Molloscum Contagiosum

This is turning into a medical blog.  Not exactly the direction I'd hoped to take, but outside of school, the doctor's office is becoming one of our most visited places.  At least this experience involves a new (specialized) doctor.

First, a little background.  Last fall Spencer started having a red, irritated eye.  He said it didn't bother him too badly.  I figured it was just allergies, since he has them seasonally.  When he went in for his contacts eye appointment, the opthalmologist found a little growth right on the edge of his eyelid.  I can't remember what he called it, but he described it as a viral growth similar to a wart and looked something like this (only on the upper eye lid:

 He said it was probably shedding virus into Spencer's eye, causing mucus secretions that lead to a bacterial infection.  He treated the infection with antibiotics and a steroid cream and it went away.  He cautioned us to keep an eye on it (no pun intended!) and let him know if it came back in the next few months.

Well, come back it did, so we were referred to an oculoplastic surgeon who told us that, yes, it was probably a virus or it could be cancer.  What?!  The biggest thing in our favor (not cancer) was that he had no swollen lymph nodes.  He gave us a prescription for an anti-viral eye cream and asked us to come back in a week.  If it was virus, it would heal up noticeably in a couple of days and the growth would go away.  (By way of caution, anti-viral eye ointments do not come cheap even with insurance.  The first indication was that we could only find one pharmacy in all of Provo who carried it and they only did because this particular doctor was upstairs and had started prescribing it.  Good thing vision in our children is so highly valued in our family!)

The first two days Spencer's eye was more red and swollen than before.  It settled down a bit, but never looked better than before the medicine.  Not good considering "cancer" was floating out there as an option.  Not to mention the tube of liquid gold antiviral ointment that we now owned. 

We went back the next week.  The doctor took one look and said, "Yes!  This is what I was hoping for!"  (I momentarily pictured us treating him to a Hawaiian vacation this summer!)  Turns out the real viral culprit had finally manifested itself.  (Yea for no cancer!) The growth had developed two pustules.  That meant the doctor was now 99.9% sure it was a virus called Molloscum contagiosum  and it does not respond to liquid gold anti-viral ointment.  It responds to surgical removal instead.  Awesome!  Basically, the virus is extremely common and is a big cause of skin rashes in day cares and wrestlers as it's spread by contact with people or things.  It runs around causing a general infection somewhere in your body until your immune system corrals it and creates pustules.  It's not usually a big concern unless it leads to a secondary bacterial infection.  It usually goes away on it's own after several months or can be treated with a different ointment, or can be removed surgically which usually ends the infection.  We don't know how or where Spencer picked it up, but the usual ointment can't be used in eyes and without surgery he'd have 10 or 20 pustules on his eyelid within the week.

Fabulous!

Spencer was thrilled to have outpatient surgery scheduled for that afternoon as it meant he got to miss his World Civ test.  Greg and I dropped the rest of the day and headed to the surgical center with him.  The actual procedure took less than 10 minutes but required general anesthesia.  We were there a couple of hours from check-in to check-out.  It could definitely have been worse.

Before:

After:

He did really well- never got remotely sick to his stomach or even needed a Tylenol for pain.  He got to wear the lovely ice pack for a day and then was left with what looked like a little eyeliner on one side of one eye lid courtesy of stitches.

Other than not being able to wear his contacts this week, needing to put a different ointment in his eye, and wearing an eye patch at night it's been no big deal.  His stitches came out today and the contacts went back in.  You can hardly even see where the scar is.  

One more visit in 6 weeks and it will be a done deal.  And that is that.

 

 

Licensed to Drive

It's been a big month for Spencer- contacts and now a driver's license.  (Yes, it was snowing that afternoon.)

This is my second child to obtain a license.  The third will get his permit in 2 months.  It's hard getting into a car with a newly permitted teen.  It's almost harder letting them drive without me.  Does it ever get any easier to wave goodbye as they head out on their own?  I never thought this right of passage would be such a mixed bag.  I dream for years of them being able to get themselves every where and when it happens I'm on pins and needles until they're home.  What a crazy mom I am some times.

Congrats, Spence! 

(Cant' you just frame the license and hang it on your wall.  It will look great there!)

Free at Last! (well, almost)

Day One of new contacts.  So far they don't bother his eyes at all.  Only a couple of days to get his eyes used to longer and longer wearing and the glasses can stay on the shelf.  This is one happy young man.

Progression (on a Wordless Wednesday)

Band post, again

Sorry if this is too repetitive. I'm trying to learn something new and you get to share in my experimenting. Have a great weekend!

Best Thing About Today

I was up at 4:15 this morning. That was not the best thing about today. Being at the temple first thing with my children was pretty good, though. I'd say it ties for first. Coming home and getting everyone else out the door by 7:30 was also nice. Not as good as a nap at 7:40, though, made even better by the numbers "10:12" on the clock when the phone woke me up. And thus we have the other half of the tie! I should get so much sleep all the time.

Second place was the Fall Festival at church tonight. How could one not have a great time with guys like these?

Yes, Greg's dressed as a tourist.
No, he does not dress like that all the time.
Spencer is his bodyguard.
(As if the outfit wouldn't keep harm at a very safe distance!)

What a day! Must be time for bed. Again. A body can only take so much excitement.

Right

I should be doing dishes, but I don't feel like it. I want to write something, but haven't figured how to put what I want to say into words. Rock and a hard place. Tough one.

For those that don't know, we've had a pretty amazing weekend. The kids had Fall Break beginning last Wednesday. It happened to coincide with the first available time at the Mesa Temple for my one-year-ago baptized brother-in-law to take my sister and their sweet family to the Mesa temple to be sealed for eternity. Greg, his dad (Tom), and I were able to spend part of an afternoon in the Mesa temple with three of our children doing baptisms and confirmations. Another brother was able to schedule his 8-year-old daughter's baptism for the same weekend. All of my siblings, most of their spouses, both of my parents, my father-in-law, and my grandmother were able to be together for a few days. I love my family, all of it, both sides, and I love every minute we get to spend together.

The kids picked up perfectly timed cases of gatroenteritis on the drive home. Even this turned out to have several silver linings. Since all 5 were all sick at the same time they kind of watched out for each other. Sunday morning found them all on the floor in the living room with blankets and bowls, keeping each other company. That sight continued while Greg, Tom, and I went to church that afternoon. We were met there by Greg's brother (Mike) and his wife (Terri) and later my Aunt Nancy. They were all in our ward to be present while Greg was sustained as our bishop that day. All 5 of our kids missed it. I tried calling home on the cell phone so they could at least listen on the speaker phone at home, but the mike on my cell phone wasn't strong enough. The sweetest part came when Tom and I got home after church, though. The kids had really wanted to be there and were bummed when they couldn't hear anything. Since they couldn't hear what was happening and when, they picked a random spot during their meeting and all raised their hands to sustain their dad on their own. I don't know why that meant so much to me. I guess I just felt like that was the end of any issues we'd have with dad being bishop and gone alot. I hope I'm right.

I slept more and better than I had in weeks that night. Probably had nothing at all to do with getting no sleep the night before with kids sick all night. I know it had lots to do with a feeling of peace and that everything was right. Travel was done, we'd had some great family time, and the stress of keeping hushed about the bishop news was over. Everyone keeps asking me how life is going now. All I can say is great so far. Regular life hasn't been affected at all (knock on wood at the end of day three!). The kids are all back on their feet and back to school. I'm coming to grips with the fact that my remaining time in YW is rapidly growing very short. Even the dishes and backlog on the rest of the housework haven't been able to disrupt this feeling that everything is just "right" with the world. I don't know how long this will last, but I'm loving it.

You're Invited!! (Or at least you should have been.)

It's August. At our house that means lots of things are going on. This year the list looks something like this so far: the end of youth conference, Shan's birthday, a little Nelson reunion, Greg's birthday, Steven's birthday, friends visiting for BYU Education Week, the start of school, the start of soccer, the start of school again, the start of soccer for a second time, and our anniversary. I always hope that September brings a little bit of calm, but I'm giving up on that this year. So, bring on the rest of the birthdays and holidays and I'm looking forward to a fabulous nap in January. I've included a few pictures, if I have them, so you can feel a part of our month and all the celebrations, even if I forgot to send an invitation in time.

Shan in Maple Canyon on her birthday and at the end of Youth Conference (It's a "two-fer-one" shot. Facebook has the rest of the Youth Conference pics or email and I'll send you an invitation. The other birthday pics are of me blowing out candles with wet hair. They will not be posted here or on Facebook. Not even if you send me an email.)

Most of the Nelsons in town for our little reunion.
We're on the observation deck at the Church Office Building in Salt Lake trying to not be blown off. Majorly windy day. Others joined us later in the week, but I don't have any pictures.

Happy Birthday to all the Nelsons who have a birthday in August!
(Shan, Terri, Julia, Greg, Steven, Mike, and David)

Happy Birthday, Greg!
(He's holding the wooden knives that Steven carved for him.)

Happy Birthday, Steven!
He's holding the wooden knife Greg carved for him. It was a carving week. He also wanted this picture left just the way it was because, and I quote, "We look AWESOME with red eyes."

It was also an electric week capped with the complete dismantling of an old boom box when Steven got a new one for his birthday (which was still in the box at this point!). And I quote, "This is even better than video games!" So, I guess they really are happier without real presents. It may not be boxes like when they were 1, but old radios seem to make great presents. That should save on money spent at Christmas. (hint! hint!)

I forgot to take any pictures of our the two sweet ladies who stayed with us during Education Week, but they would go right here in our time line if they existed. I would like to make it to Ed. Week at some ppint. Unfortunately, it falls on the first week of school and I kind of feel like a mom ought to be around that first week. Maybe I'm crazy, but Ed. Week will still be there even when I don't have to think about the magical First Day of School.

That brings us to the first First Day of School:

Joseph- 7th grade

Steven- 5th grade

Ryan- 3rd grade (Yes, I TRIED to tell him those shorts didn't really match and couldn't he PLEASE make a better First Day impression and change into jean shorts, but he was quite adamant that black goes with blue and this is what he wanted to wear on his first day. Oh well. Moms worry about that kind of thing too much, I guess.)

The first First Day of school was also the first soccer game for Ryan this season.
(Don't you just LOVE his shorts? He does.)

A small diversion. Greg was working on a video project for the Library this week. This is the Science section at the library on the first First Day of School for us. Notice that it is empty. They have not started school, yet, and for some reason the people at Education Week don't stop down there much. I kept trying to get my friends to go down there for a nap because it's quite and there are soft couches to lay on, but I don't think even they stopped in. Oh well, their loss!

We had two first days of school because the middle school and high school use the first First Day of School as an orientation for the incoming 7th and 9th graders respectively. So, Joseph, Steven, and Ryan went on the first First Day. Erica and Spencer went on the second First Day.

Erica- 11th grade
(Yes, she catches the bus at "Sun-rise O'clock"- at least for now. Later in the fall and winter she catches it pre-dawn.)

Spencer- 8th grade

If we had a kindergartner we would have a third First Day, but that's not until next week and thankfully it won't impact our lives. Whew! Our little friend, Lizzie, is very anxiously counting down the days, though.

The second First Day also happened to fall on our 17th anniversary. It did not even dawn on me to take any pictures. Greg took the following:

because the second First Day and our anniversary also happened to be Steven's first soccer game day. It was also soccer practice for Spencer and Joseph as well as the open house at the middle school. Greg went with Steven while I took Spencer and Joseph. So, in order to have a little celebration, Greg took the day off and we went to the temple and out to lunch at the Sky Room Restaurant at BYU. (There are many, many Ed. Week people that visit the Sky Room. Maybe that's why they're not in the library.)

Well, that's it for now. Greg, Spencer, and Joseph had a scout camp out last night (no pictures, aren't you glad!) and we had a Stake picnic tonight.

As my friend, Lisa, named her- Erica Shortcake

Our friend, Dallas.
And everyone thinks we are boring people. Just look how wild and crazy we can be.

I thought it was nice of the Stake to fix dinner for me to celebrate our second-day-after-our-anniversary. Do you celebrate that day? We usually don't either.

10 Random Things For Today

I'm in the mood to write, but don't have really anything to say. It's kind of a strange predicament. So, we'll see what we get with a little stream of consciousness exercise.

1) Erica voluntarily sat and watched both sessions of conference today. And took notes. It was cool, but kind of strange. That's definitely a new attitude.

2) The boys only watched the few minutes of conference that we asked them to. That means all 4 watched when the the new member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Neil L. Andersen, was announced and Spencer and Joseph watch when Bro. Neider spoke to the young men and then at the Priesthood session, of course. Otherwise, they didn't interrupt us or fight once during both sessions. It was cool, but kind of strange. That, too, is definitely a new attitude. (We should have General Conference weekend more often!)

3) We watched "The Count of Monte Cristo" with the kids last night. They loved it, especially all the sword fighting and treasure.

4) The General YM Presidency was released today. Bros. Dahlquist and Burgess spoke at the YW Training that I went to earlier this week. Bro. Dahlquist finished his Virtue value three weeks before Sis. Dalton, the General YW President. Yes, that is a YW project, but I think it's great that he did it. I'm getting there, but am not done yet. Consider yourself challenged to complete it as well. Click on the link for more info.

5) We got a piece of junk mail addressed "To The Parents of" Greg today. What?! How did that happen?

6) Our mailman lives down the street. I'd ask him about the junk mail, but he doesn't address it, he just delivers it.

7) We had popcorn and tomato soup, quesadillas, and pears for dinner. Except for one child about the pears, there were no complaints. Miracle. I even heard some "yum"s and "yes!"s while I was serving it up.

8) I love watching the weather move across the valley. Today we had little falling balls of snow. Not ice or hail, snow, and I could see the sun shining farther south.

9) I should be writing a newsletter. I thought this would be faster, though, and then I could go to bed.

10) I think my Stream of Consciousness either dried up or became a Stream of Unconsciousness because that's all that is coming to mind.

Happy Saturday. Hope you have a great weekend!

Joy Cometh in the Morning (Psalms 30:5)

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."

Joseph turned twelve a week and a half ago. Because his birthday fell on a Monday, he wasn't able to get a temple recommend until the following Sunday, so today was his first trip to the temple. The last couple of weeks have been nice, but this morning there was a slight dusting of snow on the ground and it was pretty chilly- all the more incentive to hurry up and get inside. It was crowded today for some reason, but it was a great morning. I loved watching Spencer play the role of big brother beautifully and direct Joseph where he needed to be. Once again, I'm so grateful that Erica wanted to start this as a weekly experience and I overrode my own hesitations and agreed. The above scripture, 3 John 1:4, has been running through my head all day. I think there may be only one joy greater- to actually be able to see it.

Post Pre-Birthday Camp Out

This is what I found last night when I went to check on everyone:
(Sorry, but I can't figure out how to turn of the underlining. This must be REALLY important stuff!)

What an amazing amount of rest is going on!


This is the result this morning:

The only thing that got any one out of bed today was the promise of Joseph's presents and donuts and juice. Good thing there was no school today. I thought they'd crash at some point, but they made it all the way through. Bed time was pretty welcome, though!

Not That You Care...

Several years ago, Spencer had to do an oral report on a famous person while dressed as said person. He chose Julius Caesar. I don't know why. Maybe he liked the idea of a toga and a leafy headband. Whatever the reason, we both learned several things during that report. One was that a red sheet from Wal-Mart was WAY less expensive than enough red fabric for a toga- and can be used again! The other was that Julius Caesar was killed on the Ides of March, (the 15th) which happens to be Sunday. I am pretty good with useless, trivial information so I tend to think about dumb little things like that as they roll around. This time, I thought I'd share the info so others could benefit from this "talent". So, happy Ides of March and stay away from any "friends" named Brutus, especially if you happen to be in the Roman Senate anytime on Sunday!

I Never Thought The Day Would Come When...

...the kids would have a campout and I wouldn't do anything for it but run to the grocery store and then drive them to the meeting spot. It came today. For two children, Spencer and Joseph, no less. Part of it is the fact that Spencer has had enough camp outs that I know he knows what's what. The other part is that I am old (and tired) enough to let them really experience the natural consequences of packing (or not) for themselves. One night will not kill them. Of course, the real reason could be that I've already passed this milestone with Spencer or Erica and just can't remember. (A mind is such a terrible thing to waste!) My subconscious mind, for instance, might be telling me everything went fine before and not to worry. If that's the case, I get to double dip in life's Bowl of Satisfaction and am enjoying it very much the second time around. The boys asked for my help packing last night and I politely declined ( partly so I could keep playing Wii tennis- how's that for being a caring parent!). Today afterschool they packed their food into a cooler, fit the big stuff into garbage bags, and even loaded everything in the car. Funny how liberating that is. Next stop on this road is the driving up, unloading the child(ren) and belongings at said meeting point and driving away. Haven't quite gotten there, yet. Maybe next time. I guess there are still milestones/ stumbling blocks to be encountered on the raising child path that always seem huge deals with your first children but almost disappear for later children. I hope by the time Ryan is going on these little adventures that I at least remember the fact that he's going. Maybe by then the trip to the grocery store and the dropping off will be icing rather than resposibilties for mom. Who knows!

Random

Ok. Still no luck with the pictures. Don't know what I did, but I did it well. I even tried removing the cutsie blog stuff, but no luck. I will figure this out, though (probably after Christmas) and post some pictures.

The pictures I was trying to post were of Spencer before and after braces. Yes, Tuesday was the big day. He was very excited all day Tuesday and not so much Wednesday, Thursday. His mouth has been pretty sore. The past couple of days have been better. He says they only hurt now when he bites down, so he hasn't been eating much. Maybe I should go get braces. Having never had braces, I found the whole "installation" process very interesting.That's one documentary or "how-they-did-it" special I've never seen before.

It looks like we are finally going to get our white Christmas. It's snowed about every other day, sometimes a bunch, sometimes not. Tomorrow we could get up to 10 inches. I love watching it fall. I don't even mind the shoveling. Our driveway here is about 1/2 the length of the one in NH, so haven't even had time to enjoy the alone time before it's done. (The kids generally won't come find me when I'm out shoveling.) We're running highs in the 20's, so I'm fairly confident the snow we have gotten isn't going any where before Christmas. Love it.

Our dear nextdoor neighbor is just a fanatical about our yard when it's covered with snow as when it's full of weeds. He checks to make sure the sidewalk is properly shoveled and that we have plenty of ice melt spread. I'm doing my best to be outside as soon as the snow is done so I can shovel myself. Gotta figure a way to channel all his extra energy, but it's nice to know it'll be shoveled if we're ever not around to take care of it.

Ok, again. I was just showing Greg that I can't upload any pictures and it uploaded pictures. I think that between ordering online and blogging I should just avoid my computer. We apparently do not have a very good working relationship. I'm not going back to redo this post though. I might push another button I won't know how to undo. So, here are the long-awaited before and after shots. Enjoy.




Since AZ is about the only place in the country not having snow and ice and lots of our family and friends are there, I'm sending out a bit of a White Christmas. These were taken the morning of the day Spencer got his braces and we've had a bunch since. So, Mom, Merry Christmas!

I Love Fall!

I love fall. The days are crisp and the trees are pretty and you still get some beautiful, not hot, days and chilly, need-an-extra-blanket nights.
This was out our front door on Sunday:

And this was inside our front door on Sunday:

The snow didn't last. It didn't even stick, but the chilly weather did for just a bit. Yesterday it was in the 40's, today is supposed to be in the 50's , tomorrow in the 60's, and we'll hit low 70's by the weekend. Perfect! I get to wear jeans/sweaters and capris/t-shirts all in the same week!

These are outside our front door today:

Sorry, no inside photos today. (Life happened and I'm not sure when the last time the vacuum was out.) Use your imagination. No fire today, but we have lots of homework and baking happening. Ryan wanted cookies again and Spencer's German project is due tomorrow.
Happy October!

(This should be a separate blog, but Spencer opted for the recipe option-hallelujah! We're making lemon bars instead of Hamburg! He told me yesterday it is due tomorrow but not late until the 21st. It's going to be turned in tomorrow. We have Thursday and Friday off and I'm not going to have it hanging over our heads for 6 extra days.)

School Projects

I am not feeling very charitable towards Junior High teachers right now. I have a fairly short list of things I absolutely detest. Right near the top is school projects (sorry if I offend any teachers out there) and at the top of the detestable school projects list lies diaramas (closely followed by the slugs we've been finding outside lately). I thought we'd had our fill in elementary school, but I was wrong. Spencer has had two projects assigned. He's had a choice, to some extent, on both. What does he choose? Diaramas, of course. Did I mention I detest them? I realize that, since he had some choice, it's not all the teachers' fault and I should not direct all my unkind thoughts in their direction. I am mentally sending some of my frustration in Spencer's direction, but who assigned the projects in the first place? Hence, the uncharitable feelings towards the teachers. And, to be fair, the German teacher is getting the majority of those thoughts.

The first is a project in English on a book he read. He's choosing to do a diarama of a canister falling out of an airplane with two people and a dog holding onto it. I'm stomaching it. He wants to carve the plane out of foam, etc, etc, etc. Fine. He's outside with a plastic knife and some planter foam as I type.

The second project is for German. It is worth 100 points. The helpful guidelines state that a simple project will take 1-2 hours and be worth 25 points. A complex project should take 6-10 hours and is worth 100-150 points. Spencer wants the extra credit, so we're going complex. Do the headaches and griping count as project time? The teacher sent home a list of 29 suggestions. They include obvious things like Choose an animate object and describe it in German. That, at least, fits into a German class theme. Or, "Convert a recipe to German or find a recipe in German and translate it to English. Then use it." Ideas 11-29 have the instructions, "In the ideas below, take the concept and apply it to German." Good Luck. Number 13 says "When does a fisherman use math? What does it affect?" Number 14 says, "How about advertising?" How about number 21- "Use Patty Paper to show the Pythagorean theorem or a tessellation." And my personal favorite: "Is math/algebra used in shoe design? What things change the geometry and design as the shoes get larger for bigger feet? Is there a perfect shoe size from a designer's stand point?" All of those things are obviously German related. Can you tell that the German teacher also teaches math? I'm thinking someone didn't want to come up with seperate projects for seperate classes. I realize everyone's time is precious, but come on!

Spencer, of course, has decided for his German project that he wants to build a 3-D model of a German town. A complex diarama, ahhhhh! I asked which German town, because I think he thinks there are cookie-cutter towns all over Germany and they all look the same. He thought he might like to do HAMBURG except it MIGHT be a little too big. Ya think! I'm liking the recipe idea or maybe number 26- "Make and fly a kite". Maybe we could shape it like Germany or something.

I have griped. I have vented. I feel somewhat better. I am still a little torqued, but I think I will live. Dumb (ok, I'm not all the way better) German project is due in 10 days. English project is due on the 24th. Spencer has 7 classes at school. What are the chances we'll be done with projects on the 24th? Not so good. You know it's a frustrating afternoon when you wish it was summer vacation.

First Day of School, Round 1

The boys all started school today. The junior high and high schools only have the youngest grades (7th and 9th) go the first day for orientation. 8th and 10th-12th start tomorrow. That means Erica got one more day of summer vacation. She and I went up to school and found all her classrooms. It looks like a great school. She's pretty excited to start. The boys were excited, but they won't tell you that.

Spencer's been torn between excited and nervous all weekend. He's finally making the big jump to Jr. high. He told me yesterday morning that he'd dreamed about trying to pick out an outfit to wear the first day. I honestly didn't think boys EVER did that. (By the way, he wore today what he decided on in his dream!) His bus never showed up this morning, so Greg dropped him off. Hopefully he can find the buses (and hopefully it comes this time!) to get home this afternoon. He gets just a half day orientation today. Tomorrow real life begins.

Joseph tried to convince me that he's is guaranteed the right to the pursuit of happiness. Since staying home from school would make him happy, he shouldn't have to go. Too bad! The right to the pursuit of happiness doesn't allow you to break the law, and skipping school is against the law. Besides, I needed him to be out of the house and school's as good a place as, or better than, any.

Steven had the best start to school ever. The first day has always been traumatic for him, but today he just ran to the door waving and yelling "Bye!" as he went. It probably helps that a new family moved in down the street with a boy in his class. I don't care what the reason, I was floored and totally happy to have no tears and actually see a smile as he left.

It's supposed to be 93 today, but Ryan insisted on his favorite long sleeve shirt. If it makes him happy, I really don't care. He was pretty nonplussed all the way to school and on the playground. He was almost even brave enough to walk inside to his classroom by himself, but changed his mind a the last minute. I guess it's nice to be needed just a teeny bit!


So, tomorrow everyone goes and will be there all day. Spencer just called. Apparently the bus broke down this morning and he has no way to get home. Wonder what they'll do with a whole bus full of kids stuck at school. Happy First Day back!

Angels in the Microwave

I think an angel lives in my microwave. We went to Veterans Memorial Pool this afternoon with a friend from our ward, Lisa Jensen. Spencer was complaining that we were having tortellini salad for dinner when he'd rather me buy nachos at the pool instead (big surprise!). I said "No" (another big surprise!) and the moaning continued. Lisa, the saint, told Spencer that she had an opened can of nacho cheese in her freezer and if he was willing to walk over to get it, he could have it. (Guess who was the cooler adult this afternoon. Big hint, it wasn't me!) As soon as we got home, we changed clothes and I dashed out the door with Ryan and Joseph to soccer practice. Spencer happily walked over to Lisa's.

Since I'd played at the pool all afternoon, I hadn't made dinner. I called Greg on his way home from work and he stopped at practice to wait for the boys while I went home to get dinner ready. I walked in the door to a very odd smell. Steven walked by and said something to the effect of, "Don't breath too deeply. The handle really smells after it comes out of the microwave." That made no sense to me whatsoever. The brain took awhile to process all the incoming details, but it finally clicked that Spencer was dipping chips into a sauce pan full of nacho cheese that was sitting on a hot pad on the counter. He also mentioned something about the microwave making the handle smell funny. Then it clicked, they'd heated the cheese in the metal sauce pan in the microwave. Ahhh! In their defense, they had asked Erica how to heat it and she had told them to take it out of the plastic, meaning the plastic bag it was sealed in. They took it to mean not to use anything plastic at all. A short lesson about what is and is not acceptable in the microwave quickly ensued. The last time we had metal in the microwave we got a really cool fireworks show and then a new microwave.

Spencer said all he noticed was a pop, but he thought it was because some of the cheese had popped out of the pan and onto the handle. Not daring to hope too much, I heated a glass of water in the microwave and it came to a boil, just like it should. Whew! I also heated corn in it for dinner and all seemed well. So, I don't know why the microwave didn't blow up or catch on fire, but I'm most grateful that it didn't. This one's under warranty still. Maybe that's the reason for the happy ending. Wait until day 366 of a 1 year warranty and you can bet the kitchen would have burned down, unless, of course, there really is an angel in there. I like that thought better.

What a Day!

Today has turned into one of those "whew" kinds of days, and it's only 4:45. I started the laundry, got the grocery shopping done (yea!), took Joseph, Steven, and Ryan over to school to finish registering and find out who their teachers are (like we know any of them, anyway), and made it to Cubs only a few minutes late (I'm the assistant den leader). Today we just played in water and had a small birthday party for one of the boys. It was fun. The wind was blowing hard enough that the candles wouldn't stay lit, so we let the boys take their candles home if they wanted. Steven brought home a couple of extra to share. After we got home and unloaded everything, I let Steven and Spencer each light a candle. Take my advise, learn from us and don't ever do that. Spencer tipped his candle too far and caught a paper towel on fire. He tried blowing it out, but it just spread (on the paper towel). That scared Steven who dropped his candle onto a paper towel and, lo and behold, caught it on fire. You know, when paper towels are on fire in a camp fire ring they seem to burn out almost immediately. When they are on fire in your dining room, they seem to burn for hours. I was beating the towel with the mail in my hand (approval of our life insurance of all things!) and Spencer grabbed the spray bottle out of the bathroom and finally put it out. Whew!! All that remained were a couple of soggy brown paper towel fragments, a slight discoloration on the carpet (most of which washed out), and a whole bunch of jittery nerves. We all now understand a little bit more why we don't play with fire! I'm having second thoughts about ever even having birthday candles again.

A few minutes later the mother of one of the scouts called to apologize. Today was her son, Allan's, birthday and she just found Steven's invitation on the table by the front door. The party was starting right then. Could Steven possibly make it? They're going to see Prince Caspian and then swim. They'll be back at 8:30. Why not?! He was still wet from the water activities at Scouts, but he changed into his bathing suit (which was dry because he insisted on wearing regular clothes to play in the water at scouts) and a dry shirt, grabbed a dry change of clothes and a towel, and we were out the door again.

Now, I'm sitting here collecting my thoughts and taking a breather before I head off to start dinner. It's amazing how typing for 10 minutes can calm the nerves and relieve the stress. I guess that's one reason journals are such a good thing. Get all the stress out and onto a piece of paper (or into a million 1's and 0's) and move on. I'm not even going to think about the laundry that's still sitting in the washer. It can't go anywhere and if the machines aren't on, they can't do any damage! I will finish putting the groceries away, though. We're going to eat some of them tonight. Rest time is up. Hope the rest of the day is a little less exciting.