While I Am Out

I was speaking on the phone with my Mother-in-law tonight, going over our plans for our upcoming get-away and after she said she had everything in order I said I still had some last minute details to finalize. She conceded that I have a lot more to manage, since I've got the young whippersnappers to plan for as well as myself, and I confessed that the detailed 'to-do'-ish kind of list that I have typed out for Rob and my Father-in-law has me feeling like a very anal, controlling person.

It has the girls' day mapped out by time, including what they need to bring with them (clarinet to school on Thursday), and how they need to wear their hair (pony tails for gymnastics), and E3's snacktime (always).

She assured me that the list, similar to one I left when we were in Memphis, is very helpful and my Father-in-law is very appreciative of it's presence. I was glad to hear this, and said that I was essentially leaving notes so someone could do my job and someone in the workplace would do something similar... wouldn't they? She agreed.

It's always nice to have someone with whom you can rationalize your obsessiveness.

The girls meet their new cousin.

It's A Wart! No, It's A Pox!

But it's not MRSA, so says our regular doctor at our second follow-up appointment today. At the two previous appointments we had seen the Nurse Practitioner, and I was satisfied with her handling of the situation...but now I'm irritated that she missed this diagnosis - particularly at our second appointment when the bumps looked pretty much the same as they did today.

Our doctor said they were warts, molluscum contagiosum to be exact. However, Dr. R said they were warts...but everything I've read online says they're a distant cousin of smallpox.

So! Not as dire as MRSA, right? But, still contagious so we're still putting band-aids on for now while I research some kid-friendly options to speed things along. And, I will continue to wash her bedsheets and her bath towel more frequently (thank the heavens for the personalized big-kid hooded towel from Aunt Elaine!).

Hmmm, what else? I'm gearing up for a girls' weekend away with my Mother-in-law, which sounds funny when it's written like that...but anyway, we're going to visit her daughter, my Sister-in-law (and a regular provider Cherry Ski's when she's out visiting). When we first planned the trip I told my other Sister-in-law (the new Mom as of last Sunday) that even though she wouldn't be able to join us on this trip it was almost a guarantee that she'd have the baby this weekend. See, knowing my Mother-in-law like I do, I figured she'd plead with J not to have the baby while she was out of town - just like she did when I was expecting E3 - which would jinx things and J would indeed have the baby while we were gone.

Only my Mother-in-law gave J her 'don't birth the baby while I'm gone talk' sometime in the week before last Sunday.

Seriously. She does not know the power she wields with her words.

Also, while we're on a 'news of the weird' theme, J's water broke mere minutes after the official time of the full moon.

She's a little moon baby.

I've got some packing to do...and some planning to help things around here go smoothly while I'm gone.

But first, I must go cast my vote for Dancing With The Stars. Who are your favorites?

Hi, Blah Blah Blah Baby Wants Her House Done

MRSA still just sitting there - on second round of antibiotics - but at least no new spots. :::knocking on wood:::

You know how people always joke about home remodeling beginning with just one change and then snowballing? My brother-in-law wanted to replace the ceiling in his home and ended up gutting the place; an extreme version of that home remodeling joke if there ever was one.

They have a baby coming mid-May...or had...since baby had other plans...namely being born last Sunday. I think she got the impatience from both sides. But hey, Rob's an uncle by biology now! He says so far it's not too different from being an uncle by marriage.

All are healthy and well...just living like Nomads while we scramble to get the house finished. We're very close, and hopefully we'll be moving them back in this weekend.

While I'm off cleaning the daily construction messes and spending their money on stuff for their house, please enjoy this random photo of our very own tile-spacer retriever.

We'll Start With The MRSA.

So, about three weeks ago at bedtime E2 showed me this pimple/wart looking thing on her leg. It was bedtime, did I say that? Anyone who's ever tried shuffling three kids through the bedtime gauntlet at once will understand my reply.

"Okay. We'll keep an eye on it. Now get in bed."

Because it was time for bed and time for the day to end.

So, fast forward to the Sunday night after Rob and I returned from Memphis; we were again shuffling three kids through the bedtime routine, after they'd spent the day celebrating Grandpa's birthday with all their cousins. I happened to catch E2's leg out of the corner of my eye.

"Is that the thing you showed me on your leg the other day?"

I'm obviously the attentive-type of parent since I totally blew off my own suggested treatment of 'let's keep an eye on that' and the result was now an angry red lump, hot with an epicenter that threatened to blow (thankfully, it didn't look anything like what I've seen in my Internet searching of MRSA!). I put some antibiotic ointment on it with a band-aid and asked her if it hurt; she said only when she pushed against it when she would get up from the floor. I was fired up and ready to call the doctor, but the next evening I looked again and it seemed like the pimple had come to a head.

Yes, of course I squeezed it which is SO WRONG and yet I wanted to speed things along. So, we put on more ointment and a new band-aid. The next night it looked a little better, and as I was applying the band-aid E2 said she thought we should have the doctor look at it. I had just been comforting myself with the thought that it was changing, so it was probably improving, but, E2's request let me give way to the worried part of me from Sunday night that was still skulking around.

Wednesday after school was the appointment with the doctor, where she essentially declared it MRSA as soon as she laid eyes on it. We got oral meds, and stronger ointment to be applied to the sore, AND intranasally. Yes, we put it in her nose. Apparently that's where all the cool MRSA bacteria colonize and begin their own communes.

My first thought, upon hearing the diagnosis, was, "Damn, that's another thing I have to warn J about." My poor pregnant sister-in-law is exposed to yet another creepy thing because of us.

I emailed family and the school, and I let her gym know the next day. Shared gym equipment is a concern with this type of Community Associated MRSA - and actually, I suspect it may be where she got it as it's the only place, besides here at home, where her legs have been exposed this winter.

One of the office ladies (remember the recipient of the rude email intended for Rob?) replied to my email and said her youngest child had had MRSA as well. Either she, or the doctor, warned me that other spots might pop up on her leg. Hmmm, or maybe it was Rob's aunt - she's an RN and I spoke with her about it the day we got the diagnosis.

I washed bedclothes, blankets, and sleeping bags, and warned Rob's parents to do the same with any bedding E2 may have used while they spent the week at their house.

Over the weekend, two more tiny pin-head spots showed up not far from the original spot. We began treating them with the ointment as well.

Last night, as she was applying lotion after her shower, E2 found another spot on her leg.

This morning was the last dose of her oral meds.

I'm a little freaked that she's still having spots appear this far into her meds and we have a follow-up appointment scheduled with the doctor this afternoon.

E2 also has an open wound on her other leg from a spill she took on our bike ride last night and the doctor's nurse advised me to use the ointment on that until it heals because as long as it's open it's in danger of MRSA infection.

I washed their bedclothes again today.

For some reason 'Boil it in Beezlenut Oil' from Horton Hears A Who keeps running through my mind.

I emailed Dr. Jay Gordon, MD - he's the guy who's helping Jenny McCarthy lead the charge against vaccines suspected of causing Autism. If he's good enough for Jenny, he's good enough for me! Actually, he used to be one of the 'Pro's' at Moms Online back in the day and he's always seemed like good people. His reply was in my inbox the next morning and it included answers to some of my questions, along with the reminder to push pro-biotics (aka: have E2 eat some yogurt). He also said he'd take my suggestion and work on writing about MRSA on his site.

In the meantime, we're doing a lot of hand washing. I'll keep you posted.

I'm Blogging To You All In My Head

I realize that doesn't make for good reading here, but things have been a little crazy.

Gymnastics day may be trying to kill me.

I've been to the zoo twice in less than a week.

We saw a new peanut doctor for E3

Girl scouts, Brownie scouts, t-ball practice starts this weekend...in other words, it's Spring.

Tonight may be the first time in nearly a week that my family gets to sit down for dinner together.

So, until I get a chance to purge-by-typing, here's a link to a lovely story about a new spokesperson for ALS.

Some Gandalf For Your Saturday

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

-- Gandalf, J.R.R. Tolkien, Fellowship of the Ring

TNT is showing the LOTR series today, which is great entertainment while folding laundry. E3 walked in and exclaimed, "It's Harry Potter!"

Catchin' U UP

Lots and lots of rain.

Gymnastics twice today.

Girl Scouts.

MRSA for one of the E's.

That last one means even more laundry.

And meds twice a day.

Nephew D calling out, "Hey girl! Hey girl! Come sit by me!", to E3 tonight = very cute.

Zoo Field Trip tomorrow - probably in the rain.

That one means no laundry will get done tomorrow.

I'm ready for a day off.

And a housekeeper.

Dear Elvis,

Sorry, no flash photos allowed at Graceland.

Please explain the white monkeys.

Love,
Nancy

Eager Anticipation

I know you're all eagerly awaiting more Memphis.

Well, just kick through that pile of dirty laundry and take a seat. We're buried in it over here, and it may be a while before I remember to actually bring the camera here to the computer so I can upload more Memphis pictures.

I Have Been To The Mountain Top

I Have Been To The Mountain Top sculpture - downtown Memphis

Now I Can Add Arkansas

To the map, that is.



create your own visited states map

We stopped at the only attraction labeled by a brown sign along I-55 on our drive through Arkansas. It led us to the Hampson Archaeological State Park.

In making this new map, I remembered visiting the Kansas side of Kansas City with Rob once, when we went to deliver (or pick up) something related to metal fabricating.

On this Love Thursday I dedicate our stop to my sister Amy, since our airport layover in Little Rock was my first-ever stop in Arkansas.

Dodging Housekeeping

As usual, when I'm traveling along with Rob on a trip I have to manage my free time around hotel housekeeping. This hotel doesn't have a 'do not disturb' sign that I can put on the door while I'm hanging out here in the room so I'm constantly on edge waiting for The Knock.

I try to be out of the room in the morning as I can, but I also want to sleep in a little bit since I don't have to get anyone off to school. However, yesterday it didn't matter - housekeeping didn't arrive until around 2pm. I'm fighting a possible head cold and am trying to rest a little bit each day (and my eyes are still bloodshot) which is kind of tricky when you're waiting for The Knock. One year, I don't recall what city we were in, The Knock came at 7:30am! Another year, back when E1 was a baby, I tried calling the front desk and asking to have our room cleaned because we were heading out for a walk - I wanted them gone by E1's nap time - and still, I was sitting in the room feeding E1 lunch when they finally arrived.

Last year in Destin, we were in a condo-type room and didn't have a housekeeper the entire time - unless we requested it. Sure, we had to keep things tidy ourselves, but it was worth it.

I was all set to upload some of the photos I've taken here in Memphis, but upon looking at the cable I tossed in the suitcase I realized it's not the one I need. I'm not actually sure what this cable is for...oh, heh, I just untangled it from the cell phone charger and it IS the cable for my camera. SO! I'll have to get on that after all.


Until then...what are the ways a hotel room creep you out? The girls I sometimes have a scrap booking weekend with all insist on folding the bedspread down and not using it because of some TV report that showed all the nastiness that can be contained there. On a past episode of Jon and Kate Plus Eight (where they went to Disney), Kate wouldn't let the kids walk on the floor without shoes on because of possible nastiness.

What are your nastiness-prevention methods when staying in a hotel?