TShirt Design, Anyone

Thank the Lord!  My letters are done...and in the MAiL!  (they won't actually go anywhere short of that big blue box on Joyce Blvd. since it was too late..but still..In. The. Mail!)  Yay!

It's a lot of work with the writing, printing, copying, pulling sticky labels off the printer wheels, matching the labels to the stamp colors, and kissing them goodbye!  It's a monumental task, that I'm so thankful to call it done. ; )

And now..on to t-shirt design.  Every year we do a new t-shirt design for our team to fit the yearly theme.  This year's theme is "Lights, Camera, CURE!" so I'm a little..stumped.  I first tried to go with the movie angle..thinking of a movie to illustrate on the front (Forest Gump's 'Life is like a box of chocolates', Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, Chocolat, etc.) and now maybe I'll just do the theme with some illustrations?  Although Ches just had a good idea: Mary Claire Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Cure! : )  I think it's great, but now I have to figure out how to throw in pink or something to pitch it to the girl! ;)

And here are my other ideas...

Gnomeo & Juliet...find a CURE!

Mary Claire Jones and the..Raiders of the Lost Cure!

Finding (a) Cure!  (Nemo)

Cure Story (Toy Story)

Curable Me (Despicable Me)

Kung Fu Cure!

Adventures in CureLand! (Wonderland)

Peter Pan: Finds a Cure in Neverland!

Princess and the Cure (Frog)

Any ideas?? Please?  I'll send you a free shirt if we choose your idea! : )

Sick Day

Today was a Sick Day.
Ethan spent the night with Gigi (his first night away from us!), and this morning..he got SiCK!  He threw up at her house, then in the car on the way home..then all day. : (

It is never fun when someone you love (especially your baby!) is sick.  He had icky poop and threw up every hour or two.  We'd wait about an hour or two after the last episode and give him a couple sips of Sprite..and then he'd throw up.  He consumed only about 4 oz. from last night to tonight at six.

I called the doctor's office, and they said I could give him one of Mary Claire's zofran dissolving tablets to help him with the nausea and vomiting.  While he was sleeping, I g-e-n-t-l-y put it under his tongue.  (he never woke up!)  Then, when it had been about 30 minutes, I went to check the tablet progress.  He had some white foamy stuff, so I used a dropper to drop a teensy bit of water onto the foam..I know chancey, but it helped wash the stuff down his throat! ; )

By the time we woke him for dinner (three hours later!), he was fine.  He had a tiny bit of Sprite, some rice, applesauce, and a bite of plain potato.  I gave him a bath (I'd used so many baby wipes on him..he needed a wash!), and then feeling really brave..we went to Ches' office to finish up.

He changed offices in 2007 (and I thought it'd only been two years, boy time flies!), and I've never been back to help organize.  We hung his diplomas, pictures, and more stuff..I cleaned out his fridge, then the kids and I cleaned out the "busy" desk drawer-it was full of super-old calculators, hardened rubber bands, old coins (Clay found a 1954 penny, and was so excited!), and even those old mini-tapes.  Mary Claire wanted them for her American Girl.  ha!  I can't believe I haven't been there in so long..and that he never felt it was time to clean. ; )  We left piles of stuff in the hall for trash..and shredded bags worth of student papers.  (and bags..meaning the big clear, shredder bags-50 gallon bags!  He was holding on to old tests!  He actually had reused them with some scan-trons, but Hell-o!  Some were written on, and I bet some made it back to dorm rooms!  You have to change up the tests, every year!)  He is so sweet, and thinks no one would cheat.

Alright, I should go..I have to check on some babes!  Praying that God heals my children, and praising Him that Aiden finally has his pump!  God is good.

*and see?  I didn't say the words "green throw-up", "undies straight to the trashcan", or "letting him use my pads in his undies".  So..it's all good! : )  Now, he can't say I embarrassed him when he was little. ; )

Oh, and ps!  I found my thingie!! Yay! : )  (it's an ipod/heart rate monitor..gone missing!)  (Get this.  I'd taken it on the trip, but found it when I cleaned out my car today.  I should celebrate..with some chocolate ice cream...filled with Reese's.  Isn't it appropriate?)  Yay!

JDRF Walk Letter

I'm a-l-m-o-s-t done writing my fundraising letter for the Walk to Cure Diabetes 2011-I usually have it mailed by now...but I'm working on it.  When you have a child who has been recently diagnosed, it's still at the forefront of your mind, your writing is fresh and raw, your family is still shocked, and people want to help.  Once you've dealt with it for a while (seven years..) they think you have the hang of it, and don't really worry about you or your child anymore.  No offense to me, but they think I've "got" this.


Even on vacation, I had some really surprised questions when I had to plug Mary Claire into her pump to have a snack while swimming.  They asked if I had to do that every time she ate.  Umm..yeah.  Every thing that goes in her mouth is counted, as precisely as possible, and then the insulin ratio is figured based on the time of day.  And yes, having her pump off during swimming is a car wreck waiting to happen.  Of course she's going to go high-but I can't keep her from fun.


I also get that I make it look "easy".  I've been doing it for long enough, and I just don't talk about it a lot.  I used to, but then it's all that I could think about.  Now, if I get some time away with friends, I am vacationing from diabetes for a little bit.  I don't want to talk about it-I live it.  That's why I'm having a night out-to get AWAY.   To take time for myself.  : )  And..it'll be there when I get home-and it always waits up for me.


All this to say writing a letter is one of the hardest things I do.  I have to admit, every year I want to vacation away from the Walk (not do it..), but I can't.  I think even some friends would like us to take a break..but we can't.  We need research funding, and my daughter needs that tiny celebration that she's special.  I just have to get my act together, face the keyboard, and do what has to be done.


And then take it to be copied..and then review my address list..then print labels...then label envelopes..and stuff and label return envelopes..and then stamp them all..and take a breath...and get my t-shirt design done!  Ahh..walk time. : )


ps-haven't found my thingie yet..but I've thrown away an entire trash bag of stuff in the hunt!

Wal-Mart. Hmph.

Ahh..with antibiotics and Advil Cold and Sinus on board..I feel 85% better! : )  I went to the doctor yesterday to get a prescription (because of the new rules!), and come to find out..it's just Wal-Mart that requires the Rx!!  Collier's and Walgreen's still sell them over-the-counter.  Guess where I'll be shopping...

So..I've been cleaning.  I had so much to do!  I even cleaned out the play-doh tub (you know all those hard, yucky bits that fall to the bottom of the tub?), and sorted all our crayons, markers, scissors, and glues.  We must have at least a hundred new pencils.  We buy new ones every year-they ask for 24 every year-but we get at least half back.  (Good, I guess?)  We also buy new school boxes every year, so I had about 15 in the cabinet.  I threw away four-and it felt so good to have more space in there!

I also cleaned upstairs (I don't think I've been up there in a couple days!)...and then I saw Ethan's baby monitor out from under his bed.  I picked it up, unplugged it, and put it away.  We haven't turned it on in at least a year, but I keep it for "just in case".  I think it's time to let it go.

Ethan, however, didn't feel the same way.  He got all upset, saying he needed his walkie-talkie!  He insisted I give it back, and then insisted he have the cord.  I don't know if he realizes he has to have the other one to communicate with anyone, or if he's just playing!

All the cleaning isn't necessarily in vain.  I have a horrible memory (can't remember a movie a couple months after I've seen it), and I've lost something.  I hid it, but can't remember for the life of me where I hid it!  I'll find it..I just hope it doesn't take a year!

Last night, we went to Wal-Mart (I know..but it was post Advil) to stock up on a few groceries, and mostly ice cream bars (the 100 calorie minis!), ice cream, yogurts..I think I was feeling chocolate dairy-ish!  Anyway, we heard an enormous clap of thunder!  We looked at each other, and I was worried.  Ches went to get the van, and I finished up quickly.  I went to the check out, and the checker started scanning.  We got about five bags in (and I'd scanned my debit card) when-Bam!  The lights all went out-I. Mean. ALL.

They came back on in about three seconds, the registers restarted their systems, and a manager came along to tell us everything would have to be rescanned.  I put all the bags back on the conveyor, just in time to have all the lights go out again.  This time there were a few light bulbs on throughout the store.  I'm guessing emergency lights?  It stayed that way for 15 minutes-no registers, no lights-and they locked the doors.  The managers told us to stay at the front of the store, they opened flashlights and batteries, and swept the store to get everyone to the front.  I was worried there was a tornado, so I started calling Ches and our babysitter-the kids were at home!

Then I was watching the weather-the checker didn't have her phone, and everyone was calm, but near panic.  Ches said the parking lot was dark too, so he couldn't tell what had happened.  After about 20 minutes, the managers told the workers to front candy and magazine shelves, and I was left at the checkout-Weird!  I asked another employee how long it'd be, and she said she'd overheard that the electricity had gone out, then backup kicked in, then it had failed.  It'd be at least 30-45 minutes for more power, and if it took longer, they'd send all the employees home till morning. (!)  I'd had enough-I left all my chocolate dairy goodness and called Ches to pick me up since the rain had let up a little.  


I stepped through the four people guarding the door (door=singular!), and tried to stay close to them since there was a light coming from the entry-so Ches could see me-we're talking blackness!  He drove up-seemed like forever waiting-and we left.  I'm not traumatized, but it was weird.  Seems like they should have a back-up plan for their back-up plan.  I mean, they are Wal-Mart!  I have such high expectations. : )


Now..it is the next day..and I still need groceries.  Think we'll eat play-doh and drink glue.  I have plenty.