Boys

Today Reagan had several friends over to play. One of them happened to be a little boy, I'll call "J". J is a little boy that she had a crush on when she was 18 months old (he is a little over a year and half older than she is.) She would follow him around and do everything he was doing. They haven't spent much time together in the past two years--J has been attending preschool and then Kindergarten this year so Reagan spent more time playing with his younger sister.

But today they were all together. And J drew her a picture and hung it up in her bedroom. A picture of Reagan and J together. A picture that included a "R" at the top...a heart....and then a "J".

I happened to notice the heart while Josh and Reagan where playing camping tonight. I brought it out to show him and ask Reagan about it.

Mommy: Reagan, is this the picture J made for you?
Reagan: (shyly, ducking her head) Yes.
Mommy: Is that you and J in the picture?
Reagan: Yes.
Mommy: Is that a heart between the R and J?
Reagan: (again, shy, nodding)

Daddy is sitting stone-faced through all of this and says "You need to watch that boy." I walked out of the room to hang the picture back up and heard Josh saying to Reagan "Remember, Reagan, no boys til after college." She shook her head emphatically NO and said "Oh, Daddy, you're so crazy!"

OY. VEY.

Bagels

Dear Someone/Anyone,
Please start making blueberry bagels in the "mini" size. This would make breakfast so much easier.

What do you use when your child is sick?

Reagan's asthma is acting up again. I will say we've had a good run of her not getting sick for a while...which has been awesome. But I think combined with the horrible heat and humidity we've had, along with our extremely busy schedule--it just all caught up with her.

So I decided I would post my list of things I send Josh to the store for (and that I really should keep in the house no matter what!) when Reagan comes down with something. It really is a great list and helps keep both of us sane!

--Several boxes of tissues--both lotion and non-lotion (mostly because I hate using lotion AFTER your nose is already chapped, because then it just feels greasy..so I always want to have both!)
--Up to date prescriptions for your child (including those they use only when sick--make sure those haven't expired!!!)
--Lots of Gatorade and juice (Welch's grape has TONS of antioxidants)(this time Josh purchased powder Gatorade, which is a GREAT idea!)
--Straws!
--Humidifier
--Popsicles
--A can of chicken noodle soup (even though homemade is really best sometimes you just don't have "time" to make it from scratch!)
--Children's Tylenol and Ibuprofen (must have because you can alternate them to get a high fever down quickly!)
--A good quality thermometer--we like a temporal scanner thermometer (and always have a backup thermometer in case one quits working)
--Favorite or new movie, lots of good books and even a small inexpensive new toy stashed away (helps alleviate boredom!)
--And of course, a good working relationship with your child's doctor(s) and nurses and their emergency number so you can call and ask questions or get your child in quickly if necessary.

Some other tips that I've found helpful:
--A good book/quiet movie for mom (If you have one child or a child that is sick frequently, you'll find you spend lots of hours at their bedside/next to the couch watching them sleep, checking their temp and basically trying to be quiet. This will do wonders to alleviate YOUR boredom! My personal recommendation is any Jane Austen movie or frankly, any book!)
--Baths. Baths are soothing and even more wonderful if you can put some Johnson's eucalyptus bubble bath in the water or lavender bubble bath to help relax your child. (Note: Moms should be wary of using Vicks type medication with children who have asthma..it may exacerbate their breathing issues).
--Rubbing your child with lotion. When your child has the flu, you can do a ton to relieve body aches by simply heating some lotion for a few seconds in the microwave and then rubbing them down.
--If your child is suffering from stomach flu, rotavirus or any other tummy/bottom ailment, invest in a small trash can, double lined with plastic grocery sacks-easy to dispose of; disposable underpants/pull-ups (great for when there are uncontrollable spasms); and diaper cream for those same issues, even if your child is potty trained.
--Half of a strong onion, cut in half, next to your child's bed makes a great all-natural decongestant and allows your child to sleep much better!

Hoping this list helps someone else out!

Words I Never Thought I'd Hear.....

When I woke Reagan up after a very busy and late weekend (although we tried to put her to bed early last night), she rolled over and groaned: Can't I sleep just a little more? When I said, no, she had to get up because she had camp today, she groaned again and said "I wish they didn't make it so early!"

LOL!

Even better was when I told her to go say bye to Daddy (he is spending today at home!) and he groaned about being woken up; Reagan collapsed on the pillow and said "yeah, I feel that way too."

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz................................

My heart hurts today. I miss you, Pritsha.

So thankful to be American.