Buttercup

Off to the Races

2009-04-20T09:10:00.001-07:00

Every now and then, I pretend to be a runner. I can do it, but I'm not all that good at it, but I figure life is about getting out there whether or not you are the winner. Yesterday, I participated in the Bridge to Bridge to Brew Run. The weather couldn't have been better - a beautiful sunny morning in Portland. Plus, the real benefit of this run is that the city closes off a portion of the Freemont Bridge for runners. What a treat! The sky was clear and the view from the Freemont was amazing!

But more important than me running another 8K, was that Issabel ran her very first event yesterday as well! She participated in the kids 1/2 mile event. Her daddy ran along behind her for support. It was so adorable! She ran with her friend Jake and they both received goodie bags and trophies after the event thanks to Jake's mommy. It was a great day!

Issy crossing the finish line (with Honey Bear - unfortunately, Honey Bear fell into the Honey Bucket (porta potty) about 15 minutes later).

Issy and Jake all smiles before the race!

Yellow Submarine - Part 2

2009-03-17T09:02:00.001-07:00

We enrolled Issy in an acting class at the Children's Theater this winter. Her final class was a little performance in the basement. Her character was Sally the Mad Scientist and she looked so cute in her professorial glasses. I didn't record the entire play, but here are the two song and dance numbers. She is in the front row -lab coat.

In Like a Lion...

2009-03-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

Is that what they say about March? In like a lion out like a lamb? Or is it in like a lamb out like a lion? Well, this year it should certainly be in like a lion! The first week of March here in Portland was crazy! Ugh. The snow just doesn't stop, we had another round of it this week and there are still little tiny patches here and there in my yard.

I actually got to walk Miss Issy to school for the very first time yesterday and the snow was falling down softly the entire time. It made for a pretty memorable walk, but cold! Halfway to school, Issy was tired and cold but she made it. She's excited to be a 'walker' now - hopefully the rain won't thwart my green efforts too badly this spring.

We had a busy weekend again this past weekend. Issy didn't have school on Friday (yet another teacher inservice day) so we took the day to travel back to Astoria to have Rielly's stitches removed. He did much better than expected. And Issabel got to spend the afternoon in her grandmother's 2nd grade class. According to my mother - she was not intimidated in the least by the older kids and was even bossing around one of the boys on the playground. That's my girl...bossy to the core.

Saturday was acting class - they did a dry run of the play "Yellow Submarine Part 2" and she did SO well. She has missed the last two classes from sickness and being out of town yet she did better than most of the other kids. She is a natural actor, singer and dancer.

Sunday was when the weather really started getting cold and for some reason that is the same day we went on a swimming date with our friends Jackie and Jake. Issy did ok - she really loved being in the water again, but it's clear she is not over her flu 100% just yet. We were caught in a significant hail storm on the way home. There was so much hail on the ground that it looked like snow and it was cold enough that it never melted away. In the morning, there was real snow covering it all up. It's MARCH!?!?! And it's OREGON!?!?! We just don't get this kind of weather, ever!

But on a positive note, we saw daffodils and crocuses blooming on the walk to school. That means Spring is coming right?

Weekend Update

2009-02-24T17:53:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while but my life went from orderly and structured to insane in the past seven days.

A quick weekend update - we went to the coast this weekend for a wedding and had a really fun time (at the wedding). I got to spend the day and evening with my friends Anna and Tina and visit with Anna's family at the wedding. Unfortunately, when we finished up the wedding reception we found out our furbaby Rielly was injured while at my parent's house. Issabel was driving the golf cart around my parent's property (like she always does) and accidently hit Rielly. He had to have stitches and staples put into one of his hind legs. Poor guy. And poor Issy because she has a lot of guilt going on as well.

So crazy busy weekend, but hopefully everyone will be ok in the long run.

Teeth

2009-02-18T08:28:00.000-08:00

Issy had a dentist appointment yesterday and did so well. She loves her dentist and rightfully so. It is a pediatric dentist and they totally cater to the little ones with an amazing waiting room full of toys, games and movies and kids music for sitting in the chair. She really looks forward to the dentist, which is super nice.

Unfortunately for us, her dentist wants us to see an orthodontist already :-( I'm not excited for this appointment at all. We aren't talking about braces yet, but she is having some issues with her back molars that she thinks an orthodontist might want to have a look at soon. Ugh. Kids are expensive.

Coraline

2009-02-16T08:02:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned once or twice that my child is fascinated with The Nightmare Before Christmas...and The Corpse Bride....and pretty much perks up anytime she hears the name Tim Burton. Although the new movie is not a Tim Burton movie, Issabel was very very excited to see the previews for Coraline when we went to see The Tale of Despereaux Christmastime. She's been talking about it ever since actually.

But I had some friends see the movie last week and they were worried it might be too scary for her. So I researched, read a lot of reviews and talked to people that had seen the flick. I came away even more confused about the content. I had grown adults saying it scared them half to death and then I had friends say they took their four year old and it was fine. What to do, what to do? We decided to make it a group outing yesterday, Scott, Issy and I went with our friends Jake, Jackie and Corey. I thought it might make the outing more exciting and less scary if she was sitting next to a good friend.

Unfortunately for us, the rest of the town of Portland wanting to see Coraline at the same time. I had underestimated the popularity of this movie. The first theatre we went to, we arrived about 30 minutes early to find a very long line of ticket holders and no more seats available. Issy started to cry. And it was such a sad sight what with this little blond thing wearing her Jack Skellington sweatshirt, carrying her Jack Skellington purse and holding her Sally doll. It was heartbreaking.

So we scooped her up and were off to find the next showtime at the next theatre. Sold out! Oh no! One more try and we were successful, plus the theatre we ended up at wasn't even packed, which was nice. True we had to drive to the other side of town, but it was totally worth it!

The kids LOVED the move. Neither of them were scared at all. And I've got to admit, I really enjoyed it as well. I've never enjoyed 3-D glasses so much. It was a beautifully created movie. I think Issy was hoping for a little more creepiness to be honest, but she really liked everything about it.

Plus I really loved that this movie was created here in Portland by the newly formed Laika Studio (a Nike spinoff). Every time I saw "Portland" in the credits, a little hometown pride glowed inside me a little. Plus the movie is set in Ashland Oregon - which is fun too!

Valentine's Day

2009-02-13T18:35:00.000-08:00

Today is Friday, the day before Valentine's Day, most parents are excited, most children are on a sugar high and I spent the day glued to my phone.

Second only to Halloween - I worry about Valentine's Day. There is so much candy, so much unsafe candy for an allergic child. And it is everywhere this time of year. I dropped Issy off at school this morning and there was a bowl of conversation hearts sitting next to the sign in paper. I called her over quickly and looked her stern in the eye to say "THESE ARE NOT SAFE CANDIES. YOU CANNOT EAT THESE." She looked at me and said, "Ok Mama" and then I asked her to repeat what I just told her. Then I made eye contact with the teacher's aid and made her acknowledge she heard what I just told my child.

And then, I spent the rest of the day worried that she would get a Peanut Butter Cup Valentine from a classmate. But I had to trust her, I had to trust that all our conversations about never ever eating ANYTHING until we deemed it safe would hold.

When we got home tonight we dumped out the bag of Valentine's from her Kindergarten exchange today. There were several pieces of candy. Not a single piece of candy is safe for tree nut or peanut allergies. Not a single piece. But my girl was good and she knew better than to even try to eat any of it. I instead offered her some safe candy I purchased the night before. But it still hurts my heart a little that she can't have any of the gifts her friends bestowed upon her today. I'm so grateful to have such a good listener.

Happy birthday Jamay

2009-02-12T10:15:00.001-08:00

Today is my little sister's birthday - she's four years younger than I am so I guess that would make her 20?? Hope you have a great birthday Jamay (sorry for the blurry picture, Issy is still very sick today and it was either a blurry smiling picture or a sick-faced clear picture).

And for fun a picture of Jamay and Issabel at Issy's First birthday party

Sickie

2009-02-11T10:12:00.001-08:00

Issabel had her annual doctor appointment yesterday (it was supposed to have happened in Dec but we got the "Arctic Blast" that week and we couldn't get her rescheduled until now). I made Scott take her in because I knew she was due for immunizations and I have this little fear of needles.

Takeaways from Dr. Darling (don't you just love that name?). Issy is moving toward the path of being underweight. 50% for both height and weight, down from 70% last year. I've had many discussions with parents of kids with food allergies and being underweight continues to be one of the effects of monitoring every little item of food that goes into your child's mouth.

In addition, Dr. Darling was concerned with the flexibility in her legs. Her hips are great, but she can't reach down and touch her toes. She suggested we look into physical therapy, but we're thinking maybe some family yoga sessions first to see if we can help.

Although Issy still needed one immunization yesterday, I'm really thankful we took her into see Dr. Darling instead of attending the immunization clinic at school. Somehow their records were off and had her down for THREE immunizations instead of just the one she really needed.

After returning to school, Issabel went downhill. I don't know if she caught a bug or if it is a result of the immunization, but she and I are home today. She's on the couch watching "Wonder Pets" at the moment with a 102 degree temperature. Hopefully the Tylenol will bring her fever down soon. Poor little thing.

Dr. Darling is so fun - I surely never got such a cool Band-Aid when I had my immunizations!

Picture a day 16 & 17 - Snow hits Portland AGAIN!

2009-02-10T17:50:00.000-08:00

I've got to admit posting a picture every day for an entire month is DIFFICULT! I thought it would be easy but I'm having more issues with this 'simple' project than I thought I would!

We woke up to another round of snow today. For the record - we don't get snow very much here in Portland Oregon. Usually we get a little snow maybe once or twice a year. We've had a lot of it this year - A LOT OF IT! But on the bright side, I've finally gotten past my fear of driving in the snow. Usually if the powdery stuff falls, I convince a co-worker to pick me up or I take the bus to and from work. Not anymore, I'm too cold to wait outside for a bus.

Some pictures from today -first a Valentine's note in the snow and then waiting in traffic because of the bad weather:

Give me red-soled shoes or give me death!

2009-02-10T10:08:00.000-08:00

So the hubs and I were watching an episode of "Monk" on television last night when I noticed that his worthy assistant, Natalie Teeger was wearing a shoe that was very out of character for her. Now don't get me wrong, I think her stylish "sexy secretary" look is great - she pulls it off very well. But in the episode we were watching last night I noticed a faint flicker of red coming from the soles of her shoes. Now tell me how a measly paid assistant can afford a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes?? TELL ME BECAUSE I WANT TO KNOW!

So Scott and I get into a big discussion about how she is probably wearing a pair of knockoffs and it made me wonder if there really is such a thing - are shoe designers so bold to actually steal the red sole idea from the shoe god himself? If successful, would the wrath come down upon the shoe sluts of the world if we actually purchased such knockoffs? Would our pinky toes rot and fall off or turn green?

I did a little Google searching and found out that Mui Mui has been trying to mimic the red sole idea - and apparently Louboutin DOES have a trademark on the red soles and isn't afraid to pursue a lawsuit over it. You go with your badass shoes Christian!

I don't have a pair of Louboutin shoes yet - someday when I win the lottery though I will have them in every color and style. I find it is always nice to have a dream. But I think the producers of Monk should start to dress their characters in a more believable manner.

Q&A with "B"

2009-02-09T19:50:00.000-08:00

One of the games Issy loves to play is reporter - this is when one of us will interview the other and ask a bunch of silly questions. We were playing reporter while dinner was cooking tonight so I decided this time to write down her answers and type them up here on the blog (usually it is just scribbles on a piece of paper).

Q: What's your name?

A: Issy or Issabel

Q: Which name to you like best?

A: Issabel

Q: What's your favorite color?

A: Purple and Pink

Q: What is your favorite thing to do?

A: Play with my sister (her look alike doll - see previous post for a picture of them together).

Q: Why?

A: Because she looks like me and we have a sleepover every night.

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?

A: A veterinarian

Q: What is your favorite animal?

A: Hermit crabs and dogs and cats

Q: Do you like summer or winter best?

A: Both because I like the snow and Santa in the winter and I like the beach in the summer

Q: What is your favorite thing to do at school?

A: Calendar time

Q: What have you learned at school recently?

A: How to believe in Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack Obama.

Q: What do you think about Obama?

A: I would like Barack to show me around the white house and have me meet his daughters.

Q: What do you like best about yourself?

A: That I can read all of my books except that I'm still working on "I Spy With My Little Eye Haunted House" book.

Q: What is your favorite book?

A: Dora the Explorer fairy tale story book

Q: What's your favorite holiday?

A: Christmas then Halloween

Q: What do you want to be for Halloween this year?

A: Belle (Beauty and the Beast) and Sally (Nightmare Before Christmas)

Q: What is your favorite TV show?

A: Phineas and Ferb and iCarly

Q: What is your favorite movie?

A: Nightmare Before Christmas

Q: What are your favorite shoes?

A: My dance shoes

Q: What is your favorite flower?

A: Roses, violets and daffodils

Q: Favorite food?

A: Pizza

Q: Favorite place to visit?

A: Disneyland, Hawaii and Astoria

Q: Your favorite outfit?

A: My matching dress with Belle (the look alike doll)

Q: What is your favorite chore?

A: Feeding Rielly and Mini-Me (dog and cat)

Q: What is your least favorite chore?

A: Making me bed every day

And then luckily the timer on the oven went off - saved by the bell. She could play this game for hours!!

Mazeltov

2009-02-08T23:38:00.000-08:00

We had a very busy couple of days this past weekend. Our friends Brian and Martha were married this morning and held a series of bridal related activities leading up to today's nuptials. It was also my very first Jewish wedding, so I got to learn a little in the process as well.

The weekend's events started out on Friday night with the Aufruf celebration during Shabbat service. Scott wasn't feeling too well (perhaps a little too much fun at the bachelor party the night before?) so Issy and I went. She was absolutely adorable during the service. It was mostly singing and you know how this girl likes to sing, so what if she didn't know the words or the language for that matter - she just hummed along and picked things up as she went. She is such a little musical child. We didn't stick around for the kosher dinner following services due to her food allergies, but I hear the food was excellent.

Saturday was busy with Issy's acting class and then I rushed off to a surprise bridal shower in the afternoon. There was also a Havdalah service and dinner on Saturday night, but we were all too tired from the rest of the day that we didn't attend.

The wedding service and all the correlating rituals started this morning at 10:00 - oh my that felt early. We were able to witness the signing of the Ketubah (the Jewish marriage contract), and the Bedeken (the veiling of the bride). After the reception the bride and groom held a tree planting ceremony at their house to honor the Jewish New Year for the Trees. We didn't make it to that portion of the activities because we had to get our little miss home for homework and Valentine making.

Issabel and Jon sittin' in a tree

2009-02-05T19:35:00.000-08:00

When I went to put Issabel's lunch into her backpack this morning - I found her very first love scribble. Apparently, she is in love with a little boy in her class named Jon.

Scott was visibly shaken by this concept so while Issy was brushing her teeth Scott asked her who her best friend at school is right now. She replied with her adorable little friend, Lupita. So Scott tried another approach and asked her if she could spend the day with any boy, who would it be. She answered "Why you Daddy!" -- and then I asked her if she wanted a job in P.R. :-)

Photos #9 & 10

2009-02-05T19:25:00.001-08:00

After work I attended a baby shower for my friend Renee at The Melting Pot - we had two savory cheese fondus and then a amazingly delicious chocolate/pecan flambe dessert fondu. YUMMY! Then I came home and brushed my teeth because of the nut thing. Mmmm fondue!

Issabel and Renee's daughter Ryann get along really well together - they are so well behaved when Renee and I went shoe shopping together last year. What can I say - little shoe sluts in training!

Rough Morning

2009-02-03T08:16:00.000-08:00

Yikes - we had a doozy of a morning today. After I got into work Scott called to ask me if 6-year olds can have monthly cycles, lol!

Issabel was crying at every little thing this morning. First she wanted to wear the same dress that she wore to school yesterday and I told her absolutely not. So she cried. Then she cried over wearing tights so I had to find a pair of leggings for her to wear under her skirt. Then she cried over brushing her teeth and fixing her hair. Then she cried over her socks feeling weird in her shoes. Then she cried because she was supposed to feed our dog, but instead she was playing with a music box and Scott didn't like it. And she cried one more time because she set said music box on her bed and was about to turn off the light and shut the door when Scott closed the music box. Well I guess her stuffed animals wanted to listen to the music and he closed it, so she cried again. Boy oh boy.

But when Scott went to drop her off at school today, she had her real meltdown. I wasn't there, but I guess a classmate took a crayon or pen out of her hand and told her that she couldn't use that color and she lost it. Scott had to stay there and console her for 15 minutes before she could calm down.

Should we take bets now on whether or not I'm getting a call today to pick up my emotional child today?

Photo #8

2009-02-03T08:15:00.001-08:00

Should have posted this last night -from the Chinese Garden in Portland. They are celebrating the New Year all week.

Photo #7

2009-02-01T22:30:00.001-08:00

I woke up today and headed downtown to the Crystal Ballroom after nursing a tiny hangover headache. I promised my friend that I would be her booth babe today at a local boutique/artison event. I didn't watch the Super Bowl I didn't eat hot wings, but I had a great time!

Photo #6

2009-02-01T22:26:00.000-08:00

I should have posted this yesterday, but I was busy busy busy. My parent's had stayed the night, I had to go to the gym, Issy had acting class, we went to the Chinese Garden for the Chinese New Year Celebration and I had a bachelorette party. Sorry didn't have time to upload, but I did take some pictures.

The start of the bachelorette party was at the Moroccan restaurant. No utensils, sitting on the floor and belly dancing.

Kids and shoes don't always mix

2009-01-30T17:46:00.000-08:00

Issabel was doing her usual thing this morning by wearing my shoes as she was brushing her hair and teeth. Well today, that routine act ruined my brown boots. I didn't even notice until I got to the gym today. It figures though, I was having a pissy day. I'm trying to think about it in a positive light though, now I can buy new brown boots.

Photo #4

2009-01-29T20:29:00.001-08:00

Dinner - of course the veggie option, but dinner none-the-less

Photo #3 (from yesterday)

2009-01-29T15:13:00.000-08:00

I took this picture yesterday, just didn't get a chance to post it since I was busy watching LOST! and then having my father over as a houseguest.

Issy gets so cuddly when it is time to go to bed

Photo Day 2

2009-01-27T19:06:00.000-08:00

Issabel's chandelier in her pink and green room. Boy do I need to give it a good cleaning!

A promise to post

2009-01-26T20:32:00.000-08:00

I've been following this blog for several months now, probably since last fall. I don't check it out daily or even weekly for that matter but every now and then I find myself settling into the daily update of photos. I really like to see what others deem as photo-worthy, some of the participants are amazing photographers and some are more in my own style of point and shoot. I think it has inspired me to take on the project for one month. I don't know how difficult it will be to post a photo - any photo - everyday for an entire month but I'm willing to try. I fear most of my pictures will be of my shoes though, I must remind myself to get creative.

So to start, I'm posting a picture from the snow storm, because I like it and because I just fell over backwards in my office chair - and it hurt, a lot. So I'm not going to bother with taking a new picture tonight. I will tomorrow.

Updated the other blog

2009-01-24T22:15:00.001-08:00

I'm having the sadz this weekend. I'm sick with an awful cold and I'm missing my best friend fiercely right now. I don't know what it is about a good friend, but there are times you just want them around. Even if you don't talk, you just want her there. As such. I'v been thinking about Anna so I updated my kidney blog finally. Yes yes finally!

Read the post here

To be or not to be....

2009-01-19T21:08:00.000-08:00

Issy has been begging me to enroll her in a ballet class for at least the past two years. Unfortunately, I have been totally unsuccessful in finding a beginning ballet class that commences after 5:00 p.m. during the week or anytime on the weekends. Nope - ballet classes are held around 2:00 in the afternoon M-F. Well let me say publicly -- BOO from the working mothers of the world!

In an effort to appease my little performer, I told her anything else - what else would you like to do instead of ballet? Her answer - acting! And when you think about it that is just about perfect for her. I enrolled her in the Winter term of the NW Children's Theater. Her first class was Saturday and she had an absolute blast. The class is an intro to acting course where it looks like she is going to learn mostly about expression through movement and some basics regarding the stage and theater. She really enjoyed her first class and is very excited for the end of the semester performance.

I feel so blessed that my girl doesn't have the shy nature I had at her age. She doesn't hesitate to get up in front of a crowd of stranger and perform. I just need to have a conversation with her to ensure she knows that as the youngest child in her class, she is unlikely to get the starring role. Babysteps.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-31T15:46:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas was a little different this year due to the snow storm. We had planned to celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas morning here in Portland and then head down to the coast for celebrations with many different stops and returning Friday evening. Because of the snow storm and the highway being closed on Christmas Day, we didn't even make it to the coast until Friday evening, so we ended up staying through the weekend. Some pictures from the loooong holiday weekend:

The Elf on the Shelf

2008-12-23T08:50:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday, Issy and I got away from the house for a few hours to venture to the mall. Because the weather was bad and I was dreading going home again, we wandered quite a bit. One of the last stops we made at the mall was to the Hallmark store and near the entrance a quite familiar little red and green elf caught our eye.

There is a new 'tradition' that you can buy from Hallmark called the "Elf on the Shelf" the package comes with a book and your very own Elf for holiday fun. The general idea is for parents to use this little elf as a motivator and visual reminder for kids that Santa is watching - or more precisely, the Elf is watching and reporting back to Santa every night which children should be on the naughty or nice list.

The thing is, the Elf for sale looks just like a little elf I adopted from my grandfather's massive Santa collection a few years back when he passed away. I'm not kidding - he had a MASSIVE Santa collection see here:

I don't know how old my elf is, but I'm pretty sure he is at least my age or older. I always remember him being around. I find it very interesting that he has been re-created for sale at Hallmark. I decided to bring the elf down from the Christmas tree where he has been displayed for the past few holidays and start the "Elf on the Shelf" activity with Issy yesterday. She is ga-ga over this little guy (mind you she never cared about him before). She wants him to go everywhere she goes. She even made a room for him in the life-sized gingerbread house we made yesterday (cardboard box that Scott fancied up with a roof and attic). I've had to enact a rule that the Elf is no longer carried around, I noticed the seam attaching his right leg is looking a little worn. So now the Elf just sits up high in different locations around the house.

But I do admit, it is working - if she does anything 'not so good' I just say "the Elf on the Shelf is watching you right now" and bam - she is a perfect angel again! Not a bad plan if you ask me!

If you want to see more about the idea and the Elf on the Shelf story go here: http://www.elfontheshelf.com/

Here is our vintage Elf - he is pretty darn cute.

And they said it would only last a few days....

2008-12-23T08:33:00.000-08:00

Another snowy day here in Portland and according to Scott we are expected to get another dump tomorrow - yeah. I'm for sure getting out of the house with Issy today, she is very excited to ride a Tri-Met bus, so I'm going to attempt to finish Christmas shopping. We shall see. Some more winter pictures from yesterday.

Snow keeps coming

2008-12-22T08:55:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning to another 3-4 inches of snow. Just when I think it must be getting close to ending we get more. Poor Rielly is having a hard time getting out to do his business. He doesn't even like to go out in the rain, this is super hard for him, his legs aren't all that long.

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

2008-12-21T23:44:00.001-08:00

It's amazing how my attitude changed in regards to this cold weather front when the weekend hit. As soon as I didn't have anywhere I needed to be, I was able to sit back and enjoy all the snow brought to us. And as I sit here, I have learned that I don't have to go to work tomorrow because the powers that be have officially closed the office tomorrow. What a relief.

We are lucky in that there is a middle school two blocks away from our house with amazing hills surrounding the soccer and football fields and we got out each day this weekend for a little tubing. Issy had a blast! Today was more icy than snowy, but still had fun. Issy and I also got outside after the sun went down today for a snow angel making party.

Unfortunately all the pictures I took tubing are stuck on my little camera because the batteries died and all my extra batteries are sealed in my car. Can't open the doors - snow is clear up to the doors and they are sealed shut. Why are they in the car and not inside the house? I'm sure there is a good reason somewhere at the end of the rainbow, but I don't know why at the moment.

Anyhow - some snow pictures..

Let me out of this house!!!

2008-12-17T09:43:00.000-08:00

Another bleeping snow/no school day today. Ugh. And any minute now we should expect another storm from the Arctic to sweep on through. They are saying another 4-5 inches of snow and another storm on Friday. I'm about to lose it, I need adult interaction. I saw Scott for a total of maybe 80 minutes yesterday. He came home from work and left just as quick for band practice, then he didn't get home until late and I went almost immediately to bed.

I'm also not letting Issy out much as she still has a horrible hacking cough. We went to the post office yesterday and coming up our walkway we found this big icicle. It is now living in our freezer -I think it's colder outside though.

Snowed in

2008-12-16T13:56:00.000-08:00

Today is the second day of Miss Issy missing school due to snow - our third day of living with the snow. I'm soooo ready to get back to the office and have some adult conversations!

It's a real challenge for me to balance the day between keeping Issy entertained and keeping my day job moving forward. I've noticed I end up working late when Scott gets home so that he can distract her while I get work done.

Anyhow - we are doing a lot of crafts, baking and non-sense. I took this video when Issy thought she was all alone, singing to her Nutcrackers. Just before this 'performance' she was singing "Santa Clause is Coming to Town" while strumming on the guitar, it was sooooo cute but I didn't have time to get the camera. This is just her singing some made up song, she does that often. Don't mind the messy house - remember - day three of being snowed in!

St. Lucia Day

2008-12-13T20:20:00.000-08:00

December 13th is supposedly the shortest day of winter and in Sweden that day is represented by honoring St. Lucia. My mother used to make my little sister and me get up on St. Lucia Day, wear the traditional white robe and (scarier yet) put on a crown of candles. Lucky for all of us - that crown was battery powered. Can you imagine if I were really honestly wearing a crown of candles with my klutzy tendency? The house would have been aflame before I could get that darn Swedish song out - and besides, my hair was bad enough in high school, I didn't need a bald look to make it extra difficult. "

These days, I understand the importance of honoring your past and now that I'm a mother, the St. Lucia tradition isn't so bad. And more importantly, my girl is young enough to still enjoy it. We try to make the traditional gingersnap cookies (Pepparkarkar) several days in advance but this year we made them this evening. I haven't made the sweet buns (Lusekatter) for two years now, yeast bread just takes too much time out of my busy schedule. Next year I promise!

As always, Issabel and I had a blast making cookies. She lost interest in cutting out hearts and stars and instead got crazy with the flour. She determined that since we haven't seen snow outside that she would make it snow inside. I'm a little worried to let her frost the cookies now!

The Lucia Tradition:

anta Lucia is celebrated all over Sweden and in Norway on December 13th.

History

Lucia (also known as St. Lucy) is actually a 4th century Italian Saint. She was born to a wealthy Sicilian family. When she rejected a Pagan suitor, he turned her into Roman authorities who sent her to be a prostitute in a Brothel. According to Legend, she was saved by divine intervention and could not be moved. Next she was sentenced to be burned, but the flames could not consume her. Finally her neck was pierced by sword and she died on December 13, 304 AD. There are also stories of her eyes being put out and in some artistic portrayals she is carrying her eyes in a dish.

References to her are found in early Roman sacramentaries and at Syracuse in an inscription dating from AD 400. As evidence of her early fame, 2 churches are known to have been dedicated to her in Britain before the 8th century, at a time when the land was largely pagan.

How Lucia came to be known in Sweden

Lucia means "light" and Santa Lucia became associated with Light. During the Roman persecutions, Lucia is said to have carried food to the poor in dark tunnels, wearing a wreath of candles on her head. Lucia became a symbol of light to people in northern countries where winter brought short dark days. During the Middle Ages, there was a terrible famine in the province of Varmland. Just when it looked like the town would starve to death, a ship appeared with food, and a vision of Santa Lucia in white with a wreath of light around her head. Lucia has been loved in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries since then.

Traditions

On December 13, the eldest daughter awakens early and prepares a special breakfast. She dons a white dress with a red sash, a wreath of candles and leading the other children in the family, brings the food while singing a song to the other adults in the family.

Home sick

2008-12-12T09:12:00.000-08:00

Not me, the girl. Looks like she caught my nasty cold. I suppose it was bound to happen but it still isn't fun. She started getting icky last night as I was trying to watch Nancy Grace. Did you hear they almost certainly found Caylee's remains? May she rest in peace.

So today, I'm working from home in the morning - Scott will come and relieve me for the afternoon shift which is good because I have a little marketing party at the office. We are doing a white elephant gift exchange and I'm stoked because I found THE PERFECT gift. I'll post what it was later on just in case. But it's GOOD.

I'm also waiting for my father in law and brother in law to get here from Knappa. We have some water damage on the front wall of our house and it looks like a small hole in the roof. Great. They have completed all the destruction, now they are working on the repair. Gotta love owning a home right?

Happy Friday everyone!

Long weekend

2008-12-10T21:26:00.001-08:00

Issabel and friend Jessie at her Build A Bear Birthday Party

We had a great but busy Thanksgiving two weekends ago, but the day after I returned home (Saturday) I came down with a really nasty cold. It put me out for two days and I never fully recovered before this weekend's insane event schedule took hold. Now I'm even sicker - I have NO voice whatsoever and am thinking I have only one real weekend before Christmas to get ALL my shopping done. I have got to get myself in gear!

This weekend started on Thursday night for me, I attended the annual Maxwell PR Studio's yearly holiday party. I have been going to this party for years and I just love it. All my PR friends are there and they bring in a tarot card reader that tells my fortune. I had a blast again this year, but because I had been sick - I left the for the night with a scratchy voice and knew I would lose it by the weekend.

Friday was a big day - Issy had her birthday celebration in her classroom and I came in to help with the party. She got to wear a crown and be in charge. She loves that. We gave all her classmates birthday bubbles instead of sugary (peanut-laden) sweets. Then we came home and I started to get ready for my company's holiday party. It was held at a restaurant in the Pearl district so parking was a bear but Scott was driving so I shouldn't complain. The party was a lot of fun, but my voice was toast by the end of the night. I went to bed thinking I needed to be drinking tea all night instead of wine.

Nicole & Scott at company holiday party

The next day we started by making birthday cupcakes at the break of dawn, followed by a morning performance for Issabel's Scandinavian dance group at the annual ScanFair in downtown Portland. I was feeling pretty ill by this time so I hardly remember the performance, but I know she was amazing. We then ran home, frosted the cupcakes, changes from her Norwegian bunad into her birthday clothes, grabbed a quick lunch and then off to her 6th Birthday Party at Build-A-Bear. She had a wonderful time with her friends and even made an extra bear to give away to charity.

By the time we got home, I was pretty much toast. I had a fever and no voice. I didn't move much at all Saturday night and let my mother in law take care of Issy while I slept. The next day I couldn't even whisper. I instead spent the day texting Scott instead of wasting time trying to do charades. Issy opened her presents from us and then Scott took her to see Madagascar 2 while I got some more rest.

So basically, Issy got three days of birthday fun, presents and attention. I hope she remembers all the fun instead of her mommy being so sick when she thinks of her birthday.

Nicole, Dina and Dianne at the Maxwell photo booth - don't we look snazy?

Food labels

2008-11-21T09:47:00.001-08:00

I swear - just when I feel like I've gotten a handle on managing Issy's food allergies, I come across an article like this. Some day the world will understand that my child need truth and accuracy, we food allergy parents are not doing this to make corporations have one more thing to worry about. Gheesh.

Children at risk in food roulette: Mislabeling, lax oversight threaten people with allergies

My little drumming sensation

2008-11-18T17:20:00.000-08:00

I'm way behind on posting - as Christmas inches closer, my free time to sit in front of a computer screen dwindles down to nothing. Issabel's birthday is just a few weeks away as is a string of Christmas performances and of course the shopping, baking, decorating and preparing. Oh yeah - I almost forgot about Thanksgiving! But I digress....

Last week Scott had to go to our local music store to pick up a new foot peddle for his drum kit as he apparently left his at the last gig. He took Issabel with him and they met the drummer for B.B. King's band. I guess this guy has played with B.B. King for more than 20 years and lives next door in Lake Oswego. Anyhow, he played a little drum battle with Issy and then had her come over and play some beats for him. He told Scott that she she was very good with her rhythms and that he should encourage her to keep playing as she is very advanced for her age (and for no lessons).

Issabel really didn't understand who this guy was and could have cared less about the entire experience but Scott was over the moon about it. He called everyone that night, lol. And the very worst part? When Scott told me about it I said "Isn't B.B. King dead?" oooh bad me!

A HEMA Halloween

2008-11-05T23:23:00.000-08:00

Scott's band HEMA had a show the day after Halloween and my mother in law came to town to watch Issy so that I could go too. The guy's all dressed up and Issy dressed Scott because he hadn't planned a costume. She was so proudly placing first a tutu on him, then a crown then some fairy wings. He did make a darn interesting tooth fairy.

The set list from the time before (yes the one with all the fbombs)

Jason and Rachel

Blurry picture of me and Scott

Best part of my costume - the SHOES!

A president for everyone

2008-11-05T07:25:00.000-08:00

Scott and I filled out our ballots over the weekend and I tried to explain as much as I could to little Miss Issy in the process. I want her to grow up understanding politics as much as she can so that she doesn't feel ignorant when it's her time to vote. We spent a good part of the weekend talking about the presidential position and our very first president.

As such, I wanted to let her stay awake last night to watch the election results. We had a good conversation about both Obama and McCain and although I'm sure she would have preferred watching Spongebob Squarepants, she did pay attention for the most part. She ended up falling asleep right around the time the electoral votes were counted on the west coast. After I got all weepy and let the hubs make fun of me, I carried her to bed. Then I went upstairs, watched President-Elect Obama's amazing speech and went to bed myself while listening to random hoops and hollers and even a drum banging outside on the street. Music to my ears.

This morning she came into my bedroom and asked "Mom! Did he? Did Obama win? Did he do it?" I cried a little more at that point.

Oh, and then she took a $20 bill from my purse and wanted to know "which one this guy is" -- ha ha.

_________

And one final election note - a few years back as Scott and I were filling out our ballots he decided to be his typical goofball self and write in his name on some of the write in slots - just for fun. To this day, if you google him you'll see his name pop up on some election return website. Silly boy.

Kiddie Halloween Party

2008-10-30T22:59:00.001-07:00

It has become a tradition at my office to have a kiddie Halloween party every year. Issabel has been attending these since she was a tiny baby and it's been exciting to see all the kids grow up little by little and have a good time trick or treating through the office.

We had the kiddie party this evening and it was the first time I can remember that I didn't go home more exhausted than the kids. I am loving having a five-year old: one that has enough independence to play nicely with others and to be aware of unsafe food around her. Life just keeps getting better and better.

This year, Issabel came dressed as the Nutracker's Sugar Plum Fairy.

Issabel and her friend Ryann (dressed as a bride)

Issabel dancing with her very good friend Kai (he was Superman earlier in the party)

Taking a quick break from Trick or Treating

Issabel and Zoe (Jasmine) - today is Zoe's birthday!

Can you say Drama Queen?

2008-10-30T19:59:00.000-07:00

Issy is recently obsessed with Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas. When I say she likes Jack and Sally, I really mean she is in love with them. Everything is about this movie right now, including all my current iPod downloads. Here is her most recent "music video" to one of her favorite songs from the movie, "Poor Jack."

Halloween Candy

2008-10-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

For a lot of people, Halloween candy is the best part of the holiday. It used to be that way for me until we learned about Issabel's peanut and tree nut allergies. Now Halloween is one of the scariest times of the year (and not because of the Saw masks running around).

We picked up a little idea last year from our food allergy group to help Issy not be upset at the fact that 90% of the candy she collects could lead to a tragic situation. Instead, we put the candy by the front door at bedtime and in the morning the candy is gone and she gets a new shiny present from the "Kandy Witch" - it worked out well last year and she is hoping the Kandy Witch brings her the Nightmear Before Christmas" movie this year.

There will be many other children running around this Halloween looking for that glimmering light of hope - a piece of candy that is safe for them - a tootsie roll, a dum-dum. I encourage folks to think twice before picking out candy this year, or even better try offering a non-food treat. Little toys are fun for kids too!

If youare intersted, there is a new website AllergyFreeHalloween.org, designed to encourage people to give out allergy-friendly treats on Halloween. Let's make this year's holiday as enjoyable as possible for children with food allergies and their families. On the site you can download a door sign that indicates your household's allergy-friendly status, learn about "safe" treats, and join a Facebook community. Because Halloween is scary enough without having to worry about food allergies!

Here is a list of Halloween treats that generally do not contain nuts, milk, eggs, wheat or soy. Parents: Always check labels to be safe! Please stay tuned for further additions to the list...Smarties Skittles Starburst Nerds Runts (original - not chewy) Gobstoppers Pixy Stix Sweettarts (original) Bottle Caps Fun Dip Dum Dums Gummy Bears Swedish Fish Sour Patch Kids Disney Princess Snacks YummyEarth Organic Lollipops Pure Fun Enjoy Life Chocolate Bars Nut, Milk &
Egg Free: Divvies Amanda's Own

Happy Haunting!

More Halloween Fun

2008-10-28T21:29:00.001-07:00

Issabel's dance group had a performance/fall festival last night and instead of wearing their traditional costumes, they were encouraged to dress up in Halloween costume. Of course, they were adorable as ever and it was so much fun to see them in a different light.

Breakfast cereal

2008-10-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

There is a new report out on children's cereal and I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that a lot of them are not so good for our little ones. According to the article:

A serving of Honey Smacks has 15 grams of sugar -- 3 more grams than is found in a Dunkin’ Donuts glazed doughnut.

YIKES! Good thing Honey Smacks are not allowed in our house, not because I am a sugar nazi, but because of the peanut thing. Breads and cereals scare me to death because nuts are such a common ingrediant in both products, even if the cereal itself does not contain nuts - chances are it was processed on a shared line with a nut-based cereal.

As such we only allow Issy to eat Cherios (only the original kind, not the yogurt flavored ones - those are nut-contaminated), Lucky Charms, Frosted Mini-Wheats and a lesser known brand of Fruit Loops. I'm sure there are others, but those sit in my comfort zone for now. According to the site - Cherios are the best option (yeah!) while Lucky Charms and Mini-Wheats are in the middle of the pack. Not surprisingly, the fruit loops are at the bottom of the ranking. To defend my parenting skills, we only bought the fruit loops because Issy had a class project with them and I wanted her to not be left out. Maybe I just won't buy more when they are gone.

Click here for the complete article from WebMD

What Childhood Toy from the 80s are you?

2008-10-22T14:58:00.001-07:00

Guess what I am?

You're Rubik's Cube!! You may think you're popular, but you're actually extremely annoying. Seriously. (nice huh?)

Off again

2008-10-20T09:02:00.000-07:00

I'm heading off again for another short biz trip in a few hours, luckily this time I get to stay in the same time zone. I just dropped Issy off at school. Oh how I hate to say goodbye to her - I always feel like such a bad mother when I tell her I'll see her in a few days. I don't know how people do this more often, it breaks my heart every time.

Friends

2008-10-17T21:01:00.000-07:00

It's Friday night and Scott's band has a show, that I can't go see because we have no local babysitter for Issy. Someday, I'm going to allow someone other than family to watch her so that I can have a social life, just not today.

Anyhoo - I am in the middle of a little project (it's a secret) so I was going through all my old digital photos and I came across these pictures from one of my many wild Astoria nights :-)

I had to smile at these pictures because it really made me think about friendship and my true friends. I may not see these people nearly as much as I want to, but when I do I know it's genuine.

I need to plan a trip "home" -- I need to make my real friends a priority :-)

Jason & Rachel's Wedding

2008-09-21T23:53:00.000-07:00

One of our oldest and dearest friends, Jason, married the love of his life this past weekend. Scott was the best man and Issabel was the most adorable flower girl you ever did see. I'm still recovering from the wedding, so I'll post pictures instead of words.

Camping

2008-09-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it, two weekends of camping in a row! This was very different from last weekend's trip but equally as fun. We went camping with Scott's dad, step-mother/brother/sister/sister-in-law/cousins/etc/etc at Ike Kinswa State Park in Washington.

We couldn't have ordered better weather for the weekend, the sun was shining and the lake was not too cold for the kids to play in around the clock. There was also a Native American festival going on this weekend with tribal canoe races and a drum ceremony. We had a blast and Issabel was so sad to say good-bye to her cousins on Sunday.

There were no shortage of things for the kids to do, they mostly kept busy with riding their bikes and swimming but they also found a treasure map and got to go on a scavenger hunt!

Issabel, Hailey & Carter swinging at the playground

The girls excited to be riding in the back of a rig without seat belts on

The kids on a scavenger hunt

Carrots, Eggs & Coffee Bean

2008-09-10T20:48:00.000-07:00

It's been a challenging first week of school. We got our first call from the nurse's office today, luckily everything is ok. It's so difficult to send your child into an environment where so many other children are consuming the very substance that could send your child to the hospital, or worse.

I met with a local group of amazing women tonight that also have children with life-threatening food allergies. It is so nice just to talk and hear that I am not alone in this struggle. One of the moms sent this email out after the meeting and it touched me, so I'm posting it here:

Carrots, Eggs, & Coffee!
A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again. A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.' 'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?' Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I?

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

First Day of School

2008-09-08T20:24:00.000-07:00

Today was Issabel's first day of school, it was a good day but a trying day for all of us. We had many things to take care of but overall the day was a success. I'll be happy and relieved when we make it through the entire first week and get into a regular routine.

At the end of the day I asked Issy to describe her day in one word, she replied with two: "not good" when I asked why her day was not good she told me it was because she did not get to ride the school bus like some of the other children. When I was a child, I would have been thrilled to have an escort to and from school instead of walking -- guess that's how it works right?

Last days of summer

2008-09-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend signals the end of summer for the Andergard clan as Issy will be starting KINDERGARTEN tomorrow. We took advantage of the amazing weather and decided to go camping with some friends on one of those tiny little islands in the Columbia River. They are only accessible by boat, so it keeps some of the crazy people away from the kids (sometimes).

Scott and Issy actually stayed the night on the island but I came home at dusk as I need to spend today playing catch up at the office and finish filling out paperwork for the first day of school. I also have to run back to the pharmacy as they were unable to fill Issy's prescription for SIX new epi-pen jr.s for her school. I can't believe I have to purchase six new epi-pens, that will be an expensive pharmacy refill. They want a pen for the classroom, for the office, for the after-school care room, for the playground bag (that goes to and from the office) and one for the cafeteria. I could demand that the same epi gets carried around, but I am all for making this EASY for the school staff and if that means I spend a few hundred bucks on new epi-pens, so be it.

Well no time for me to keep posting, I need to get to work the sun is up and it's a gorgeous day. Maybe if I can get my 'chores' done I can go back to the beach and play some more today.

Back to School - back to posting

2008-09-03T20:55:00.000-07:00

Now that Summer is over, I plan to start updating this blog once again. This summer has been jam-packed with lots of activity and I just haven't had time to update.

I have spent this entire week in meeting after meeting after meeting to prepare for Issabel's first week of Kindergarten. Can you believe my baby is going to school? I think I'd be anxious in normal circumstances, but because she is going to school with a very serious and life threatening allergy - my mind is racing with questions, procedures and options to keep my baby safe at school.

We took her into her allergist this summer to retest - expecting nothing to have changed but praying that she would have outgrown her peanut allergy. Unfortunately, we learned that she is as allergic to all tree nuts as she is to peanuts. It was a hard day, I was so hopeful that this would be a peanut only allergy and had vision of reintroducing almonds into our diet. Alas, that was not meant to be. Luckily, we have been avoiding all tree nuts since we learned of the peanut allergy due to cross-contamination risk. In essence Issabel has never eaten any tree nuts, so to her this isn't anything new. It's just sad for us as parents to know there are even more dangers out there for our little one.

Monday is the big first day of school for Issabel, I'll do my best to post pictures.

Missing my girl

2008-06-27T06:08:00.000-07:00

Issabel has been staying with my parents near Astoria since last weekend. She comes home tomorrow and I'm getting excited. She has been horseback riding, canoeing, exploring the wading pools at Ecola State Park, screaming through Battery Russell and swimming in my parents currently unheated hot tub. In short - she is having a blast. But I miss her.

We've been trying to take advantage of being child free this week. We ate Chinese food (which we never do with Issabel and her peanut allergy), I was fitted for a new pair of running shoes and Scott snuck in an extra practice with his band. The house seems so quiet, I miss my baby girl.

It's Midsummer People!

2008-06-26T19:41:00.000-07:00

Summer is finally here! And the weather is finally getting nice here in the Pacific Northwest!
Last weekend we attended the Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festival. Both my parents and my daughter dressed up in their Scandi attire and performed at the event. To me, this is when summer begins - and I'm looking forward to some great weather and BBQs, camping and enjoying the good weather!

Rose Festival

2008-06-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

Issabel performed at our largest community event of the year, the Portland Rose Festival this afternoon with her Scandinavian dance group. The weather wasn't as nice as it could have been - but we still had a great time. Issabel is such an amazing little dancer, we can't help but be proud of her talent.

As well as learning traditional Scandinavian dances - the group also learns some Norwegian language. Here is a song they sing about welcoming in the summer season: Sommer Komme

I hear music

2008-05-28T16:55:00.001-07:00

The kid and the hubs jamming with a ukulele and a travelin' guitar. I wish I had a musical ear like they do.

Syttende Mai

2008-05-25T21:56:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Norway's constitution day last weekend and I'm just now getting around to posting some pictures of it. Because Issy has Swedish, Danish and Norwegian heritage - she dances for a local Scandinavian dance group here in Portland. Last weekend we celebrated Syttende Mai in Ballard. Issy and Scott marched in the parade and my friend Anna and I watched from the sidelines. I felt so bad for Issy as she had to wear her wool bunad and it had to be pushing 95 degrees that day. My knees were sweating.

Trolls are big in Scandi culture

Issy next to her decorated wagon, before the parade

Spicy oatmeal cookies

2008-05-19T23:50:00.000-07:00

I have officially turned into one of "those" mothers. You know the kind that is so busy multi-tasking that little things start falling through the cracks? That happened to me this weekend and I was so busy that I didn't even put two and two together until tonight.

By now you all know that my little one has a potentially life-threatening peanut allergy - as such we rarely buy sweets and instead make cakes, cupcakes, pies, ice cream and cookies from our safe and nut-free kitchen. This weekend Issabel and I decided to make oatmeal raisin cookies - yum. Issy is really into helping me cook right now and I like to encourage that, so she pulled up a chair to the kitchen counter and was my official ingredient dumper. She measured the sugar and flour and even broke the eggs. I handled measuring out the spices/salts but she did the rest. Of course while we were baking cookies, I was also making dinner, watering the house plants and folding a load of laundry.

We had a fun time making the cookies and as a customary treat, I let her lick the mixer spoon (yeah, yeah raw eggs - never hurt me I still love me some raw cookie dough and so does my kid). She told me the cookie dough was too spicy for her and she didn't like it. Odd I thought but dismissed it. After the cookies were baked I realized that my child was right - the cookies were rather spicy. I thought I had mistakenly added too much Cinnamon and let it go. It wasn't until I was cooking dinner the next night that I realized the Cinnamon and chili pepper were sitting side by side in my spice cupboard. Oh no - I added chili pepper to the cookies instead!!

Issabel doesn't like the cookies, nor does my husband (I forced him to eat one and tell me if he thought it was spicy). I kind of like them - it's an interesting taste, like sweet with a kick! At the very least, it keeps me from eating too many cookies at once.

Missing home

2008-05-16T08:43:00.000-07:00

I've been gone all week and am missing my hubbs and kiddo. I'm in Philadelphia today - looks like I brought the Oregon sunshine (RAIN) with me though. Sad how it is 95 degrees at home today and I'm running through puddles, oh well. Oh and Issy is sick - 102 degree temp, I feel just as bad for Scott as I do for Issy.

Here are some pics I took on my phone at the museum earlier this week - one is from the butterfly exhibit (which made me miss Issy) and one from the dinosaur exhibit (which made me miss Scott) the third is from the entrance:

A Day at the Museum

2008-05-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

I'm in New York this week on business and yesterday I met with one of our customers as he was speaking on a panel at an event on our behalf. I took him out to lunch as a thank you and he presented me and my co-worker with tickets to see 'his' office - the American Museum of Natural History. You know the one, it was featured in the movie last year where Ben Stiller is the security guard at the museum that comes to life after dark?

We decided to walk the 30 blocks from our hotel to the museum as it was a gorgeous 75 degree day and we were able to stroll through Central Park on our way. The museum was wonderful! And because our new friend (one of the museum's photographers) greeted us at the entrance, we got to ride the staff elevators and bypass some lines to the special exhibits. It was great!

It was a lot of fun, I wish I would have had more than an afternoon to spend there - we didn't get a chance to see half of the exhibits as this place is gigantic! But I need to rush off - meeting folks from our NY office for a yummy Cuban dinner! Mmmm!

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

I intended to write a mother's day post yesterday but unfortunately, I woke up on Sunday morning with a migraine and things went downhill from there.

My amazing daughter and husband did make me breakfast in bed - Issy's choice - Green Eggs and Ham. How lucky for me! I just love this age with all my heart. She was so proud of that green breakfast!
The rest of the day was spent in various states of pain - by 11:30 that night I was finally past the nausea, the sensitivity to light and sound and was able to pack for New York.

Yep - I'm writing this post from Times Square. It sprinkling and 52 degrees. In Portland - it's supposed to hit the 80s this week. I'm so sad. Hopefully my daughter and husband will water my plants while I'm gone - that would be the best mother's day gift!

Set back

2008-05-06T23:52:00.001-07:00

We had a set back in our fight against peanuts today. I got a call from my daughter's school this morning telling me that she voluntarily ate some of her classmate's food. My heart dropped. Luckily, she was not having a reaction but her teacher wanted me to know and to discuss next steps.

I came right over. I took Issabel out of class and we went across the street for coffee. Well I had coffee, she had chocolate milk. And then I had to have the hardest conversation I have ever shared with my sweet little five year old child. I feel like I stole her innocence today. She had grown complacent to my warnings to avoid "unsafe" food. She wanted to be like the rest of her classmates. She didn't want to be different. I knew this day was coming, but I didn't think it would be so soon.

Being the parent of a food allergic child is like walking a tightrope. You need to give them enough information to keep them safe, but you don't want them to be afraid of living. I think I fell from my tightrope today.

There is an article out right now saying they may have a "cure" for peanut allergies in the next five years. I don't know if I believe it, but I hope it happens soon. Today I was reminded just how easily my little girl could be hurt.

I Wish I Was the Parent Who Was Warned

2008-04-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

I get a daily RSS feed on food allergies and see a lot of articles cross my path. Sometimes I'll post an article if I think the information is valuable. The article I am posting today is heart-breaking. But it is an excellent reminder how vitally important it is for us with food allergic children to be vigilant, to be aware and to educate others.

I think most of us living with food allergies have met at least one parent/child where the parents says, "oh yes, he has a peanut allergy, but it isn't that serious" -- please, please know that the is no such thing as a minor peanut allergy, there is always a risk for the unthinkable.

RIP Andrew Michael Smith.

Excerpt from the April 15 issue of Allergy Moms Newsletter:

I Wish I Was the Parent Who Was Warned
Andrew Michael Smith was a precious child; an eight year old boy described by his mother Pamela as funny, sweet, and most of all caring. She recalls fondly that if she was ever upset, Andrew would always check on her "Are you okay, Mom? Are you sure, you're okay?" He was the "glue that held their family together." He loved sport of all kinds, enjoyed school, and was a joy to be around.

At a young age, they discovered he had a peanut allergy but, it didn't affect daily life very much. No doctor ever explained to the Smith family that a peanut allergy could be life threatening. Even so, Andrew arranged for his own peanut free table in the cafeteria at his elementary school and had several of his friends join him there. He was aware of his peanut allergy but he was also a very picky eater. So he avoided obvious sources of peanut and kept to the same few foods that he liked and was comfortable with.

Andrew's life was tragically cut short this past February. His mother Pamela told us that he died from an anaphylactic reaction that was complicated by his asthma. She shared her son's story in the hopes of saving another child. (Pamela's responses are bolded.)

Gina Clowes: Pamela you are very generous and courageous in the midst of your grief, to share your story with us.

Pamela Smith: I want to do this. If Andrew could save anyone else's child, I would want that. That's what Andrew would want too.

Gina: When did you find out that Andrew was allergic to peanuts?
Pamela:He was about a year old. It [his first reaction] wasn't as bad. His eyes swelled and we gave him Benadryl. And he was fine.

Did he have other food allergies?
No, but he had asthma.

Did you have to do a lot of label reading?
We avoided peanut; we didn't give him peanut. But from the beginning he was so picky. He only really ate a few foods and he didn't eat cookies and candy. We were lucky in that way. So he just stuck to the foods that he would eat.

Did he have other allergic reactions to peanut?
He had another one when he was around three years old. It happened while I was at work and he was at the babysitters. The kids were eating peanut butter crackers and his eyes started swelling. I went there and got him. I gave him Benadryl and he was okay.In the past, I gave him liquid Benadryl and it always worked. I was under the impression that the Benadryl was all he needed and it was okay.

Any other reactions?
About a year ago he had another reaction.A family member had eaten peanuts about an hour earlier and then wrestled with Andrew on the floor. It was hard to tell [what was happening] but he couldn't breath. He has asthma and a nebulizer, so we gave him that and Benadryl. He still wasn't okay so we took him to the emergency room.

There was a bump on his arm that was swollen a little. At, the emergency room they said, "It's the peanut allergy" because Andrew reacted to the peanut oil on contact.

When we were walking out the door to leave, they gave us an Epi-Pen. I said, "What's this?" They said to "Inject this in his thigh and hold it for 10 seconds." That's all that was said. The Epi-Pen they gave us expired in one month.

I feel like I was cheated of the knowledge that I should have been given. I should have known that these reactions could get worse. They never told me that he could stop breathing from this. I wished they would have explained how serious this can be and how quickly things can happen.

After that, we were more careful, but no one told us we needed to get rid of peanuts from our home. But if I would have known how serious this was, I would not have had them in my home.

Do you want to talk about what happened in February?
We do know it was anaphylactic shock. The asthma did come into play. His skin was touched with the peanut oil .

It was Superbowl Sunday. Andrew was excited about the game. There were peanuts around but Andrew didn't touch them. He was good. He was careful. We still don't know what he touched--maybe the TV or the remote. It was the peanut oil though.

I was actually at the store when it happened. And you know, he [Andrew] has asthma. And, he was having a hard time breathing and was taking the breathing treatment. He was starting to get upset and crying. He told his dad he needed to go to the hospital.

Mike [Andrew's Dad] got his shoes on and started up the truck. But he was afraid to take the nebulizer off Andrew because he was really struggling to breathe and his lips were turning blue. So he called 911. Before the ambulance could even get here, Andrew passed out. And then his heart stopped. They told Michael how to give CPR. The ambulance finally got here but they had a hard time getting tubes in his throat. They took him to the hospital and they were able to get his heart re- started, but they wouldn't let us see him at first.

They flew him to a different hospital, and I had every hope he was going to be okay. I am thankful for those last days we had with him. But after three or four days, we knew he would never wake up. They said even if he ever did open his eyes again, he wouldn't know what he was looking at. As a parent you put all your feelings aside and do what's best. We believe so much in a better place. So after five days, we had to let him go.

At first, we though it was just his asthma. They said "no, its anaphylactic shock." It makes me angry more than words can say. We were never told anything like this could happen.

Is it hard for you to hear about skeptics who think that food allergies are exaggerated?
Well there's a magazine out that say it's a myth and it infuriates me. If people are dying from it, that is as serious as serious can be.

What would you like to say to the parents of children with food allergies?
Don't take one minute with your child for granted.

Get as educated as possible. Make sure you know what you need to know. Make sure you have Epi-pens with you. If it was up to me, there would be no peanuts in schools -ever.

Know how serious this is and how quickly this can happen. I never knew people could die. He could still be here if I would've known.

Pamela, thank you so much for sharing this with us.
Andrew is gone. It's too late for him. If there's anything I can do to help others, I will. I wish I was that parent who was warned.

If you would like to contribute to funeral expenses for Andrew Smith, there is an account set up in his name at : Old National Bank, One Main Street, PO Box 718, Evansville, IN 47705-0718.

Alex

2008-04-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

I've been spending a lot of time at the Children's Hospital up at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) this past week. My good friend's son was transported from Astoria on Saturday to OHSU due to complications of an appendectomy he had last week. It's always so difficult to see children suffering in a hospital bed and this case is no different. In fact, I was rather concerned to visit our friends at all.

You see, OHSU Children's Hospital is a place I know well. Or at least I used to know well. Decades ago, my older brother lost a battle with Leukemia at this same hospital and although I personally spent hours and hours here, I haven't been back since. My father was even in town a year ago to have his knee replaced at OHSU and I didn't visit him as hospitals used to send me into a downward spiral. I've been rather skittish around any hospital environment ever since I was a child, just the smell of antiseptic and being in a sterilized facility would shut me down. The good news is that since my kidney donation in November, I'm able to visit hospitals without going through a mild panic attack as I had in the past. That darn donation was good for me in so many ways :-)

It also helps that the Children's Hospital is new facility from the one my brother was in, it is not the same place I remember so I don't have any concern visiting - and it's nice to visit with our friend Brian, even if the circumstances are not ideal. His son Alex is quite a trooper, I've been very impressed with his ability to take on so much physical pain, he is a very strong and brave young man.

We are hopeful they will release him by the end of this week. If you are interested, you can read about Alex's complications and recovery at his aunt Lisa's blog: 3 Boys and a Girl

Darn you Katie Holmes!!!

2008-04-04T18:43:00.001-07:00

When we were in Disneyland last week I came to a realization. My super cute bob haircut was being emulated by every other 30-something mother in the house of mouse! Grrr...personally I blame Katie Holmes. She transformed the angled bob into a sensation, and that bothers me because I don't like sharing my cute cuts with the entire world. So the second phone call I made when I got home was to my favorite stylist Rudy. On Wednesday I cut it all off and went uber dark - dark mocha brown with purple-red highlights.

And the very next night I turn on E! News and guess what Tom-loving little tramp cut her hair? Yep Katie Holmes. I can't win, she's obviously obsessed with me.

You're Gonna Miss This

2008-03-30T12:05:00.000-07:00

This is a great article that I came across this morning that I feel explains a lot of fear that those of us with peanut allergic children face on a daily basis. Want to help? See the iPod download that will support the cause below.

My peanut fears are growing
Mickey HepnerThe Edmond Sun
EDMOND— I admit it, I am afraid of peanut butter. I know that some day a perfectly normal parent will give their perfectly normal child a perfectly normal peanut butter sandwich to take to school. While this act may seem harmless, that peanut butter sandwich could send my daughter to the emergency room.

You see, my 5-year-old daughter Gracie has a significant peanut allergy. Any exposure to products made with peanuts could trigger an anaphylactic reaction that requires her to receive immediate medical treatment. We are fortunate that she has yet to suffer a severe anaphylactic reaction. The allergic reactions she has experienced though, were noticeable enough to make us concerned about the future.

Not surprisingly, this fear has made my wife and I very cautious about the foods she eats. Unfortunately, keeping her diet peanut-free is more difficult than just keeping her away from peanut butter. Peanuts are used in many products, from cakes to cookies, from enchiladas to egg rolls. As a result, we do not let her eat something unless we know for certain that every ingredient is safe.

Furthermore, we have to ensure that nothing that potentially could touch her food could have potentially touched peanuts. For example, she cannot have plain M&M’s (or almost any chocolate) because they are processed on the same equipment that also processes peanut M&M’s. Thus, it is likely that some peanut proteins from the peanut M&M’s could be transmitted to the plain M&M’s.

However, protecting Gracie involves more than just watching what she eats, we also have to watch what she smells and touches, too. This is why peanut butter sandwiches at schools scare me. Suppose a child eats a peanut butter sandwich for lunch at school, and then does not wash his hands carefully as children sometimes fail to do. Every time he touches anything — a computer, a table or even a swing — he is potentially spreading peanut proteins that can trigger an allergic reaction in my daughter.

While most people do not understand the dangers that food allergies can cause, there are some working to change that. Country music star Trace Adkins has a daughter who suffers from a severe peanut allergy in addition to allergies to milk, eggs and tree nuts. He recently competed on Celebrity Apprentice in order to raise funds for the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network(www.foodallergy.org), an advocacy group promoting awareness of food allergies. In fact, if you purchase the live version of his single "You’re Gonna Miss This" from iTunes, all of the proceeds go to support this organization.

Additionally, U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., and U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., have introduced the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act (S. 1232, H.R. 2063) that calls on the U.S. Department of Education to develop standards to help our schools protect children with food allergies. These standards would give schools guidance on how they should respond to a severe anaphylaxis reaction, and the steps they can take to help prevent one from ever occurring.

Considering the fact that food allergies cause 30,000 emergency room visits, and 150 deaths per year (many of them young children who did not receive prompt medical attention), this legislation could be the difference between life and death for some children.

While progress is being made, I still do not feel secure. Next week, we will register my daughter to attend kindergarten next year in the Edmond School District. I know that this means we are transitioning to a new stage in her life, a time of excitement and discovery for her. But this is also a time of increased anxiety for me because I realize my wife and I no will longer be able to monitor her environment to ensure her safety. I know I will join the millions of fathers worried about whether their child will have a severe allergic reaction at school. Consequently, I know that I will continue being afraid of peanut butter.

MICKEY HEPNER is an associate professor of economics at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Disneyland!!!

2008-03-28T00:02:00.000-07:00

We returned home last night from five exciting days in Disneyland. Overall - we all had a wonderful time. It was truly magical for all of us! Even Issabel's food allergies were manageable at the House of Mouse, but she did unfortunately suffer from daily allergy hives - nothing a little Benadryl couldn't fix.

Now we just have to acclimate to freezing temperatures as it is actually snowing in Portland today. Caaa--razy! I'm too tired to write up a detailed wrap-up, so instead I'll just give you a little photo essay.

With Cinderella at Ariel's Grotto

Dressed up as Snow White on Day 1 at the park entrance

Dinner at Hooke's Point

Attempting to remove the Sword in the Stone

Waiting for the train

To Party or not to party

2008-03-10T23:21:00.001-07:00

Birthday presents, cake, games, candles and party favors: for most, these items represent a fun filled Saturday afternoon. For the parent of a food allergic child, it’s another source of anxiety. Ok – mainly the birthday cake, but the entire afternoon can be stressful what with America’s obsession to feed children every 10 minutes. I’ve said it before, but I remember when birthday parties included cake. You were doing great if you got ice cream too. Now days, you are typically served a meal followed by cake followed by candy. And unfortunately, most of those items are off limits for my little one.

My daughter attended a couple of parties this weekend and for the first time they were for kids in her class at school and not for the children of my friends. My friends hear me blather about Issy’s food allergies day and night. For the most part, they get it. At the very least, they know to check with me before giving her ANY food. Even their children know to check with me before giving her any food. This weekend however, I was dealing with a fresh new crowd. I actually cut one father off at the pass as he was placing a piece of cake in front of my child. I kind of felt bad for him, but I nicely explained she has food allergies and left it at that. I wasn’t up for the cross-contamination discussion.

There were no problems, she was even able to eat the pizza at the second party but only after I snuck off to the kitchen and grilled the cooks. I wonder if some of the other party guests noticed my look of fear and panic when food was brought out for the masses. I’m getting good at it though, with one swift scoop, I picked up Issy and we were off to evaluate the food situation with the staff. Of course I’ll never let her have bakery cake but we had a good time baking our own chocolate decadence early Saturday morning.

At age five, I think Issy is still in the stage where she feels special because she gets her own food but I know the day is coming where she doesn’t want to be different any longer. I just pray I will have done a good enough job educating her on why we have to be so diligent and so aware of each and every bite that goes into her mouth.

I know that sooner or later Issy will get a birthday invitation for a drop off party. I’m afraid I’ll end up dropping her off only to find a comfortable spot in the host’s rose bushes, quietly watching and waiting for peanut offenders.

Somebody's Missing Something!

2008-03-06T13:07:00.001-08:00

My baby grew up a little bit more yesterday. While we were eating dinner last night she lost her very first tooth. One would think she won the lottery. That child called her Mimi, her Grammie and her Miss Alice. She was on Cloud 9!

Me? Well I'm a little heartbroken. She is that much closer to becoming a young lady and that breaks my heart a little. Her toothfairy - named Bianca - visited last night and left four shiny quarters. Issabel told me she was only expecting a penny! But it looks like Bianca will be back soon. Another bottom, front tooth is already loose!

Sex in the City Movie!

2008-03-01T15:43:00.000-08:00

Just when I finally got past my denial that the Sex in the City series is over (for several years now), they have released the trailer to the movie. It premiers May 31st, I can't wait!

Be forewarned, this trailer gives away a LOT of the plot - but it's good stuff!

http://popsugar.com/1064341

Morning Routine

2008-02-29T07:31:00.000-08:00

I remember being pregnant and assuming I was carrying a baby boy. Then when my daughter was born, I was convinced she would be a tomboy. Ha!!! Was I ever wrong! Here is a picture of my daughter this morning (and pretty much every morning). She is "putting on makeup" and wearing a pair of my heels. She loves to put on my heels in the morning and clomp around while she brushes her hair and teeth. I've got a diva in the making and I don't know how to stop it!

Give Me Shoes or Give Me Death!

2008-02-24T15:17:00.000-08:00

I left Portland last Wednesday for a trek to my personal Mecca - my shoe haven if you will. The WSA - or Global Footware and Accessories Show, is the biggest shoe show in all of North AMerica - spanning three Vegas casinos. It included enough drop dead gorgeous heels to stop a shoe slut's heart.

The event overall was amazing and everything I had hoped it would be. My friend owns a great little children's boutique in the Pearl District, Little Urbanites - and she let me join her at this one of a kind shoe show in Las Vegas. It was a super quick trip - but we saw lots of great styles and the smell of leather was inebriating. Because my friend sells children's items, we mainly stuck with the kid's brands but we did spend the last day checking out big girl shoes and I saw some hot stuff including a special shoe made for Gwen Stefani for her last tour. It did appear to be rather comfy AND stylish.

I'm especially desperate to get some of the great shoes on display at the show, but they won't be available for general purchase until the fall season. I'm soooo loving the new styles that are coming out especially a quilted pattern trend that I can't get enough of right now. Oh well - it keeps my shoe spending habits on track because I can't purchase the styles that I am craving just yet.

And for those that are wondering if I participated in the other Vegas attractions .... yes and no. I did gamble, a little. I spent one entire dollar on the penny slots at our casino AND yes, we did a little partying on Thursday night. This picture proves it...we couldn't even focus the camera to take a good shot!

At the end of the week, we came home with aching feet, mild hangovers and the only new pair of shoes in my adorable suitcase were free flip-flops from Twisted. They are pretty cute as far as flip flops go though.

The value of a great purse

2008-02-12T22:06:00.000-08:00

A good purse will complete an outfit. A good purse will last several seasons. A good purse will help you reclaim your missing valuables.

I swapped out my purse today with an oldie but a goodie from my purse collection. It's so cute, a little Franco Sarto number - kind of a retro style, nice green color, overall one of my favorites. I haven't used this purse in at least 18 months, maybe more - not really sure.

I am terrible about not cleaning out purses when I put them away in my closet. I get excited about a new purse and just pull what I need and move on - usually resulting in old bills/statements/business cards/etc left in my purse. I had to laugh when I got to work this morning and went digging through the pockets of my purse my for my lipstick. These are the things I had left for myself from the last time I used this purse:

1. in the cell phone pocket - a nickel, an old button from one of my favorite jackets (been looking for that button) and a little girl's hair tie

2. in the sunglasses pocket - a pair of cute hoop earrings, a checkbook pen, a penny, a five pence coin, a leather flower from my super adorable pink and brown Ann Taylor heels (been looking for that so I could fix my shoes and wear them again) and a little girl's hair tie

3. in the front outside pocket - a dime, a used Band-Aid (gross) a tiny baby doll arm (Issy's been looking for that) and a little girl's hair clip

So my advice for those of you that have lost little things, need to fix their child's hair or need some spare change (either here or in England) - check your old purses.

Bronchitis

2008-02-10T18:23:00.001-08:00

We had a really bad night last night. The rest of my house got sick. Issy has been battling a cough for some time now. Poor thing has had a runny nose since we enlisted her in school last fall. She is still building up her immunities and this weekend she had her first big sickness. I was up all night with her while she fevered and coughed and coughed and coughed. This morning I took her into emergency care -- with a two hour waiting room wait -- to find out she has a case of bronchitis and a minor ear infection. Poor thing. She was such a great sport about spending the day in a doctor's office too. So now Issy and I are both on antibiotics. She thinks its great that she has to take medicine too, which is wonderful because giving kids medicine is never fun, even with a spoonful of sugar. She keeps asking when she gets to take it again.

Scott also became victim to the sickness that has been plaguing our house. He just seems to have a bad cold/cough thing going on. It is so hard to know how bad of a cough someone has though when they are smokers to begin with, yet another reason to not smoke in the first place. I'm thankful I'm past the worst of my flu though, it could have been real ugly here if we all got sick together.

Another reason to wear high heels

2008-02-08T11:14:00.000-08:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7225828.stm

From the BBC News:

High heels 'may improve sex life'

Wearing higher heels - although perhaps not stilettos - may improve your pelvic floor muscles and in doing so boost your sex life, a study suggests.

High heels 'may improve sex life' Wearing higher heels - although perhaps not stilettos - may improve your pelvic floor muscles and in doing so boost your sex life, a study suggests.

An Italian urologist and self-professed lover of the sexy shoe set out to prove that high heels were not as bad for women's health as some suggest.

The shoe has been linked to a range of problems - from corns to schizophrenia.
But in a letter to European Urology, Dr Maria Cerruto said her research showed it was time to stand up for the heel.

She said her study of 66 women under 50 found that those who held their foot at a 15 degree angle to the ground - the equivalent of a two inch heel - had as good posture as those who wore flat shoes, and crucially showed less electrical activity in their pelvic muscles.

This suggested the muscles were at an optimum position, which could well improve their strength and ability to contract. The pelvic floor muscles are an essential component of the female body. As well as assisting sexual performance and satisfaction, they provide vital support to the pelvic organs, which include the bladder, bowels and uterus. But they often weaken after pregnancy and childbirth, and as the woman gets older. There are exercises to strengthen them, but Dr Cerruto hopes her findings may eliminate the need for these.

"Women often have difficulty in carrying out the right exercises for the pelvic zone and wearing heels could be the solution," she said. "Like many women, I like high-heeled shoes," she added. "It's good to know they have potential health benefits."

Gill Brook, a women's health physiotherapist in Bradford, stressed the findings did not suggest that stilettos were a good thing for those keen on improving their pelvic floor function.
"But for women who like a slightly higher heel, these are reassuring findings - although we haven't yet done away with the need for regular exercises to maintain what is such an important part of the female body."

Kids

2008-02-08T09:28:00.000-08:00

I've been sick most of this week; nothing has made me feel better. Nothing that is until my daughter came into my room last night, looked me straight in the face and said these words:

"Mama I love you so much, I can't take my eyes off of you."

For the first time in days I laughed, and I smiled. Kids. There is something so magical and healing about them.

Bad Influences

2008-02-07T09:01:00.001-08:00

Damn bad influence -- Britney Spears. My daughter asked me the other day "Mom why does Britney Spears not wear panties?" Ugh. I don’t' know what is worse, her behavior or the media's constant need to report it. We are a doomed society.

My favorite place

2008-01-30T18:41:00.000-08:00

Issabel had a homework assignment this week. They are making little family books to keep at school. There are pages included for each of us to fill out with our favorite color, food, animal - that sort of thing. Scott and Issy filled out their pages while I was cooking dinner, so after dinner Issabel decided to walk me through my assignment. When we got the favorites page, she pretty much knew how I should fill it out:

Name: Nicole
Favorite color: purple
Favorite food: chocolate
Favorite place: gym

The gym? Wow - is this what my child thinks of me? Does she really believe my favorite place in all the world is the gym? I do frequent the gym often, but I certainly don't think it tops Paris, Hawaii or even Astoria for that matter. Too funny.

Is that a rash?

2008-01-22T18:39:00.000-08:00

I get a call from Issabel's school today. They have been amazingly vigilant in watching for mystery hives and other peanut-related allergic reactions. They called today because they were concerned she had a rash on her tummy. I asked if they were looking at her rash or if they were looking at her hemangioma or red-colored birthmark. Upon closer insepction they all agreed it was indeed her birthmark. Funny thing is that my little Miss liked all the attention she had been getting so she kept trying to tell her teachers she had never seen the mark before. Silly goose.