trading up

The decision has been made, we will be trying to sell my Ruger Mark II. They don't even MAKE this model anymore... it's a wonderful gun, and Ruger .22's make GREAT plinkers (cheap ammo etc.) but I never did like how it fit my hands and because of that we haven't taken it out to shoot in a long while.

Because it's in great condition, and I have a holster, three magazines, and the original case, we think we can get about $350 for it. If we can sell it then maybe we can turn around and buy a different .22 that I like better. Maybe, ahem, a pink Walther *grin* Hey it's a plinker gun, they don't have to look respectable when all they do is shoot at targets with itty bitty ammo. I did hold that one, and it fit my hands really well!!










Of course we may also just take the money we get from it and put it into savings... that's what we usually end up doing despite my daydreaming plans *chuckle*

Randomly April

Apparently fish is good for you, AND your waistline . Ugh. Still the past few weeks of eating more fish and chicken (vs only red meat) has helped slim me down a bit. I never did think I fit back into my "pre Kiddo" slacks. I do! But I can't keep eating fish, I can handle it coated in spices and grilled... but even that gets old now and then.

In other news the drug company called today. We finally have the insurances companies final authorization!! It will be re-evaluated in July (apparently that's how they approve drugs like this, on a three or six month basis). She said our co-pay wont be more then 50 bucks, and probably a lot less then that. So now we wait for Norditropins pharmacy to call and set up shipments, then we will know for sure what the copay is. I'd love zero, but even fifty would be much less then I was dreading so set down your coffee and do a happy dance with me!!!

Cabin Fever... escape!

About two weeks ago the Mans parents just purchased a new used car. It's a Taurus so if you all have been paying attention (reference my taurus police car post earlier this month) then you know I approve!! It's a very pretty color (sand stone I think, it's a little golden in the sun, and silver in the shade). It has heated seat, a sunroof, usb plug, the phone even hooks through the speakers! I'm a little in awe to be honest. And it rides smooth as silk too.

Last weekend, while we were hanging out at the Mans sisters house celebrating her daughter Jessie's birthday (she turned 7 this year) his dad asked him if we would like to borrow their other car for awhile until they can figure out what to do with it. The Man asked me and I said that I wasn't sure how often I would actually use it (I get nervous driving other peoples cars, I just KNOW that's when fate will step in and crunch me) but that if it would help them out to have us store it, then I'm sure it would come in handy now and then to have, so sure.

End result being we now have a loner car!! And amazingly enough it came in handy a LOT sooner then I thought it would. The Man will be working every single day this week (and weekend) so there really isn't any free day for me to have our car for errands. Having Mom's old car meant that today the Kiddo and I could go out and get some stuff done!! I mailed the broken nook back (button crack, quick exchange return, easy as pie). And I went to the post office and purchased some stamps. The Kiddo really wanted the animal shelter stamps but they didn't have any so we ended up with cowboys. We had a bill and a letter that have been waiting to go out since last Friday!! It's nice to have things done, and to have been able to get out of the house...

Shots, day 4

Yesterday the Kiddo and I sat down to talk about things. I thought since it had been three days of shots that it might be a good time to talk to him about how he was feeling with it all. We sat on the floor and I asked him how he was feeling about everything that was happening the past few days. I said I wanted to know what he thought about his new medicine.

Him "the pokie medicine?"
Me "yep that's the one, what do you think about that one?"
Him "it's okay, it's THREE"
Me "three? Well I suppose with your HC and Levo and now G/H it IS three, is that what you mean?"
Him "No. It's three, the poking medicine is only three so it's okay."

I couldn't understand what he was talking about so I let it go. Later when his Grandma came over to visit he told her the exact same thing.

Last night when it was time for bed we sat the Kiddo in his (now) usual "shot spot" which is up on the table with his legs hanging over resting on his chair. While the Man got things ready I sat and talked to him again, I asked him where he wanted this shot to be (he picked arm) and told that it was good we had a medicine that helps him grow.

Him "yeah, but only THREE so it's good" and he grins
Me "I still don't understand, what is three??"
Him "remember? in the case, there's only three!"

And finally the lightbulb when off, and I almost cried. No wonder he was so okay with the shots, he thought he only had to do it till those three needles (stored IN the case) were gone and then he was done.
I had to explain to him that he was going to get a shot every night for a very long time. And then I showed him the box full of needles so he could see "how many" there were. He didn't look very happy, I can only imagine.

seasoning

Recently we have been eating a little bit more chicken and fish. I am NOT a very big fan of fish so I've been buying more spices and seasoning mixes to try and help with it. Wandering through the all natural section of my local Smiths I found one of the most delicious vegetable seasonings I have ever tasted! It's pretty good on chicken and fish too, but it's amazing on veggies! With a little of this stuff sprinkled on top even the Man will eat asparagus!
I checked amazon and found that they have several different varieties of Spike. I like the all purpose, but they also have a hot and spicy that I think I may want to pick up at some point. YUM!

ooo shiny

Mirror Man? People do some very odd things for attention. He almost looks cool, but I can't seem to get past the creepy factor.

The other side

I have been reading a lot about the immigration bill that's recently been signed by the govorner of Arizona. There have been a lot of protests about the bill, stating profiling and how wrong it is.

I have a very strong stand of my beliefs on illegal immigration and have always thought that to fix the problem it will take some 'harsh' realities and actions. On the same note I have also often said to the Man how I wished I could understand the other side, the people who protest and say "hey, just because I immigrated illegally..." bla bla.

I wasn't going to say anything here in my blog about it but today I came across a CNN article that made me pause. I read the article, about a soldier who is no longer proud to say he grew up in Arizona... because he came here illegally at the age of two (now has his papers obviously) but oh gosh when he comes back from his deployment some of his friends or family 'could' be gone because not all of them are legal.

I think the purpose of the story was to be a heart breaker, and make you feel sorry for him and his family. To make us feel that the new Law is mean and not just. For me, it did the exact opposite. I wonder sometimes what our country is deteriorating into... and THAT is what makes me sad.

orientation... upside down

We sat in a big auditorium. "There was a lot of chairs" is how the Kiddo describes the room. We listened to the principle talk about some random things (I LOVE her btw) and then we listened to a school nurse go over what we needed to get done. Sadly having an immunization record isn't enough, you have to have their specific paperwork filled out showing all the shots had been given. That annoys the crap out of me, what is the point of us having kept a complete record of all his stuff if we just have to go BACK to the doctor to get something different filled out too!! It's the same thing with his eyes, they require a vision screening. They didn't even give me a form, just told everybody that a screening had to be done. I suppose making it easy would be to um easy...
After that was done they had all the kids go up and sit on the stage area. The Kiddo seemed so small! I was looking and I did see a couple other kids about his size though so maybe it wont be that bad? From there all the kids went to the two kindergarten teachers rooms and did a small activity with each teacher. There was one teacher I really liked, she was quiet and very calm. The other teacher seemed more of the disciplinarian type. I really hope that the Kiddo gets assigned to the first, I was not able to make a request so it really will be luck of the draw *fingers crossed*
On the way out they gave the Kiddo a cookie. He took one bite and then carried it home. He wanted to show the Man the cookie while he told him about his day. Then his big plan was to eat it while playing star wars on the ps2. I love my kid, only he would have the self control to WAIT that long before eating a cookie!

We requested the afternoon schedule 1pm-3:50pm... I had NO idea a kindergarten half day was so SHORT. For some reason I was thinking 4 hours, maybe 4 1/2. Barely three hours shocked me.

We also requested the track that will give him extra time off in November and February. Our second choice would give him that same time off in December and June. It will be interesting to see what we end up with.

On the way out I picked up the extra forms for the Kiddo's Endo to fill out so that the Nurse can draw up an emergency care plan. I doubt we'll need it (especially with such a short day) but it is always a good idea to be prepared just in case.

The Kiddo thought it was a great trip. I thought it was a sad one, when did he get to be five!! I'm sure my first afternoon free I'll feel differently but for now I can't shake the feeling that I'm shoving him out of the nest just a little to soon *sigh*

Shots

So the pen is very easy. It's prefilled (thank GOD) so all we have to do is remember the dosage amount. We screw on the plastic needle bin, pop off the top, and slide the needle guard off. The needle is only about a quarter of an inch long. Then we twist the back until the counter display hits the number that is the Kiddo's dosage amount (.7). We pinch some skin (thigh, stomach, hips, arm) and stick him, press the back of the pen to inject, count to five, and voila done!
Easy as it is, it is still a needle. I was still feeling the stomach butterflies. The man did most of the hands on. I did do one practice injection on a pillow, I distracted myself by showing the Kiddo each of the steps as I did them.

Then after all the practicing was done the Man gave the Kiddo his first shot. In the thigh. True to form the Kiddo didn't even flinch. He didn't look super happy either though. Still once the shot was done we asked him how it was and he said "good", and said it didn't hurt.

One shot a night, and in about 13 years and we'll be done! Hopefully I get a little more time to be comfortable with this before the Man gets deployed or an evening work shift. *sigh*

This afternoon is kindergarten orientation. I'm going to take my camera and we'll see if I'm brave enough to take pictures.

quick update

Our Nurse called and our appointment to learn how to give the Kiddo his g/h shots is tomorrow morning. I will let you all know how it goes! :)

I need a filing cabinet

The Kiddo's new meds came today. As I set the paperwork from the boxes into his medical folder I though, not for the first time, how I really need to get myself a locking filing cabinet. I want it to lock so he doesn't get into it, then maybe I could store some of the spare medical stuff in there too (like the extra needles and alcohol wipes).
Anyway as I mentioned the Norditropin starter kit and medication came this afternoon via fedex. The white box on his left had the medication. It's a BIG box...
For just a couple med pens! Not to mention the big freezer pack (anybody need one that size?).
The other box had all the neat stuff. A freezer bag (up top), a big backpack for the Kiddo. alcohol wipes, needles, a desposal bin for the needles, a pretty neat case for the pens, and a couple information pamphlets.
I'm pretty impressed with the freezer bag. It has two inserts and compartments.

We still have not heard from the Nurse who is suppose to come visit and train us how to use them. I'm debating whether I should call her or not. Probably... but I'm having a cranky day so we'll see if I actually do it or not.

April updates (GHD* etc)

Nordicare (the growth hormone drug company) finally called yesterday. The woman said that they hadn't gotten "final confirmation" and that has been the reason for the delay. But she said that since it HAS been pre-approved she would go ahead and send us the intro package (free of charge to us or the insurance company) so we can get started. We should have that package (shots, and supplies) by tomorrow. Sometime in the next day or two we should hear from the Endo's nurse and we will set up a time for her at home instruction.

I re-read all of our insurance documents to make sure I understood how much of a co-pay we will have on this stuff. It will be 5%. That doesn't sound like much but it IS once you take into account how much this stuff costs total per month. The Man found a comic last night that related...
The Kiddo and I have had a few conversation about what his new medication will be like. I was not sure if it was the right thing to do, but I thought preparing him for it was better then suddenly giving him shots out of the blue. I tell him that it will help him grow big and strong just like his other medications. That part he's more then okay with! Then I tell him that it wont be a pill though, it will be a shot like Grandma does (diabetes). With her little pen, a tiny needle. That part he is NOT okay with. He acts like he is when we talk about it, but then randomly several hours later he will find me and say "um mom, I really don't want to get pokies every day, that will hurt". I tell him I know he doesn't, but that it is the only way to give the medicine and that it will be so easy he wont mind at all.

The support group I am a member of, for parents of kids with his specific medical conditions, suggested that I look into getting him a dog. Many of them say that their kids have one, and how much it helps when they feel extra icky that day or feeling different or upset. I thought it would be worth looking into, so far the Kiddo is very well adjusted but who knows if he can maintain that through the shots added to his daily regiment and the separation from home that school will bring.

I talked to our apartment front office about getting him a dog. Not a service dog, but a companion dog. They said we would, as expected, have to get the proper paperwork filled out by our doctor saying it is a needed thing. So I called the Endo., I found out that he has never done anything like this for any of his patients, and he is not sure that he can do it for the Kiddo. I believe he was confused about what type of dog we wanted (he thought trained service/therapy dog). I explained the difference and he is thinking about it. I'm not holding my breath, but we will see.

In other news Kindergarten Orientation is this Friday. Due to work obligations the Man wont be able to come. I'm a little panicked! Normally going by myself would not be such a big deal but there were so many things I wanted to talk to the principle/teachers about and I will probably get sucked into my shy anti social shell and forget them all. Hopefully I can set an appointment with a teacher and the principle for a later date, where the Man can come too. The kiddo is very much looking forward to it. I will try to take pictures.

*GHD = Growth Hormone Deficiency

Jars

I've been looking for a good gallon jar for years. It has to be glass, and the lid has to be plastic. This months visit down to Arizona my dad had a jar of pickled peppers in the fridge, it rekindled my desire to have one.

I found some! It took several hours of searching because very nearly every jar you find is either a tea jar with a spigot, or a glass jar with a metal lid.

Problem with what I found? They come in a four pack and the cost would, after shipping, be 40 bucks! I guess I'll bookmark the page and save the thought.

I really want to make some pickled eggs* though...

*recipe in comments

Timing

It's beautiful out today. 66 degrees and sunny. I have all the windows open and with the slight breeze coming through them it's the perfect atmosphere for a nap. To bad I can't take one...
Earlier the Kiddo came to me and asked if he could play the computer. He wanted to play the alphabet game. I told him I wasn't sure, that we needed to have breakfast first and after that we'd decide. He came real close and batted his eyelashes at me (btw thanks for that Miss D) and said "but mom, look what my eyes are doing" and then smiled sweetly. I told him batting his eyes at me would not help. So he thinks "hmmm... I know! I know what will make you say yes. I will give you food and then you wont be hungry anymore so you'll say yes and let me play." He went to the fridge and started digging around inside, muttering to himself the whole time, looking for something he thought I'd like. He came back with a bright smile and an orange. I'm a sucker, it worked, I fed him cereal and then let him play.

After a bit though I thought, because of the really nice weather, I would have us go outside and take a bike ride. We rode down to where the elementary school is. It took us 25 minutes to get there, and he was yammering excitedly the entire way. He was bound and determined he'd start class today, and argued with me when I told him he needed a few more months of growing before it was time.









When we got back I let him play in the playground area for awhile with a couple other kids. I think today was pretty much hands down the best day of the month for him (since getting back from AZ). I'm looking forward to the Man getting home from work because that's when I get to hear the Kiddo tell him all about his day.

birthday splat

My little sister sent the Kiddo a birthday present. We received last Monday and he's been giggling about it ever since. There was a model airplane, and a kitty bank, but the part he loved the best was four squishy sticky splat balls. His favorite of the four is a red pig.

Like a Journal

I think I have figured out how to get blogger to send a copy of my posts to my email. That way I can have a backup copy of all the stuff I write. Really, as my mom pointed out the other day, this is more of an open forum journal then anything and I bet the Kiddo might enjoy reading it someday.

There's also supposed to be a way I can get it to print the entire thing. That would be quite a few pages and I'll have to wait to look into it later when I can afford a bunch of paper and an extra ink cartridge for the printer. I wonder if it prints the pictures too. That would be really amazing! I can't wait until I can try it. If I can get it to work and get everything from the past year printed out then I'll start printing it kept up to date, I'll just print a month when it's done. It'd be a lot cheaper and quicker that way.

Pending

This week is all about waiting. We were called by the Kiddo's Endo office last Friday to let us know that the insurance has cleared the GH shots. Now we wait for the drug company to call us, and send us the first batch. Once that happens we call the nurse for the at home instructions. It's not supposed to take long so any day now I'm guessing. The waiting is making me a little tense though.

Till then I am distracting myself by sewing. I thought if I can make a few Nook bags (say 5 or 6), then I can put them all up on Etsy for sale. I think if I can sell that many for 30 or 40 bucks a piece I will be quite a bit closer to buying my glasses!! Maybe that plus any gifted birthday money I get will put me where I need to be to get them.

To that end I cut out pieces for three, and have put together two of them. I've taken a few pictures. I am curious how much you think I should attempt to sell them for. I'm leaning towards 40 because more money is always better, but I don't really know.

vroom

I've always said that I thought the day would come when cars would drive themselves. Not in the city, for those quick 10 minute drives to the grocery store or wherever.. those are quick trips, that usually involve changes of mind and direction depending on the time of day and what else you need to do. But those longer trips, the 40 minute commute to work, the 2 hour drive to visit family (or 12 if your family happens to live in another state) it would be amazing. You could program the gps, set the car to go, and sit back and read or something similar.

And the GPS is exactly why I thought it was possible. If you can have a gps that will track your position, and show you step by step, turn by turn, second by second, where you are, where you are going, when to turn, traffic congestion, etc. Why can't you tie that into the cars speed and steering and let it do it for you?

Apparently you can

inJustice

There is a decided lack of Justice in this world. My mom and I were talking about that during my last visit. It wasn't a long conversation, but she mentioned that she was currently unhappy (understatement) with a group that pickets soldiers funerals. My jaw dropped, I haven't been keeping up with the news and missed that this was happening.

I saw an article today, a couple actually, talking about how a dad is suing the group. They picketed at his sons funeral ... I can't even imagine what that would do to me. I hope he wins, I hope somebody puts that group in it's place. Freedom of speech is one thing but I cannot believe these people would use a funeral as a way to get heard. I'm not sure if he can win, because of the freedom of speech issue, but I'm glad he's trying.

I wouldn't mind if a giant act of nature (meteor, sink hole, spontaneous combustion) took the whole group out right in the middle of their next demonstration either.

Cars

Everybody around me is getting fancy cool new cars. Lady D picked up her Monte Carlo last year. Miss N got herself a fancy GTO. My MIL has been car shopping for the past month. I sat in and drooled over my dads Lexus while visiting them last week. And my brother... yeah well *grumble*

I've been daydreaming about the Dodge Charger for years. In a perfect and amazing world I'd get the SRT8 version and have it be a "me" color. It doesn't COME in a me color though so that's always been a little iffy.

Yesterday (due to the influx of car vibes I've been getting) I did a little online window shopping and found out that the Dodge Challenger SRT8 comes in PURPLE!! It's my car dream color. Unique and fun, a little spunky, but not flashy (like green would be). Oddly, the Charger doesn't have that color option available. Still I bet if I had enough money to get the Charger, I'd have enough to talk them into painting it purple for me...

Mud fights and Imagination

Around 8am this morning:

Suddenly I feel a small body launching itself over me. A little voice shouts, "look out" and then the same voice makes squelching sounds from behind me as little hands grip my side and he ducks and pops up daring his unseen enemy to throw another mud ball.

His stuffed lion is all the way at the edge of the bed in front of me and he squeels "liiiooon" and he frantically looks around him for ammo. He sighs gustily "nothing!! Mom! I'm all out" ... "but I have to help lion"

More mud balls thrown at him and he jerks around spazmotically as one hits him. "eeeeeew, ICK.. they got me!"

Another frantic yell for lion, so I drag my arms out of his strangle hold and pull lion over to him.

A giggle, then "lion quick, give me ammo"... and spitting sounds...

My eyes snap open to see his little hand throwing spit at his invisible foes (imaginary thank GOD). "NOW I can win the war" he yells and starts jumping around the bed with lion slobber balls thrown left and right at the baddies.

Sometimes I get the feeling the Kiddo is channeling Calvin *sigh*

Projects

Yesterday the Man and the Kiddo went to the barber. The Man goes every month just before his drill weekend but I don't have the Kiddo go with the Man every time. The high and tight look is one of my favorites on him, but longer looks cute too so I can save a little money and just have it done every three or four months. He has so much fun going with his dad, they usually get to have their hair cut at the same time, and the Kiddo gets to watch the man while his is getting done. One of these times I should try and take a picture of him in the barber chair.
The Man is working today. I'm so used to him having Fridays off and not having him home is throwing off my week.

Yesterday I finally got my fabrics!! I am very excited, the colors I picked to match each other are exactly like I envisioned. I am looking forward to starting my projects with them and seeing how well I do making reversible Nook bags. I hope things go as smoothly as I think they will!

Slate

This one is for the Man, and my dad. I had a lengthy conversation with my dad about the ipad while visiting last week. We were discussing who it was for (what market group) and who would actually USE it, vs the people who would buy it just because it's a neat looking gadget. Then last night I had almost the same conversation with the Man, except with him I also was able to mention that HP is going to be coming out with something similar. Though it does seem like nobody knows the actual "real" specs on it.

I for one hope that it's as good as they say. I like the idea of a very light laptop to use for my everyday purposes. Mine (as my dad knows now *chuckle*) weighs at least 8 lbs. It's an old model HP, does the job and has a nice big screen BUT it's a portable desktop (I think that's what my dad called it) and not really made for transporting around.

Watch the linked utube video ad (I appologize for the size issue, I can't figure out how to shrink an imbeded utube video so if it bugs you to watch follow it to utube and watch it there). After that follow the link and read about the HP Slate. Then tell me what you think. The only thing that I read that I wasn't sure on was the lower battery life... Though if I had one I'd be using it at home 90% of the time and I'm more then used to being plugged in to use a computer. It has the sd card slot on the side, usb jack,.. I love the camera, and more I LOVE the video camera (skype video phone conversations for the kiddo with aunties and uncles anyone?).

Grace

"Dear God, thank you for"...

and he looks around, almost frantically, glancing across the table and then into the kitchen. Finally he brightens up

"my straw cup "

And I say, "what?! Isn't the food mommy gave you worth thanking God for?"

And he says "um nah"

But he ate it!! And that's all that matters :)

food for thought

Fast food is good. Well some of it is. Of course good doesn't always mean good for you, in fact it seems like it very rarely does. Lately the more I try to learn about "healthy" eating the the more I'm hearing how carbs are bad. Which is sad because I really love bread, and pasta!! And breaded chicken tastes quite a bit better then a slab of baked dry meat...

Speaking of... I recently came across the KFC Double Down which has a fairy average (for fast food) 540 calories and 32 fat grams. (to give you an idea the Big Mac, has 540 calories, and 29 fat grams). Of course the healthy eating nuts of the world are up in arms about it because it's so terrible for you (um relook at those numbers I typed... ...).

Is it bad that my first thought was "mmm that looks kinda good!"

Growing

The Nurse called with the Kiddo's test results. They tested several different areas/levels and she said if any ONE of them came back lower then 10 then they generally give growth hormone shots. The Kiddo's HIGHEST level was 2.15!!

So we will be giving him shots. Our insurance wont cover the brand I was hoping to get*, so we will be giving him Norditropin**. Sometime this week their representative or the case manager will be calling us and we should be started by the end of next week. The Nurse will be doing an at home visit to show us how to do things and answer any questions we have. All I know for sure for now is that the Kiddo will continue to get shots, every night just before bed, until he is 16 or 17 years old.

I'm excited that he will finally be growing. A little worried about having to give shots. And a little amused that we will have to buy new clothing as often as most other parents do (because he will actually outgrow them).


* I wanted saizen because of the injector style, which is a hidden needle vs pen shaped.

**for those of you who like to do your own research I hyperlinked to the main website for this type of medication.

Back home

I had a wonderful trip! The drive down was fast, and the drive back was super fun! My friends family is so much like my own that we can't help but get along great. Her kids and the Kiddo fit perfectly, and her husband was made from the same mold as the Man. It's a little scary really.

Being in AZ with my family went far to quickly. The kiddo loved every second, the only reason he was willing to come home was because he knew we'd be driving back with my friend in her new car. And may I just say, her new car kicks BUTT. It's a blue 2004 GTO. It's amazing, I really really want!

On the drive back up we stopped at Jack n the Box for lunch. There are no Jack's in Utah, how messed up is that?? Getting to stop and eat there is one of the special treat parts of going down to visit. The kids meal toy was a growth chart! I've been wanting one of those for a long time and it's really rather neat that I now have one for free... especially since the kiddo will soon be doing a lot more growing.

All in all a great trip, far to short though. The Man and I are talking about maybe taking another one down later this summer. I'll have to do a lot of coordinating with my siblings if we do it, make sure they're home and have a little more time to visit.

Vacation

Today my friend is driving me down to Arizona. I wont be back until Monday. Which is actually almost normal as far as my blogging gaps go (Fridays are iffy, but weekends are usually non blog days). I thought I'd warn you all anyway... especially since yesterdays weather (31 degrees and slushing) caused me to have the lazy schlubing blues and not blog anything or even DO anything productive.

Though, I did buy some new fabrics. I found a website that has some amazing patterned machine washable cozy minky fabrics. I'm found a 25% off coupon, and a free shipping coupon, and hopefully by the end of next week I'll be working on a few new bags to sell. If I sell three at 20 bucks each then I'll recoop all my costs. The fabric I bought will make at least 8. I think that's a fair deal!!












I got a darker pink for the inside of the circles pattern, a lime green to match the squares, and a dark olive to go inside the giraffes.