Have Great Kids

Since Christmas Eve, my nine-year-old daughter has been so sick.  She has still not been able to play with any of her Santa stuff yet (I am hoping she'll wake up today feeling much better).  I took her to the doctor yesterday morning and the diagnosis was virus (good news - better than appendicitis) and she started to improve through the day to where she actually smiled. I had to leave yesterday evening to take my oldest to her basketball game and my son did such a great job taking care of his little sister - making her dinner to nibble on, making sure she took sips of fluids every 15 minutes.  He is such a good boy. 

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Drama-Filled Teen Life

My daughter got a zit on her chin and thought it was the end of the world (it was one small zit...not like she needs to worry about acne scar cream). Just wait several years (it better be several years anyway) when she gets stretch marks or needs an episiotomy!  That tiny, little zit loses its importance.  However, for now, in her teenage life, a tiny zit is HUGE. 

Somebody save me from the drama in a teen's life!

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Electronic Cigarettes

Has anybody ever used those electronic cigarettes?  I saw a group of teenagers using them and wondered about them so I'm looking for a electronic cigarette faq page.  Are they better for your health than regular cigarettes?  How are they cost-wise in comparison to the high cost of a pack of cigarettes?  Do they give you ashtray breath like cigarettes do?

I don't actually smoke (anymore) but with teenagers using them, I wondered.

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Lauren Klein Holiday Sale for Jewelry

The holidays are just around the corner!  Who knew, eh?  Given the state of every retail parking lot that is packed full, I think we're all well aware of just how close Christmas is and how little time you have left to finish up your shopping.

I found these beautiful 14K White Gold Diamond Princess Stud earrings at Lauren Klein.  I have five ear piercings and I need quality material in my ears to prevent infection.  These beautiful white gold stud earrings are just the thing for me! 

I was looking around at the rest of their women's jewelry and came across this necklace for a friend of mine.  It is yellow gold for the Star of David and is surrounded by a diamond circle in white gold.  Beautiful!

Lauren Klein makes it easy to shop.  For their merchandise, you can find a box on each product's page giving you all the important information such as: metal type, diamond information (weight, cut, color and clarity), and the gemstone information (name, weight, and cut). 

Another beautiful piece of jewelry:

Matte Finish Yellow Gold Diamond Cross
14K Yellow Gold, .65 ct round cut.

Lauren Klein also offers the very popular key necklaces.  These diamond key necklaces come in many different styles (with flowers, peace signs, personalized with your initial) and they come in yellow gold, rose gold, and white gold.  They key to my heart! 

I have a great promo code to share with you from Lauren Klein.  If you mention: Holiday Sale and use Promo Code shp10, you will get free shipping.  If you're ordering jewelry as a gift, they'll also put it in a pretty jewelry box and include a free gift card.  Get shopping! 

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Lost 20 Pounds

I've lost 20 pounds overall so far!  I pulled out a dress my husband bought for me when we were dating and boy is it tiny!  I'm not quite ready for THAT dress yet but a few nice women's dresses might be nice to wear again. A few nice short skirts with boots would be a nice in-between for school functions and stuff.  I can't wait to finish losing all my weight and go shopping for smaller clothes.

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More Inappropriateness from Stepson

Last week, my stepson sang and recorded a disturbing, obscene song and posted it all over his facebook for all the kids and family to see on his facebook.  The ex had no clue (because she doesn't monitor his online time).  At that point, I seriously considered blocking my younger kids from their older brother's facebook because of the inappropriate content and language he was using.  So, I let the ex know and she said she was grounding him from the computer for a week and had a talk to him about what is and isn't appropriate.  She didn't even take down the song for a whole week!!!  I didn't think that punishment was enough personally but I'd wait and see if it changed so I didn't have to block my kids from their half-brother.  My husband thinks his ex just told us that is what she did while she did nothing about it.

Well, nothing changed.  My stepson  left an inappropriate comment on his 11-year-old brother's facebook profile picture last night (the picture is of my son and his girlfriend at their band concert last week).  He wrote, "Get some ."  Get some?  He is 11 YEARS OLD!! 

I deleted the comment (hoping she and her parents didn't see it), let the ex know via email this morning what was left and attached a print screen of what was left (it's not like she'd believe me without proof in front of her face), and that he was now blocked from my son's facebook.  I doubt much will come of it. 

If it was one of my young daughter's, and somebody was leaving comments about "getting some" on pictures of them, I'd be upset.  I'm hoping I won't be fielding calls from parents today!

Needless to say, my stepson is now blocked from my son's facebook page.  It's sad that it has to come to that but my 15-year-old stepson doesn't know right from wrong because his mother never taught him and she sabotaged us everytime we gave him consequences for inappropriate behavior.  I also let my daughter know that he'd likely be blocked from hers as well. 

Yup, wicked stepom - that's me. 

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Technology Free Holiday?

I am really looking forward to my kids' holiday break to turn the alarm clock off for a couple weeks and spend time with the kids.  I'm tempted to turn the phones off and leave Facebook off and actually enjoy a really peaceful holiday this year.  Christmas always brings major dysfunction in the family and, on schedule, it has hit this year.  One of my sisters couldn't resist, I guess, and for some reason, she aimed it my way too.  No clue why since I don't talk to her ever...hmmm...maybe that ticks her off.  Oh well. 

I have enough left to do this holiday season so she can just stew in her own rage.  I have some shopping left that I want to get finished before my kids get out of school on break (Santa can't be shopping at Walmart or other stores in front of the kids), some gifts to get ready for shipping, and tracking down a Kangol hat for a friend.

I wonder why dysfunction always becomes amplified during the holidays, especially from people who you have no contact with whatsoever. What's the point of that?

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Other People's Kids

It's hard to grocery shop through Wal-Mart anymore because they have point of purchase displays for toys everywhere on the way to the food aisles, outside the toy department.  Don't these people have kids?  Don't they know that it starts the whining in the stores other people can hear from aisles away?  Of course they do.  It's the same reason they put a bunch of goodies next to the register - so kids can whine and parents can throw the food/toy onto the conveyor belt to stop the whining.

I'm pretty immune to whining for kids to get their way, thankfully, and my kids know better.  Listening to other people's kids cry though isn't a pleasant shopping experience.

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Winter is Here!

The frigid cold has hit!  I was wondering when it would.  It seemed like during Autumn, we kept getting teased by warmer temperatures.  Wow is it cold with blowing snow and icy sidewalks and roads. 

When cold hits, I want to head south!  Hawaii sounds good to me.  Relaxation, warm temperatures, the smell of tanning lotions (not on me because I fry no matter what with my lily white, ghostly skin but on everybody else).  Love the smell of tanning lotion.

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Ditropan Side Effects in Child

My five-year-old is on a bladder anti-spasm medication (Ditropan) and I have her at a half dose because she was hallucinating on a whole dose.  On a whole dose, her face was also splotchy.  The pediatric urologist doesn't want her to stop taking it and it does keep her from having accidents but I think she may be starting to hallucinate again at the half dose - it might have happened once anyway that I know of.  She's also started teasing and messing around (probably something she picked up from the kids at school - she's pretty good at it too) so I don't know what is teasing and what isn't.  I need to make another appointment at the Children's Hospital for her to find out. 

I never expected the side effects we had with this medication and it is a bit worrisome that both the pediatric urologist and pediatrician think this medication is still ok to take.  Side effects - especially hallucinating - are scary. 

Be sure to read the inserts with your prescriptions before taking medication so you know what to watch for no matter what the medication.  Some of those commercials on television seem to list side effects that seem worse than the symptoms of the disease they're for! 

Anything that affects the heart, mental function, or growth (ex:  check for extenze side effects), read the reviews, read the side effects, and make informed decisions. 

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Halfway Done with Xmas Shopping - Phew!

I am about halfway through with my Christmas shopping and about three quarters of the way through the Christmas money.  Huh, somehow that didn't work out right.  Guess I better do some fancy stuff with the budget this month. 

I found out that the XBox 360 Kinect system is sold out as well as most of the Monster High dolls (I found one...three were on the list).  Guess those are the hot toys this year.  My nine-year-old wants the Monster High Lagoona Blue doll and  Monster High Draculaura doll.  I found her Monster High Frankie Stein already.  Might have to extend the shopping area a bit.
My oldest daughter wants some stuff that will go in her floor trunk (like a journal, etc.) that I will buy her a lock for (she's almost 14 and wanting privacy).  Of course, I'll know the combination but she probably doesn't have to know that - or maybe she should.  I don't know.  She's into privacy, mood swings, boys and worrying about zits and good acne treatments like acsonix.  I'm not worried about her hiding anything yet but within the next couple years...oh boy.  I remember everything I did as a kid so I know what to watch for - she's not going to get away with much.



 

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