It's about puke. If you have an aversion, stop here. I promise not to be graphic, though.
I was standing on the counter, setting a ceiling with Christmas items when both my cell and the business phone ring. I couldn't take the cell call anyhow (remember standing on the counter and up in the ceiling?) I found that the call on the business line was for me.
It was my mother-in-law.
K- had a headache. A terrible headache. She was crying. She was not cheerful. She was not herself.
Oh, boy.
I talked to K-. I asked her if her sponge was dry? (AKA was her brain hurting because she hadn't had enough to drink?) She said that she didn't know. I asked her if she wanted me to come home? "I don't know." That pretty much cinched it. The kid needed me.
I abandoned my ceiling project and passed it on to the very capable Anna, who frankly was rather excited to take the project on.
After jogging around road blocks and construction, I got to my road to have it closed and a Sheriff shaking his head that I couldn't go that way. (Paving.) Crap. So, I took the long detour and finally got home.
K- ran to me. I no sooner got the door open but she blew past me and flew to the bathroom.
The kid made it just in time.
Whew.
She laid down for a while, played with Star Wars figures, ate enough Goldfish crackers to swim away, drank enough 7 Up to float away in a gas bubble, had chicken noodle soup and! her tummy is finally not hurting anymore.
It seems (hopefully) that she had a short lived virus. Her friend had it today, too. She didn't make it. It was at school. The desk behind K-. She gave me color details that I didn't need.
Yuck.
So tonight, we're reading Junie B.'s Shipwrecked. It's about ships and Columbus and puke. How could I not? It just seemed so fitting.
Smiles in my day:
- K- is feeling better.
- Great help at work.
- A mother-in-law who is now finally putting that spare key that I gave to her on her key ring so that she may use it if she needs. It will not help her if it is hanging at her home on her key board all of 25 minutes away.
Have a great puke-free day!
Showing posts with label Infectation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Infectation. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Tales from the Trenches: Hubs has a cold, K- has homework and I put up a Christmas tree today.
Hubs? 99.8 F fever. He called me at work to tell me. I'm happy to report that he will live.
Yes, he remembered to get K- from school.
K-? She has homework. She's floating in the tub right now, then it is flash cards, spelling test and reading. Whew-boy!
She's excited because she got one part of her walk-a-thon prizes today. They ended up getting a double lunch and double recess. Now to me that seems a little excessive on the food front. When K- saw me in the hall, she told me about her upcoming pizza adventure. I reminded her to wash her hands and to be mindful of her fill line. (Pizza and reflux don't go well together when eaten quickly.) She was thrilled with the extra recess. That's more my speed. I would have loved a triple recess, but alas . . .
Me? I put the first Christmas tree of the season up at work today. I did that while pulling myself out of the remnants of a migraine (didn't go full blown as I was on it with lots of things.) Still, I suffered from migraine hang over and that made me move slower. I did get done what I needed to get done and so I'm still on track.
I'll be sleeping on the couch tonight to stay away from the petri dish that I love to call Hubs. When one is sick, we usually separate in attempt to avoid the plague. We've done this all our married life. No use in two losing sleep when one losing it is bad enough. And yes, I come in through the night and check on him just as I would K-.
Smiles in my day:
- Leaving the windows open all night, though that could have been cause for the migraine.
- That K- took the initiative to work on her homework before I got home. Hubs checked it and it is all good.
- Flat [Stanley] is off through the mail system and to [her] next place. I was so afraid she would be lost or misplaced. It made me nervous!
Have a great day!
Yes, he remembered to get K- from school.
K-? She has homework. She's floating in the tub right now, then it is flash cards, spelling test and reading. Whew-boy!
She's excited because she got one part of her walk-a-thon prizes today. They ended up getting a double lunch and double recess. Now to me that seems a little excessive on the food front. When K- saw me in the hall, she told me about her upcoming pizza adventure. I reminded her to wash her hands and to be mindful of her fill line. (Pizza and reflux don't go well together when eaten quickly.) She was thrilled with the extra recess. That's more my speed. I would have loved a triple recess, but alas . . .
Me? I put the first Christmas tree of the season up at work today. I did that while pulling myself out of the remnants of a migraine (didn't go full blown as I was on it with lots of things.) Still, I suffered from migraine hang over and that made me move slower. I did get done what I needed to get done and so I'm still on track.
I'll be sleeping on the couch tonight to stay away from the petri dish that I love to call Hubs. When one is sick, we usually separate in attempt to avoid the plague. We've done this all our married life. No use in two losing sleep when one losing it is bad enough. And yes, I come in through the night and check on him just as I would K-.
Smiles in my day:
- Leaving the windows open all night, though that could have been cause for the migraine.
- That K- took the initiative to work on her homework before I got home. Hubs checked it and it is all good.
- Flat [Stanley] is off through the mail system and to [her] next place. I was so afraid she would be lost or misplaced. It made me nervous!
Have a great day!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
At least each week is themed right now, right?
Oh my. I think that we have an ear infection. K- hasn't had one of those since she was probably 2, maybe earlier. I really can't complain. Where she has picked up everything else under the sun, it seems as though her ears have been kind.
Not now.
She has a painful outer ear and it appears as though that pain is traveling inward. We have an appointment with the doctor for tomorrow right after school. They didn't have anything any earlier. It's okay. I've been watching and waiting on this all week. We'll be okay for another day.
Let's hope that it's a minor blip of a thing. Bless her heart. I hate an ear ache.
Smiles in my day:
- My father-in-law had his ICD replaced today and had no complications. The leads were good, so they didn't need to be replaced. He is at home, resting in front of a game on TV, I'm sure.
- Watching K- go all the way across the monkey bars. She had a real fear, but she has tackled it.
- Hubs thought he lost his cell, but I found it in his coat pocket. He was 2 minutes from calling the hospital about it. I'm sure that a big hospital would be very concerned about his little tiny cell phone.
- Did I mention that K- got a 100% on her vocabulary quiz? 25/25. We're working hard on getting the math scores that good. The teacher doesn't want them using fingers, which is certainly completely understandable, so it is like memorizing sight words. It takes time. (Not that she's failing math, but I'd like to see it more automatic eventually.)
- My new hair cut is doable. I can do the triangle until I get it cut in December. I just have such fiercely thick hair that it just needs thinned in a massive way to not give a full puff out on the bottom.
Have a great day!
Not now.
She has a painful outer ear and it appears as though that pain is traveling inward. We have an appointment with the doctor for tomorrow right after school. They didn't have anything any earlier. It's okay. I've been watching and waiting on this all week. We'll be okay for another day.
Let's hope that it's a minor blip of a thing. Bless her heart. I hate an ear ache.
Smiles in my day:
- My father-in-law had his ICD replaced today and had no complications. The leads were good, so they didn't need to be replaced. He is at home, resting in front of a game on TV, I'm sure.
- Watching K- go all the way across the monkey bars. She had a real fear, but she has tackled it.
- Hubs thought he lost his cell, but I found it in his coat pocket. He was 2 minutes from calling the hospital about it. I'm sure that a big hospital would be very concerned about his little tiny cell phone.
- Did I mention that K- got a 100% on her vocabulary quiz? 25/25. We're working hard on getting the math scores that good. The teacher doesn't want them using fingers, which is certainly completely understandable, so it is like memorizing sight words. It takes time. (Not that she's failing math, but I'd like to see it more automatic eventually.)
- My new hair cut is doable. I can do the triangle until I get it cut in December. I just have such fiercely thick hair that it just needs thinned in a massive way to not give a full puff out on the bottom.
Have a great day!
Monday, March 8, 2010
It has left me with a big smile.
The weekend, that is. Grant you, it didn't start out well. When K- came out of school on Friday afternoon, she had the biggest frown on her face. A crocodile tear was trudging down her cheek.
"Mom, I've had the biggest stomach ache all day." [Insert scene from Moses parting the Red Sea. It is amazing how fast parents will move their child away from a child that potentially has the stomach flu. And yes, I'm the same way.]
We went home, got her in jammies, set up in bed with the portable DVD player and I took her temperature. 101 F. Fantastic.
We were to go to my husbands boss' house for dessert and a movie. I called Hubs. He was bummed. We were going to meet one of his previous National Park co-workers, his family and their 10 year old foster child. They all understood our canceling. (We've had to cancel before. The first time we had dinner plans with Dan, the old RAV was totaled.)
So, I got K- all settled in. She was a sad-sack mess. I had to call my mom to come sit with K- while I ran visitation transport for my niece and nephew. K- napped while my mom was here and she slept all night. I was up and down checking to make certain that the 102 F fever that I broke didn't return. Happily, it didn't.
Saturday was a little peppier, but she still hung out in bed all day. She had an unlimited supply of Goldfish crackers, Toy Story Cheese-It's, 7-Up and movies. She was in kid heaven.
Since K- was stuck inside, I was in the next room over working in my studio. It was lovely.
I was able to get the frame done that I had promised for the mailer photo shoot. We're having a staff show at the end of April, but they needed one piece from each participating co-worker in advance.
K- was perking up even more on Saturday night, but later we found that the day must have really exhausted her since we found her fast asleep before 8 PM.
I love the child, but she called on a two hour basis from her bed in a loud voice, "Mommy!" I jumped out of bed and went running to have her ask me, "Can you turn the little TV on?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because it's the middle of the night." [I'm having Orphan Annie flashbacks here.]
She did that at 10 PM, 12:30 AM, 2:30 AM, 4:30 AM and at 6:30 AM. Folks, it wore me out. She normally only gets one hour of TV a day, so apparently the unlimited movie watching while ill awakened her TV addicted inner child.
On Sunday morning, we skipped church because of the funk, so I yelled hey to the neighbor. I told him that we missed him and his partner. He came by a moment and was talking to me about the church that they are attending. We both got excited when he discovered these in our front yard:
A couple hours later, K- announced that she no longer had a stomach ache, but had an ache to go outside. I told her that would be Cabin Fever. We suited her up in snow clothes and sent her off to play. I figured a bit of fresh air wouldn't hurt her and while she was out, I opened the windows and doors again. I wanted to air out the yuck that she just had.
Going outside gave her one last shot at sliding down igloo hill and putting the last bits of our sled out of its misery.
While out taking pictures of K-, I looked and found our cat happily looking out the big (dirty) door window. It is her favorite place in the summer. The sun comes in and warms her kitty body. "Mom? Is the nice sun going to stay?"
"I hope so, Smudge. I sure hope so."
Smiles in my weekend:
- Sprinkled in above.
Have a great day!
"Mom, I've had the biggest stomach ache all day." [Insert scene from Moses parting the Red Sea. It is amazing how fast parents will move their child away from a child that potentially has the stomach flu. And yes, I'm the same way.]
We went home, got her in jammies, set up in bed with the portable DVD player and I took her temperature. 101 F. Fantastic.
We were to go to my husbands boss' house for dessert and a movie. I called Hubs. He was bummed. We were going to meet one of his previous National Park co-workers, his family and their 10 year old foster child. They all understood our canceling. (We've had to cancel before. The first time we had dinner plans with Dan, the old RAV was totaled.)
So, I got K- all settled in. She was a sad-sack mess. I had to call my mom to come sit with K- while I ran visitation transport for my niece and nephew. K- napped while my mom was here and she slept all night. I was up and down checking to make certain that the 102 F fever that I broke didn't return. Happily, it didn't.
Saturday was a little peppier, but she still hung out in bed all day. She had an unlimited supply of Goldfish crackers, Toy Story Cheese-It's, 7-Up and movies. She was in kid heaven.
Since K- was stuck inside, I was in the next room over working in my studio. It was lovely.
I was able to get the frame done that I had promised for the mailer photo shoot. We're having a staff show at the end of April, but they needed one piece from each participating co-worker in advance.
K- was perking up even more on Saturday night, but later we found that the day must have really exhausted her since we found her fast asleep before 8 PM.
I love the child, but she called on a two hour basis from her bed in a loud voice, "Mommy!" I jumped out of bed and went running to have her ask me, "Can you turn the little TV on?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because it's the middle of the night." [I'm having Orphan Annie flashbacks here.]
She did that at 10 PM, 12:30 AM, 2:30 AM, 4:30 AM and at 6:30 AM. Folks, it wore me out. She normally only gets one hour of TV a day, so apparently the unlimited movie watching while ill awakened her TV addicted inner child.
On Sunday morning, we skipped church because of the funk, so I yelled hey to the neighbor. I told him that we missed him and his partner. He came by a moment and was talking to me about the church that they are attending. We both got excited when he discovered these in our front yard:
A couple hours later, K- announced that she no longer had a stomach ache, but had an ache to go outside. I told her that would be Cabin Fever. We suited her up in snow clothes and sent her off to play. I figured a bit of fresh air wouldn't hurt her and while she was out, I opened the windows and doors again. I wanted to air out the yuck that she just had.
Going outside gave her one last shot at sliding down igloo hill and putting the last bits of our sled out of its misery.
While out taking pictures of K-, I looked and found our cat happily looking out the big (dirty) door window. It is her favorite place in the summer. The sun comes in and warms her kitty body. "Mom? Is the nice sun going to stay?"
"I hope so, Smudge. I sure hope so."
Smiles in my weekend:
- Sprinkled in above.
Have a great day!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Still spit-spattering with the posts.
Hey look! We have a snowstorm brewing! And yes, my hip is going to give me fits, but I had to scoop K- up and do the lickety letters to the snow with her. (Yes, a Super Why reference.) So I'm happy to say that we survived the Christmas Stomach Flu '09. Now grant you, the 24 hour stomach funk kindly had its 24 hours completely involving the hours of Christmas, starting at almost exactly 12 AM Christmas to 11:59 PM Christmas night. No bother. K- and I chose to err on the side of caution and remained under the hazmat tent until Sunday morning. We stayed in, watched movies, played Barbies, read books (we got to 300 with our 100 book challenge) and learned to count to 100.
We busted out of this joint for church, ran home for some gifts and had a lovely lunch date with our friends that will be moving back from Milwaukee in 6 months! In the meantime, we were able to catch up while the girls enjoyed the germ infested McDonald's play area. (Much Purell was used, thankyouverymuch.) After the McD's adventure, we trotted on to Kohl's. K- had received an outfit for her birthday, but unfortunately it was a size too small. We were able to return it (thank you for gift receipts) and I helped K- to pick something out. It took 45 minutes in their minuscule toy department, a few tears and some "no, that is too much" to arrive at the choice of Kohl's version of Bendaroos and a small My Little Ponies Ponyville play set. It rocked Miss K- $2.69 over, which I told her will be her allowance for the week. (It's not that I can't pay the $2.69, but she has to realize that you can't go to the register with not enough money and still come out with your purchases.) In the 45 minutes we spent choosing (she was tired, as I figured out when she fell fast to sleep when we drove away), I wanted her to choose something that would be creative. We have bunches of everything else she was picking. Since the outfit was from a teacher, I wanted to honor her gift giving by purchasing something that she would approve of.
The generic Bendaroos? First, the person who thought to sell wax covered string for $15.00 + a box should get a hearty hand shake. Who knew something so basic and somewhat dumb sounding would work so well for kids? Their profit has to be out of this world! Secondly, K- came home and started to spell with the sticks. (Her idea.) Educational! All those tears rejecting Melissa and Doug stamp kits, Leapster/Leap Frog items, Tinker Bell Magic Wand book, puzzles of all sorts of characters, Crayola play sets, I Spy books . . . all traded in for a box of waxy string, smiles and learning galore! See, a desperate mama digging into the deep, dark recesses of the displays paid off! (I should say that K- is never one to have issues choosing. Clearly, this was a tussle of tired proportions.)
So, we've rescheduled Christmas. We should let Christ know. Today was our first day of reschedule. The play date was to occur yesterday, but since I'm puke phobic, particularly with a family due to set off on an 8 1/2 hour drive in a few days, I wanted to make certain that we were cleared to play. Stomach flu and driving are a really, really bad mix.
Christmas with my family has been rescheduled for tomorrow evening. Mom is making an "I'm sorry that you only got shredded wheat and 4 generic packaged Chips Ahoy-like cookies for your Christmas meal" pot of soup and dessert of leftover something-or-anothers.
Hubs' parents are kind enough to accommodate us for a reschedule for Tuesday night, where we will be having our traditional Christmas morning breakfast for dinner. My MIL had the table set, so I think that she kept it set since no one was going to drop in anyhow.
We've opened our gifts from my sister-in-law already, but we usually wait to do that with my in-law's. K- was itching to find out what was in her package and the LL Bean envelope was beginning to stare me down, too. Turns out that Aunt Kristin, Uncle Tom and the girls sent K- a beading set (funny, since I sent the girls some beaded necklaces I made!), a nail set for pedicures and manicures (complete with french manicure strips) and Set 1 of the Bob Books. K- has really enjoyed picking up the Bob Books, reading cover to cover and feeling like she was accomplishing something. She has liked them so much, that I just scored the second set from Half.com for $5.49 including shipping.
I've kind of been an online ordering fool these last few days. My SIL gave us an LL Bean gift card, so I was able to shop the sale section to find myself a new pair of TEK 2 boots (their version of Gortex and I need them for snowshoe-ing and walking K- to school), gaiters (those cuffs you wear that keep the snow out of your shoes and pants) and a coral skirt to wear with my bathing suit. (I have bathing suit modesty issues.) I was able to use my $10.00 credit from the purchase of my coat, so we still have a fair amount of money left over for Hubs to find himself something lovely. (Though guys don't dig "lovely." Well, most guys. I do work in an art gallery, though . . . ) Hubs insisted that I purchase a new pair of boots. My current pair of Timberlands were originally purchased 13 years ago, when I worked at the old gallery. While they are a lovely oil tanned leather, they have lost some of their waterproofed quality over the years.
So that brought me to today's purchases. My neighbor gave me $150.00 in Kohl's gift cards for Christmas (he also bought Hubs a portable air compressor and K- a couple of big toys). I knew when I saw the gift cards what I wanted to buy. Folks, I need to replace my set of pans. My set of Wearever pans that came from my in-law's served us very well. They were 10 year warranty pans and have lasted us that wonderful 10 years. The teflon is beginning to show a little wear (though not chip chunking into our food, but I don't want to get to that), so I did some research while we were physically at Kohl's. I tapped, flipped, twirled and scoped out every pan set they had. I came to the conclusion that I really did want what I had originally set out for-- a good set of hard anodized Calphalon pans. (The same that I had in the Wearever, just one step up.) I found what I wanted, but knew that the previous days online research suggested that I could purchase them cheaper from my computer chair at home. With $150.00 in gift cards, a 15% discount from My Points, free shipping and my own donation of $34.00, this fine set of cookware will arrive on my doorstep in the next couple of weeks. My old set will go to my parents vacation trailer. Hallelujah and Amen.
I didn't stop there! Hubs was requesting my placing our standard monthly re-order with the Vitamin Shoppe for his work out stuff and for more Oscillococcinum. With sales, an additional online coupon code for $15.00 off $75.00 and free shipping, our $320.00 bill came to $133.00. (No, we never pay close to full price, but it does pay to shop around and online. The surprise $15.00 coupon was a very nice find.)
I love coupon codes! :)
So, that is where we are at. I have to go back to work tomorrow. I get to start resetting the gallery displays from the march of the sale shoppers. This is where I have to truly be creative, as the next few months are rather dry on incoming orders and we are kind of stripped of merchandise. It's okay. It keeps me going.
When people ask me to gift wrap their Christmas sale purchases, I promise to only chuckle on the inside. ;)
Smiles are added in above.
Have a great week!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Tales from the Trenches: A PSA
Use a pot holder or risk being branded by the toaster oven. Class dismissed.Argh:
I think that it is safe to say that Hubs has fallen ill with H1N1. He called me today at work to tell me that he had a fever. His fever was 99.8 F, but he still had a fever and he has a very busy week. He called off for Tuesday to lay low and get well. He started feeling bad on Saturday night, but reported that he was feeling a bit better this AM. Hopefully this passes by him quickly and passes by me completely. Unfortunately, I have an incredibly busy two weeks at work.
Smiles in my day:
- I wore my hair down today and many people commented how much they liked it. I usually have it pulled back in some way because it gets girl curl crazy. Grant you, I had to pull it back in a loose pony tail later due to nearness to ceiling halogens (burnt hair smells nasty and I do it every year), but compliments were lovely. Makes me re-think pulling my hair back all the time.
- K-'s babysitter is getting married and was able to finalize the church and hall this past weekend. She was kind of sweating that. Now everything else can fall into place.
- K- has no school on Tuesday, so she'll be spending the day with Grandma. K- and Grandma haven't had a full day together in a while.
- I bought the game Gnip Gnop for Hubs tonight. I remember the game as a kid, called Hubs and asked him if he remembered it. He didn't, but told me to buy it for a sick present for him. Now, I don't know if you are familiar, but it's another game that I'm certain that my cousins had. We pronounced it Ga-nip Ga-nop. I know that the 'g' should be silent, but even if it is supposed to be (g)nip (g)nop, I'm still going to pronounce it Ga-nip Ga-nop. Hee, hee! I found the Gnip Gnop commercial on YouTube and I do pronounce it right! (Ping pong spelled backwards.) Look! Have a great day!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
H1N1 anyone?
This is my second post for the day to say that apparently K- did most likely cash in on the H1N1 and as a result, has clinical pneumonia. She is at school. She is functioning fine, but it is just the beginnings. I have antibiotics to give to her. Since she seemed to be getting better, then a low grade fever kicked back in and her cough started sounding gunky, I took her in. The doctor said that Friday they were triaging, but that I did the right thing to bring her in after she was seemingly getting well.
So there you have it. Dr. P- said that the likelihood that she had H1N1 is pretty high, as she had it, too. The cough lasts for three weeks. They are treating the kids in K-'s case as having clinical pneumonia. It sounds big and scary, but it is not.
Onward to work. Have a good oink-free day.
So there you have it. Dr. P- said that the likelihood that she had H1N1 is pretty high, as she had it, too. The cough lasts for three weeks. They are treating the kids in K-'s case as having clinical pneumonia. It sounds big and scary, but it is not.
Onward to work. Have a good oink-free day.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Giving an atagirl and an update.
First, I'd like to thank my friend, Nora, for scoring such cool loot for me to give to K-. She went to some massive sale at the American Girl outlet in Osh Kosh, WI. Just look what she found for me:
The Midnight Holly Dress set. It is a gorgeous dress that can be bustled up front, the fur collar, the little heels (the photo does not do them justice) and the book. It would have been $29.95, but Nora picked it up for me for $7.00 for the whole set.
Then there is Coconut. The dog, collar with leash, toy and journal would have been $22.00. Nora found it for me for $9.00. Since we have a birthday party coming up at the American Girl Store in Chicago, I've decided to give this to K- as opposed to buying something insanely expensive in store. I'll probably give it to her on the 7 hour drive up. Goodness knows that we'll have the time.
So yes, Nora found me $52.00 worth of American Girl stuff for $16.00. Her mom just dropped it off this morning and oh. my. goodness. How I'm glad that she called me to see if I wanted her to bargain hunt for me. :)
So, Miss K- seems to be hopping around the house in underpants and a witches hat. She is laughing, hasn't napped at all today, is still belting out a cough, I'm keeping her on "comfort med's" per the nurses directions, she still has a little bit of a fever, but she seems to be doing fine.
Sadly, we did have to call and cancel out on the 1st birthday party we were to attend just south of Columbus tomorrow. We had the day planned with going to the art museum, Bass Pro Shops and then on to the party. In Ohio (I seriously think that it is a non-existent holiday everywhere else), it is Sweetest Day. (Basically another Valentine's Day.) We term it as a 5 buck holiday, but we won't be 5 buckin'. That's okay.
Smiles in my day:
- K- not having H1N1. She has recovered far too quickly, though Dr. AK brings up several good points. So does Melissa. Thanks for your medical input. A panicky, germaphobe and slightly hypochondriac mommy definitely appreciates public input.
- Watching Goonies. We missed Where the Wild Things Are, but we'll go when K- feels better. And yes, I cried at having to break our Loose Feet Date. It broke my heart to have to tell her that.
- Hubs panicking this AM with me. I know it sounds bizarre to have that be a smile, but at the end of the day, I look back and know that he was right in the trenches with me, helped me to get her on the way back down from 103.7 F and he even worked a partial day because of it. I'm glad that he is such an involved dad. It truly is quite a blessing. So many parents out there do it without the support of their partner. I couldn't imagine.
- K- having today off so that she didn't miss a day of school because of her illness.
- My brother. He has called more times than I can count today. When K- gets really sick, my brother just worries about her. "But it's K-!" is what he tells me. He told me this morning that he would sit in the hospital waiting room with us and he promised "not to freak out!" Bless his heart! Of course, we never made the trip to the hospital, but it's good to know that he has our backs in case we need to.
- My sister has called all day. So has my mom. And my friend, Kim. My aunt sent her home aide over with some soda and popsicles for K- and the dear got the wrong house and left it on my neighbor's porch. (I had to run and grab it before they found it.) Though it wasn't a necessary thing, she just felt so bad that K- was sick and wanted to do something for her. The love. It brings me to tears.
It's kind of a tired end to my day. I have 7 little necklaces to make for American Girl Doll favors and one child sized necklace for the Chicago party. I'm going to hop off here and try to get some crafting done before I sack out for bed. Something tells me that tonight is still going to be a little long of an evening with Miss Cough and Hack.
Thanks for the love. Thanks for putting up with my multiple postings for the day. Have a great weekend!
The Midnight Holly Dress set. It is a gorgeous dress that can be bustled up front, the fur collar, the little heels (the photo does not do them justice) and the book. It would have been $29.95, but Nora picked it up for me for $7.00 for the whole set.
Then there is Coconut. The dog, collar with leash, toy and journal would have been $22.00. Nora found it for me for $9.00. Since we have a birthday party coming up at the American Girl Store in Chicago, I've decided to give this to K- as opposed to buying something insanely expensive in store. I'll probably give it to her on the 7 hour drive up. Goodness knows that we'll have the time.So yes, Nora found me $52.00 worth of American Girl stuff for $16.00. Her mom just dropped it off this morning and oh. my. goodness. How I'm glad that she called me to see if I wanted her to bargain hunt for me. :)
So, Miss K- seems to be hopping around the house in underpants and a witches hat. She is laughing, hasn't napped at all today, is still belting out a cough, I'm keeping her on "comfort med's" per the nurses directions, she still has a little bit of a fever, but she seems to be doing fine.
Sadly, we did have to call and cancel out on the 1st birthday party we were to attend just south of Columbus tomorrow. We had the day planned with going to the art museum, Bass Pro Shops and then on to the party. In Ohio (I seriously think that it is a non-existent holiday everywhere else), it is Sweetest Day. (Basically another Valentine's Day.) We term it as a 5 buck holiday, but we won't be 5 buckin'. That's okay.
Smiles in my day:
- K- not having H1N1. She has recovered far too quickly, though Dr. AK brings up several good points. So does Melissa. Thanks for your medical input. A panicky, germaphobe and slightly hypochondriac mommy definitely appreciates public input.
- Watching Goonies. We missed Where the Wild Things Are, but we'll go when K- feels better. And yes, I cried at having to break our Loose Feet Date. It broke my heart to have to tell her that.
- Hubs panicking this AM with me. I know it sounds bizarre to have that be a smile, but at the end of the day, I look back and know that he was right in the trenches with me, helped me to get her on the way back down from 103.7 F and he even worked a partial day because of it. I'm glad that he is such an involved dad. It truly is quite a blessing. So many parents out there do it without the support of their partner. I couldn't imagine.
- K- having today off so that she didn't miss a day of school because of her illness.
- My brother. He has called more times than I can count today. When K- gets really sick, my brother just worries about her. "But it's K-!" is what he tells me. He told me this morning that he would sit in the hospital waiting room with us and he promised "not to freak out!" Bless his heart! Of course, we never made the trip to the hospital, but it's good to know that he has our backs in case we need to.
- My sister has called all day. So has my mom. And my friend, Kim. My aunt sent her home aide over with some soda and popsicles for K- and the dear got the wrong house and left it on my neighbor's porch. (I had to run and grab it before they found it.) Though it wasn't a necessary thing, she just felt so bad that K- was sick and wanted to do something for her. The love. It brings me to tears.
It's kind of a tired end to my day. I have 7 little necklaces to make for American Girl Doll favors and one child sized necklace for the Chicago party. I'm going to hop off here and try to get some crafting done before I sack out for bed. Something tells me that tonight is still going to be a little long of an evening with Miss Cough and Hack.
Thanks for the love. Thanks for putting up with my multiple postings for the day. Have a great weekend!
Loose Feet
For those of you who might be even vaguely familiar with Junie B. Jones, you'll know that in the book (Almost) a Flowergirl, Junie B's parents don't want her to have a boyfriend at such a tender age because they want her to be "foot loose and fancy free." Junie B. remembers that as "loose feet."
K- and I have decided that today will be Loose Feet Day. Because of NEOEA Day (I don't know what it stands for other than the kids get the day off), we decided that we are going to spend some nice time together, have fun and go see a movie. What are we going to see?
She's excited. It opens today and we're planning on going to the first show. We'll spring for movie popcorn and lots of Purell. It is an hour and a half, so we'll do that, head on over to celebrate my aunt's birthday with her, then on to the library. It should be a fun day!
Smiles in my day:
- Getting all of my chores done while K- was at school so that we can do something fun together tonight. I'm writing this on Thursday afternoon and have the beds made, laundry hanging to dry, the bathroom cleaned, living room tidied, the carpets swept, floors, steps and play area floor mopped, clothing is folded and put away, K-'s drawers have been purged of smaller sizes and a chicken is roasting in the oven. All this without the use of caffeine! My evening bonus? Every single bit of laundry is laundered and my dirty clothes bucket is COMPLETELY EMPTY! Since I laundered the balance of things after baths/showers, there will be no dirty laundry entering the bucket for 12 entire hours! :)! Hubs cleaned up the kitchen after dinner, so that was a huge help! :)!!
- I have weaned myself completely from caffeine and will not get into a habit of drinking/consuming quite as much of it anymore.
The evening update:
Perhaps we will be having loose feet at home since K- is running a bit of a fever this evening, though the Advil reduce it from 101.9 F - 99.0 F. Argh. Hopefully, it won't return and she will be okay. She had a flu shot 9/11, but we haven't scored an H1N1 vaccine yet. All of the children in her class are coughing and several have been out for several days at a time. We're hoping that it is just a blip on the radar. A friend reported that her son had a fever last night, but was just fine today. Who knows?
The Friday AM update:
Sadly, K-'s fever shot up to 103.7 F. Her cheeks were so rosey this AM that I could see them in the little light of dawn. The nurse at the doctor's office diagnosed BY PHONE ONLY as her having H1N1. She has been holding her own just fine, the fever did break and we have it down to 101 F, she is functioning, so it has left me to wonder if the diagnosis is actually correct. I was so mad at the doctor's office. Tamiflu is being reserved for people who have a surpressed immune system and everyone else is left to fight it off, but "If she has problems breathing, take her to the ER." After telling her something about how they are leaving me stranded on a ship and that they will only help me if my child is potentially dying, I hung up on her. (Not a grown-up reaction, but I didn't swear.) Regardless, Hubs got freaked out and worried, so he took the day off work. Right now, he is running around Super Wal with a list o' needs. (New vaporizer, he felt the need to replace the not dead batteries in the ear scan thermometer . . . ) Right now she is eating toast with butter. She is lying on the cot in the middle of my living room and watching far too much TV. That's okay. It's the part of the fun of being ill, right? :S
Because what's life without another update?
It is 12:20 PM and K-'s fever is 99.3 F. That's not actually even considered a fever. If she had H1N1, we wouldn't be able to break the fever that quick. Through this, I have gotten even more education about H1N1 (I was on the CDC last night, but have a friend that works in public health), so I feel myself more educated than what I was before. Actually, I can say that as a "we." Hubs did decide that he would go to work, as they had another school group coming in and he knew that they needed help. K- is eating. She is awake and has been since about 6:30 AM. She is playing. She is watching Goonies right now. She does have a cough, but we have a vaporizer running and children's decongestant on hand.
And Melissa, I agree with you wholeheartedly. The first day that symptoms truly hit is when the Tamiflu needs to be administered. However, the nurse didn't rank K- as a risk enough to be seen. I'm sure that I'm probably panicked mom #1000 that she has had to speak to about the same thing and my thought is that I'm not the only one who has hung up on them.
For what it's worth, this has again confirmed and allowed me to verbalize what I know about H1N1. It is considered a seasonal virus. Unfortunately, the virus is in a form that we haven't seen, thus making our immune systems kick into high gear. However, it is a virus. Some get hit harder than others. In discussing this with Kim, my public health friend, I even told her that every 5 years or so, I get hit so hard with a cold that it knocks me to my knees. This is one of those. There has been a public panic about it, and in cases certainly rightly so. The first 10 minutes of each news broadcast is dedicated to the H1N1 outbreak. I didn't sleep last night, listening to K- toss, turn and cough in worrying for her, my husband, my parents, my in-law's, my 5 month old nephew and anyone else that she is in contact with.
The fact of the matter is that K- goes to public school. There are approximately 550 kids in K-'s elementary school building. Germs go around. Funk and gunk are passed. All we can do is to teach our kids to wash their hands thoroughly, keep nails trimmed to a very short length, cover their mouths when they sneeze or cough, don't share utensils . . . , take vitamins, eat good foods, get exercise and plenty of sleep. In fact after things that I've learned today, I've been left questioning whether I will be getting the H1N1 vaccination for K-. Previously, I was all for it.
Stay well, my friends. May the hazmat tent not fall on any of your homes.
K- and I have decided that today will be Loose Feet Day. Because of NEOEA Day (I don't know what it stands for other than the kids get the day off), we decided that we are going to spend some nice time together, have fun and go see a movie. What are we going to see?
She's excited. It opens today and we're planning on going to the first show. We'll spring for movie popcorn and lots of Purell. It is an hour and a half, so we'll do that, head on over to celebrate my aunt's birthday with her, then on to the library. It should be a fun day!Smiles in my day:
- Getting all of my chores done while K- was at school so that we can do something fun together tonight. I'm writing this on Thursday afternoon and have the beds made, laundry hanging to dry, the bathroom cleaned, living room tidied, the carpets swept, floors, steps and play area floor mopped, clothing is folded and put away, K-'s drawers have been purged of smaller sizes and a chicken is roasting in the oven. All this without the use of caffeine! My evening bonus? Every single bit of laundry is laundered and my dirty clothes bucket is COMPLETELY EMPTY! Since I laundered the balance of things after baths/showers, there will be no dirty laundry entering the bucket for 12 entire hours! :)! Hubs cleaned up the kitchen after dinner, so that was a huge help! :)!!
- I have weaned myself completely from caffeine and will not get into a habit of drinking/consuming quite as much of it anymore.
The evening update:
Perhaps we will be having loose feet at home since K- is running a bit of a fever this evening, though the Advil reduce it from 101.9 F - 99.0 F. Argh. Hopefully, it won't return and she will be okay. She had a flu shot 9/11, but we haven't scored an H1N1 vaccine yet. All of the children in her class are coughing and several have been out for several days at a time. We're hoping that it is just a blip on the radar. A friend reported that her son had a fever last night, but was just fine today. Who knows?
The Friday AM update:
Sadly, K-'s fever shot up to 103.7 F. Her cheeks were so rosey this AM that I could see them in the little light of dawn. The nurse at the doctor's office diagnosed BY PHONE ONLY as her having H1N1. She has been holding her own just fine, the fever did break and we have it down to 101 F, she is functioning, so it has left me to wonder if the diagnosis is actually correct. I was so mad at the doctor's office. Tamiflu is being reserved for people who have a surpressed immune system and everyone else is left to fight it off, but "If she has problems breathing, take her to the ER." After telling her something about how they are leaving me stranded on a ship and that they will only help me if my child is potentially dying, I hung up on her. (Not a grown-up reaction, but I didn't swear.) Regardless, Hubs got freaked out and worried, so he took the day off work. Right now, he is running around Super Wal with a list o' needs. (New vaporizer, he felt the need to replace the not dead batteries in the ear scan thermometer . . . ) Right now she is eating toast with butter. She is lying on the cot in the middle of my living room and watching far too much TV. That's okay. It's the part of the fun of being ill, right? :S
Because what's life without another update?
It is 12:20 PM and K-'s fever is 99.3 F. That's not actually even considered a fever. If she had H1N1, we wouldn't be able to break the fever that quick. Through this, I have gotten even more education about H1N1 (I was on the CDC last night, but have a friend that works in public health), so I feel myself more educated than what I was before. Actually, I can say that as a "we." Hubs did decide that he would go to work, as they had another school group coming in and he knew that they needed help. K- is eating. She is awake and has been since about 6:30 AM. She is playing. She is watching Goonies right now. She does have a cough, but we have a vaporizer running and children's decongestant on hand.
And Melissa, I agree with you wholeheartedly. The first day that symptoms truly hit is when the Tamiflu needs to be administered. However, the nurse didn't rank K- as a risk enough to be seen. I'm sure that I'm probably panicked mom #1000 that she has had to speak to about the same thing and my thought is that I'm not the only one who has hung up on them.
For what it's worth, this has again confirmed and allowed me to verbalize what I know about H1N1. It is considered a seasonal virus. Unfortunately, the virus is in a form that we haven't seen, thus making our immune systems kick into high gear. However, it is a virus. Some get hit harder than others. In discussing this with Kim, my public health friend, I even told her that every 5 years or so, I get hit so hard with a cold that it knocks me to my knees. This is one of those. There has been a public panic about it, and in cases certainly rightly so. The first 10 minutes of each news broadcast is dedicated to the H1N1 outbreak. I didn't sleep last night, listening to K- toss, turn and cough in worrying for her, my husband, my parents, my in-law's, my 5 month old nephew and anyone else that she is in contact with.
The fact of the matter is that K- goes to public school. There are approximately 550 kids in K-'s elementary school building. Germs go around. Funk and gunk are passed. All we can do is to teach our kids to wash their hands thoroughly, keep nails trimmed to a very short length, cover their mouths when they sneeze or cough, don't share utensils . . . , take vitamins, eat good foods, get exercise and plenty of sleep. In fact after things that I've learned today, I've been left questioning whether I will be getting the H1N1 vaccination for K-. Previously, I was all for it.
Stay well, my friends. May the hazmat tent not fall on any of your homes.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Many things.
I had a birthday. I am now 36. My mother-in-law commented on the amount of gray hair that I have. I know, I know. It's hard enough for me to keep up with getting my hair cut. I'd never keep up with coloring. 
We took my in-law's with us to Idlewild on Saturday as an anniversary gift to them. We went as a birthday/end of summer celebration for us. We had a great time! We were able to score tickets at Giant Eagle, so we saved $50.00 on admission. That alone was reason to smile! We went to the Story Book Forest, rode the train, went through Mr. Roger's Neighborhood of Make Believe on the trolley, rode a bunch of rides that even my mother-in-law went on (I think we about did her on on the Rollo Coaster.) We stopped for a bite to eat on the way back home and didn't actually land on our doorstep until 12:45 AM on Sunday morning. That's a long day for us! We don't stay up that late.We did make it to church on Sunday morning. We hadn't been for a few weeks because of K-'s viral funk. It was a great sermon that spoke to my heart about having God at the forefront, not being able to have 2 masters in your life and readjusting priorities. Particularly with work stress, I needed to hear that.
We went to the Cleveland Botanical Gardens for my birthday. Hubs and K- take me every year, and every year EXCEPT this one (thank you!) K- didn't break down and have a horrible fit. We went on a garden tour, were able to be there for the butterfly release, where K- got a few to handle and one flew onto Hubs' head. :)
Much to the dismay of my family unit, we were able to work on the task of getting the Christmas photo done. I drove the in-law's crazy with it the day before and Hubs and K- were slightly annoyed with me today. In the end, I believe that we may have fetched a few contenders. I know that it sounds ridiculous to work on it this early, but Hubs kind of likes a destination type photo and with no vacation this year, this was pretty much our only chance. Hubs understands my artist tendencies, so it is all good. Each one of us have our own obsessive things and the Christmas card photo is one of mine.
I've been battling a little bit of something, as whatever funk I have seems to be blossoming in sores in my mouth. The sore of earlier on in the week that actually gave me an earache went away only to have one crop up on the opposite side of my mouth. This one has part of the roof of my mouth aching with redness. I've had a sore throat today, as well as some swollen glands, but after some Advil and Advil Cold and Sinus, it seems to have calmed down a bit. Both Hubs and I have been battling the mouth sores this week, so we think that maybe K-'s viral funk hit us a little bit. I had a hazy headache for a week, but finally didn't have it today. Perhaps the lightness, but annoyingness of whatever bit of something that I had is disappearing. Hopefully it does along with that huge cold sore in my mouth. Ouch.
We're looking towards the official end of summer. We have our orientation for K- tomorrow night. Mrs. F- is her teacher, but I don't recall her at the registration presentation. I admit that it makes me nervous, as I'll be leaving my child in her care for 6 hours a day/5 days a week. I'm certain that she is well qualified and all that, but I do believe that the orientation will be helpful in my being able to lay my eyes on her, getting to speak with her, finding out a bit more about her and her angle of teaching and how tightly she runs her ship. (No, I realize that this is not a parent/teacher conference, but if I can get 1/4 of my curiosities satisfied, then maybe I'll feel better, yes?) K- will be able to check out her room (magical number 3!) and meet some of her classmates. I'm excited for her, but nervous. I figure that each school year factors in adjustment to new schedules/people and whatnot. Hopefully, K- will do well with her adjustment and be the delightful little girl that I know her to be. Nevermind me. I'll be the mommy doing the deep breathing exercises over here.
Smiles in my weekend:
- A great weekend! Thanks honey and K-!
- Ice cream cake. I know that I used to work at DQ, but I never grow tired of their cakes.
- Being able to check back on the little girl who fell and bonked her head while the kids were waiting for their trolley ride. We ran into her and her family at some games later on in the evening, we were able to confirm that she was okay, though pushed down hard by another little girl. I was able to talk with the mother, who I praised for handling the situation as well as she had. Her daughter was pushed by another child who was neither reprimanded by her mother, nor even made to go to see how the injured child was. The mother said nothing. She didn't even acknowledge the incident. K- was mortified, as she had no idea what to do when she heard the collection of parental gasps when the incident happened. She came, sat with me and she went to check on her temporary playmate. I couldn't speak in detail about the incident until later, as the offender and mom were sitting right next to us in line. It made K-'s heart happy to know that the little girl was okay, as she had brought it up a few times during the day. This way, I know that she can rest well knowing that the playmate will be a-okay.
I hope that all of you had a wonderful weekend! Still spotty this week, because of sending K- off to school. Next week I'll get back to my normal schedule. I promise!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
The Land of the Measle-Free
Second post for the day, y'all. What can I say? Couldn't leave you hanging!
I am thrilled to report that K- DOES NOT have measles. She has a measle-like rash that is overtaking her babyson body, but NO measles. When I called my sister, I cried. I told her that I had to tell her last night, but didn't sleep well between all of the late night vomiting that K- did and the fact that I was so worried about Leland. I heard her breathe deeply. Wow.
So, what does K- have? She has a virus. A non-specific virus that is running about (or aboot depending upon your locale) that has a low-grade fever for about a week. She cashed in on the no eating for days, limited drinking and full torso rash that is spreading. Advil and plenty of fluids. Dr. P- said that we are on the backside and that in 24 hours, she'll be feeling much better. They did test her for strep, which came back negative, but they are sending it off to the lab just to double check.
This is what I have lying on my living room floor right now.
I am thrilled to report that K- DOES NOT have measles. She has a measle-like rash that is overtaking her babyson body, but NO measles. When I called my sister, I cried. I told her that I had to tell her last night, but didn't sleep well between all of the late night vomiting that K- did and the fact that I was so worried about Leland. I heard her breathe deeply. Wow.
So, what does K- have? She has a virus. A non-specific virus that is running about (or aboot depending upon your locale) that has a low-grade fever for about a week. She cashed in on the no eating for days, limited drinking and full torso rash that is spreading. Advil and plenty of fluids. Dr. P- said that we are on the backside and that in 24 hours, she'll be feeling much better. They did test her for strep, which came back negative, but they are sending it off to the lab just to double check.
This is what I have lying on my living room floor right now.
Nevermind the unswept rug. My sweeper broke. 
Now you can see why I was freaked out. When I said that she had a rash, I was not lying. 
Since she is young and clearly I could get away with taking a close-up of her arm pit, here it is. She has the rash up her neck, down her brea*st bone, along under her bre*asts, down along her sides wrapping under her belly, across her back, along the front of her panty area, partially down the top and back of her left leg, her palms and the top of her feet.
Have I mentioned that I'm tired? So tired, in fact, that I was talking to the Diet Coke 2 liter today. "Hello, friend. You look so glorious this morning." Mommy by caffeine. What can I say?
I'm planning on breaking until Monday. I'll be reading, just not writing. Have a great weekend! Thank you for the well wishes.
I was going to post that I was taking a break, but . . .
. . . it appears that my life will be a little more house bound than usual. Why? K- might have measles. Am I kidding? Uh, no.
K- was vaccinated for everything. Her shots are up to date. My friend Kim, who is a health educator at the local university and has worked for the Health department, is who I called last evening. I was stumped. I told her that at this point, I was certain that what K- had going on had to be one of the kid rash communicable diseases, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I thought she had everything or at least had it covered with vaccinations.
Chicken Pox from Varicella vaccine
Roseola from library group
5th's Disease from K-'s little friend
Hand Foot and Mouth this past fall (but I realize that there are different strains and we could re-run this one.)
I swore that they were all covered. So Kim started questioning me as to what she has, when she started with whatever and whatnot. K- has run a low grade fever off and on (more off than on and when she has it, it is only an hour or so) since Saturday night. She broke out into a rash that she woke up with Wednesday morning. Wednesday night brought us vomiting, which she had apparently done this AM, but didn't tell me since she knew that I wouldn't take her to Miss Laurie's house for the day. Oy.
When Hubs and I looked at the picture of the rash, we both said, "That is it." Oh, and we were with my sister, her girls, their friend and Leland on Saturday. Holy crap. My 3 month old nephew may have been exposed to measles, if that is what K- has. So, I dropped the potential exposure bomb on my sister, as well as the one that says that there is no way that it is safe for me to do the family yard sale this weekend. Leland is too important. She took the news well. I have her on watch, I plan on calling the pediatrician and perhaps getting in tomorrow. (Though I know there is nothing that they can do, but I'm more concerned about Leland at this point.) I want to make certain that K- is fine. Apparently if it is measles, it is a lighter case and we are on the backside of it.
So, how can she get these things having been vaccinated? Apparently vaccinations protect, but don't necessarily build up quite enough immunity in all people. With K-'s drug positive birth status, her immunity was compromised and thus leaving her at more risk of developing things like measles. Her immunity is leaps and bounds better than it was, but it is something that we must deal with.
So I'll find out today, perhaps, if K- has added another one of those childhood communicable diseases to her list of "had that." In the meantime, may all of your families be rash, vomit and fever-free.
Smiles in my day:
- Getting the Christmas markdowns complete in the time frame I promised.
- Laurie gave us a wheel barrow full of firewood for our new fire pit. There is so much wood there, that we'll be good for at least this season, if not wood for some of next.
- I think that K- may have fallen asleep and dare I say, she might be vomit free right now.
K- was vaccinated for everything. Her shots are up to date. My friend Kim, who is a health educator at the local university and has worked for the Health department, is who I called last evening. I was stumped. I told her that at this point, I was certain that what K- had going on had to be one of the kid rash communicable diseases, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I thought she had everything or at least had it covered with vaccinations.
Chicken Pox from Varicella vaccine
Roseola from library group
5th's Disease from K-'s little friend
Hand Foot and Mouth this past fall (but I realize that there are different strains and we could re-run this one.)
I swore that they were all covered. So Kim started questioning me as to what she has, when she started with whatever and whatnot. K- has run a low grade fever off and on (more off than on and when she has it, it is only an hour or so) since Saturday night. She broke out into a rash that she woke up with Wednesday morning. Wednesday night brought us vomiting, which she had apparently done this AM, but didn't tell me since she knew that I wouldn't take her to Miss Laurie's house for the day. Oy.
When Hubs and I looked at the picture of the rash, we both said, "That is it." Oh, and we were with my sister, her girls, their friend and Leland on Saturday. Holy crap. My 3 month old nephew may have been exposed to measles, if that is what K- has. So, I dropped the potential exposure bomb on my sister, as well as the one that says that there is no way that it is safe for me to do the family yard sale this weekend. Leland is too important. She took the news well. I have her on watch, I plan on calling the pediatrician and perhaps getting in tomorrow. (Though I know there is nothing that they can do, but I'm more concerned about Leland at this point.) I want to make certain that K- is fine. Apparently if it is measles, it is a lighter case and we are on the backside of it.
So, how can she get these things having been vaccinated? Apparently vaccinations protect, but don't necessarily build up quite enough immunity in all people. With K-'s drug positive birth status, her immunity was compromised and thus leaving her at more risk of developing things like measles. Her immunity is leaps and bounds better than it was, but it is something that we must deal with.
So I'll find out today, perhaps, if K- has added another one of those childhood communicable diseases to her list of "had that." In the meantime, may all of your families be rash, vomit and fever-free.
Smiles in my day:
- Getting the Christmas markdowns complete in the time frame I promised.
- Laurie gave us a wheel barrow full of firewood for our new fire pit. There is so much wood there, that we'll be good for at least this season, if not wood for some of next.
- I think that K- may have fallen asleep and dare I say, she might be vomit free right now.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Lots going on.
I'm writing this Thursday night because I love to give y'all a post every day. I try anyhow! So, today ends with exhaustion from accomplishment. Oh, do let me give you the run-down.
The day started with K- going to preschool. We got up at 7:15 AM, I saw that it was BLUE outside and so BLUE that it was a NACITS (not a cloud in the sky) kind of day. They had promised 63 degrees +. Do you know what that spells? Strip the beds, wash the linens, then line dry the sheets! Hubs didn't have to go in until later, so he got up to greet K- and I stripped our bed and had the sheets in the washer before I left to drop K- off. I came home and found Hubs resting on the couch. Apparently, he had plans to snuggle back in bed for a few more minutes but found the bed bare. Oops. Sorry! I laundered the clothes that were in the basket and the towels from the bathroom. There was a breeze, so everything was drying rather quickly. I decided to go ahead and line dry the towels. I figured that the breeze would snap the stiffness out of them. Can I tell you that I was wrong? I've just used a noisy towel (yes, noisy) that felt like I was drying myself with a long sheet of steel wool. But line drying otherwise was very pleasant. (No, we don't use fabric softener because of allergies.)
I drove back up and got K- and shuttled on back home to have a bite for lunch. I had signed her up for a Wildflower program at 1:00 PM, so we needed to trot on to the park for that.
The program was lovely, but I'd like to ask something. What the heck was up with the loud chatty moms at the table I sat at? They paid no attention to the program, no attention to their kids and did not catch the hint when I turned around not one but THREE times to give them the polite but stern mommy shhh! look. I could have beaned the women! In between Chatty and Patty and their loudness, (and a difficulty hearing because of them) I learned the following:
1. Garlic Mustard is invasive and not good at all. Nothing eats it and the seeds are spread by wind. Their roots overtake soil that native species would live in, thus resulting in a lack of natives and a boom of invasives. They actually have Garlic Mustard pulls as a result.
2. It takes a Trout Lily 7 full years to bloom. If you pick the bloom, it will die because then it has no seeds to regenerate.
3. Even a spider is considered a "pollinator."
4. Skunk cabbage really does stink.
5. Blue Bells were in bloom.
6. We saw Cut Leaf Tooth Wart.
7. We also saw Violets.
8. Spring Beauty was in bloom.
9. We saw Mayapples emerging. Though they are considered poisonous until just a certain point (that Miss Pat, a previous coworker of Hubs, admitted that she wouldn't eat one due to uncertainty), I was able to share with her later that I had eaten a Mayapple. It is pulpy and tastes grapey/appley. It is also very seedy. Hubs' boss picked it and insisted that one of us eat it. Hubs would not. K- was grossed out and that left me. We couldn't disappoint him!
10. Jack in the Pulpit's flower is not the big flowery type tubey flower that we all thought. It's the flowery stem inside.
When we left, K- was fast asleep within 5 minutes. We went back home, K- played with Barbies for a while as I talked to Grandma about this past week with the girls. (Which was great that Grandma was willing to watch all 3 of the girls at the same time. They all get so excited and wear poor Grandma out!)
Then it was time. My vehicle needed freed from what winter had done to it. Our winter started early, at the end of October and our last snow was just April 8. During this time, I had taken my vehicle for one car wash. Toys, crumbs and bits of dried foodstuffs littered the backseat.
It was time to take the car back from Old Man Winter.
K- and I spent 2 hours cleaning the car. Now, in the land of cars, mine probably ranked middle of the road in the untidiness of it all. You see, K- has taken toys, coloring books, crayons and the like into the car for these past 5 1/2 months. During that time, things went in, but rarely came out. It was like a spin on Umpa Loompas, except for people did leave the vehicle. I set out a storage tote that I had been collecting items in already in the back of the RAV for her to clear out the backseat. She was quite a worker. I had a little garbage bag for her and found A PARTIALLY EATEN APPLE! What, my child, were you thinking? "Sorry mom." Rotting apples? My car would have smelled like fermenting garbage soon! I swept and swept. Now, I did see a few chex squares and a pretzel that I was just unable to get. It would have called for the removal of K-'s booster, which since it is rather large and is held in by anchors and tethers, I decided to bypass the 10 minute re-installation and just know that a few chex squares and a pretzel weren't going to kill us. After all, it wasn't a partially eaten apple.
After sweeping and wiping down the inside, we moved to the exterior. I washed and scrubbed. K- took the wheels. We wiped and washed. We were both filthy and wet, but the car shines! I found a few ker-tunks from rocks and think that the 13 degrees below zero may very well have shot the paint pen that I accidentally forgot in the glove box. I may need to order a new one.
She's clean now. Now I'm not embarrassed to get my oil changed tomorrow. While there, I'm going to tackle this pesky, "My Tire Cover Wants To Fly Off of My Vehicle" problem. It's under warranty. They said that they'd look at it and do whatever they had to do. For now, it is stowed away in the back of the RAV. Don't worry, we didn't forget to clean it.
My friend had invited, but actually insisted that we come to visit and give her some sanity today, but then called as we were washing the car to leave the message that her littlest man had a runny nose and a cold that has made him not quite himself. I'm not afraid of a runny nose, but the not-quite-himself sent me to call her and say "thanks, but no thanks." That sent me scrambling for dinner for K- and me. Heather had prepared a lovely ham and potato soup, but declining also meant declining on the lovely meal. No fear! I had chili in the freezer from 2 weeks ago. I heated it up, put a little cheese on it, had crackers and we were good to go.
That leaves me to now. I've made the mistake of sitting down. This probably wouldn't be a big deal except for my bed hasn't been re-sheeted. (I make up my own words. You'll learn to love it about me.) K- is in the bathtub, soaking the day off of her body. I had plans of cleaning the bathroom this evening, but the remainder of the housecleaning will just have to lop on over to tomorrow. We had to take advantage of the excellent weather when we could, right?
Speaking of, today is the day. Friday, April 17, 2009 is the day that I'm registering our one and only for Kindergarten. I've filled out a majority of the paperwork and gathered the necessary items of proof to register her. Oh, heavens. It makes me teary just thinking about it. I'm dropping K- off at a friend's house, going to the school and doing the necessary things and going back to scoop her up. I'll have her school spirit shirt that she'll probably insist on wearing. My goofy kid is growing up. How I'll miss her when she's at school!
Edited to add: Kindergarten registration was long. People spoke for an hour and a half. We met all the Kindergarten teachers, learned about a lot of things they will be teaching our children. Um, I'm thinking that Kindergarten is equivalent to my second or third grade learning.
After getting little miss all signed up, I trotted on down to our local Toyota dealership for an oil change and to solve the mystery of the tire cover. I admitted that I didn't know if I was being a girl about it and just didn't get something weird about the tire cover, but when they returned my keys to me, they told me that they would be ordering a new tire cover. Apparently, they found it to be a problem, too. Or, I found it seems that someone dropped it top side down onto concrete and gouged it all up and that is why they are replacing it. Maybe a combo of the two, yes? At any rate, that is marked off my list.
Right now K- is sleeping in her booster in the car. I rolled the windows down and unlatched her, so she can get out when she awakes. I figured her body told her that it needed a nap. Mommy decided to listen to K-'s body was saying, too. Besides, I need to make a grocery list, so it gives me time!
Have a great rest of your day! :)
The day started with K- going to preschool. We got up at 7:15 AM, I saw that it was BLUE outside and so BLUE that it was a NACITS (not a cloud in the sky) kind of day. They had promised 63 degrees +. Do you know what that spells? Strip the beds, wash the linens, then line dry the sheets! Hubs didn't have to go in until later, so he got up to greet K- and I stripped our bed and had the sheets in the washer before I left to drop K- off. I came home and found Hubs resting on the couch. Apparently, he had plans to snuggle back in bed for a few more minutes but found the bed bare. Oops. Sorry! I laundered the clothes that were in the basket and the towels from the bathroom. There was a breeze, so everything was drying rather quickly. I decided to go ahead and line dry the towels. I figured that the breeze would snap the stiffness out of them. Can I tell you that I was wrong? I've just used a noisy towel (yes, noisy) that felt like I was drying myself with a long sheet of steel wool. But line drying otherwise was very pleasant. (No, we don't use fabric softener because of allergies.)
I drove back up and got K- and shuttled on back home to have a bite for lunch. I had signed her up for a Wildflower program at 1:00 PM, so we needed to trot on to the park for that.
The program was lovely, but I'd like to ask something. What the heck was up with the loud chatty moms at the table I sat at? They paid no attention to the program, no attention to their kids and did not catch the hint when I turned around not one but THREE times to give them the polite but stern mommy shhh! look. I could have beaned the women! In between Chatty and Patty and their loudness, (and a difficulty hearing because of them) I learned the following:
1. Garlic Mustard is invasive and not good at all. Nothing eats it and the seeds are spread by wind. Their roots overtake soil that native species would live in, thus resulting in a lack of natives and a boom of invasives. They actually have Garlic Mustard pulls as a result.
2. It takes a Trout Lily 7 full years to bloom. If you pick the bloom, it will die because then it has no seeds to regenerate.
3. Even a spider is considered a "pollinator."
4. Skunk cabbage really does stink.
5. Blue Bells were in bloom.
6. We saw Cut Leaf Tooth Wart.
7. We also saw Violets.
8. Spring Beauty was in bloom.
9. We saw Mayapples emerging. Though they are considered poisonous until just a certain point (that Miss Pat, a previous coworker of Hubs, admitted that she wouldn't eat one due to uncertainty), I was able to share with her later that I had eaten a Mayapple. It is pulpy and tastes grapey/appley. It is also very seedy. Hubs' boss picked it and insisted that one of us eat it. Hubs would not. K- was grossed out and that left me. We couldn't disappoint him!
10. Jack in the Pulpit's flower is not the big flowery type tubey flower that we all thought. It's the flowery stem inside.
When we left, K- was fast asleep within 5 minutes. We went back home, K- played with Barbies for a while as I talked to Grandma about this past week with the girls. (Which was great that Grandma was willing to watch all 3 of the girls at the same time. They all get so excited and wear poor Grandma out!)
Then it was time. My vehicle needed freed from what winter had done to it. Our winter started early, at the end of October and our last snow was just April 8. During this time, I had taken my vehicle for one car wash. Toys, crumbs and bits of dried foodstuffs littered the backseat.
It was time to take the car back from Old Man Winter.
K- and I spent 2 hours cleaning the car. Now, in the land of cars, mine probably ranked middle of the road in the untidiness of it all. You see, K- has taken toys, coloring books, crayons and the like into the car for these past 5 1/2 months. During that time, things went in, but rarely came out. It was like a spin on Umpa Loompas, except for people did leave the vehicle. I set out a storage tote that I had been collecting items in already in the back of the RAV for her to clear out the backseat. She was quite a worker. I had a little garbage bag for her and found A PARTIALLY EATEN APPLE! What, my child, were you thinking? "Sorry mom." Rotting apples? My car would have smelled like fermenting garbage soon! I swept and swept. Now, I did see a few chex squares and a pretzel that I was just unable to get. It would have called for the removal of K-'s booster, which since it is rather large and is held in by anchors and tethers, I decided to bypass the 10 minute re-installation and just know that a few chex squares and a pretzel weren't going to kill us. After all, it wasn't a partially eaten apple.
After sweeping and wiping down the inside, we moved to the exterior. I washed and scrubbed. K- took the wheels. We wiped and washed. We were both filthy and wet, but the car shines! I found a few ker-tunks from rocks and think that the 13 degrees below zero may very well have shot the paint pen that I accidentally forgot in the glove box. I may need to order a new one.
She's clean now. Now I'm not embarrassed to get my oil changed tomorrow. While there, I'm going to tackle this pesky, "My Tire Cover Wants To Fly Off of My Vehicle" problem. It's under warranty. They said that they'd look at it and do whatever they had to do. For now, it is stowed away in the back of the RAV. Don't worry, we didn't forget to clean it.
My friend had invited, but actually insisted that we come to visit and give her some sanity today, but then called as we were washing the car to leave the message that her littlest man had a runny nose and a cold that has made him not quite himself. I'm not afraid of a runny nose, but the not-quite-himself sent me to call her and say "thanks, but no thanks." That sent me scrambling for dinner for K- and me. Heather had prepared a lovely ham and potato soup, but declining also meant declining on the lovely meal. No fear! I had chili in the freezer from 2 weeks ago. I heated it up, put a little cheese on it, had crackers and we were good to go.
That leaves me to now. I've made the mistake of sitting down. This probably wouldn't be a big deal except for my bed hasn't been re-sheeted. (I make up my own words. You'll learn to love it about me.) K- is in the bathtub, soaking the day off of her body. I had plans of cleaning the bathroom this evening, but the remainder of the housecleaning will just have to lop on over to tomorrow. We had to take advantage of the excellent weather when we could, right?
Speaking of, today is the day. Friday, April 17, 2009 is the day that I'm registering our one and only for Kindergarten. I've filled out a majority of the paperwork and gathered the necessary items of proof to register her. Oh, heavens. It makes me teary just thinking about it. I'm dropping K- off at a friend's house, going to the school and doing the necessary things and going back to scoop her up. I'll have her school spirit shirt that she'll probably insist on wearing. My goofy kid is growing up. How I'll miss her when she's at school!
Edited to add: Kindergarten registration was long. People spoke for an hour and a half. We met all the Kindergarten teachers, learned about a lot of things they will be teaching our children. Um, I'm thinking that Kindergarten is equivalent to my second or third grade learning.
After getting little miss all signed up, I trotted on down to our local Toyota dealership for an oil change and to solve the mystery of the tire cover. I admitted that I didn't know if I was being a girl about it and just didn't get something weird about the tire cover, but when they returned my keys to me, they told me that they would be ordering a new tire cover. Apparently, they found it to be a problem, too. Or, I found it seems that someone dropped it top side down onto concrete and gouged it all up and that is why they are replacing it. Maybe a combo of the two, yes? At any rate, that is marked off my list.
Right now K- is sleeping in her booster in the car. I rolled the windows down and unlatched her, so she can get out when she awakes. I figured her body told her that it needed a nap. Mommy decided to listen to K-'s body was saying, too. Besides, I need to make a grocery list, so it gives me time!
Have a great rest of your day! :)
Friday, January 16, 2009
Double Play Dates and the Big Purges
K- was off school yesterday, so I decided to schedule our friends to come over and play. We had one set that we needed to do belated Christmas and belated birthday with. The other set we just needed to hang with.
The hang with friends came over at about 10:30 AM. We mommies sat downstairs and went through K-'s boxes of clothes that I had from birth up until about last year. You see, we thought that we were going to adopt another baby, but that just wasn't in the plan. So, I kept everything and I've been holding off on going through everything because it is 4 years worth of clothing. We've found a body to put this past years worth of clothes on. We sorted, the kids played. We had a great time.
They left and we had about a half hour in between. Our other friends had to bump their time up, since my friend H- has been having some health issues and needed to run to the doctor to have them checked out. She was there and back in a flash with no real answer to her question and we celebrated birthdays and Christmas. We had cake. It was all good. We went downstairs to play and as she was watching over her 2 year old, I was talking to her from the purge pile as I bagged more stuff for more children.
Then she went white. Her eyes went kind of peaky (as mom would call it.) She didn't look well. She excused herself to the bathroom. It had been a while and I was going to check on her when I heard muffled cries from the kitchen. My friend was lying in the middle of my unmopped kitchen floor. She was ill. She decided to lie on the kitchen floor because it was cold and it would make her feel better. After about a half hour of that, she decided to move to the couch then off to the bathroom. Oh, that poor girl. She was so ill. I kept checking on her through the door, but there was nothing I could do. I mean, I'm sure that she didn't want me trotting in all the while she was being ill. She came out and announced that she felt well enough to attempt a drive home. I followed her and we did get her there, but oh my goodness I felt bad for her. Her husband was soon to follow home, as he had gotten my "your wife is lying on my floor" distress call.
The hang with friends came over at about 10:30 AM. We mommies sat downstairs and went through K-'s boxes of clothes that I had from birth up until about last year. You see, we thought that we were going to adopt another baby, but that just wasn't in the plan. So, I kept everything and I've been holding off on going through everything because it is 4 years worth of clothing. We've found a body to put this past years worth of clothes on. We sorted, the kids played. We had a great time.
They left and we had about a half hour in between. Our other friends had to bump their time up, since my friend H- has been having some health issues and needed to run to the doctor to have them checked out. She was there and back in a flash with no real answer to her question and we celebrated birthdays and Christmas. We had cake. It was all good. We went downstairs to play and as she was watching over her 2 year old, I was talking to her from the purge pile as I bagged more stuff for more children.
Then she went white. Her eyes went kind of peaky (as mom would call it.) She didn't look well. She excused herself to the bathroom. It had been a while and I was going to check on her when I heard muffled cries from the kitchen. My friend was lying in the middle of my unmopped kitchen floor. She was ill. She decided to lie on the kitchen floor because it was cold and it would make her feel better. After about a half hour of that, she decided to move to the couch then off to the bathroom. Oh, that poor girl. She was so ill. I kept checking on her through the door, but there was nothing I could do. I mean, I'm sure that she didn't want me trotting in all the while she was being ill. She came out and announced that she felt well enough to attempt a drive home. I followed her and we did get her there, but oh my goodness I felt bad for her. Her husband was soon to follow home, as he had gotten my "your wife is lying on my floor" distress call.
(At my last phone call, she was in the bath. She's doing okay, I guess. I'll call again in the morning since I've actually written this post Thursday night.)
Of course, being the germaphobe that I am, I came home and did a hazmat cleaning on the bathroom (I cleaned it already in the AM, with no time to mop.) I Lysol'd so much that I ran out and had to get more (in 7 F weather.) I bleached, mopped, scrubbed and wiped. If she had anything contagious and we get it, it isn't for my lack of cleaning.
You know the funny part? K- was off school today because it was Bleach Down the School Day. (She wouldn't have had it anyway because the schools were called off for cold.) The stomach virus is rip roaring through her class and I was so relieved that it was bleaching time. God does have a great sense of humor, though. Funny indeed.
Of course, being the germaphobe that I am, I came home and did a hazmat cleaning on the bathroom (I cleaned it already in the AM, with no time to mop.) I Lysol'd so much that I ran out and had to get more (in 7 F weather.) I bleached, mopped, scrubbed and wiped. If she had anything contagious and we get it, it isn't for my lack of cleaning.
You know the funny part? K- was off school today because it was Bleach Down the School Day. (She wouldn't have had it anyway because the schools were called off for cold.) The stomach virus is rip roaring through her class and I was so relieved that it was bleaching time. God does have a great sense of humor, though. Funny indeed.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Would anyone like a Hand, Foot and/or Mouth?
Why yes, we have cashed in on yet another one of the childhood diseases. Seems as though Little Miss K- has Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, though Hubs prefers to just call it Hoof and Mouth. (An entirely different disease in critters only, thank you. He does it because he thinks that it is funny.) Apparently it is going around. Two families in the public school system here have said that fliers went home with their children. I have contacted the preschool and the church office. Wasn't it kind of us to expose them? Call us consistent! We exposed them to Chicken Pox and Roseola when K- was 1, why change our habits now?
The good news is that on the scale of ickiness, this ranks low. By far, Roseola was the winner with a 104 degree fever that I couldn't break for a week. Let us not forget 5ths Disease with the diarrhea for 6 weeks. Oh, that was special. Quite a test on all brands of diapers, too. Since I'm listing them out, I may as well mention that the Chicken Pox actually came from the vaccine. She broke out on Hubs' birthday and I had the once a decade illness that knocks me to my knees. I was sick, so was she and she lived on Goldfish Crackers for a week. Call me nothing if not a wonderful provider.
We're a very, very special lot we are.
Well wishes to all. May your hands, feet and mouths be disease free!
The good news is that on the scale of ickiness, this ranks low. By far, Roseola was the winner with a 104 degree fever that I couldn't break for a week. Let us not forget 5ths Disease with the diarrhea for 6 weeks. Oh, that was special. Quite a test on all brands of diapers, too. Since I'm listing them out, I may as well mention that the Chicken Pox actually came from the vaccine. She broke out on Hubs' birthday and I had the once a decade illness that knocks me to my knees. I was sick, so was she and she lived on Goldfish Crackers for a week. Call me nothing if not a wonderful provider.
We're a very, very special lot we are.
Well wishes to all. May your hands, feet and mouths be disease free!
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