And so it was, 10 years ago today, on an early Wednesday morning at 4:56 am, my sweet Emma Katheryn came to be with us.  My sweet dainty 10 pound Emma. Yeah, that's right.  And our lives have never been the same...thank goodness.  Because we think she's pretty special.

Yummy birthday breakfast

Happy 10th Birthday Emma!  YOU ROCK!

"A pox on the phony king of England! Oo-de-lally!" ~Robin Hood

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I just can't stop thinking about the Disney animated movie, Robin Hood.  You know, where they sing that song..."a pox on the phony King of England"...oh, you don't know?  Well, maybe someone out there will know what I'm talking about, but if not, just know that it is running a constant loop in my brain.

Thanks to all for your sympathetic comments.  They are much appreciated.  And truly, as always, I see the humor in it all.  No, we can't seem to catch a break, but DANG...To be sure we have to soon.  Ever the optimist.

I dropped Jacob off at school today and then stopped over at the elementary school to pick up Emma's schoolwork...much to her dismay!   So after I'm loaded down with 4th grade work, I head home.  Emma is up when I return and looks like she feels better today, but, of course we've added a few more pox.  The original 5 are quite itchy though.  I think we're off for an oatmeal bath in a few.

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As I was typing the previous sentence, Emma came in here and asked me what I was doing.  She said the "fake itching" wasn't working.  She said, "I just want to RAKE RAKE RAKE over my whole body!!!"  ( I confess that I chuckled as she demonstrated what the "rake rake rake" would look like.)  Poor kid.  So I took a break, and Emma took the oatmeal plunge.  She said it was nasty.  Who am I to disagree?  It looked nasty.  In my most convincing "mom voice", I assured her it would help.   She said she was cold.  I told her we'd snuggle after.  No dice.  I even tried singing a little Hannah Montana "Best of Both Worlds" to her...I rocked it, baby.  C'mon.  Who can resist a crazy mom singing Hannah Montana??  She did crack a smile, but the complaints continued.  Frankly, I can't blame her.  Now she's all hopped up on benadryl and "Tom and Jerry".  And hopefully the benadryl will kick in soon, so she won't have to RAKE RAKE RAKE...at least for a couple of hours anyway.

It's funny, I find myself quite itchy too.  It's kinda like the lice where my head was itching like crazy and I was sure that I had contracted the little critters myself.  Sympathetic itching or something like that.  Akin to sympathetic pregnancy weight gain, phantom pains and the like.  At least with the pox, I know I can't catch it.  I've decided I'd rather have the pox than head lice any day.

(I'm suddenly hearing a "Mama, I'm itchy" call from the other room.)

She doesn't look too miserable, eh?  Here she is in her cozy spot on the couch.  No pox on the face or arms yet, so she's looking pretty good.  I warned her it will probably get worse before it gets better.  She has pulled Jiffy up on the couch with her.  "Mom, can dogs get the chicken pox?"  Hmm.  I guess we'll find out.

A healthy body is a guest chamber for the soul: a sick body is a prison. ~Francis Bacon

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Has somebody out there got voodoo dolls with the faces of my family on them?  I mean, really.  Enough is enough.

I sleep like the dead and so I might carry on a whole conversation with you in the middle of the night and not have the faintest idea the next day of what we had talked about.   But last night, at some point after I had crashed out, Emma comes into our room and says, "Mommy, I'm thirsty and I have a bug bite on my back that itches really bad."  In my fogginess, I say, "Isn't there some water on your bedside table?"  She says there is and goes back to bed.  Now, in my mind, even in my sleepy state, I knew that was no bug bite.  I knew it was "the pox".  How did you know this, you ask?  I know this because over the Christmas holidays amidst all the family fun and jocularity, my nephew had "the pox".  Then on New Year's Day, my other nephew (first nephew's younger bro) "broke the Guinness Record for chicken pops" (his words).  I was lulled into a false sense of security by a varicella vaccination my kids received, oh, about 7 years ago.  Yes, the very thing which is meant to prevent a chicken pox outbreak--but yet it only works 85% of the time.  What's more, you are now apparently supposed to get a booster for your varicella vaccine, unbeknownst to me.  Hello??  I did not get the memo.  SIGH.

So I get up this I morning and Emma looks flushed and a little feverish.  She says she has a headache.  She has 2 pox on her chest/stomach, one pock on her back and one on her knee.  She isn't feeling so great.  Again, I said, "it's chicken pox".  A few hours later a doctor confirms what I already know.  The thing is, he says, because she was vaccinated, it's hard to tell how it will run its course.  He assured me she wouldn't "go POOF" (his words) and I took that to mean she wouldn't turn into one giant pock.  He felt certain it would be a mild outbreak.  Give acetaminophen for fever and headache, caladryl lotion for itching, blah blah blah...and we were out of there.  After we got home, we found another one on her scalp on the side of her head.  Ew.  I gave her some more acetaminophen, some benadryl, slathered on some caladryl, propped her up on the couch in front of cartoon network and there ya go.  She's all good.  For now.  We'll see what tomorrow brings.   Hopefully it won't bring "the pox" to Jacob.  Doc said he might break out tomorrow, in two weeks or never.  Really.  Well, thanks Sherlock.  I think I coulda figured that one out on my own.

The other fun part of this whole scenario is contacting all the folks we've infected.  Now, a huge plus on this front is that the kids had teacher workdays this Monday and Tuesday, so the kids at school have not been infected.  (You are apparently contagious for a couple of days before you break out.)  BUT, Emma had a friend spend the night Monday night and she had that same girl and three more girls over to play yesterday.  SO, I spent some time today calling those moms and sharing the good news with them.   All of a sudden, I had a flash back from when I got That Call about the head lice from that mom last spring.  I was suddenly the mom making "the call" and, I must confess it was not a warm and fuzzy feeling.  But yet, I felt compelled to do it.  Keep in mind, these are people I do not know well at all.  If they were people I knew fairly well, maybe it would be a little less awkward.  But hey, what can ya do?  You suck it up and make the call.  The first two moms were very nice and the first thing they both said, was "do you need anything?" Which was pretty surprising, but sweet and very much appreciated.  The third mom was in shock, I think.  Not unkind, but not real thrilled either.  I felt so bad, but oh well.  I'm just glad the calls are made.  I also emailed Emma's teacher, who replied saying she has never had the chicken pox.  What??!  How can you be an elementary school teacher and not get such a common childhood disease?  I'm gonna suggest she make a bee-line to the nearest varicella vaccine dispenser!  I wouldn't want to be a 28 year old woman with the chicken pox.  I'm just sayin'.

I'm off to check on the contaminated one.  We are now officially on house arrest.  It could be worse.

If those words mean nothing to you then you obviously do NOT have a daughter between the ages of 7 and 12 living in your home. 

Here are three words for you.  HIGH. SCHOOL. MUSICAL.  Wait, I've got three more.  THE. ICE. TOUR.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, let me just give a little info.  High School Musical is a Disney movie.  The main characters are Troy (the school basketball star) and Gabriella (new girl at school and brainiac) who find themselves auditioning for the school's "musicale" and falling in teeny-bopper love.  Add some catchy songs and dance numbers and a few more quirky friends, and VOILA! you have High School Musical.  I like to call it, HSM.  There is also a High School Musical 2 and I've heard there will be an HSM 3 as well.  It is this generation's "GREASE" only without all the swearing and sexual innuendo and the teen pregnancy scare. 

Thanks to my bff Kristi, we (Emma and I) were able to get tickets to go see HSM--The Ice Tour with Kristi and her daughter, Sarah, on Saturday night.  Along with some of Sarah's other girls scout buddies.  It's HSM on ice skates.  I had never been to any show "on ice" before (aka Ice Capades, Disney Princesses, Sesame Street or the like), so I had no frame of reference and no expectations.  But I just have to say, from start to finish, this was an amazing show.  The lighting, the props, the skating.  Really great.  What really cracked me up was all the HSM Dads who were there.  And I mean they were rocking out with the HSM tunes right along with everyone else.  At one point, before the show started, there was even an HSM GRANDPA who was standing up busting a move with the pre-show tunes.  I do not make this stuff up, people!  It was too funny. 

The girls were on cloud nine.  Singing along with all the songs, all starry-eyed.  Oh, and the kids had fun too! 

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"Did you ever feel like there's this whole other person inside you, just looking for a way to come out?" ~said by Gabriella Montez in High School Musical

SICK KID = NO BLOG

Emma has just been hacking like there is no tomorrow.  I've told her she needs to cut back to two packs a day...

This is my child who vehemently detests taking medicine.  I mean it is a NIGHTMARE trying to get that kid to take some simple cough medicine.  Granted, it's nasty.  And no matter HOW they try to disguise it (melt away tablets, melt away strips, "new" and "improved" flavors)...well, nasty medicine in a disguise is still nasty medicine.  I can't blame her for hating it, but the nasty only lasts for a moment and then you get a few hours of peace.  Can't convince her of that though. No way.  So out comes the Vick's Vap-O-Rub, slathered on the neck and chest.  Out comes the warm steam humidifier (with the Vick's stuff in the water).  Maybe it helps, maybe it doesn't.  But it doesn't hurt.  Smells bad, but doesn't hurt.

SIDEBAR:  As I type this, I'm overhearing the kids talking.  Rudolph is coming on tv tonight and they are making hot chocolate in preparation for the festivities.  As they are putting their mini-marshmallows on their hot chocolate, Emma is hacking.  Jacob says to Emma in an Aussie accent, "Hack on your own marshmallows, mate."

 Thought y'all would get a kick out of that. 

It's so bizarre.  She has no other symptoms really, except for the sore stomach and raw throat that accompany a week's worth of violent hacking.  I don't mean to be gross, but whose kids haven't hacked till they puked at one time or another?!  Lovely. 

Anyway, so we've been up nights and home from school the last two days.  Just a-hackin' away.  It's one of those things where she's not really well enough to go to school but not sick enough to stay in bed all day at home either.  SO, she has learned to crochet in the last two days.  (Her grandma got her a little kit and she has crocheted herself a chain about a mile long!  LOL.  Doesn't quite work as a jump rope, though.  Take my word for it...we tried.)  And we also "assembly-lined" our Christmas cards.  So they are all done! YAY.  AND they are adorable I must say.  She also elfed us.  And has watched plenty of the "good" cartoons.  You know the ones like Huckleberry Hound and Tom And Jerry and Underdog and Scooby Doo and Pink Panther and, well, I do believe I make my point.  If anyone gets that Boomerang Channel on cable, you TOO can watch good cartoons. Ahh the good ole days.  Hopefully, we'll all get a good night's rest tonight and be back in the saddle tomorrow.

But roight now, mate, I gotta go get me some o' those mini-marshmallows. Rudolph's waiting.

"A fine head of hair adds beauty to a good face, and terror to an ugly one."  ~Lycurgus

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It's been a long time in coming.  I'm thinking almost a year?  That was when Emma decided she wanted to donate her hair to Locks of Love. Maybe you are familiar with this organization which helps disadvantaged children who are dealing with medical hair loss.  You can cut your hair, send it to them and they will create hairpieces/wigs for kids who need them.  Emma has great hair.  And she has been a great sport.  She has "suffered" for a good cause.  The neverending hair brushing and hair fixing and hair washing.  OY, and let's not forget the LICE extravaganza! (See April 26, May 10 and May 14 in the blog vault for the lice saga.) Morning crazy hair...wish I had a picture to insert here.  But anyway, it seems like it has taken for. ever. to get to this point.

For two weeks, Emma has been asking me, "Mommy, when can I cut my hair??"  Well, actually, it's been more like two months that she's been asking me that, but my answer had always been, "when you have a 10-inch ponytail", because that is what LOL says on the website that you have to have in order to donate.  Her hair has been long enough for a little while, so my reply lately has been, "after we take the annual Christmas card photo."  Truth be told, I love brushing and fixing Emma's hair.  She has great hair.  I think I was probably reliving my whole childhood of wishing I had had hair like hers.  My mom made me wear my hair short...in the dreaded "pixie" cut of the 1970s.  Oh the horror!  *shiver*  (Again, wish I had a picture to insert here because it was a SIGHT!  But suffice it to say that there were times that I was thought to be my parents' third son, "Joel". I have two brothers.  SIGH.  I am scarred.  But I digress, and that's blog fodder for another day...)  So, I was probably dragging my feet because I knew there would be no more fixing hair really, at least for a while.  But, bless her heart, she had been been such a trooper through the whole hair growing process.  It was time.

A couple of weeks ago, I had gone to Great Clips, coupon in hand, to get my $5.99 hair cut.  I used to go to the "foo-foo" salons and pay $40 for a hair cut, but that was 10 years and 2 kids ago...those days are o-v-e-r.  I mean, it was nice and all, but I'm taking my chances at the walk-in places now.  My motto is, "Hair grows back."  Anyway, I was chatting about stuff with Maggie as she was cutting away.   (Loved her, she was HILARIOUS.)  I mentioned that it was almost time for Emma to cut her locks and donate them.  Maggie said, "well you know, we do LOL haircuts free of charge AND we take care of mailing everything in for you too.  Please bring her here and let me cut her hair.  I'll give her a really cute bob."  Get Out!  I loved the haircut Maggie gave me and thought "you're on, honey!"  So, a couple of nights ago, I spontaneously had the kids throw on something red with the obligatory dorky hats and we had our impromptu photo shoot.  I'm wondering when they are going to start rebelling against the dorky hats.  (see photo album above)  After the photo shoot, I told Emma, "Tomorrow is the day."  She was SO excited. 

Off we went, and here is my little Rapunzel before:

And here are the first cuts, with the adorable Maggie:

And here she is after...isn't she precious??:

Or is she goin' all gangsta on me???

Either way, she is a trip!  And she is adorable.  Some lucky kid out there is going to get some great hair.  Grown, and cared for, with a lot of love.

What can I say?  The lice have made their way to my daughter's head. 

She has gotten away with not getting it twice (two of her best buddies came down with it previously).  I guess the third time is the charm after all, because now two of her other bestest buddies have gotten it.  Getting passed over again would just be too much to ask, I reckon.  It was bound to happen. I have had the shampoo on the counter waiting and ready for this very moment.

I want to give Emma her props for being AMAZINGLY patient.  It's not one of the things she's known for.  She was such a good sport.  But DANG. What a pain in the butt.  (I won't go into the lengthy process of the shampooing, combing, nit picking...Just know it is a pain.  Oh yeah, did I mention that Emma's hair is to the middle of her back??)  I tried to talk up all the quality time she and I are going to get over the next two weeks as I pick the nits out of her hair.  I tried to tell her that we were "making memories".  I was trying to point out the silver lining...she wasn't buying.

Now all her closest friends currently have or have had lice. I am affectionately referring to them as the Lice Brigade.  Credit goes to my friend Diana for the name. (Note: her children are not infected...Lucky.) But it is rapidly making its way around our school.  OY!

After her "treatment", Emma went over to play for a little while with some of the Brigade, and she told me how they were all talking about having a lice party and just how they would create a banner with Lice on it and a big arrow pointing downward.  They all planned to stand under it and have their picture made.  Ha ha!  She told me that when she left to come home, she called out "Bye Lice Girls".  That girl is hilarious.  I'm glad she's finding the humor in it.  I mean, really, what else can you do? 

Let's just say I now know and understand where the terms "nit picking" and "go over it with a fine toothed comb" originated.

PS  I am itching like CRAZY.

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"The greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances." ~Martha Washington