Saturday, December 17, 2011

Principles Award


Mica did it! He got the Principle's Award! :) At first I didn't get this award. I didn't understand why they would award kids of behavior that they should already have. Now I get it. It's kind of like how I award my top student's to put artwork in the lobby.

This award gave Mica something to work for. For the past few weeks he's said, "Mom I didn't get any checks today!" He's been a good boy. Last week on Thursday he got to eat lunch with the principle. When Daddy went to pick up Mica, he was walking as fast as he could to him. He said, "I have something under my coat!" Daddy said, "What's that?" Mica said, "I have a metal! I got the Principle's Award!"

Our boy is responsible and respectable. That is what the award stands for.

His report card was great to. Our little kindergartener is doing good.


Friday, December 16, 2011

Christmas Rap

Here's Mica's performance. He's the one on the top row with the red tie. He hardly sang, but really got into the actions.

The songs throughout the whole performance at Mica's school were pretty entertaining to watch.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Hoilday Program

Isaak had his first Christmas Program tonight. Since he's been kind of moody lately, we didn't know how he would do. He and Cousin Elijah both ask Aunt Terra and I if we would go up and sing with them? We of course said that we couldn't.

They were sheep. Daddy said, "Why couldn't they be something besides sheep?" I said, "Why? What's wrong with sheep?" He said, "Well, sheep are followers." I really don't think the boy's thought about that!

Isaak and Cousin Elijah flocked together in line.

My silly lamb! He kept sticking his tongue out at the beginning. He performed. He sang and did the actions.



I'm not sure what this was about, they both all the sudden looked sad. Right in the middle of the performance. Maybe their favorite song ended? No clue! But I caught this sad look on the camera.



Geuss Who's Been Peeing His Pants Lately?

Answer: Mr. Isaak! 

Not taken today, but I thought it fit the post well.

It's been happening at Grandma and Grandpa Spiehs' house. I take that back, it's just noticeable at their house. At our house, it's not as big of a deal. We have all wood floors.

I called to check on him at lunch time. His holiday program for preschool is tonight. They had rehearsal this morning. I was talking on the phone to my Mom (Grandma); and heard my Dad (Grandpa) scolding him in the background. Isaak had to wipe up his mess. That is how it should be. When they spill or have accidents at our house, they have to wipe it up to.

As far as scolding him goes, he's old enough and trained enough to know better. I've been putting the little punk a monk on the potty since he was 1 1/2. He A) Is my lazy child. I do have to give him credit for picking up good {when he wants to}. Aunt Terra used to give him a choice of walking or riding in a stroller, he'd pick the stroller almost every time. He would sit in the stroller, instead of play on the playground. We don't give him an option at all now. He also refused to participate in the stretching at the YMCA. B) His is after all three years old. I found this to be much more challenging than the terrible two's; with both Mica and Isaak. C) Has been acting emotional and stubborn lately. He gets pouty lipped and won't tell you what is wrong sometimes. Maybe he has the holiday blues.

I kind of wonder what goes through their minds sometimes.

Sulfa I Hate You - Part 2

If you haven't read this, you may want to. It's the first part to what this post is about.

I just got back from the doctor. He gave me Millipred DP (Prednisolone). It's an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections. It is also a steroid that helps with swelling. I'll be taking it for 6 days. It's supposed to counteract my reaction to Methosulpate, which is in a lotion I was using.

What an allergic reaction looks like. You have to be careful not to itch because the hive can turn into blisters.
Then the doctor went on about my allergies. He wants me to see a doctor about building my strength up to Sulpha. Even the doctors at the allergy clinic don't try to take on the fight of an allergy to things like Sulpha and Penicillin. There is only one doctor in town that does. He said, "Alissa you shouldn't have to worry about what's in everything. It might get worse as you get older." My thought, I'll use natural lotions if I have to. Heck my Dad (Grandpa Spiehs) uses Olive Oil and I know people can use Coconut Oil on their skin as well. An allergy doctor is going to want to give me shots or under the tongue drops that will take years to combat this problem. If it does combat the problem, which I doubt it ever will, my allergies might acclimate themselves. Instead of being allergic to one thing, I could be allergic to something else. I have to mention that I've done pretty well with the mix of over the counter allergy meds and the use of the Neti Pot for seasonal allergies. Many people are allergic to Sulpha. At least I don't have a peanut allergy. People that have that problem can't even eat things that are made in the same factory as something made with peanuts.

This doctor had no clue what to do about my hematoma. I fell the first part of October. Hematoma is a big, nasty bruise. It concerned him. I think it's just because of the wide red reaction around it from the Methosulpate! He said that if I was a football player, he'd have me go to physical therapy.  He acted like he didn't know for sure if that is what I should do. He wrote me out a prescription to see a physical therapist. Mind you that he didn't want to see me in the first place about the hematoma. He wanted me to see a dermatologist. The dermatologist wanted me to see my regular doctor. I decided to say, "Screw them both!" and went to Urgent Care. The lady in the Urgent Care didn't seem the least bit concerned about my hematoma. She said that they take a long time to go away; the signs that it was itchy, raised and shrinking meant that it was healing.

The circle area is where my Hematoma is. The red area around it is hives from Sulpha.
What am I going to do? I'm going to take the Millipred DP (Prednisolone) to reduce my rash. I'll never use any lotion with Methosulpate in it again! I'll use Olive Oil, Coconut Oil or Tropical Traditions Lotion (Which has Coconut Oil in it). Once this rash clears up, I'll see how my hematoma looks. I'm not going to be running around the city of Omaha visiting all kinds of doctors for no reason at all.

You may be wondering, "Why don't you switch doctors?" I may. To be honest my doctor is very convenient. He's five minutes from my work. If and when I'm sick, I hate driving any sort of distance. Not to mention time off from work is less when he's so close. Usually my doctor is very blunt and to the point. I do like that quality. At least he was honest about not being sure what to do. Ideally I'd love to find a doctor that was like my son's pediatrician. He listens, he researches, he calls you back personally, he visits in the hospital on the way to his vacation, he does home visits for Emerson and he is nice. Doctors like that are hard to come by!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Sulfa I Hate You!

College Days:

Once upon a time when I was in college I needed antibiotics for a sinus infection. I had been taking them for a few days and all the sudden started to break out. I never had hives like that ever! At first I really thought I had zits all over my face! Then it moved to my arms, legs and before too long I was covered! My oval face turned round. I truly looked like a freak! I itched like CRAZY!

My Mom (Grandma Spiehs) told me to call the doctor's office. I did. They said, "Just take another pill. If it gets worse call us in the morning." My Mom (Grandma Spiehs) told me, "Don't you dare take another pill! I can't believe an allergy clinic told you to take another pill!" I'm so glad my Mom told me not to take another pill! If I had, I probably would have ended up in the emergency room. She instructed me to have a Baking Soda bath. That night she laid in the living room with me. She was worried my throat would close up with hives.

The next day I went back to the allergy clinic, so they would help me with my hive mess! The nurse looked down at her chart and said, "It says here you have hives on your body. Where do you have them at?" She looked up from her chart and said, "Oh I see!" Then she went to go get a few other nurses to stare at me like I was some kind of freak show.

I was given a shot of steroids and a different kind of antibiotic.

On the way home from the clinic, I went to Goodrich because my good friend had just gotten her wisdom teeth out. I wanted to get us a few shakes. I'm sure the man that checked me out thought I was a junkie. I was shaking when I handed him the money and I looked like a freak with a blown up face and blotches all over!

I laid on the couch for a few days. My younger sister (Aunt Terra) was going to set me up on a blind date prior to my reaction of Sulfa. She just looked at me and laughed. She felt sorry for me, but I truly was odd looking!

Since that time I've told every doctor that I'm allergic to Sulfa in the worst way!

Fast Forward to Today:

I have this leg that has the bad bruise that's healing. I was told to lather on lotion. I did. What I didn't do is look at the lotion's ingredients. I never would have thought that Sulfa would find it's way into lotions, hair products and make-up! What was in one of our lotion bottles, methosulphate gave me hives all over my already damaged leg. I only knew that I couldn't have it in the drug form, inside an antibiotic. I never would have thought that ingredient being in anything else. At first I didn't know why my leg was itching so bad! I washed all my bedding. I'm pretty good about that, but washed everything anyhow. Have you ever seen the movie Bug? Ya, I felt like I was loosing my mind! Than my husband looked at the ingredients in the lotion. That's when he spotted the methosulphate that was oh so small. Even Eucerin Cream has Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate in it. I looked it up on the internet and it's in all kinds of products. I've had problems in the past of my face being beat red when I get out of the shower. Now I'm wondering if sulfa in some form was in one of my shampoos. I've been taking Benadryl every 4 to 6 hours. It feels better and than itches like CRAZY when the Benadryl has wore off! Tomorrow I may have to go in to get another shot of steroids if that's what they decide I need. For now I'm limiting myself to only the Tropical Traditions Peppermint Lotion that is all natural. There are times where I want to itch off my leg!

"He's My Daddy!"

Last night we went to the YMCA. There was a family of 4 children there with no parents to be seen. One of the little girls clung to our Daddy. She kept saying, "He's my Daddy." Our Daddy said, "No I'm not!" She persisted. Finally Isaak got mad! He said, "That is not your Daddy! It's my Daddy!"

LiteHawk

Mica and Daddy would love this toy by  Likehawk helicopters!

It's lightweight and small. Meaning it flies around easily and simple to store.

New Age Mama is giving away one of these!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

WW Generations {Linky}

Mica had a Grandparents Day at school. My parents, Grandma and Grandpa Spiehs and my Grandpa, Great Grandpa Kent went to eat lunch with Mica. He was so excited to have them there!


We got three pictures. One for each set of Grandparents and Mica to keep. I thought it turned out really good! I only wish that my Grandma, Great Grandma Kent was well enough to be there. Grandma and Grandpa Apel (Daddy's parents) live out of town.

My kids are really lucky to be around one set of Grandparents a lot. I'm really happy that Great Grandpa Kent is doing pretty good! The boys love all their Grandparents a lot!

Monday, December 12, 2011

Still as a Statue


If I had money to blow, this is Christmas King is pretty cool! I don't want to blow $219.97 plus tax though! Costco has some of the coolest things sometimes! If you want to buy this, you have to go to their store. I don't see it online.

Mica liked it. Mica likes anything that he can pose with though. Isaak didn't want to pose, so maybe he didn't like this King. I'm not sure, he wouldn't tell me.

PS: The boys keep telling me that they are going to grow beards like Daddy and this King. 

Gingerbread Houses

Mica's teacher got an assistant. This is great. I think she needs one. Every teacher should have an assistant. It makes life easier!

Daddy came to pick up Mica on Friday. Everyone was out of the building, so he thought. Mica's class was no where to be found. He asked someone, "Hey do you know where the Kindergarten class is at?" The teacher he asked said, "Oh the Kindergarten classes are running a bit behind!"

Out the door come Mr. Prince with the Kindergartener's. Evidently they built Gingerbread Houses. Mr. Prince told Daddy, "Mica ate a lot of frosting!" Mr Prince looks tired. Could you imagine helping not one, but many Kindergartener's make their own Gingerbread Houses? It makes me tired just thinking about it!

It turned out pretty good!



The blurry part in the foreground is Isaak's fingers. Mica wanted to devour this as soon he got home. Isaak wanted to devour it as soon as he saw it. Dinner first, more sugar later. They didn't eat it in one setting. Nope, it took two. Cavities and diabetes here we come.

Politically Correct? Holiday Madness!

I have two students that can't take their exams at the time I'm giving it. This truly messes me up. I normally wouldn't give the ok. One of my really reliable/good students told me clear back before midterm break that they wouldn't be here on Friday for the final day and the other has a funeral to go to. :(

Thursday night we have Isaak's Preschool Holiday Program.

Friday I'm double booked. Mica's school has his Holiday Program smack dab in the middle of the day. I think they do this because parents weren't showing up at night. Their kids than didn't partake in something that their kid(s) practiced for. Well I teach class that day. We have a final exam! I was freaking out trying to decide what to do? My Kindergartener has been talking about standing on bleachers in the gym for weeks now. Luckily they offer the program at two times. I'm going to the 10:30 time. It's a school rule at my work to give the exam at 1. I certainly couldn't show up at his school during the 1:30 performance! I talked with a lady that can replace me in the morning. Then Daddy has to take off work to.

Both schools were asking for baked goods at these performances. I was working off and on all day Saturday on Pre-bitten Gingerbread Men People. Do you know that it is no longer ok to call them Gingerbread Men? It's supposedly sexist. Lame if you ask me!

They turned out so stinking cute!!! I gave them mittens, buttons, socks and a face (on the ones that required these parts). I'll post a picture sometime this week. Aunt Terra gave me this set a few years ago. I've made them before, but never put in as much work as I did this year on them. I thought they were hilarious! I looked at my cute master piece cookies and thought, "These will never go over with some conservative Christians at Isaak's preschool!" Yep some of them wouldn't find my artsy humor, humorous. At 10 pm I moved on to my chocolate rolled out angels, stars and trees. The angels have a pearl sprinkle for a halo, the stars have a yellow m&m in the middle and the trees have a yellow m&m on the top. I know angels aren't all brown, but they will have to do. I'll have to throw in some sugar cookie angels to be politically correct. That is if I have any left. I took some to Grandma and Grandpa Apels for Thanksgiving/Christmas time. Gee wiz - do I over think this kind of stuff?

I felt odd about writing Merry Christmas on my holiday card. I work with a lady that is Jewish. I told her that I will give her a card and cross that part out for her. She was ok with it.

This day and age everything is way over thought. I wish we could just let our personalities shine.

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