Itchy Bugs

The season of illness has not yet left us. The Fifth disease epidemic has indeed struck all 5 of us. Peanut and BB seemed to have gotten the worst of the rash. Poor peanut has been so very itchy this week. I got a little alarmed when he began to itch so severely that he would cry and sometimes be on the verge of screaming. Nothing I did seemed to help. I doped him up with Benadryl, slathered him with Aloe Vera, lotions with lidocaine, rubbed and rubbed his back, gave him cool baths and we were all so frustrated that we were at each other's throats. And Peanut remained miserable...and itchy. So, feeling defeated, I called the doctor and asked to speak to the nurse. I relayed everything I had done for the little guy. The nurse told me that the doctor wanted to see him because Fifth's should not be this itchy and I had done everything they would have suggested to me.

When we got to the doctor, he was not scratching too much because, bless his little heart, he was trying so hard to follow my directions to "not scratch" and try to distract himself. But I could tell that he was ready to jump out of his skin. Then the doctor looked him over and there was no sign of the Fifth's rash anywhere and yet Peanut is squirming with what he has now declared as "Itchy bugs". The doc looked in his throat and saw it was a little red and his glands were a little swollen. So he did a rapid strep test.

Positive! I was actually relieved that it was positive because at least I could give him something and I know that within a day or two he is going to feel a whole lot better. I was bracing myself for the doctor to tell me that it was just Fifth's and we were going to have to "ride it out" and keep on doing what I was doing for this poor, itchy kid.

He was really cute at the pharmacy when he asked, "Is it good medicine?" and then the pharmacist replies, "We only give good medicine. And you will feel better soon."

Then he says, "I have itchy bugs. I want them to go away."

While we were in the car driving home, we were talking about his medicine, which he insisted on carrying himself. I told him that he has little "bacteria bugs" inside his throat that were making him sick and making him so itchy but his antibiotic was going to make the "good guys" in his blood be able to kill the bugs and the itching will stop.

At dinner, he was relaying his version of my lesson on bacteria and white blood cells and medicine and apparently, it gave PH the creepy crawlies because he started scratching and leaped off the bench and said he was itchy and "I hate bugs!". I declared the conversation about the "Itchy bugs" to be finished.

The Kittens are now 2 1/2 weeks old. They have their eyes open. They are learning to stand but are still very wobbly. They squabble and wrestle but always sleep together in a heap. I believe that we have 4 females and 1 male. The males is the blackest one in the back although it is hard to tell in this picture for sure. The sweetie looking at the camera is the leading contender for our new pet. My daughter would like to name her Princess. BB wants to name her Sugar and Peanut wants to name her Cookie. I think perhaps we can accomodate everyone and call her Princess Sugar Cookie.

Peanut's Bionicle Rules

My friend Jamsco will appreciate this as his kids are big fans of Bionicles. Peanut will not leave the house without his Bionicle this week. Today, I asked him about it. This is a replay of our conversation:

So, what is that thing?

Peanut: That's his claw. It's really big.

I see that. What does he do with it?

P: He fights with it and grabs things with it. Its really sharp and dangerous.

Who does he fight?

P: He fights the bad guy Bionicles.

How can you tell which are the good guys and which are the bad guys?

P: The bad guys are all black. That is what PH's is. Mine is the good guy.

What are they fighting for?

P: They are fighting battles.

Oh, and what are the battles for?

P: They get points.

What can they do with the points then?

P: They can get stuff like cookies. Things like that.

Don't you wish that real wars could be fought like that? The sides would earn points and then at the end of the battle, the side with the most points wins. Then they could cash in their points for cookies. The Middle East Peace settlement as described by a 5 year old.

The Tornado

I have gotten a lot of questions about this so I figured maybe I ought to write about it. The tornado that tore up Hugo, MN on Memorial weekend was very, very close to me. I haven't driven to the site because it is still being blocked off for gawking rubber neckers, like me. But I did visit the Hugo city website and take a look at the map of the area hit. I found my street and realized that according to that map, I'm an inch away from the worst of the tornado's destruction. Or within a mile. I have gotten many phone calls from the school district and the elementary school because of being within the "impacted zone" of the school and telling me about resources available if I need them.

I am really thankful that we were not home during that storm. It was scary watching it from a computer while up north in Motley, MN and wondering what I would be coming home to. My townhouse did not have anything more than some cursory damage due to the hail. The little tree in my yard looks a little bare but it will bounce back, I'm sure. However, many townhouses around me suffered broken windows and severe hail damage.

BB has a classmate who lost his whole house. Princess has a classmate who knows the family that lost the 2 year old. I think even PH said that one of his classmates lost their house too. So, while we were not directly impacted, it is something that will be etched in our memories for a long time.

In fact, last night, the sirens went off. I raced to the computer to see if it was another tornado coming and Princess, unbeknownst to me, hid under the dining room table. During dinner, we discussed what we should do in the event of a tornado and we have a game plan. I think that is a good thing to have come out of it. My children also took some of their money that they were saving and brought it to the school for a donation to the Hugo families. I was really touched by that.

I am so sad for the families in my area that lost their homes or have severe damage. My heart breaks for the Prindle family who lost one child and have another in serious condition. I hold my children tighter because of that. I am also praising the Lord that we escaped the worst of it but I am acutely aware that it was by a mere hair. It is food for thought.

When you have to explain it, it isn't as funny

What a difference two years can make in the sense of humor of my two oldest boys. BB is also quite advanced in vocabulary and comprehension so I would say he is not typical of a 9 year old. He asked me if I knew what an Antelope was. I said it was a kind of deer. Then he asked me what an E-lope was. I was puzzled at first.

There is no such thing as an E-lope. There are no animals called that. But the word elope means to run away. Some people elope when they sneak off to get married.

"Oh. OK. Have you ever seen an Ant elope?"

I'm beginning to understand why he is asking. Nope.

"Have you ever seen a cat litter?"

"Have you ever seen a horse fly?"

At this point, PH chimes in, "I have! And then it bit me!"

This results in peals of laughter and BB tries to explain, "You have seen a HORSE fly?"

"Yes. It bit me and it really hurt," says PH.

"Nooooooooo... Have you ever seen a HORSE....FLY?"

Poor PH, this has gone over his head so I tell Princess and BB that this kind of joke requires a different kind of thinking that PH has not developed yet in his brain and no amount of trying to explain it to him is going to make him understand the joke. Its that literal versus abstract thinking. I got a good chuckle out of it.

And then we made other drivers on the road chuckle when I cranked up the radio and declared that it was now "Mini-van Dance Party" while we jammed to an old Donna Summer disco song. It was a very pleasant drive.

Favorite quotes from my Scrapbook weekend...

1. What happens at Raspberry Ridge, stays at Raspberry Ridge.
2. I have shopper's thumb.
3. I have Laughing Shoulder.
4. I think I cracked my rib from laughing.
5. (After watching "P.S. I Love You...a total chick flick) I'm not crying...it's allergies. Stupid ragweed.
6. The Cricut is not so much a tool as it is a Lifestyle.
7. What time is it? Wow...already?
8. Didn't you wear that shirt yesterday?...I haven't changed it yet. I only slept a few hours.
9. I still plan to take take a walk and a shower this morning. (the time is now 7pm)

There were many, many more but please refer to #1.

Just because you can does not mean you should

Today, I was driving home from my 5th annual Scrapbook retreat. It was wonderful. I laughed, I cried, I sat in the Shiatsu massage chair and ate a lot of really fabulous food. I think I even did some scrapbooking in there too. But all good things must come to an end and it was time to pack up and go home. I picked up my youngest 2 children at my Grandmother's in western MN. My sister called me and we were chatting away, laughing and having a good time when I hear this funny noise. So, I turn to see the Pumpkin-head has turned around in his chair and is using a pop can to relieve himself.

Whoa son! What are you doing? (that goes in the book for Stupid Questions Parents Ask...Obviously, I KNEW what he was doing...the real question was WHY are you doing that?)

"I have to go to the bathroom."

You could have told me and I would make a pit stop. I don't want you to use your empty pop can for a potty. You set that can down and be very careful not to knock it over.

Peanut chimes in, "It's my pop can. I was done with it and I gave it to Ian."

Well, don't drink from it now. And neither of you do that again, got it?

My sister is still on the other end of the phone, laughing her head off. I tell her that she is not helping because I need to sound mad but it is hard when she is making me laugh. Then she says, "Well, that is a benefit of being a boy. You have Point and Shoot capability. Now we know where that expression 'I need to use the can' came from."

That just made me laugh even harder. But the laughter stopped when I had to carry the can full of urine to the garbage can. Yuck, yuck, yuck.

And thus ended my vacation weekend. I knew that I was time to go back to the real world.