So it turns out that the kid with the newly-loosened tooth was jumping off of a piece of playground equipment when he landed on MG with his face. That makes a lot more sense - she's a head taller than every kid in her class. I couldn't figure out how one of them had gotten her above the ear with his teeth.
Happy Meals and Tylenol have been administered. I gave her a bath to get the last of the blood out of her hair. She and Claire are watching movies and I'm trying to get Jack to take a nap of reasonable duration.
The kid's all right. Still waiting to hear if the doc wants her on antibiotics. I'll bet all the blood washed it out pretty well, though.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Another First
Another parental rite-of-passage - my very first phone call from the school nurse came this morning.
"Hey Amy, it's Chris," (one of our business partners' wives, and she was a postpartum nurse at the hospital when MG was born, too. Small town). "Did you know that I'm the school nurse?"
"Noooo... What's going on?" I said, preparing to get in big trouble for sending MG to school sick. She's had a stuffy nose for days, but no fever, and I don't think it's necessary to keep her home just because she's using her weight in Kleenex every day.
"There was an incident on the playground at recess..."
Now, at this point, I've just gotten out of the shower. I'm dressed but my hair is dripping wet. I have no shoes or socks on. I am very much not camera-ready. My heart stops. I toss Jack in his high chair, run for my shoes, asking, "How bad is it?" Being the calm, collected, rational, reasonable mother that I am, in my imagination they're airlifting her to the nearest children's hospital at this point. I'm listening for the choppers.
"She's ok, but..." it turns out that she and another kid were running on the playground, and her head (behind her ear) met the kid's mouth (front tooth) with enough force to knock his tooth wobbly and cause an impressive amount of bleeding from my baby's noggin.
Chris doesn't think it'll need a stitch, but she wanted me to call the doctor and see if he wants to treat it - since the injury came from another kid's mouth, and mouths are gross and full of germs and bacteria.
"Oh no, was it his permanent tooth?" No, it was a baby tooth. Good. "Is she ok, do I need to come get her?" She was crying for me quite a bit at first, but she's ok now and has returned to class.
"Thanks for taking care of her, Chris. I'll call the doctor."
And I did, and now I'm waiting for them to call back, and waiting for my hair to dry.
There's just never a dull moment around here.
"Hey Amy, it's Chris," (one of our business partners' wives, and she was a postpartum nurse at the hospital when MG was born, too. Small town). "Did you know that I'm the school nurse?"
"Noooo... What's going on?" I said, preparing to get in big trouble for sending MG to school sick. She's had a stuffy nose for days, but no fever, and I don't think it's necessary to keep her home just because she's using her weight in Kleenex every day.
"There was an incident on the playground at recess..."
Now, at this point, I've just gotten out of the shower. I'm dressed but my hair is dripping wet. I have no shoes or socks on. I am very much not camera-ready. My heart stops. I toss Jack in his high chair, run for my shoes, asking, "How bad is it?" Being the calm, collected, rational, reasonable mother that I am, in my imagination they're airlifting her to the nearest children's hospital at this point. I'm listening for the choppers.
"She's ok, but..." it turns out that she and another kid were running on the playground, and her head (behind her ear) met the kid's mouth (front tooth) with enough force to knock his tooth wobbly and cause an impressive amount of bleeding from my baby's noggin.
Chris doesn't think it'll need a stitch, but she wanted me to call the doctor and see if he wants to treat it - since the injury came from another kid's mouth, and mouths are gross and full of germs and bacteria.
"Oh no, was it his permanent tooth?" No, it was a baby tooth. Good. "Is she ok, do I need to come get her?" She was crying for me quite a bit at first, but she's ok now and has returned to class.
"Thanks for taking care of her, Chris. I'll call the doctor."
And I did, and now I'm waiting for them to call back, and waiting for my hair to dry.
There's just never a dull moment around here.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Housework
For about eleven seconds today, all of the laundry was done. I hate it when all the laundry is done, because then I start thinking about all the laundry that I never do. It's stupid to add to Mt. Laundry when it's piled to the ceiling - you don't strip beds when you have eleven loads of laundry to do. But when all the normal laundry is clean, you start thinking crazy thoughts about sheets and mattress pads and duvets and coats and dusty curtains and suddenly it dawns on you that you're Sisyphus and you will never be done. Because in the exceptionally unlikely event that you lost your mind and washed all the slip covers and kids blankets and sleeping bags and stuffed animals and dress up clothes and pillow shams and all the everything fabric in the house*, by the time you were done with that the mountain of everyday laundry would rival Mount Olympus.
Similarly, my kids have barely finished lunch when I start thinking about dinner. Being a mom is a lot like being a hamster on a wheel - you run all day, but you never really get anywhere. I can't tell you how many times I've made my grocery list during a meal - because while I was cooking I was in the kitchen noticing all the things that were running low or gone, and when is a better time? I'll forget by the time I finish my veggies.
I just remembered that the kids left their clothes where they fell when they changed into their PJs. Better go grab those...
...see what I mean?
Grandmother Diana came down today and we did a little running around. She has been on vacation, so it was really nice to see her again. Erin's daughter has pink eye, so Jack and I will be hanging out together tomorrow morning while the girls are at school. Weird. Why is pink eye such a big deal? I know it's really contagious, but it's just pink eye. It's not really even that uncomfortable. Sometimes it itches, but it's not like you feel sick when you have it. It's crummy to have a kid who feels perfectly well, but can't go to school or do anything, so we don't want to catch it. Hopefully J. will be all better soon, and L. won't catch it!
When we got home from running around I had a letter in the mailbox from the IRS that was entirely in Spanish. Que? I don't speak Spanish, but Brandon translated the gist of it for me via text message, and I spent about 20 minutes on hold before Betty White (no, really, that was her name) told me that it was just an automated letter about something I already took care of last year, and that she'd review it and close the case on our 2008 taxes.... Oh, but by the way, your 2009 returns are flagged for audit.
SCRREEEECH!
Hold the phone, there, Rose! "Isn't there some big red button you can push that says 'don't audit these folks, they're really nice***' over there, Ms. White? Because I'd really like it if you'd push that button right now." She asked me to hold while she reviewed the case. "I don't see any red flags. Don't lose any sleep - this should be dismissed. They probably won't even contact you."
"Can I get that in writing?"
"No."
What was funny is that I was very, very nice to Betty White the entire time we were talking, because I have a policy of not pissing off people who can initiate an audit against me. So she told me the same information over, and over, and over, and over. I could tell that she didn't want to end the call with me and go on to her next call which had a high probability of being from some irate taxpayer.
All told, the mysterious Spanish IRS letter took 45 minutes to fix. Thank goodness Grandmother Diana was here to entertain the troops!
* Actually, now that I think about it, it wasn't that long ago that we had a lice scare and I did wash every inch of fabric in the house that I could fit in my washing machine, with the exception of the curtains because I honestly didn't think of it, so maybe it's not quite as bad as all that. But I don't need another lice scare to motivate me... I think we've had enough of that for one lifetime**!
** I've totally tempted fate, now, and we're going to get lice.
** Bring it. (The audit, that is, not the lice. Jeez, Louise, please not the lice.) We've done nothing wrong, we have nothing to hide. I ain't afraid of no audit****!
**** While it is technically true that we've done nothing wrong and we have nothing to hide, I AM afraid of an audit (and lice) just because it sounds like a big, scary pain in the neck (so is lice), so even though I'm giving off all kinds of false bravado here, Betty White, please don't audit me (or give my kids lice)*****.
***** Which would you rather endure? An IRS audit or head lice?
Similarly, my kids have barely finished lunch when I start thinking about dinner. Being a mom is a lot like being a hamster on a wheel - you run all day, but you never really get anywhere. I can't tell you how many times I've made my grocery list during a meal - because while I was cooking I was in the kitchen noticing all the things that were running low or gone, and when is a better time? I'll forget by the time I finish my veggies.
I just remembered that the kids left their clothes where they fell when they changed into their PJs. Better go grab those...
...see what I mean?
Grandmother Diana came down today and we did a little running around. She has been on vacation, so it was really nice to see her again. Erin's daughter has pink eye, so Jack and I will be hanging out together tomorrow morning while the girls are at school. Weird. Why is pink eye such a big deal? I know it's really contagious, but it's just pink eye. It's not really even that uncomfortable. Sometimes it itches, but it's not like you feel sick when you have it. It's crummy to have a kid who feels perfectly well, but can't go to school or do anything, so we don't want to catch it. Hopefully J. will be all better soon, and L. won't catch it!
When we got home from running around I had a letter in the mailbox from the IRS that was entirely in Spanish. Que? I don't speak Spanish, but Brandon translated the gist of it for me via text message, and I spent about 20 minutes on hold before Betty White (no, really, that was her name) told me that it was just an automated letter about something I already took care of last year, and that she'd review it and close the case on our 2008 taxes.... Oh, but by the way, your 2009 returns are flagged for audit.
SCRREEEECH!
Hold the phone, there, Rose! "Isn't there some big red button you can push that says 'don't audit these folks, they're really nice***' over there, Ms. White? Because I'd really like it if you'd push that button right now." She asked me to hold while she reviewed the case. "I don't see any red flags. Don't lose any sleep - this should be dismissed. They probably won't even contact you."
"Can I get that in writing?"
"No."
What was funny is that I was very, very nice to Betty White the entire time we were talking, because I have a policy of not pissing off people who can initiate an audit against me. So she told me the same information over, and over, and over, and over. I could tell that she didn't want to end the call with me and go on to her next call which had a high probability of being from some irate taxpayer.
All told, the mysterious Spanish IRS letter took 45 minutes to fix. Thank goodness Grandmother Diana was here to entertain the troops!
* Actually, now that I think about it, it wasn't that long ago that we had a lice scare and I did wash every inch of fabric in the house that I could fit in my washing machine, with the exception of the curtains because I honestly didn't think of it, so maybe it's not quite as bad as all that. But I don't need another lice scare to motivate me... I think we've had enough of that for one lifetime**!
** I've totally tempted fate, now, and we're going to get lice.
** Bring it. (The audit, that is, not the lice. Jeez, Louise, please not the lice.) We've done nothing wrong, we have nothing to hide. I ain't afraid of no audit****!
**** While it is technically true that we've done nothing wrong and we have nothing to hide, I AM afraid of an audit (and lice) just because it sounds like a big, scary pain in the neck (so is lice), so even though I'm giving off all kinds of false bravado here, Betty White, please don't audit me (or give my kids lice)*****.
***** Which would you rather endure? An IRS audit or head lice?
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Surprises
I was surprised today by a call from a dear friend. I thought she was very far away, but it turns out she was about an hour away! I actually got to spend some of the afternoon with her. It was the last thing I expected to do today, and I wish it had been under nicer circumstances for her, but gosh it was great to see her again. I hope to spend a lot of time with her this week, before she returns to the place I thought she was when she called me.
Cryptic enough?
And the other surprise came at the same time that I was with my friend, someone I love very much called to tell me that she's pregnant! Again, not my news to spill, but SO exciting! Yay babies!!!
Was your weekend full of wonderful surprises?
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Saturday
I made these brown sugar banana bread pancakes that I found on Pinterest for breakfast. Oh my! I added an egg and a bunch of milk, but I think it was because my bananas were smaller and/or less ripe than the ones the blogger who wrote the recipe used. Plus, I like a thinner pancake batter. The flavor was amazing. This is my new favorite way to use up overripe bananas.
I'll tell you what, I've made quite a few recipes from Pinterest already - the pancakes, these baked s'mores - awesome!, this fruit salsa (which my sister Saundra actually pointed me to pre-Pinterest, but someone else pinned it the other day so I repinned it), this bread, this amazing and super easy chicken... and they've all been pretty darn spectacular. The only disappointing one was this punch, and it wasn't bad, it just wasn't as life-altering as advertised. I had high expectations. I don't think I'll ever need to buy a cooking magazine or a cookbook again. I probably ought to make a board for Recipes I've Made so I can keep track of the ones I've tried. (While you're clicking through, follow me and I'll follow you back!)
BJ and I actually went on a date today, thanks to Grandpa Bob who watched the kiddos! We went and saw Red Tails, which was pretty good, although some of the dialogue was cheesy. The dog fighting scenes were awesome. I stubbornly refuse to wear my glasses unless I'm absolutely forced to do so, which resulted in a headache. It went away somewhat when I put them on, and some more when I took ibuprofen after we got home. The popcorn was excellent. Always the best part of any movie!
Then Grandpa took us out for dinner. We were going to go to Olive Garden, but the wait was an hour (!!) so we went to Cracker Barrel instead. They had that fireplace cranked up to "incinerate." I think that's how they keep people from staying too long. Heavy food and high temperatures - it's a miracle all those old people don't just fall asleep! The girls braved the heat to play checkers while we waited for the bill.
Claire's class's behavior control program involves "jewels" - those polished glass doodads that you find at craft stores and that people use for flower arrangements. The kids earn a certain number per day with their behavior. Well, on Monday the class didn't earn any jewels, and Claire was devastated, so I told her I'd get some jewels and give her opportunities to earn them at home. I finally got to Michael's on Friday, and this jewel thing has been working for me ever since. It's amazing what kids will do for a little piece of glass. If they earn all the jewels (I only bought one bag), we'll take them to Chuck E. Cheese. They're highly motivated. Anyway, they each earned a jewel while Grandpa was here, and before we left for dinner, I gave them the opportunity to go "double or nothing" - if they were good at dinner, instead of getting two jewels each (one for being good for Grandpa and one for being good at dinner) they could each earn four. Grandpa and Daddy were a little horrified that I was teaching gambling, but it's a life skill! Both of the girls kept all four of their jewels at dinner. Jack will earn jewels for sleeping through the night. Hell, at this point I would buy Jack actual jewels if he would sleep through the night.
Speaking of Jack, he's getting quite proficient at this whole walking thing. I think he just wanted to wait until he was good at it before he did it in front of everyone. That kid's practically running already. He'll probably do the same with talking - he won't say a word for another year, and then he'll spew forth with, "Mother, dear, would you please give me another cookie?" or something.
Hope you're having a great weekend, wherever you are, and that you kept all your jewels!
I'll tell you what, I've made quite a few recipes from Pinterest already - the pancakes, these baked s'mores - awesome!, this fruit salsa (which my sister Saundra actually pointed me to pre-Pinterest, but someone else pinned it the other day so I repinned it), this bread, this amazing and super easy chicken... and they've all been pretty darn spectacular. The only disappointing one was this punch, and it wasn't bad, it just wasn't as life-altering as advertised. I had high expectations. I don't think I'll ever need to buy a cooking magazine or a cookbook again. I probably ought to make a board for Recipes I've Made so I can keep track of the ones I've tried. (While you're clicking through, follow me and I'll follow you back!)
BJ and I actually went on a date today, thanks to Grandpa Bob who watched the kiddos! We went and saw Red Tails, which was pretty good, although some of the dialogue was cheesy. The dog fighting scenes were awesome. I stubbornly refuse to wear my glasses unless I'm absolutely forced to do so, which resulted in a headache. It went away somewhat when I put them on, and some more when I took ibuprofen after we got home. The popcorn was excellent. Always the best part of any movie!
Then Grandpa took us out for dinner. We were going to go to Olive Garden, but the wait was an hour (!!) so we went to Cracker Barrel instead. They had that fireplace cranked up to "incinerate." I think that's how they keep people from staying too long. Heavy food and high temperatures - it's a miracle all those old people don't just fall asleep! The girls braved the heat to play checkers while we waited for the bill.
Claire's class's behavior control program involves "jewels" - those polished glass doodads that you find at craft stores and that people use for flower arrangements. The kids earn a certain number per day with their behavior. Well, on Monday the class didn't earn any jewels, and Claire was devastated, so I told her I'd get some jewels and give her opportunities to earn them at home. I finally got to Michael's on Friday, and this jewel thing has been working for me ever since. It's amazing what kids will do for a little piece of glass. If they earn all the jewels (I only bought one bag), we'll take them to Chuck E. Cheese. They're highly motivated. Anyway, they each earned a jewel while Grandpa was here, and before we left for dinner, I gave them the opportunity to go "double or nothing" - if they were good at dinner, instead of getting two jewels each (one for being good for Grandpa and one for being good at dinner) they could each earn four. Grandpa and Daddy were a little horrified that I was teaching gambling, but it's a life skill! Both of the girls kept all four of their jewels at dinner. Jack will earn jewels for sleeping through the night. Hell, at this point I would buy Jack actual jewels if he would sleep through the night.
Speaking of Jack, he's getting quite proficient at this whole walking thing. I think he just wanted to wait until he was good at it before he did it in front of everyone. That kid's practically running already. He'll probably do the same with talking - he won't say a word for another year, and then he'll spew forth with, "Mother, dear, would you please give me another cookie?" or something.
Hope you're having a great weekend, wherever you are, and that you kept all your jewels!
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