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Of course, the temperatures don't reflect that, as it's currently 75 degrees, with a projected high of 84 degrees today. <sigh> But tonight, it's supposed to cool down to 35, and tomorrow's high should be 51!!!!!!
It's still really pretty to see this in my neighborhood, though.
(to the tune of "On the first day of Christmas")
On the day of my birthday, my children gave to me-ee-ee--ee....
Two new cases of strep throat.
A week after the last diagnosed case, so technically considered a completely new infiltration. Which means alllllllll are susceptible again.
But. I also got money, lunch out, and a filled Starbucks card. And dinner out tonight with my girlfriends. And The Hubster and I are going away next month for a weekend, for a combined my birthday/his birthday/Christmas/anniversary gift. We are going to THE city, NYC, to do all the touristy things that are too hard to do with kids.
We just have to get through the strep. Last time, the toothbrushes went through the dishwasher - this time, it's all new for everyone.
The following occurred:
Moby Dick was published, 1851.The first opera was broadcast - Samson Et Delilia, 1921. The first world lightweight title fight was telecast coast to coast, 1951. Boxing’s largest indoor crowd assembled in the Houston Astrodome to see Cassius Clay defeat Cleveland Williams -- by a TKO, 1966. Booker T Washington died, 1959. 1st airplane flight from deck of a ship, 1910. Apollo 12, the second manned lunar expedition, was launched, 1969. The U.S. federal government began a partial shut down of government services after the U.S. Congress could not pass a budget, 1995
Important people born on the day include Boutrous-Boutrous Ghali, Aaron Copeland, Mamie Eisenhower, King Hussein, Prince Charles, Yanni, Claude Monet,
And yours truly, at 9:44 p.m. 1969.
I am a Scorpio, for those who believe in that.
 | ||
| The symbol of Scorpio is the scorpion. Scorpios are thought to be energetic and passionate leaders; they can be stubborn or jealous. They are sensitive and observant, and enjoy pushing themselves and others to the limit |
As a funny, Gabriel told my mother, "Did you know that it's Mommy's birthday?" To which my mother dryly replied, "Yes, I was there." Which completely blew Gabe away. He still doesn't get it.
So, being of the frugal mindset desire, I have several ideas floating around in my head for cool, inexpensive, thoughtful gifts. Here are some of them; let me know if you have any to share.
A book of coupons for a baked good a month - attached to a basket of cookies or such. It's really a good gift if you personalize it for each month - a Valentine's treat for Feb, etc. My sister made the best meringue cookies for me one year, and I'd give anything for her to make me a batch every month.
A breakfast basket. We made hot cocoa mix - a very good gift just by itself! - and packed in in rinsed peanut butter jars. (I save all my interesting looking bottles and jars with lids for a month or two before Christmas.) I put the cocoa mix, some homemade marshmallows, homemade granola and a few coffee mugs from the dollar store, along with chocolate dipped plastic spoons and some peppermint sticks to stir the cocoa. I can post recipes if you want, or you can just google for them. I puffy heart google.
Bath baskets - recipes to make bath salts and bombs are all over the internet. Those scrubbie things are at the dollar store. There are some really cute bath type baskets there too.
Movie basket - DVD from Wal-Mart or Target - there are actually some really great ones in the dollar section of Target. A bag of micro popcorn and two candy bars, and you are set. Add some soda if you are local, and not shipping. You can get movie size boxes of candy at the dollar store. You can put this in a big colorful plastic bowl from Wal-Mart.
Apple cider - buy a plastic jug of apple juice, usually on sale for less than $1. Attach with string or raffia a cheesecloth sack of spices - you can buy them already mixed together in the same section as the gravy mixes and whatnot. Gift the mix with coffee mugs from the dollar store.
Thoughtful jar - take strips of paper and write memories of the person you are gifting on them. Fold them up and stick them in a jar with a ribbon. The more memories you have, the better. Can you make 365 and gift the person with a whole year of remembrance?
Along the same line, find a picture of yourself with a sibling/cousin/parent that is good, maybe from when you were much younger. Copy it, frame it, and that is a treasured item.
Take a few single size boxes of cereal and stick them into a large, flat box with a couple of bowls. Add in some muffin mix and you have breakfast.
Give a few ice cream bowls, with a can of hot fudge, and a note that says the ice cream is in your freezer.
Have your children decorate wrapping paper for the person to use, using rubber stamps and paints and blank paper that you can buy from the newspaper office. They sell the unprinted ends of rolls pretty cheap.
Any other ideas?
While cleaning up the chess set today, Mackenzie and Gabriel were putting the pieces in the slots. Gabe held up the king and intoned solemly, "This is the King." Then he held up the queen and said, "This is the ruler of the world."
Rock on, kid.
And I lost.
The appeal came in, and the state board upheld the original decision that OT is experimental in nature and does not need to be covered.
Damn, damn, damn.
So sorry to leave you like that, chickadees. Life has a funny way of getting away from me lately.
We had the company over for dinner, and I made chicken marsala with pasta, sauteed broccoli and sourdough bread. Hot dogs for the kiddos, chocolate cake warm from the oven for dessert, topped with ice cream and whipped cream. I don't think anyone left my house hungry. It was a great time. The company was The Hubster's niece and her family, and they are just really super people. I adore my BIL, and it was great to catch up with the rest of the family. The kids stayed up too late, and we suffered for it the next night, but it was worth it.
Riley had a really bad Wednesday, with multiple tantrums. She's taken to hitting and kicking, which makes for a really interesting time with the other kids. She been spending chunks of time in her crib, or in the portacrib that we have set up for her downstairs. She went to therapy today, since she missed last week due to the strep bug. There was much screaming and crying going on, most of it by her, some of it by me when I learned that the insurance company has never paid the original evaluation - done in JUNE at the cost of $1100. ELEVEN HUNDRED FREAKIN DOLLARS FOR AN EVALUATION. I spent vast quantities of time on the phone today with both children's hospital and the insurance company, trying to get it straight. The entire matter has to be rebilled, in three separate claims, and then we will wait and see what is covered. Supposedly, I am only on the hook for either $99 or $430, depending upon which person I listen to.
I then picked up my sheers from the drycleaners - my white Pottery Barn sheers, which are now brown sheers. Due to no fault of the drycleaners, of course. It seems that they became discolored due to UV rays from the sun, and I probably should have hung them where they wouldn't be exposed to sunlight. :snort: They are curtains. $175, down the drain, as they won't replace them - and trust me, I already tried that.
But! Tonight was Mackenzie's soccer party, where the coach I helped out on occasion presented me with a bracelet, and one of the mothers gave me a bath package - soaps, gels and lotions - as a thank you for helping out. What a change from the team that I was assistant coaching, eh?
No walking since Monday. Horrible eating habits. I did use $300 in gift certificates, purchased through the school scrip program, to buy the kids gifts for Christmas at Toys R Us. With their offer of a free $10 for every $75 spent, I was able to buy my nephew an easel. For free! AND I bought Dance Dance Revolution for Allegra, and she will be thrilled. I have $100 that The Hubster gave me, and I can't decide what to spend it on. Probably books.
What's new with you?
Today started off as a fairly normal day. Up at six, make the breakfast, pack the lunches, set out the medications: 
take an incredibly unflattering picture of myself, in order to show off my color job, trying to crop out the cold sore on my lip (I got tired of telling this one lady at church that it was a cold sore, so I finally told her that The Hubster hit me) :
And then I went for coffee. Where I promptly locked myself out of the car, while the little girls were buckled securely into their seats. I had put them into the van, buckled them in, and put the keys in the ignition. I turned the keys to accessory, started a movie for them in hopes of sanity, and then spotted a friend. I stepped out of the van to say hi, and reflexively closed the door behind myself. As soon as I let go of the door, I realized my mistake, but it was too late. It all worked out, though, as I called my neighbor. She went to my house, got the extra keys from The Hubster - who was already late for his meeting - and brought them to me. I spent the thirty minutes drinking my coffee, reading a paper I bought, and trying not to get hit by the other cars.
The rest of the day I used some gift cards to treat myself to a new coffee thermos and a really funny Laurie Notaro book, had a wonderful phone call with the Ringmistress over at Three Kid Circus, made shrimp, rice and feta for dinner, and realized that I am in deep doo-doo. It seems that I forgot that tomorrow I will be hosting out of town relatives, as well as the rest of the extended family, for dinner. I don't know what I'll be cooking, and it would be nice if no one had to trace their name in the dust on the furniture. Sigh. My life of leisure is over.
Today, I have positives to post. Positives, my people. I'm telling you, p-o-s-i-t-i-v-e-s.
All four big kids went to school today, for the first time in a week!
The Hubster was off today. We walked this morning, about 3 miles. I left the little girls with him after that and went to get my hair colored. I had a three tone baliage - I'm not certain how to spell it, but there you go - and it looks *awesome*. Of course, Nikolas told me in the car that my hair, now a dark color with red and chestnut, looked purple. It's not purple. If I can take a picture where I don't have twelve chins, I might post it. While my hair was processing, one of the other stylists went out and bought me lunch. I ate, read my book, and relaxed for an hour.
With the Hubster's help, I took the Christmas picture! Whoot! It only took 8 shots, and I got a great one. Much kudos and thanks to the beautiful and oh so smart Chris, who gave me the idea from a shot of her own kids. The letter is written, so as soon as I can find a perfect snarky joyful card, I'll be all set.
The kitchen is clean, the laundry is mostly caught up - only three loads to fold, and that's not much - I read to Gabe's kindergarten class today by myself, and was thoroughly thanked. I had a wonderful iced coffee while doing the reading.
Oh, and Gabe's first loose forever tooth was pulled out tonight. By yours truly. He was afraid, but I was more concerned that, as loose as it was, he'd swallow it and we'd have a whole 'nother set of problems.
Right now, as I blog, I'm enjoying a concoction that I created myself. Pineapple, orange juice, strawberries, and vanilla rum.
And I loved both of these pictures too much not to share. 
Cuz I just don't have much in me right now, I'm afraid.
Monday was Halloween, and all was funky.
We had Miss America, a Bride, a Doctor, a princess with OUT a tiara, thank you very much, and a bumble bee. Nikolas was too old, per the state laws, and so he rode his back around and terrorized people. I am so kidding. Maybe.
But, then, Tuesday broke, and with it, our first case of strep throat. It's rampant in the school right now, concentrated in 8th, 5th, 2nd and Kindergarten. HAHAHAHAHA! Don't you see what's funny? Those are the grades my kids are in.
So, Tuesday Nikolas went down, with both strep and a sinus infection. My good doctor, who I puffy heart with all my soul - since he is happily married that is all I can do right now - laughed when I said that I'd see him in a few days with the other kids, and told me just to call him and he'd give me the scrips. Sight unseen. Now I REALLY love the man.
Tuesday, Mackenzie had an asthma attack as well.
She stayed home today, since she was worn out from coughing. About noon, she started to run a fever and I checked her throat. Swollen glands, red inflamed gross tonsils. I called in and got a scrip. I went to change Riley's diaper about 4, and realized that the reason she has been so crabby all day wasn't just her normal stuff. No, indeedy, she had 101+ fever as well. And rock hard, yet surprisingly tender, glands in her neck.
Three down, three to go. Emma fell asleep in her dinner tonight, so I'm betting she will be next.
Or me.
