So excited!

Sir H is finally getting in to see an amazing naturopath/MD! The date is getting close! September 24th - who wants to babysit The Bear? :)

And, I finally got a date with the developmental pediatrician in the city, on October 5th. So, who wants to babysit Sir H? :)

In other news, another of my bestestest friends, my cousin Tracy, just got engaged to a wonderful man. She has two delightful, brilliant and loving children and they deserve an amazing man to become part of their family. He just proposed, she accepted, and they're getting married in December! I couldn't be more excited. It just reminds me of the excitement of being engaged to The Huz, and how he swept me completely off my feet. I am so happy for the joy that J has brought to her life, and I can't think of anyone who deserves more happiness that Tracy and her children. We love you! :smooch:

ADD

So, The H was diagnosed with ADD about six weeks ago, and started taking Strattera for his symptoms. I noticed an improvement almost immediately, and after a week, he was an absolutely delightful person to be with! He's been attentive and interested, listens to me, hears the boys, and does little things like make eye contact throughout an entire sentence. I had no idea how much I missed those things until I didn't have them for so long. Well, the insurance company has decided to deny coverage for the medication, since they want him to take Ritalin first. Our doctor refuses to even subject The H to trying it, so that's out, and the insurance is being really stubborn. The H started looking for some natural alternatives, and found an herbal blend of things like mushroom and some enzymes that have a completely hyped-up website that fear-mongers one into getting off prescription medication.

The deal we came to, with our marriage counselor mediating, is that he will be trying the herbal blend for a week, without any Strattera, and then, if I look at him and say, "Nope. It's not working," he will, without complaint or arguing, get back on Strattera. I'm all for natural solutions, and I think it would be wonderful had this stuff worked. However, we're on day three, and his eyeballs are about to flit out of his head. Sir H is back to having to ask fifteen times for something before Daddy hears him, and when I point these things out, he gets defensive and rude like he used to before he was on Strattera. So, I'm over this crappy herbal blend that doesn't do a damn thing, and four more days to go. Pray that we make it.

Out, out damned ... blister!

I was so hoping, for poor H's sake that he wouldn't develop any blisters from the burn heard 'round the world, but to my dismay, one cropped up yesterday. That means instead of this being his last day of mummy hand, he has probably 7 more days of it. I don't mind a bit dressing and tending his sweet little chubby still-my-baby hand, but while he's so patient, he's getting a bit tired of having limited use of that hand. I keep finding little trails of gauze all over the house and he'll walk by me with half of the bandage off. What a goose.

On the shopping front, I finally picked my third print for the boys' room, I haven't agonized over decisions like this is ... well, I don't know how long. I don't even give this much thought to my clothes purchases! Anyway, the third print, which will go in the middle, to pull together the subtle colors of the giraffe and whale is this one:

I love finally getting things done to make this house a home. We've lived here for just a smidge over two years, and just now are getting around to hanging things on the wall. We've moved three times in the six years we've been married, so I think there's a little hesitation to really put roots down. But, I'm fairly confident that we'll be here a while (maybe forever!), and I want to start loving on my home.

What beauty!

Look at these gorgeous prints I just bought for the boys' room! Stunning, aren't they? They are made by a wonderful mama who is managing (I know not how) to share her artistry with the world and parent at the same time. I can't wait to get them and hang them in their room, what beauty! They calm me instantly, just by looking at them. Here is her online store - go get you some gorgeous prints!

When will I learn?

I keep waiting for things to "calm down" around here so that we can enjoy a respite from discomfort, sickness, crises and drama. HA! I think I'm finally getting it through my head that life, especially with two little guys, a husband that works 14 hours a day and an extended family full of its own issues, will never provide more than a moment of external peace.

On Friday, Sir H has a rash behind his ears that was itchy, and we went in to Dr. Jesus, Jr., who pronounced it a heat rash and gave us a topical cream. By Monday, it had spread to his forearms and elbows, his knees and lower legs, his lower back, his feet, including the bottoms of his feet and his fact - including into his ears. So sad. It was abundantly clear that it was eczema, and we haven't seen an outbreak of eczema since he was about 2 years old (he's 3 1/2 now). So, back we went to Dr. JJ. He's also been having spontaneous nosebleew (excuse me, The Bear is helping blog) nosebleeds for weeks, sometimes three in a night. On top of the seasonal allergies with which he's already struggling, the eczema was the proverbial straw. So, I made an appointment with a doctor who will, I hope, prove to be an ideal amalgam of allopathic and natural medicine. He is an MD, so is able to prescribe and has Western training, but also believes strongly in what has been termed "complementary medicine", a term that encompasses the best of herbal treatments, accupuncture, supplements and chiropractics, among other techniques.

The hardest thing will be changing our diet. From what I understand, the most common triggers of eczema and allergies are dairy, an overgrowth of candida (caused by many things, including too much added sugar) and wheat. Instead of getting terribly overwhelmed and trying to throw away all our food and start from scratch, my first step will be to phase out dairy, and cut back on sugar. I already try to be diligent about buying foods without high fructose corn syrup, so I'm hoping a gradual approach to our new diet will be relatively painless.

So, last night (Saturday), the family went into the city and when we got back, Sir H inexplicably decided to wrap his hand around the exhaust pipe. I think t'was the scream heard 'round the world, poor boy. After a few phone calls to Dr. JJ and the hospital nurse line, we decided to take him to the ER since the burn is on his palm. He's so brave, he sat and waited like a trooper. We took my laptop and watched movies while we waited for the doctors to help us. They were so sweet and complimentary and kind to my precious boy, and slathered him in some silver sulfadiazine cream and dressed his hand up in some gauze. We went to a 24-hour pharmacy to fill a prescription for some helpful pain medicine and cruised around the aisles, randomly picking things up in order to buy them while we waited. $40 of crap and fifteen minutes later, we were on our way home. Today, he's racing around like he's Superman, which is quite possible. Apparently, burning hot exhaust pipes and mummy hands are not his Kryptonite.

Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic, you disappoint me.

In response to this shirt, I wrote the following letter:

Hello,

I am a frequent customer of Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy. I have enjoyed buying clothes for my entire family, including my husband and my two boys. I also often buy clothing from your brands as gifts for friends and their children. I have always thought that Gap. Inc. brands were a good fit for my family, due to varying price points and selections. However, when shopping online recently for my two young boys, I was extremely disappointed to see shirts for infants and toddler boys that promote materialism and misogyny. I enjoy reading witty sayings on shirts and have bought a few from Old Navy and Gap that state such things as, "100% Love", "My Dad is the Man", and "I Love Mommy", as well as other funny and sweet shirts that are positive and uplifting. In fact, your current "Leo's Artwork Graphic T" is exactly something I would buy for my boys. However, to see shirts that state, "I Love Mom, She's Got the $", "Ladies Man" and the most offensive, "Lock Up Your
Daughters", I am incredibly disappointed and disheartened.

I realize that popular culture is awash with graphic t-shirts, but to promote such blatant misogyny as "Lock Up Your Daughters" is irresponsible and pandering to
the lowest common denominator. I see that this specific shirt is sold out, so I realize that my words may mean nothing against the financial gain your brand enjoys from this item, but I hope that you read this letter and it gives someone pause, and that you examine the impact of that shirt on our youth. From the perspective of a mother of boys, I am overwhelmed by how difficult it is to fight the message that our society sends that success in malehood is tied to sexual prowess, whether it is explained away as simply intended to announce that the boy wearing such shirt is attractive to girls, or to admit that there is an undercurrent of sexuality in the shirt's saying that implies many things. First, it reinforces the idea that boys are predators. In order to "save" your daughter from my son, it is necessary to lock her away. Second, that the "daughters" are incapable of making mature decisions, and instead, are treated as incapable chattel that need locking up in order to protect their chastity. There are so
many levels of offensiveness to this saying that I could continue to list implications, but I think my point is clear.

It is my hope that instead of writing me off as a radical mother, you see me as a concerned parent who represents many other mothers and fathers that are becoming more and more aware of the state of our culture and determined to change the course of this generation.

Sadly, while you continue to manufacture, market and sell shirts that carry offensive sayings such as "Lock Up Your Daughters", I am unable to patronize any of your brands. Again, I know that my contribution to your bottom line may not mean much in your yearly data, but I am spreading the word to as many mothers and fathers I know that also express disappointment and discouragement at cultural phenomena such as your shirt represents, and I hope that they will do the same.

Sincerely,
Me

It is frustrating to know that my chances of being heard are slim, but it's what I can do. If anyone has any activist suggestions for how to be heard, feel free to let me know!

Hold me

I was donating platelets today, which is supposed to take 1.5-2 hours, but they couldn't get enough from me, so I ended up only being there for 30 minutes. I was in a strip center, decided to hop over to the movies, and saw that Kevin Bacon was in an movie called Death Sentence that I hadn't seen trailered. I asked the ticket girl if it was a horror flick or what, and she said it was a crime thriller / drama. Yay! My kind of book, so my kind of movie, right?

Horribly, horribly wrong.

Do not, do NOT go see this movie. It. Is. Awful. Horrifyingly tragic, not at all redeeming, gruesome and terribly upsetting. I seriously cannot get the images out of my head.

This is my good deed for the day - warning you all to steer clear, especially those of you who have kids, or have kids you love, or even remotely think you may like kids a little bit. Or life. Or happiness. Or positivity.