein, eh?) He went to a birthday party that night and trick-or-treated with them.
Reagan also went as a mad scientist, though she looked more like Frankenstein's bride. :-) Gracelynn was my little cowgirl, and Tommy was a pirate. Here they are, moments before the chaos of walking around the block. Three kids don't walk at the same pace, and Mommy was left going mad trying to keep eyes on all three in the dark! We survived though.
Gracelynn had a ball, once she got the hang of it. Tommy pooped out early (as always). We came home so that Mike could be relieved of handing out food so he could go get Ben. After 8:30, we just left the candy bowl outside (hoping the candy would be gone quickly... I totally expected the first kids along to take a bunch if not all... c'mon... what kid DOESN'T take a ton when there is no one looking?) About 10 minutes later, the doorbell rang. It was two teenagers asking for treats. (...in terrorist garb talking in middle-eastern accents... how sickening!) We looked around... the bowl was gone! OK, I can see dumping the candy in your bag... but taking the bowl, too? It was our Halloween Mickey Mouse bowl! C'mon! I gave the two kids some candy I still had, and we shut out the light. It took me awhile to get used to teenagers dressing up (we never trick-or-treated after middle school when we were young), but I got used to it... seems to be the norm around here. Then to see them dressing like terrorists or in other vile costumes is bad too. (The ones that don't even bother to dress up bug me too... at least put some effort into it.) But, then to STEAL my candy bowl on top of the dozens of candybars left in there... give me a break. Granted, I'm assuming it was an older teen, but most younger kids were with adults... I can't imagine an adult allowing that. OK... my fault... shouldn't have just left it out... but I'm irked.
Ok, time to move on. Here are our pumpkins this year. The face was designed by Reagan (carved by Mike). The other one took about 1 minute. Ar ar ar (ala Tim Taylor). I got out my drill and put holes all over. How cool!
Here is a picture of my baby boy (almost 3 at the time) with his fat lip and dental-bandage (hard to see, but it puffed out his lips for months):
On the Saturday that we went to the farm a few weeks ago, I noticed that his left front tooth had a chip. The chip was brown (due to the discolored tooth). I figured I'd call the dentist on Monday, since it didn't bother him. On Sunday, I noticed him playing with his mouth. I looked inside... half of his tooth was gone! So after calling the dentist and going in on Monday morning, we learned that there wasn't much to do. I had filed it down a tad with a nail file. He has no feeling in it since the nerve is dead. The X-ray showed that the root is all but gone. Basically we're just awaiting it to fall out on its own. The dentist did say she could wiggle it out if it became painful to him or if it bothered him, but she wanted to keep it as long as possible to hold the place for the permanent tooth. Here is Tommy now... imagine that the left half of his tooth was gone. That's what it looks like up close. The root (or what's left of it) is still in the socket, but the visible tooth is down to just the right half. Kind of funky looking. In the photo, you may think he's missing a tooth... no that long skinny thing in the middle is the remainder of the tooth. (Yes, the boy needs a haircut! LOL) Oh, the bang-up on his face... a fall on the sidewalk... a few days after losing the tooth that started with a fall on the sidewalk 18 months ago. Oh, I love my sweet little Tommy, but he's all boy!
Halloween was nuts this year, but fun. Ben dressed as a mad scientist (looks a bit like Einstein, eh?) He went to a birthday party that night and trick-or-treated with them.
Reagan also went as a mad scientist, though she looked more like Frankenstein's bride. :-) Gracelynn was my little cowgirl, and Tommy was a pirate. Here they are, moments before the chaos of walking around the block. Three kids don't walk at the same pace, and Mommy was left going mad trying to keep eyes on all three in the dark! We survived though.
Gracelynn had a ball, once she got the hang of it. Tommy pooped out early (as always). We came home so that Mike could be relieved of handing out food so he could go get Ben. After 8:30, we just left the candy bowl outside (hoping the candy would be gone quickly... I totally expected the first kids along to take a bunch if not all... c'mon... what kid DOESN'T take a ton when there is no one looking?) About 10 minutes later, the doorbell rang. It was two teenagers asking for treats. (...in terrorist garb talking in middle-eastern accents... how sickening!) We looked around... the bowl was gone! OK, I can see dumping the candy in your bag... but taking the bowl, too? It was our Halloween Mickey Mouse bowl! C'mon! I gave the two kids some candy I still had, and we shut out the light. It took me awhile to get used to teenagers dressing up (we never trick-or-treated after middle school when we were young), but I got used to it... seems to be the norm around here. Then to see them dressing like terrorists or in other vile costumes is bad too. (The ones that don't even bother to dress up bug me too... at least put some effort into it.) But, then to STEAL my candy bowl on top of the dozens of candybars left in there... give me a break. Granted, I'm assuming it was an older teen, but most younger kids were with adults... I can't imagine an adult allowing that. OK... my fault... shouldn't have just left it out... but I'm irked.
Ok, time to move on. Here are our pumpkins this year. The face was designed by Reagan (carved by Mike). The other one took about 1 minute. Ar ar ar (ala Tim Taylor). I got out my drill and put holes all over. How cool!
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