Feeling Yucky and Finding a Cure

I, again, have a cold. I feel miserable. This, for those keeping record, is my second cold in a month. The kids have remained healthy; however I have been battling this cold since Tuesday. Yuck!

Now, on top of the cold, my annual visitor has arrived. That's right my annual cold sore has returned. For those who deal with cold sores....I feel your pain. Truly. My cold sore is no normal cold sore. It appeared 5 years into my 11 year career as a child care worker. At first my doctor, at the time, had no idea what it was. It appeared, grew rapidly, oozed, burned and disappeared. Since I worked with children I was diagnosed with impetigo. Ewww. But, when working with kids, any kind of funk is possible. I was prescribed an antibiotic and eventually it went away. This happened every year for the past 8 years. However, last year a new doctor wised up and essentially had this thought, "It appears every year, it tingles right before appearing, it develops in the same spot each year, it develops rapidly." She then handed me the diagnosis of herpes labialis (aka cold sore) and a prescription for Valtrex. Now I suppose the average person would agree cold sores are NOT fun. However, part of the reason that my cold sore took so long to diagnose is, well, because it is located...on...my.....NOSE! That's right ladies and gents it's hanging off my right nostril as we speak! Thanks to a responsive doctor who accepts Saturday phone calls and a great pharmacy, I'm on medication and it will hopefully shrivel up and die very, very soon! Now, why do I feel the need to tell the world about my nasal dwelling cold sore? Well, because yesterday on my way back from the pharmacy, I was behind a car with a magnetic ribbon supporting a disease I've NEVER heard of. In my crass, sarcastic sense of humor, I began thinking "DOES EVERY STINKING SOMETHING SOMETHING NEED A **BEEPIN** MAGNETIC RIBBON?!" Well, apparently it does, because that darn ribbon gave me this idea:


Make your custom magnet at SupportOurRibbons.com





Pretty darn fantastic....right?! That's right, pass it around, because together we can end NASAL HERPES! :)

Spring Is Near...Thank you!...Hum A New Follower?

After writing one of my previous posts, I got a few comments about my new 4:30am wake up time. I agree....it is NOT fun. In fact I've noticed my body goes into an adrenaline rush as soon as the alarm rings. For the past many, many years when I was awaken in the middle of the night, er.... I mean 4:30, it was because one of the kids was in need of something. So as soon as the alarm sounds I enter emergency mode and hop out of bed, get dressed, get the kids up, pour breakfast in the bowls (yeah, were back to cereal only in the morning :( ) and run out the door. The early hour really doesn't hit me until we are sitting in the bus waiting to pull out. The kids curl up on their seats and attempt to get more sleep, while I sit in the glow of flashing 4 ways and 8 ways. That is, until this week. This week we entered the bus and low and behold, what did we see on the horizon? THE SUN! Which immediately put the song you are listening to in my head....it hasn't left since. Each morning this week we've crawled in to the bus and there it is ...the sun...and my song! :) SPRING IS COMING ! :)

Also, a huge thank you to Poopsie who blessed me with this:




She sent this to me during my first week of bus driving. To get a better idea of what that week was like, click HERE. Then you will truly realize how special it was to receive this little shout of love. :)


I also noticed I have a new follower. Hum, who could it be? Apparently this new follower has no blog of his own, calls himself "The Big Fry" and has a profile picture that looks JUST LIKE my brother-in-laws restaurant in Gettysburg! Huh, WHO COULD IT BE?! By the way if anyone is ever visiting Gettysburg, PA you might want to stop in a Hunts Cafe and say "Hello" to Scott and Donna...oops!...I mean "The Big Fry" and Donna! :) Even if we weren't related I would still say they have the BEST fries and cheese steaks in the state. That's right Philly, MOVE OVER!

Someone Has Been Playing With My Camera.......

and oh, look, they left clues.............

Hum, who could it be? :)

Happy 7th Birthday Reid & Updates

I, as well as others (Growin With It), have come to the following conclusion: My new job, is interfering with my blog time. I know my time management skills will improve as I become more accustomed to my split work schedule. However, right now, I'm having a hard time adjusting to waking-up at 4:30am, waking the kids at 5:30am, leaving the house at 6:15, returning home at 9:30, doing errands, running Ella to preschool and chores, then leaving the house again at 1:30 to return to the bus lot. So until I learn how to best use my "non-working" hours, I suppose my blogging will be sporadic. :(


So, let's play catch-up:


On Thursday, this handsome little man

turned 7! HAPPY BIRTHDAY REID! We had cupcakes and a dinner of his choice (pizza) on Thursday, and as I write this birthday cake is baking in the oven. Reid has chosen a 4 tier double chocolate cake for his birthday celebration today. Yum! Still today, 3 days after his actual birthday, I'm having a hard time realizing that my baby boy has turned 7! Wow!

Well, speaking of Reid, let me share with you a little "Reid equation". Add:

stocking feet



+

green power rangers costume

+

laminate floor

+

RUNNING

=

Not only is his nose black and blue, it isn't straight either! We took him to the doctor to have it checked. There is a possibility that it is broken, however they don't do anything for broken noses. His septum wasn't deviated, so all is well. We're just to keep the Tylenol/Motrin flowing for pain and ice for the swelling. This injury actually happened about 2 weeks ago and his poor nose is still crooked and green. At least green is better than black and blue!

In other news, the bus driving is going much better! Thank you to all who emailed, or posted, encouraging and positive thoughts. It truly meant a lot! My last posting was a play-by-play on my first week. Well that week ended with a break down! As I sat waiting to begin my AM elementary run, I started leaking oil out the front end of the bus. I had to sit and wait for a spare bus to be driven to my location by one of the mechanics. Not necessarily a "bad" thing, it was just ONE MORE THING added onto my first week. However, this week went MUCH better! I had one child get sick...again; however, I'm learning each day will be much different than the next. No week will be the same as the last. Each day there are changes in the weather, changes in the position of cars and trucks parked along the streets, changes in the children's moods and ....well....garbage day! Try turning a bus around in a cal-de-sac full of blowing trash cans! :) All in all it has been fun and an awesome new challenge. So....what will this week hold? :)