Random Tid Bits

1. We've had a ton of zucchini growing in our garden.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. I don't feel like PMS makes me bitchy, but it sure does give me anxiety. If I have several big things to do I just innerly freak out. I feel my face getting red and hot, and my heart pumps really fast.
   
   Boss man wanted me call, and set up Adobe Creative Cloud for the teachers. I had never done this before. He had very specific things he wanted. I couldn't get everything he wanted, but it was a heck of a lot cheaper than last year, and got it approved.
   
   The next day he wanted me to back peddle to get things even cheaper. 


3. Some advice is worth taking. My parents have given me a lot of good advice in the past.
   
   Good Advice:
   
   1. Choose your battles.
   
   2. Kids make their own schedules based on what's going on in their life.
   
   Lately they've been off on their game.
   
   Bad Advice:
   
   1. You might want to talk to Isaak and tell him not to cry. He might get made fun of in school. - He hasn't had issues with crying in school. I didn't say it, but think it's great that he can cry in front of us. Just because he's a boy I don't want him to think he should keep his emotions in. I have to say that Mica was pretty unbearable at Isaak's age. He was pretty much a jerk. Now Isaak's at that magical puberty stage. He shows his emotions differently - with crying, and wanting to sleep. I don't know that he's worse, or better than Mica. Just different.
   
   2. You should probably read up on Asthma and Allergies. Start taking other things to help them besides medicine. - I didn't say too much, but in the past I tried a lot of natural things. By not taking meds I got a nose so full of polyps that the doctor had to cut out. Some of my nasal receptors went with that surgery. No thanks I'll stick to my meds. I do drink turmeric and ginger a lot + do the neti pot regularly. Those count as natural remedies. I think my doctors would agree that they want me breathing, so taking my daily inhaler when I need it is important.


4. Mica and Isaak have started fighting over really silly things. That's when I know it's time to go back to school. I let them both pick out snacks at the store. Isaak picked out Bunny Graham's.
   
   
   
   
   
   Travis got a call from Mica that he was all pissed because Isaak wouldn't let him eat the snack he picked out. In Isaak's defense, Mica would eat the whole box if he's able to. When I talked to them at lunch I said, "Maybe you shouldn't get a a morning snack. You don't have one at school."
   
   The next day we discussed their ridiculous spat. Travis found the whole thing comical because this is a snack I used to buy them when Isaak was in preschool. We decided we'd pour how much they get into bowls. Problem solved. I really wish they'd solve their own problems though.
   
   I explained that this kind of fighting is normal, for siblings. Travis never fought a whole lot with his sister growing up. His sister was inside a lot, when he was outside most of the time.
   
   I remember having battles with my sisters over the dumbest stuff. One time I tied my younger sister into her room. She wasn't tied, but her bedroom door was tied to the bathroom and my parent's bedroom door. She could not get out. I was way to old to do that. My friend got sent home. What's a silly thing you did when you were a kid?


5. The boy's back to school night it the same night, in two different parts of town. I knew this could happen. Mica's starts at 3:30, Isaak's starts at 5:30, so we figured we'd go to Mica's first. Then we got a letter saying they'd prefer younger kids to go earlier at Mica's school. They get what they get. Isaak's starts August 13, and Mica starts August 14. They have the younger middle schoolers go first to get used to the building. When do kids start where you live?

The Attack of the Great Pumpkin

Never in my life did I expect to get attacked by a pumpkin!

It happened one fall night. I decided to make a mixture of veggies cooked on the stove with olive oil: shredded zucchini, chopped up onion, garlic, pumpkin, and baby tomatoes. Towards the end I sprinkled some nutritional yeast and parmesan cheese. All pretty healthy. 

It was good.

I decided to cook the rest of the pumpkin in the stove. I took the time to peel it, cut it up, bag it, and put it in the freezer. It took time for sure. 

I'm not the type to waist anything. I took the pumpkin seeds out, soaked them in salt water. Pumpkin seeds have more protein in them than nuts do. 

I had my sleeves pulled up, and was really covered in pumpkin. 

All the sudden the pumpkin grew teeth, and pulled me in. 

It started biting at my arm. 

The bite started as just a single hive about the size of a quarter. It itched. The next day there was redness around it that seemed to expand an inch out every 4 hours. Blisters formed on the original hive.

It kept getting redder and redder. Not even Benadryl stopped the itch.

It was then I decided I needed to go to the Urgent Care. 

Me: "Boys I know you just took a shower, but it's time to get dressed. I have to go to Urgent Care." They come out in pjs. Me: "Good enough. At least your are not in your underwear." 

When we got there it was then that I realized Isaak had on 2 different shoes. He said he did that on purpose.

There they told me I had an allergic reaction. I told the doctor about the attack of the great pumpkin. Only this time I told her the truth. I just itched my skin with pumpkin fingers. Apparently my skin didn't like that. Pumpkins, squash and zucchini are all related to ragweed. 

Online it says the best substitute is sweet potato. My husband is not happy about that one. He doesn't care for sweet potatoes. 

Internally none of those veggies will cause that kind of damage. It will just make those that are allergic stuffier. 

I'm supposed to put calamine lotion on it at night. I will need to get more of that. I found out ours expired when Mica was 2, he's 10 now. I never knew that stuff had an expiration date. That will help dry up the infected area. The blisters are bad...if they pop and go on other parts of my skin those areas will get infected to. Unfortunately I woke up with bigger blisters on my skin about the size of corn kernels. It's in the spot where I rest my arms to type, and feels really weird to type.

I had to pick up 3 meds: A topical steriod, a oral steriod, and a non itch med that has a side effect much like a tranquilizer. I'll be big and buff over Halloween.

While waiting in the drive through for my meds, the boys started wrestling in the backseat. Who could blame them? I was growing impatient to. The pharmacy had me wait 5 to 7 minutes, which ended up being 15 or more. The pharmacist was on the phone with me when Isaak blurted out, "Is that a boy or a girl?" Shaking my head at them I think he got the point. 

Now I'm drugged up. I'm not completely out of it yet. If you are allergic to ragweed have someone else cut up pumpkin, squash, or zucchini for you. Whatever you do...do not touch one of those veggies and scratch your skin!

Here's something I've never understood: Why are allergy shots good? They build up your resistance to allergens right? I get that. Then when it comes to eating foods you're allergic to it's bad. You'd think in small doses, eating things you are allergic to would be just like a shot...building up your resistance. They said no to peanut butter for the boys from newborns to age 5 because of all the peanut allergies. Yes I cheated. Now studies have shown to give kids peanut butter to help build up a resistance to peanut butter. Have a furry animal when you're small to build up a resistance to them. I don't get why someone that has an allergy to one particular thing should stay away from that thing, and all things related to that thing with consumption. Maybe doctors do not get it either.