Carb-Free Tea Party

Stupid diabetes.  Mary Claire had such a hard day today.  It was day three of her site, and I can usually count on three good days, but no.  Not today.

She hovered in the 240's and 250's after repeated corrections, but finally dropped enough to eat lunch by 11:45.  I just knew that any minute she'd bottom out and go low.  I had the boys, and I'd taken Clay to see his doctor, and so I couldn't go pick her up just yet.  I was so thankful she'd dropped enough to eat, since I never leave her at school too high to eat.  (Then she can't eat, and I feel awful if she has to smell lunch and watch everyone else eat.  Cruel.)  So, when I checked Clay back into school, we called her up to the nurse's office for another check.  (was this the fifth check already?)  Get this.  She was 365!

I just checked her out and brought her home.  By then, she was moody and irritable and wanted to come home.  If she's going to get checked hourly, I would much rather her just come home.  (and she had a substitute today!)  I brought her home, changed her site-new insulin too.  I wanted control over this monster.

So..when she was fall-on-the-floor hungry and crying, I had to get creative.  We had a carb-free tea party.  We made peach tea in a teapot I'd painted in Philly back in 2001 (I know, not quite the style now!).  (And she had a matching sugar bowl full of Splenda!)  We washed and used her little tea party tray, cups, saucers, and spoons.  We used to have 16 of everything from her four-year-old tea party birthday party, but we've managed to lose most of them!  Anyway, we had celery and four-cheese "salad" in mini-bowls, and a meat and cheese tray (toothpicks with a hot dog slice, turkey and orange bell pepper and mozzarella sticks sliced!)

Yes, this is Megan's hand in the picture.  This just means Mary Claire gets to eat twice as much food. : )  (ps-it's her American Girl)

Let's Eat!

Can I have some of yours too?

He wanted to drink out of an egg cup.  Don't ask.  Being so small, it also required really frequent refilling.

Ok, so it put her in a better mood, made her forget about the frozen yogurt snack she was dreaming about.  Mission: Accomplished.  Umm..I have too many wreaths.

She stayed over 360 (even with her basal set at 180%!) until about 5pm when she finally dropped.  Yep, to 56.  I knew it would eventually happen.

She was low and hungry.  She had quite a smorgasbord.  Yogurt, yogurt drink, nuts, applesauce, (and finally..) frozen yogurt!  (No, I didn't push all that yogurt, it was her idea!)  We reduced her basal to 83% till morning, and after ten minutes, she got her bolus for her "dinner"/large snack!  At her bedtime snack check, she was 70.  I had to drop her bolus again!

Crazy, crazy blood sugar roller coaster.  And it's not over yet.

When I uploaded these pictures, I found extras!  I forgot that I finished the last of my pay-it-forwards:

A towel and monogrammed cup for Tonya..  I know they don't match.

And two for Michelle.  Hers do, however, match! : )

And, I'm in this group on Facebook (try here to friend us, or join, whatever!  It's called T1 Hangout!)  We are having an Easter card exchange, so we posted our kids' names and addresses on a discussion board (only if you feel comfortable!), and we are sending them cards.  We decided to make ours!  Here is the front:

Love Stickers! : )

..and the inside full of sugar-free LOVE and blessings!

When she figured out that she'll GET twenty cards in the mail, she almost flipped out.  This girl *loves* mail like I love chocolate.  or shoes.  or purses.  or vacation.  You get the idea.  Want to make her day?  Send her a letter! ;o)

Contest to PIF

All righty, friends, here is the much-anticipated CoNTeST!  Yay!

I'm so excited to introduce you to CSN Stores! They have over 200 online stores where you can find everything from stylish modern office furniture to cute cookware to chic lighting pieces!  I found adorable dolls and Melissa and Doug (wood) paper dolls for Mary Claire, zebra pillows, a beautiful baby blue/chocolate rug that I *love*, a globe for Ethan...you name it, they carry it! : )  I just found my new hand towels to monogram...here:

Ok, enough of what I want!  What do YOU want?

Here are the rules:

1. You have to live in the US or Canada.  (They only ship there.  Sorry, friends across the pond.)

2.  Leave your email as a comment so I can email you the code for your $25 gift certificate!

3.  I love you, and can't wait to see who wins!!  You can email your friends to enter or post about it in YOUR blog-you can just link back!

4.  You have one week-until Thursday, January 13th to enter!  I'll announce the winner about 9pm (after my lovely children are put to bed) (for the first time) heehee

5.  I'll use the same randomizer as before at random.org. 

Are you getting lucky?  No extra garbage from me?  Not Hardly! : ) hahaha

Remember when I told you about the minky dots I found yesterday?  I made Ethan's blanket this morning! : )  I had to be conniving and canoodle to get Ethan to stay out of here long enough to sew it.  Here is a picture.  I can't decide whether to monogram it or not.  What do you think?

:The blanket of his DrEaMs:

We've also started a new Pay It Forward last night on Facebook.  You could try it too!  Here is what I wrote (copied from my friend, Nikki's status!):

Pay it Forward 2011: I promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment here. Here are the rules: 1. You must msg me your address (even if you think I already have it) 2. You must in turn post this on your page and send something YOU make to the first 5 people who comment on your status. 3. It MUST be handmade by you and it must be sent sometime in 2011.
Who is in?

I have five people now, so I'm all set.  What could you make for your friends?  For my selection, I'm making five different things, and I'm excited!  I know them all different ways, so I know (I think!) what they'd like!  Probably not Shrinky Dinks.  Hahaha!  I'll just put a shrinky dink tag on it! : )  ...Can I make you laugh? (maybe?)  I got a comment that said blah, blah, PIF, blah, blah, and I thought he was speaking code!  I had to google it to find out it was Pay It Forward.  Ha.Ha.

You could try it on your Facebook page, by email, or even on your blog if you have one!  You'll only get one thing, but you are sending five little bundles of handmade love out into the world!

*I'm so excited for you, I can't wait to see who wins the $25 certificate to CSN.com!  I wish I could win too!*