What a week!

The kids got back from vacation with grandma and grandpa last Friday. I noticed that TWO had a little rash going on. Grandma didn't know anything about it, didn't bother TWO, I just thought it was an allergic reaction to something. Saturday the little rash went from little to pronounced and by Monday morning it was just gross.

I got her into the doctor after I was done running ONE to VBS across town. Turns out that she has roseola. GREAT! Well really it wasn't a big deal just gross to look at. One was loving VBS (she can't wait for school to start in the fall). I didn't give it a second thought since mostly kids under 3 get roseola but yesterday afternoon she started to complain that she was cold. It is freaking 85 degrees, how can she be cold? But low and behold she has a fever. I hope she didn't have the fever at VBS. Well I am keeping her home from it today and hopefully she wasn't a typhoid Mary, spreading the virus to all the kids. I actually hope it was just a fluke fever that has nothing to do with roseola (or that she is old enough not to get the rash). I feel bad keeping her out of the last day of VBS but there is nothing that can be done for it. I promised her a movie day so...

For anyone wondering...
Roseola is a virus that effects kids 4 and under. In most cases, it starts with a high fever that can last 1-4 days. After the fever a rash breaks out that looks like measles. The rash typically does not itch and generally just looks bad. It is contagious during the fever stage and it normally takes about a week to 10 days between infection and fever. There is no vaccination for it and it is generally no big deal, however the high fever has been known in some cases to cause seizures. Roseola is typically over before you know what you have.

Mentoring Mommy

I have be come a Mommy Mentor. This is an incredibly scary thought on my part as I cannot fathom me, (the woman who is ok if her kid eats dirt (just a little), encourages her kids to fight (just a little) and can tune her kids out if necessary (a whole lot)) would be thought of by anyone as an appropriate mentor to anyone. The title is definitely an informal one but it is a role I have taken on none the less.

One of my friends who is only recently married and has recently moved over 1000 miles away from all friends and family other than me is pregnant with her first. Her and her husband are blissfully unaware of the riggers of parenting and are now looking at my husband and I for guidance. I am so excited for her, especially now that I get to go through everything all over again without the commitment of being the parent or pregnant one.

For the past few month I have been fielding pregnancy questions from her. You know, the basic "is this normal?" type of stuff. This past Thursday I got to have all sorts of fun helping her register. She asked me to come along because she didn't know what she needed or how to sort through all of the choices, "why are there so many different types of bottles?" "do I really need a diaper pail, can't I just use the regular garbage?"

Registering was great. I got to see all of the new stuff that was out. I know that my husband was hoping that it would give me the baby bug but I survived without catching that affliction. The other great thing about helping out this friend (other than the satisfaction of helping out someone who feels like she so needs it) is that it is causing me to remember things that I forgot long ago about my pregnancy and early days of parenting.

I am being cautious however. I want to make sure I don't over step my bounds and insert myself too much into the process. I try not to offer advice unless asked (or I see a desperate need for it). I would hate to have this ruin our friendship (it is a rather new one). I just see this as being great and for the moment she does too. I think all new mom's should be partnered with someone. Is there an organization that does that? I would join in a heart beat. I know in the past the pregnant woman's mom would do it but I see a need for it in today's society. Plus somethings are better heard from a friend than your mom.

What do you think, do we need a new mom's mentoring group? Is that what we are doing here on our blogs?

The Kids Return

I know that I have been absent for the last week. Well there is a reason, although it doesn't really make sense. My kids have been gone for the last week. That is right, Grandma and Grandpa came and took both of them away for a week of vacation.

So with such a big opportunity, what have I been doing this week? Well a whole lot of nothing--at least quantifiable. I have been sleeping in, scouring the city for jobs (in my field and out/full-time and temp), spending loads of time with the hubby and some basic household organization.
It has been great. The hubs has had a rather slow week at work so he has been home everyday by 3pm and didn't even go in on Wednesday. We have had dinner together, went on walks and talked. It has been great. I remember the relationship that we had before we were married before kids...I fully believe that every couple needs something like this.

Ok, so it has been great. I missed the kids. I talked to them every night on the phone. They are coming home tonight. I can't wait to see them but hate to see this week go. Back to the normal schedule. Oh well.

Mommy Blogger Muscle

We all know that we as mom's are important, but it is great when the rest of the world knows it too. I came across this article on the front page of MSN this morning and wanted to link to it here in case anyone had missed it. We all know our give aways are great and that someone in PR is looking at us at least as a way to advertise to a segment of the population but to see the power we can and do have is great!
Happy reading all.

Advice Update

I wanted to update all of you on my friend I wrote about earlier this week.

I did send her an email (per your advice). She is doing OK now but had a rough patch. I knew that email was the way to go but it was nice to hear it from all of you. Anyways... She is fine, we are talking/emailing again.

Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to get in contact with her.

Tag--I'm it:)

Just when I think I have the hang of the blogging world, another new thing comes my way. I have been tagged for the first time. My friend over at Dirty Diaper Laundry (who's blog is great, informative and humorous) tagged me. She thinks it is like one of the MySpace/Facebook Games we all ignore, for some reason it reminds me of some crazy email chain or old fashion chain letter. But I respect her so with some delay I am going to play along.



Here is the deal. I have to list six unimportant things that make me happy. That should be easy. I have to tag six other bloggers. That could take some work, but it is do-able. I have to link who tagged me. Done. And I have to comment on the blogs I have tagged. Will do.



1. Pedicures

2. Babby Giggles

3. Dinner made by the Hubby

4. A trashy Romance Novel (huge weakness of mine)

5. Nap-time (mine and the kids)

6. Oreo's



Now the Bloggers for me to tag.



1. Mom-Mom's Harmony

2. Native American Momma

3. Parenting by Google

4. Stay at Home Mom

5. Three Boys and a Dog

6. Random Thoughts while Parenting



Hope you all had fun. I know I did.

Wordless Wednesdays--Tuesday Stitches

Instead of going strawberry picking on Tuesday, ONE sent us to the ER when she crashed into the end table with her head. She is fine but her vacation plans have to be altered as swimming is out for the next several days.

For more Wordless Wednesdays go here.

Top Droppers for May

This is my first month posting this but I wanted to thank all of you who "drop" regularily.

At Home In The Ozarks
Small Town Mommy
Confessions of a Psychotic Housewife
The Coupon Coup
Wii Mommies
Cool Dad Central
Momspective
Luv a Bargain
J. Leigh Designz
Mother by Design