CHEAP DETERGENT

After weeks of a rash, I finally figured out that my foster son is allergic to some laundry detergent.  We did a detective project to try and figure out what was giving him a rash.  We ruled out food.  We ruled out the soap.  We ruled out Mr. Bubbles.  We ruled out shampoo.  The only thing left was the soap his last location used.  I switched to a laundry detergent that has no fragrance/dye/etc. and washed all his clothes, towels, sheets and the rash started to go away.  I also put some anti itch cream on the rash.

In a few days the rash was gone.  It is amazing what cheap soap can do to your skin.  (yes, it was cheap industrial soap.)  With the Method no dye/no fragrance detergent, he got better almost immediately.

Until tomorrow...

SOCIAL MEDIA

At what age is it okay for kids to be on social media?  There are so many things to be worried about.  Who are the contacting?  What are the finding out?  It is all so scary. It is even more scary when some older kids teach them about Facebook and they are suddenly asking you how they can get on Facebook.  Yikes.

I had a neighbor put some parental controls on my computer.  If you try to search for things it says something like "go ask your parents".  We searched for heroin.  No go.  We searched for porn.  No go.  I am sure a child will figure out how to get around it eventually but it made me feel safe for now.

Until tomorrow...

CHUTES AND LADDERS

It is amazing how we forget how to play kids games once we get older.  Today I was supposed to play Chutes and Ladders.  I know I probably played this game when I was a child.  It was invented originally as Snakes and Ladders in England.  Then in 1943 it was brought to America as Chutes and Ladders.  I am sure I played it as a child but while I was trying to figure out the rules, I had no recollection at all of playing this game.

Until tomorrow...

MATCH GAME

I had no idea how much some kids like to play the match game.  It is the game where there are two of each card or piece.  All the cards or pieces get mixed up and turned over.  Players have to turn over two pieces and remember where those pieces are for their next turn and match the two pieces.  When they do they get those pieces and get another turn.  The person with the most matches wins.  I must have played the Angry Birds version of this game 100 times.  I made up names for the pieces; Pirate Pig, Pink Bird, etc.  I would win it at first but then I would start to lose as my opponent got better.

Until tomorrow...

PLAYGROUND

Have you ever watched kids on a playground?  Some kids love to get on the rides that go around and around. My niece loves those rides. She can stay on them forever.

Then there are the rides that bounce up and down.  I get seasick.  All that bouncing.

Some kids like the climbing things.

If I were a kid, I am not sure what I would like but I know it would not be the bouncing thing or the round and round thing.  They make me sick.

I like climbing things now but I am too big.

Until tomorrow...

LUNCH AND A MARCH

Today was a day of lunch of veggie burgers with a friend and a protest march.  That is a good day.  I was so full after that veggie burger I needed a good long march to work it off.

Until tomorrow...

WAS IT A DREAM

Some days are so chaotic that you can't remember what sequence everything occurred.  The whole day was a big mashup.  When the day finally ends, you just fall in bed and go to sleep in a minute.  The next morning you wake up and for one minute, you think, was that a dream.  Then you remember it was the real thing.

That was today.

Until tomorrow...

BUYING SHOES

I had my first experience buying kids shoes.  I had no idea that there are toddler shoes and kids shoes and bigger kids shoes.  They start at size 1, then start over at size 1, then who knows at what size.  It is rather confusing.

I needed size 1 kids shoes.  Then after trying them on we decided that size 2 would fit better.  They fit so well that we got a pair of sneakers and a pair of "good" shoes.  The good shoes are for church or picture day or some other fancy event.  They are awful cute.

There is just a learning curve in buying kids shoes.

Until tomorrow...

WHY ARE YOU MAKING ME WALK?

"Why are you making me walk?"  That is what I heard today.  It is sad that I am in better shape than X. We were only walking about 7 blocks and he could not make it without sitting down.  I have to get him in better shape.

Until tomorrow...

"I DON'T WANT TO TAKE HOME LEFTOVERS"

Tonight X and I went out for dinner for the first time just the two of us. I thought we would give it a try.  I found a place with a kids menu that had something X liked.  We got our food after earlier arguing about what X was allowed to drink.  The rule is no soda and no iced tea.  X doesn't need sugar or caffeine for dinner.  Lemonade and pizza were decided upon.  We ate our meal and X ate just a small bit because he ate and drank his drink very quickly.  He did eat all the pepperonis off the remaining pizza.

At the end of the meal, I got a take home box and X asked me what I was doing.  I said we are taking home the leftovers.  He said "I don't want to take home the leftovers."  He said we can just leave them here and they will throw them away.  I explained that when we pay for a meal and only eat a small portion of it at a restaurant, we take the rest of it home and eat it for lunch the next day.  We have pepperoni at home and can put it on the remaining pizza.  He was not happy and told me he would not eat it.

I don't really understand this because last week we had pizza at the house and there was enough leftover for X to eat pizza for two days for lunch.  He ate it willingly.  Maybe someone can explain to me the difference between leftovers from takeout food and leftovers from food from a restaurant.  Pizza leftovers are pizza leftovers. 

I am looking forward to MY leftover salad tomorrow.  The trick is to hold off putting on the salad dressing on the half you are taking home.  Now I have a salad for lunch tomorrow.

Until tomorrow...

A STRING AND A KID

Today X was out in the backyard with a contraption he made doing who knows what.  He calls it his "work".  He took a jump rope, some mardi gras beads and another string and tied them together.  He is attempting to hang or string them somewhere.  When that failed, he decided to use some toy to beat up the ivy on my fence to cut it down. When I asked him about it, he said the ivy needed to be trimmed.  I guess he was listening in on a conversation I had with someone.  So he beat up the ivy for a good 30 minutes.

When he was done I told him he had to clean up the leaves.  He looked at me like I was an alien.  I said you cut down all the leaves and branches, you have to put them in the compost bin.  He asked if I have one of those blowy things.  I asked him where he would blow the leaves and such.  He thought about it and said that would not work.  After a short negotiation, we did it together.  Then I told him the walkway needed to be swept where he dropped all the leaves going to the bin.  He acted like I was asking him to do pre-calculus.  We did it together.

Now if I could channel that energy and get him to do the whole yard of all the ivy, I would not need a gardener!

I never did find out what he was doing with that string.  He said it was a secret.  

Until tomorrow...

MORE CATS

We went to see another neighbor's cat.  I also got to see their grandson.  I had fun hanging with the child and everyone else hung with the cat.  It was a fun afternoon.  Why do cats always want to hang with the person who is allergic to them?

Until tomorrow...

GOODBYE

Why do people feel they can say goodbye when they are done talking to you?  You may still be talking and the other person says goodbye.  Sometimes with a head shake but always with attitude.  It is so rude.  It is so much more polite to say: excuse me. I do not want to speak about this anymore.  Can we stop this conversation?  Or something equally polite.  Whatever happened to manners?

Until tomorrow...

LUCKY TEETH PART 2

Today was Lucky's pre-dental vet appointment.  She had to go in to get checked out to see how bad her teeth would be and how much it would cost me.  There are three levels.  The lowest level costs the least.  She is usually a level 3 and that costs the most.  This time she is a level 2.  That is great.  Of course it may change once they get in there and see how bad her teeth are.  This is like a car estimate.

Her appointment is the first week in September.

Until tomorrow...

CATS

I know someone who is cat crazy.  He is so cat crazy that he wants me to get a cat.  Unfortunately I am allergic to cats.  Also I have two dogs, a bird and two fish.  Not a good mix with a cat.

Today we went to a friend's home who has two cats.

Those cats were so much fun to play with.  Even for me, not-a-cat-person.

Until tomorrow...

FERRY RIDE

We decided to go on a ferry to see a ship. We got to the ship and it was closed for a special event.  I got on the internet and found another thing to do.  We went to a restaurant that had an arcade.  I am not sure the arcade was loved by all but the restaurant was wonderful.  When we were done we took the ferry back.  It was a fun day.

Until tomorrow...

PICNIC

Today is a picnic.  We are going and taking my parents.  My mom made a wonderful pasta salad and in the rush to get everyone in the car, I forgot to put the salad in the trunk.  I remembered it half way to picking up my parents from their hotel.  We were so late, I could not go back.

We then got lost going to the picnic.  Four people in my little car.  Ugh.

The picnic was lots of fun.  I met up with some friends.  I met some new friends.  My parents talked to a lot of people.  I think everyone had a good time.

Until tomorrow...

MEETING THE FOLKS

It is so interesting having new people meet your parents.  Seeing your parents through other people's eyes.  My parents are here for the weekend and they are meeting all sorts of people, friends, associates, neighbors.  I think you worry how they will be and sometimes you are pleasantly surprised that they get along with folks.

Until tomorrow...

FIRST HAIRCUT

Today was a first haircut.  He was a trooper.  He got the haircut he wanted.  The stylist was patient and cut it just how he directed.  He looked so cute when it was done.

Until tomorrow...

WELCOME HOME

My foster/adopt son came home with me today.  It was interesting watching his face when we drove from a rural area to the city. Coming over bridges and seeing hills.  There was fog.  There was traffic.  It was all so exciting.

Happi and Lucky were thrilled to meet him.  They were jumping all over.

Until tomorrow...

REPORTING GOOD NEWS

Today I told my potential foster/adopt son he would be coming home with me tomorrow.  He was super excited when I told him.  We have a plan to pack all his stuff tomorrow then in the car we go.

Until tomorrow..

WRONG TIME

I went to my new RA doctor's appointment today.  I have been waiting for months for this appointment.  The first RA doctor had a medical emergency and I think he retired.  So I moved to this doctor.  I showed up for the appointment and they said I was late.  I even got a reminder phone call and I clarified the time and she said yes that was the time.  I am confused.  Now I have to make another appointment in about a month and a half. 

Until tomorrow...

ANOTHER DAY VISITING

I spent another day visiting my potential foster son.  I could spend many hours with him again.  I have been bringing art projects like cutting out things from magazines and gluing them on a piece of cardboard, coloring in coloring books, and playing games.

Until tomorrow...

ANOTHER VISIT

I have been going to see my potential foster son X almost every day.  It is a long drive up and back to see him.  Today I hired the dog walker and I stayed for many hours.  We played games and did art projects.  It was fun.

Until tomorrow...

IVY

The gardener came today and cleaned up the backyard.  The ivy in the backyard grows like a weed.  I cut it back and two weeks later it looks like I never trimmed it.  I call it a weed.  Plus animals live in ivy.  I can't stand ivy.  I wish I could eradicate it. 

Until tomorrow...

LUCKY NOT FEELING WELL

Poor little Lucky is not feeling well.  She is very growly and acting not well.  I took her to the vet.  They checked out her teeth and determined that she is fine but it is probably time to get her teeth done soon.  They drew some blood just to be on the safe side.

Until tomorrow...

NATHAN'S HOT DOG EATING CONTEST

Yesterday was Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.  It is a tradition in my home.  I find it both disgusting and fascinating.  Being a vegan it truly disgusts me.  But the fact that people would eat that much food fascinates me too. 

Joey Chestnut from Northern California won again.  Maybe it is West Coast pride.  Maybe it is his story.  Last year his fiance and he broke up and he didn't win.  This year he got his life together and he won again.

It is a fun few minutes!

Until tomorrow...

FOURTH OF JULY

I spent the day with my potential foster child X.  We hung out and worked on art projects.  Not the most traditional July 4th but a good time.

Until tomorrow...

SPENT THE DAY CLEANING

Spent the day cleaning my house today.  My foster child will be coming to my home shortly and I needed to get the house ready.  The room is already and all the security measures are in place.

Until tomorrow...

VISIT

Went to see my foster child X again today.  We did art projects and hung out.

Until tomorrow...

DOCTOR UPDATE

Yesterday I went to see both my regular doctor and my new gastrointestinal doctor.  Both had good reports.  That is always good news.

I went to see my my potential foster child X again today.

Until tomorrow...