I had a few minutes between dropping Wesley at preschool and picking Colleen up to take her to her eye exam, so I returned some library books and checked out a few more.  I went over to the kid section because I saw a book with a T-Rex in a tutu on the front cover.  If there was ever a book for Colleen it is this one.  It is called T-Rex in Swan Lake and it is just right for a budding ballerina princess on a dinosaur kick.  Right next to that book was one called I Remember Miss Perry.  The title caught my eye so I read it while I was standing there.  It is a book about a kind-hearted teacher who dies in a car accident on the way to school and how the children deal with her loss by remembering all of the wonderful things she did.  There are tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat as I am typing this, but I LOST IT in the library.  I was full on blubbering.  I'm glad our library is automated so that I could check out the books myself without interacting with the librarians.

 

Coco's eye exam went very well, she used her listening ears and cooperated with the nurse and the doctor.  She has "perfectly healthy 6 year old eyes".

 

And Wes had a great day at preschool, it was finally his turn to bring home Tuffi the Dog, but that's another blog post. 

 

Love, Jen

Colleen came home from school yesterday and couldn't wait to show me the story she wrote in class.

 

She's in the 1st grade and the paper they use has a space for a picture on top and lines on the bottom for the words.

 

I'll try to take pictures of the work and post them later, but for now I'll just describe it.

 

The first one has her name and the date at the top and the picture is all black with "hollywood" style lights across the top and a very flattering picture of me in the center.  She writes, "I see min mom Jen"  (She meant "I see mine mom Jen"

 

The next page is all white for the background and has a picture of our family inside a hastily drawn house.  We are all waving our hands as if to say hi.  She wrote, "I see min femle.  brd mom DaD. sisdr."  (She meant "I see mine family, brother, mom, dad, sister", referring to herself as the sister.)

 

The last page is just lines for words, no space for a picture.  It says, "Jen shon. (lots of erase marks around his name) Colleen. wseleY."  She spelled out the names herself and I think she did a terrific job.

 

I was bursting with pride for her and she was happy and maybe a little bashful over how excited I got.  I'm keeping this one forever and ever.  I may even go put it in the fireproof safe.  :D

Wesley was looking at a magnet I have on the fridge, the one that is in the shape of a castle and has the picture of Shawn, his mother, and I at Disney World.  Wes remembers bits and pieces of the last time we went and he wants to go again.  I told him that it is very expensive to go there and that we did not have enough money to go right now.  As I was about to reassure him that we would go again when we had saved enough money he interrupted me and said, "We could just use someone else's money."

 

Spice, I have to agree with you that this kid is destined for a career in banking.  Or maybe the US Government.

Shawn came home with a present for me... a SNUGGIE!!! I have been longing for a SNUGGIE!!! Everytime a facebook friend posts that they got one I turn green with envy.  Well, now I'm blue because I'm covered head-to-toe by my new, blue SNUGGIE!!!

 

SNUGGIE!!!

 

Thank you, Shawn!  You rock!

 

SNUGGIE!!!

 

Love, Jen

 

PS, SNUGGIE!!!

I went to Michael's last night and got a wider selection of buttons for the tap ties.  I have about 100 pairs made up now.  Here is one of my favorites:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Colleen's dance class required that we get her elastic tap shoe ties because their are something like 16 girls in her class and the teacher can't tie everyone's shoes before the tap portion begins.  They were selling them for $5 a pair.  I got to looking at them and realized that they are pony tail holders with cute buttons attached.  I have pony tail holders.  And the same cute buttons.  So I saved my $5 and made her a pair at home.

 

Well, I had more pony tail elastics and more buttons, so I made up a batch of them (Christmas themed, of course!) and I am going to sell them on Etsy.  I can't decide if I should list them at $5 or $4.  There is another Etsy seller that has hers listed at $4.  I think I may list them at $5 and see how well they sell.  I can always reduce the price if they don't move at $5.

 

I had a hard time getting good photos until Shawn adjusted the focus on the camera, now I'm getting decent shots.  Maybe some day I'll learn how to use photo editing software and I'll be able to really make the photos pop.  Until then these photos will have to do.

 

I'm calling them Tapping Toes and they will come on a little cardstock card that says "Tapping Toes" on the top and "Tap Shoe Ties" on the bottom.  I am thinking of making up some matching pony tail holders.  They'll have a matching button and coordinating ribbon.  Maybe I'll sell the tap ties for $4 and give the option of adding the matching ponytail holder for a $1 more.

 

So, what do you guys think?  Am I on to something here?

 

 

 

 

Today is Wesley's 3rd day of Preschool.  He looks forward to going, in a laid back kind of way.  I can't believe I ever worried about him clinging to me and crying.  He is so independant.  He just strolls on in.  There is a little girl that does that and my heart breaks for her and her parents.

 

Yesterday when we were walking home from Preschool Wesley was talking about the kids and he was irritated because they don't "follow his instructions".  Also they tend to play with "his" toys.  The teacher hasn't contacted me regarding any problems with sharing, I trust that she has the situation in hand.  It is funny to listen to him talk as if they are all employees or charges of his.  The responsibility of telling so many other kids exactly how to play with what toy he permits them to have must be exhausting for our poor Wes.

 

Coco's school gets out at 2pm on Wednesdays and Wes' school goes to 3pm.  I figured I'd have an hour of time to spend with Coco, just us girls.  She wanted to watch TV.  Oh well, there's always next week.  She is doing her homework now.  Thankfully, she likes homework and it has not been a struggle.  She does not like reading, though.  I need to talk to her teacher about it, I suppose.  She cries when I try to get her to read.

 

I am working on painting the exterior of our house.  It is a big job, but my poor attitude is making it bigger.  I keep talking myself into it being more complicated than it is.  I want to do a good job and do the prep work, etc, to make the new paint last as long as possible.  But I've put it off so long that summer is over and the rainy season is approaching.  Its now or never and I don't have time to waiver back and forth over whether or not I am capable of doing it.  Yesterday I painted the siding on the front garage section of the house, it will need a second coat.  Today I scraped and sanded the nail holes on the underside of the overhang roof part of the front garage section, and I filled the holes and large cracks with wood filler.  Should be ready to paint tomorrow.  Hopefully I can get the overhang painted first coat and the siding painted second coat tomorrow.  I'd like to tackle the side of the garage on Friday, first coat.  Then this weekend I'd like to get the ladders out and see what we can reach with them.  I am seriously considering hiring someone to paint the upper levels.  We'll see.

 

Today I ordered a new mattress from Ikea.  It is going to be delivered Saturday.  Our old one was a cheapie and it has served us about 6 years or so.  It didn't survive the move very well, I think having it on it's side for shipping and storage during the move last year didn't help.  It is squeaky and uncomfortable and a spring sticks out on one side.  I am hoping that the new mattress is comfortable and helps Shawn and I sleep better.

 

I also did the online grocery shopping today.  Got LOTS of food, lots and lots.  Our pantry was almost bare and canned goods were $1 a can, so I stocked up.  All this food won't do us any good if I don't cook it, so I need to make that a priority.

 

I still haven't called an allergist yet.  I need to.  I had a reaction to sunflower seeds Monday night, so the rash may not have only been caused by fish antibiotics.  I need to get tested to get to the bottom of it.

 

What else?  Coco is going to be in Drama Club this year.  It is on Tuesday afternoons.  I wanted to get Wes into martial arts classes but I am not sure I am going to have the bandwidth.  Our schedule is already tough and the martial arts place is not within walking distance.  Colleen didn't start lessons until she was 6 years old, I have to remember that.  I am not cheating Wes out of an experience - it is not as if he will be unable to become a functioning member of society if I don't get him into sports or martial arts right this second.  Right?  Or maybe I am not being fair.  I don't know, I go back and forth.  Our community center has a basketball team that he can participate on in the winter, maybe that is the best choice for now.  He's very tall for his age and if he stays tall people are always going to ask him if he plays basketball, right?  Might as well get him started.  Ignore me, I'm just thinking out loud. 

 

Today is my best friend's birthday.  Hi Lauren!  Happy Birthday!  I've thought about her a lot today.  She flew out to be with me on my 30th birthday and it is looking like I am not going to be returning the favor.  I know she understands, but I feel bad.  I love her very much and I wish I had a way to show it better than just sending her flowers.

 

Well, it is 6:40 now and I need to get dinner finished up.  We are having meatballs and eggnoodles.  The meatballs were in the crock pot all day, the house smells great.  I need to cook up the egg noodles and get the kids fed.  Then baths, then reading time, then bed.  If I'm not too tired I need to finish cleaning up the mess I made in the computer room when I was "reorganizing" and get working on Christmas ornaments.

 

Love, Jen

Wes had his first day of preschool yesterday, he loved it!  No theatrics, tears, or even hugs goodbye.  He was excited to walk there, bounced the whole way and was a big boy, looking both ways and deciding when it was OK to cross the street.  When we got there, he put his bookbag in the bin and lined up at the door, waiting for his teacher to invite him in.  When she said "Wesley, come on in!" he happily walked through that door and never looked back. 

 

I spent my first two and a half hour break working on the house.  I finished painting the part of the garage doors that I am doing in "oyster" and I caulked all of the siding for the section I plan on doing today - the main brown color I am going to use.  It was nice to be able to focus on the task and not have to worry where the kids were or what they were doing.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wesley's episode of "On Demand" Scooby Doo was over and he wanted me to come down and put another one on for him.  I walk from the computer room to the stairs leading down to the TV room and I find that Wesley has set up the clothes drying rack to block the stairs, with the top part acting as a "door".  He told me it would cost me $100 to pass.  I stuck my hand in my pocket and pulled out an invisible c-note and dutifully handed it over.  Ever the gentleman, he grandly held open the "door" for me and let me go down the stairs before him.

 

I then blocked the door to the TV room and told him it would cost him $100 to pass, to which he promptly told me "Oh!  I forgot my wallet." and gave me his most winning smile.

 

Where does he come up with this stuff?  Wesley never ceases to amaze me.

 

I went ahead and got him set up with a new episode of Scooby Doo and while I was doing that he "found" his wallet and settled up with me.  :D

Listed here for my mom... Hi Mom!  I know you'll want to look these up.  LOL

 

Background: Our two male beta fish have had fin rot problems pretty much since we first brought them home.  I am regular about tank maintenance for each of them (1/3 water change every other Monday, 2/3 water change and completely wash gravel and fixtures on the alternating Mondays and a new filter every Monday regardless), but I can't seem to get rid of it and I hate to see their poor fins all shredded up, so we've been treating them with a one-two punch of two medicines and we've continued treating past the usual 5 days because the rot came back after two attempts at that short of a treatment.  Treating with the medications alternating each day for a month is going to (IN THEORY) blast the tank and ensure that all of the harmful baterias are obliterated.  We have a little more than a week left.

 

The medicines are:

Maracyn Plus, 1mL per tank, active ingredients are: Sulfadimidine and Trimethoprin

Maroxy, .5mL per tank, active ingredient is: Stabalized chlorine oxides

 

If it weren't for Billie mentioning her reaction to her cat's antibiotics and the pet store guy telling me that the fish were getting the same antibiotics that humans use, I would have never figured it out.

Rash is S-L-O-W-L-Y getting better, but still driving me crazy.  Don't have it in me right now to rehash what has happened since last update and it's all starting to blur together anyways.  We are pretty sure it was the fish antibiotics that caused this and Shawn has taken over the chore of medicating them. 

 

I got home at about 3:05pm and immediately took 2 benedryl.  I took 1 benedryl and 1 zyrtec first thing this morning and then took another benedryl in between dropping Shawn off and taking Colleen to the dentist.  So, not as much meds as usual, plus running around is probably why I am so itchy right now.  It will pass, I just have to keep that in mind.  It WILL pass.  I am not going to start tapering down from the 60mg of prednisone until the rash goes away, I think I've had 5 days at that level now.  I'm a little worried because I feel like it should have kicked in better by now, but then again I was being exposed to the allergen every day until yesterday, so it may take a few more days to work it's magic.

 

Until then, here are pictures I just took of what my skin looks like right now, about 45 minutes after 50mg of benedryl:

 

******Breaking News******

MANY MANY THANKS to my bloggie buddy Billie.  Her comment about her cat's antibiotic was exactly what I needed to make the connection.  I am severely allergic to many antibiotics.  It didn't even cross my mind that I was giving our fish antibiotics every evening for their fin rot.  That's why the rash gets worse at night.  Shawn is going to give it to them for now and I'll have to think hard about how long to continue it.  I don't want the fish to die but I also don't want to keep making myself react.  I cleaned their tanks a couple of days before the rash first started, my hands and arms were submerged in that antibiotic water for about 20 minutes per fish tank.  The fish store guy told me that the antibiotics they take are the same as human ones, they just get less of it, 1mL each.  I shake up the liquid, stick the syring in the bottle and I usually get it on my hands.  I am almost positive that the fish antibiotic was the culprit.  We'll see tonight.

 

 

 

 

*****back to my original post*****

 

Last night the shower helped.  It got bad again right before bed (the fear of a repeat of the night before was a part of it, I'm sure) and I called the Ask a Nurse to see if she could tell me what ER would do (if anythng) in addition to what I was already doing.  She went down the checklist and the answer was that they probably couldn't do anything different.  I hung up the phone in tears.  I got a little desperate and took just about every medicine I could think of, coated my body in vasaline (I'm not sure why I did that, I wasn't thinking clearly) and then after I scratched all the vasaline off my feet and hands, I used Hydrocortisone ointment on them.  I was able to fall asleep at a little after 1am and the itching wasn't intolerable.  Colleen woke up at 4:15am or so with a hurting tooth (I think it is a back molar coming in or something), I got her some orajel and I took two more benedryl.  I also told her she could come sleep with me and having her cuddled next to me helped me fall back to sleep and not worry about the minor itching. 

 

This morning I look a lot better.  A whole lot better.  My hands and feet are the worse, but they took the worst punishment yesterday.  My butt is a little tender sitting here in the computer chair, but that is just going to keep me from wasting all day on the PC, LOL.  I have taken on Zyrtec so far today, trying to stay awake because Shawn went back to work and I've got Wesley on my hands.  Yesterday morning when I was sleeping he decided to clean his fish's tank, used a cup to dump about half the tank water out into an empty diaper wipes container.  *sigh*

 

Throughout this I have spoke to one doctor and two different nurses on the phone and I've seen a nurse practicioner and two doctors in person.  Everyone's opinion is that this is an allergy.  It might be dairy.  It might also be an allergy that my body can usually tolerate with minimal reaction, but because I've been so stressed out and spread thin during the hectic back-to-school time that my body didn't handle the allergy as well as it normally would.  I will be finding an allergist, maybe today, maybe tomorrow.  There's not much they can do until I'm off the prednisone and allergy meds, but I figure I'll be waiting for a new patient appointment a couple of weeks anyways, so might as well get it booked now. 

 

I'm hopeful that the worst is over now.  And I'm not going to eat anything dairy until after I get tested! 

 

Love, Jen

So frustrated right now

 

had a horrible night, absolutely horrible.

 

rash flared up badly at maybe 9:30 or 10pm last night, couldn't calm down enough to sleep until about 1:45am.  I slept from 1:45 till 2:45am.  I couldn't calm down, it was very bad, all over my face, all over my body, warm to the touch.  I took two of the hydroxy-whatevers and tried to ride it out.  I finally gave in and took the 60mg dose of prednisone and the other pill (it's actually Zantac I think, just using it as an H2 blocker).  Finally fell back to sleep about 4am or so. 

 

Made a doctor's appointment first thing this morning, they could see me at 11:45.  I was supposed to see Dr. W, but she traded with Dr K (who is supposed to be my regular doctor).  Ever since Dr K misdiagnosed Fifth's Disease, I've been wary of him.  The appointment was a farce.  He offered no usable solutions, and because the rash wasn't all flared up (you could still see it covered my body and face, it was just pale pink instead of angry red and the swelling was down some).  He offerred contradicting advice multiple times during the visit and when I'd press for more exact info, like WHEN to take benedryl or Zyrtec in addition to the prescription meds, or how to adjust the prednisone taper, or where I'd get the extra predisone for the new taper he suggested, he talked in circles and I got nonanswers.  I don't think I will be going back to them.  I kept asking him what I should do when it flares again and the impression Shawn and I got from his answers was that he didn't expect the rash to get any worse than it was and to keep taking the prednisone to prevent it from coming back.

 

That is doing NOTHING for me now.  I am in a damn flare up and I can't hardly take it.  it is not full blown YET but I know what is coming, I can feel it.  My chest is tight, I can breathe ok, but chest is tight.  Lips feel swollen and tingling.  My eye lids are swollen and red.  Don't get me started on the rest of my body, but I'll tell you my hands, feet, right knee and butt crack are driving me insane.

 

The only thing that got me through last night was that I knew I"d be seeing a doctor today and I believed I'd be getting to the bottom of this.  The rash comes in cycles, evenings / nights seem to be worse.  I'm usually the most clear in the late morning and early afternoons.  Warm showers don't make it worse.  I don't think it is responding to the allergy medicine.  It might be stress related.  It looks like hives to me.

 

I don't know if I can make it through tonight if it gets much worse than this.  I don't want to spent the money on the ER copay, especially because if I had gone to a doctor who believed me or at least explored other causes (he was dead set on it being an allergy... his answer to everything we've seen him for so far for every member of our family, no matter what it actually ended up being... HE said it was an allergy).  Im losing it.

 

I had a preschool orientation for WEs tonight, It went from 6:45 to 7:45pm.  I took 2 hydroxy-whatevers because I could feel it coming on.  No impact.  I took 2 benedryl (50mg total) at about 8:30pm.  It is 9pm now and I am jittery, barely able to type, feeling like bugs are crawling over me and like I urgently have to make it stop.  the only thing keeping me from scratching is typing.  I have cold chills and goosebumps.  My movements are herky jerky

 

I swear to god I am going tot he ER If the shower I am about to take doesn't calm it down.

 

You should see my poor face, I look like freaking Quasimodo with my eye lids swollen like this.  Don't get me started on the hairy legs because I won't shave when they are covered wiht rash.  What the hell is causing this?!?!  How can I make it stop?

Warning: yucky pictures below!  I am writing this so that I can remember it, in all honestly this may be a post you want to skip.

 

I couldn't sleep at all Saturday night, I was twitchy and irritable and stressed and just couldn't fall asleep.  This is unusual because I hardly ever have trouble falling asleep.  I basically pulled an all-nighter, read a book and cleaned the kitchen.  The kids and I were in the tv room downstairs that night, basically because the kids feel asleep while we were all watching Mythbusters.  I was coughing and it seemed like a good idea to sleep 1/2 sitting up, so Shawn went on up to bed and I stayed down with the kids.

 

I was awfully itchy and decided to take a shower, this was maybe about 10:30am.  I didn't look in the mirror when I undressed, so the first time I noticed the rash was when I was washing.  The rash was everywhere and it looked like lots of bug bites, or maybe hives, like what I got on my arms when I would go out to take care of the goats.  I showed Shawn when I got out of the shower and started taking Benedryl every 4 to 6 hours, basically every time I woke up.  The rash kept spreading, kept getting worse.  That night I called my regular doctor's office and the on call doc prescribed 20 mg of prednisone to go with the benedryl, Shawn went to the all night pharmacy to pick it up and I took it about 10:30 or 11pm.  I also put hydrocordisone cream 1% stregnth on my hands and feet, which were swollen and tender.

 

I woke up on Monday and didn't notice improvement, although Shawn thought it did look better, at least not as red.  I took more benedryl and went back to sleep.  I would wake up only long enough to take more medicine, maybe eat a little, and had an arguement with Shawn one of the times.  I know I was upset because of the rash and Shawn was upset because nothing we were doing was making it go away.  We weren't really mad at eachother, it just manifested that way.

 

After the arguement I took another nap and when I woke up I couldn't take it anymore.  I was desperate, near tears, and wanted to scratch my skin off.  I know it's a bad idea to scratch a rash like this, but I couldn't stop myself anymore.  I broke down and went to the Urgent Care.

 

Urgent care was kind to me, they didn't minimize how it felt, they took me seriously.  I had taken 50mg of benedryl about an hour before I got there and you could tell they believed me when I said it.  What they couldn't believe is how bad the rash still was after it.  The nurse practitioner thought it might be a good idea to send me to the hospital for an epi shot, but the doctor didn't think it was that bad.  Instead they gave me a shot of benedryl (I think it was benedryl, pretty sure), put a cold pack on my feet, and sent Shawn out to the pharmacy to get me the new meds they prescribed. 

 

When he came back to get me we went home and I took the meds: 60mg of prednisone, Hydroxyzine HCL 25mg, and ranitidine 150mg.  I ate almost half of a Totino's cheese pizza, a few small pretzel sticks, a full cup of water and maybe a third of a cup of Mt Dew.  I slept for a long time, when I woke up Shawn was putting the kids to bed.  The rash looked much better.  It was still there, but most of the redness was gone, the itching was tolerable, and I stand to walk much better.  I kept taking the Hydroxyzine as directed, 1 every 4 hours, and then for the last dose before I went to sleep I took two (the doc said I could take two, but only when it was ok for me to sleep, ie not when I am watching kids alone) I took two so that hopefully they would last through the night and keep the rash at bay.  In between my last nap and the time I went to sleep I ate sunflower seeds and a small brownie.

 

I woke up this morning and the rash was back full force.  In denial, I took one hydroxyzine and figured it would clear right up.  Nope.  Shawn looked at me and declared that he would be working from home and I took all the meds, including a second hydroxyzine.  I ate 4 saltine crackers so that I'd have something in my belly.

 

I'm not having any trouble breathing, but my throat is sore and the rash is all over my cheeks, nose, chin, and eyes.  My lips are tingling, but not too bad.  My forehead is ok right now.  The doctors at urgent care yesterday said to go to the hospital if I had trouble breathing, and to watch very carefullly if the rash got worse on my face.  I'm going to call my primary care doctor to see if he can see me today, or see what he recommends I do.

 

I have given it a lot of thought and I have changed a couple of things.  I switched from powdered to liquid laundry detergent, same brand All free and clear.  I switched deodorants from Secret to Dove.  I've used Dove before, but not too recently.  I use other dove products with no problem.  I also made brownies and it does seem like I ate some before every time the itching got really bad.  I also usually ate them right before I took the next dose of meds, so hard to tell if itwas the brownies or just the fact that the previous dose of medicine was wearing off.  And I never ate very big portions of brownies, just little rectangles that I could pop into my mouth in two bites.  So I don't know.  I also handled Shawn's new medicines when I put them in his pill divider, but that was only once and I didn't take any of them, I just touched them.  And I washed my hands well afterwards.  Oh yes, and I have had an annoying cough for about 2 weeks, since I cleaned the mold off the house with the mold cleaner and then bleach the next day.  I don't know if hte two were connected.  And I was having a mild allergic reaction to the goats when they were here, but they've been gone over two weeks now.

 

OK it is after 9am, the doctor's office is open now so I'm going to call them.

 

Here are those pics I mentioned above.  Specifically for my mom, who is curious to see what I am talking about.

 

 

TGIF!  It's the first Friday of First Grade!  LOL

 

Colleen is very excited to be a first grader.  She had a little bit of a bad day yesterday, when she got into trouble for talking during workbook time and had to put her head down on her desk for punishment.  I'm not sure how I feel about that punishment.  I am probably going to talk to the teacher about it. and I will do my best to listen with an open mind to her side of the story and not just snap my fingers in a "z" formation and immediately demand that she never do that to my precious, perfectly well-behaved, and slightly talkative Coco again.  LOL

 

Today is Blue Day and we went through 3 outfits before settling on this one.  She wanted to wear her denim "4th of July" themed dress, but it just has ribbon straps and I was afraid it wouldn't be warm enough for today.  So then we tried on her "Como se Llama?" t-shirt but she felt like it was still too big.  We finally settled on her button down Cinderella top and her Disney Princesses skirt with knee socks and her mary janes.  That girl is something else!

 

 

She brought her dragon stuffed animal with her to school, to show the children while they waited in line for the teacher.  A little girl approached us and was kind of playing with the dragon.  She told me that she and Colleen were friends and liked to play together.  I asked her what her name was and she told me, but I couldn't understand it.  Colleen told me that she sits at the blue table.  Colleen is at the green table.  I'm on the look out for a good friend for Colleen.  Someone that she can play Barbies with and do artwork with.  Hopefully someone that lives within walking distance.  I'd love for her to have that kind of friendship.  :D

 

Tomorrow is the first day of dance class for the fall / winter session.  Colleen is excited to get back to dancing after her 2 week break.  We are probably going to enroll her in the drama club that her school is offering.  I feel a little bad for Wes because Coco is going to get to do two things and I still haven't gotten back with the martial arts school for him.  On the other hand, Colleen didn't start lessons until she was 6 and he is only 4.  It'll all get figured out.

 

I got Colleen the cutest little dress for Christmas pictures, I hope it comes today.  It is a low glitz pageant dress with a full cupcake skirt.  I'm not sure if I have ever wrote it here, but most people who know me in real life know that Colleen loves to watch Toddlers and Tiaras and she now wants to be in a pageant.  She makes up her little walks for beauty wear and outfit of choice.  She talks about being on the stage.  Oh boy.  I don't think I am cut out to be a pageant mom.  For one thing, I don't think pageants are good for a young girls psyche.  For another - I am cheap.  It is hard for me to part with money.  I'd much rather buy her a tiara and trophy outright and play pageant at home than spend hundreds on an entry fee, hundreds on photography, hundreds on hair, makeup, nails, and tanning, potentially thousands on gowns, shoes, and accessories, who knows how much on travel and hotel costs, etc etc.  Less stressful and boring if we play at home.  Anyways, enough of that tangent, back to the dress.  It is cute and I hope it comes soon.  :D  It has a red bodice with some stones, but no big flashy appliques.  The skirt is ruffled white organza.  For the Christmas photos, I imagine her holding a giant candy cane, or a clipboard that says "Santa's little helper" on the back, or passing out cookies.  I kind of want to find Wesley a reindeer costume, or maybe a snow man to go with her.  Perhaps dress him as Santa and Coco as Mrs. Claus, as they would have been when they were young.  I'm not sure yet, the ideas are still taking shape.  All I know is that I got a lot of grief over not having a picture in my Christmas cards last yeat and Coco wanted a pageant dress.  LOL

 

I haven't mentioned it in a while but Wes still drinks enough milk to justify the purchase of a dairy cow or two.  I think he is down to 3 gallons a week, as long as I also have KoolAid ready to go during the day.

 

Because I can count on him to go through milk so quickly, I usually look for the gallons of milk with the soonest expiration dates to help the grocery store out.  You know, because many people look for the date that is the furthest away and the soonest ones don't get bought.  I don't know for sure about here in Washington, but when we lived in Charlotte, NC the grocery stores would donate their almost-out-of-date milk to a food bank called Charlotte Food Rescue.

 

So here I sit, wondering: Is my milk-expiration-date selecting habit helping the grocery store?  Or hurting the food bank?  Or does it not even matter?

 

And furthermore, why am I not using this mental energy to think about something that matters more?

 

Love, Jen

 

PS I didn't take a picture of Coco this morning before school because I completely forgot.  But trust me, she was adorable.  Today was yellow day, she had her jeans with the yellow butterfly embellishments and rainbow swirl embroidery and her yellow Disney Princesses t-shirt.  I actually got her to wear gym shoes!  And she wore the yellow "Noah's Ark" fleece poncho that my mom got her a couple of years ago.  It is getting too small, but it's YELLOW day!  LOL

The first grade classes are doing a "color refresher" and the teachers have sent home a list of what colors to wear each day for two weeks.  Today is Red.  Coco doesn't have very many red clothes, if it weren't for Demery giving us all those clothes a month or two ago, Coco wouldn't have had anything red to wear.

 

We picked out a different outfit last night, but today she didn't feel comfortable in it .  She was wearing a red, white, and black patterned top meant for a teenager as a dress with leggings and it kept coming down too far in the front for her to feel at ease.  So after some gnashing of teeth and intervention from Dad to help keep the peace, we finally settled on this.  I think her "red" outfit turned out cute.

 

        

 

They are in their own album.  The cuteness is almost overpowering.  :D

 

Coco had a great first day.