Sugar Free Rewards!

Sweet, sweet day. (But sugar-free!) ; )

I had a meeting yesterday with Mary Claire's grade level teachers about her diabetes and what to watch for, i.e. lows, highs, and the symptoms.  I cried (not surprised?) when we talked about the reality of dying faster from lows than highs, pulled it together again, and we talked about management of lows and highs, field trips, and treats.

Her sweet teacher gives out rewards to the kids, and she'd bought special "sugar-free" candy for Mary Claire...except that it was 17 grams of sugar alcohol!  That stuff is brutal on a child!  You still count half the carbs, but you have to set a dual-wave bolus because it'll come back later to bite you...and it causes gas and diarrhea! : (  So, I didn't tell her that exactly, just that there really are sugar-free foods low in carbs that don't cause tummy pain. ; )

She asked me to make a list, and I had to go overboard...and make her a gift basket! (well, for my daughter...)  I was looking for a clear paint bucket..but our local stores have quit selling them!  But a trip to Target later-and I found something close enough.  It was in the bath section (love clear!), and it was the perfect size.  I'd been debating between getting a basket and monogramming the liner or just making a ribbon handle with stamped words...decisions, decisions. ; )

I think the key is lots of colors all jumbled together.  And no black or brown, unless you do a black/red or brown/blue type scheme.  ..hey, that'd be great for a team gift! : )

I decided to decorate the handle with jillions of ribbons! (my favorite!) Then I added all the sugar-free stuff I bought: Extra key lime pie and strawberry shortcake SF gum, Trident watermelon gum, tic tacs, Extra orange and mint chocolate chip gum (wonderful, if you've never tried it!! But they were sold out of 3-packs!  And..these new Icebreakers in Bubble Breeze (not guaranteed to give you date-worthy breath..unless your date is 15), and more fruity tic-tacs.  Just lots of little treats that are 2 grams of carbs or under...requiring NO insulin! : )   Now, that's a treat!

and it needed a cute tag!  This is from a set I got from Stampin' Up!  I printed the writing on cardstock, then stamped over it (yes, I made three to get it off the bird's head!), then used the shaped punch and layered it.  And it is clipped with the most darling teensy clothespin! : )

And..Mary Claire forgot to take it to school this morning. : (  So, I took it when I went to check her out to take her to the orthodontist to....get her braces off!!

This is how she smiled right after she got her braces on, so no big surprise.

After some coaxing...I got this! : )  Not all her teeth, but shiny, straight, white teeth! (and a flashy new pink/black retainer she's very proud of...and a new sound: constant sucking of spit.)  Joy!

All in all, a good day.  There's so much more, but I never have time!  We had baseball and teeball practice, shared a van for both (at the same time!!), and enjoyed some Sonic, and got supplies for baby shower invitations.  I'm sure you'll see them soon. ; )  I also have a contest coming up for some fun software, and...I'll leave you with this.  Have you always wondered how Barbie's family fits together?  Here is what I found on my fridge:

A graphical chart of Barbie's sisters, with ages.  Kelly, 6   Stacy, 10   Skipper, 13   and Barbie, 20  How did she figure ages?  I'm guessing by body type?  At least she realizes Barbie isn't 13!! : )  (Oh, and they are doing gymnastics.  The first two are doing jumps touching their toes, SKipper is on a balance beam, and Barbie is um..dancing?  cheering for them?  shaking her hips?)

Hollister, right outside Branson

Let's see..where did I leave off?  I had an amazing time in Branson, spent a day at the outlets, then a day down on the Landing. : )  Excellent girl-bonding time!  We adopted some friends a few years ago, and they live in Branson.  So..whenever we are there, we call them up and spend some time together!  We took Dina to lunch and did some shopping at a little purse/wallet/watch/jewelry boutique next door.  (It was overwhelming...even to me!)  It was full of stuff wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling!  And the colors..turquoise, orange, red, black and white, purple, leopard, and tons of silver.  A real girly-girl place...and they were getting ready for Christmas!  Ornaments and MORE color.

Down at the Landing we went to a bunch of stores that aren't at the Outlets (some of them are though, strangely enough).  And I checked out another "cool" store, at Dina's request.  Her son shops there, so she's in-the-know!  It was Hollister (please ignore the kissing couple on the website).  I know a million people already shop there, but I'd never been in.  I thought it was just a man's store, or for teens.  After all, the shopping bags look like Abercrombie, all chesty guys with low pants!  How on Earth could that be for ME?

But, aloha!! It was for me. ; )  It was first of all, Dark.  Second, it was 9 or 12 little rooms..trying to remember.  The employees (guys leaning on tables with no name tags looking "cool") couldn't leave their Rooms.  (hahaha!)  So, when I wanted to try a shirt that was on a mannequin, first he told me to check the back room (Sale).  Then, when nothing resembling the shirt I wanted was back there, I went back to His Room.  He yelled to the next room (over the super-loud music!) to ask someone else (Manager, maybe?) if he knew where a shirt was.  Let me tell you, it was a creamy white shirt with some ruffles and buttons.  They had a table full of about 8 designs of creamy white shirts.

Mangager Man came, and they looked all over.  (kinda funny that they work there, and don't know where stuff is!  Maybe it's because they aren't actually looking at the stuff in Other Rooms?  Or they are too busy looking cool to actually work?)  (And I have to tell you..there are two young guys parked in the big leather chairs in the entryway.  They.  Never.  Moved.  There when we went in, there when we came out.  Are they paid employees too?)

So..back to my shirt.  I finally found it..Myself!  (Yes, they are only paid to look like they are hanging out there.)  It was cute, and I found some shorts to go with it.  BUT you can't take accessories into the dressing area.  I had to come out, try on the belt (Braided is Back, BTW!!  Do you remember it from the late 80's, early 90's?  I had a homecoming date wear the matching braided Polo belt and braided suspenders in the Fall of 1988!)  Crazy!  Anyway, I took it off, went and tried another pair of shorts, and retried on the belt.  Weird rules.

Then.  The checkout.  We had gotten in a hurry since Angie's husband called to say that her dog had fallen down the stairs, and he might have broken his hip!  She had to get home fast (it was already 7pm!)  We found a Manager Man, and he came to ring us up.  I loved the smell in there so much...I bought the perfume at the counter.  It's very light, smells store-y, and very fresh.  Not musky, not too floral, but perfect.  I also got the little old-fashioned squeezy ball that mixes the perfume with air as it comes out.  It even wheezes a little. ; )  Very Audrey Hepburn.

I have to thank my friend, Leigh, for keeping me in the game.  I've had some really Off days lately.  Mary Claire is now in the school choir, and has to be at school at 7:30am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Ethan has to be in Rogers by 7:55am (25 minutes north of here), and my van is getting the hail damage repaired, so we are sharing a van till Friday.  It means everyone leaves at the same time, so we are getting up really early!  We've also had boy and girl scouts, and the boys' baseball/t-ball teams are just starting up.  Overwhelmed yet?  Add to that the JDRF Walk (and tshirts!), planning a baby shower, I'm teaching PRE this year (helping my friend Tiffany with the First Communion class!), getting ready for our school's Husky Hoedown, and finish our Bible study's book group book (Come Be My Light, by Mother Teresa..she's SO humble, and begging to help the poor, and they won't let her yet-it's slow, but good reading)..none of it is too big, but all together = A Lot!  Trying to Keep Calm and Carry On.

And Mary Claire gets her braces off Thursday! and we see our endocrinologist on Friday! : )  Pray for a great a1c! : )

I have some other stuff brewing...but it's not time to talk about it yet. : )  We'll get there, slowly but surely.  God is good, and He hears my heart.  He knows I'm trying to take it day-by-day, and I'll make it.  I just have to keep my expectations lower (like Homer Simpson) so I can reach them easier ; ) haha!  ..I'm a virgo, it'll never happen.  Oh!  And my birthday is coming up, and it's a dilemma!  I have about 4 choices of what to do over Labor Day weekend, and do I:
a.) grow up and do what they want me to do on my day/weekend?
or
b.) enjoy my day and do what I want to do?

Growing up sux.
And to answer your question: Hollister is a real city just south of Branson, in Missouri!  So, I always thought it was stuff from Missouri, didn't know it was a Store. ; )
And to answer your other question: 38.


Sending you hugs!  (and S.W.A.K. mail!)  Hoping to get caught up on thank you notes today!! : )

Yelling and Whispering

Hey ya'll!  I'm coming to you L-i-V-E from...Branson, Missouri! : )

We've shopped till we dropped, and we've dropped at the hotel for the night.  We always take a shopping trip around my birthday..woohoo! : )  We found some good deals (Polo was 30% off the entire store, and then I had a coupon for 20% off my purchase ; )  Good thing..since Ches asked for 4 white polo shirts!!  What?...Yep.)  It's been a great day.  We also got to see our friends Dina and Sara who live here! : )


I've accepted that my kiddos are growing up..I made my maiden voyage into...Aeropostale!  The music was sooo loud-it was like being at a concert.  I actually had to yell at the employee and lean my ear to listen.  I wanted a size chart, and they didn't have one.  I had NEVER been in there, but heard from the "cousins" at the shore that it's a cool place to shop.  And it was, but there was a learning curve.  (for my fellow unexperienced Aero-shoppers, they only carry juniors sizes!) (so..your young child, 9 or 10-ish, will wear an X-Small, FYI).  I was totally asking if a Medium was 7-8 or 8-10.  They couldn't figure out what I was talking about...now I know why. ; ) haha, what an experience.

And tonight we went to the IMAX to see Tornado Alley.  It was not as emotional as I thought it'd be (especially seeing it with Angie, my friend from Joplin).  It brought up so many memories, both of tornadoes we've lived through, and the ones that have taken lives in ou lifetime.  They are still doing research to give us a 15-20 minute lead time to take shelter.  I'm thankful for the time and energy the TIV and VORTEX2 group has put in for our safety.  And thankful for the National Science Foundation for giving them a grant to continue their research.

and Tomorrow, more shopping! : )  I'm so thankful for our families, and the time they gift us with each year.  It's a restful, recharging, verbal catch-up : )  I love it, and need it.  I'm praying for you to have a recharging weekend too!  Call, visit, or email a friend and talk about your life.  Sometimes we have to share a whispered secret. ; )  ..maybe I'll share one with you?  heehee  Sending you big hugs! ; )

Preschool Stripey Sheets

I finally got my new blog layout! : )  Erin with Designer Blogs did it, and I love all the color : )  The stripes kinda goes along with the little project I just finished..

Ethan started a new preschool (yes, he's still in his Mother's Day Out on Tuesdays where he started two weeks ago, but this is a three-day-program! Yay!)..and he had to have a flat crib sheet for the cot he sleeps on for naptime. (have you ever heard of such a thing?) So, we inquired... and found out that it's half of a twin sheet!

I found a super cute stripey one at Wal-Mart (for $5.00! ..now that's cheap fabric!), and cut it in half.  I ironed it, put a new seam down the cut side, and ironed it all.  Then I added his name to the big wide hem, and voila: Flat Crib Sheet!

And then..since I had extra fabric (half a twin's worth!), I decided to try to make a matching mini-pillowcase for the pillow he loves for school.  It's just a boudoir pillow filler from Hobby Lobby (I think it's 12x18), and a little pillowcase.  We got the original pillowcase from Pottery Barn, but had his name added after we purchased it..and it was coming off! : O

Can you see the top left of the 'E' missing?

Anyway, I wanted a new one to match his stripey sheet. : )  So, I laid down the pillowcase onto the fabric, and cut about 1/2 inch all the way around it.  On this side, I added an extra 4" so that I would have the little "tuck" feature (where you tuck in your pillow so you can't see the filler).

This cut side is 12.5" W x 26" L

And this cut side is 12.5" W x 22" L (just enough for a turned-under hem and a 2.5" end to monogram ; )

Then I ironed down the seams, pinned, sewed the end seam and folded..remember it has to stay open for the "tuck" inside the pillowcase.

I placed right sides together, and sewed the three sides together.

Finally, I kept it inside-out, and sewed a line all the way around the pillowcase making the "end"..turned it right side out, and monogrammed it! : )

Here is the "tuck"..see how you can't see the filler? ; )

And here is his matching set.  All ready for preschool.  (and his kinda-matching Toy Story blanket in the background!)  Yep, all for $5!

And?  He loves preschool-totally makes my day. : )  I told him we had all day together tomorrow (doesn't school make you appreciate the home days?), and he just whined that he wanted to go to school!  (I guess I should be thankful?)