Saturday, February 25, 2012
Dr. Seuss
Today was the Read Across America event at Target. It usually ties into Dr. Seuss's birthday which is next weekend, but it was also a marketing tie-in this year to the new Lorax movie. The kids each received a reusable bag for books, coloring book, crayons, stickers, coupons and a Lorax mustache that doubled as a bookmark. Store employees then took turns reading different Dr. Seuss books.
Fish Fry
Last night was the first Friday of Lent so we went to St. Henry's for fish with Grandma, Grandpa, Granny, Pa and Aunt Lara.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
An iPhone app/social network that I've been playing with lately is Instagram. What I like about Instagram is that it's all centered around iPhone photography and more about sharing than just storage which is what we use Flickr for. You snap a photo, select from a wide variety of filters and from there you can enter a description, geotag and upload to a long list of sites. It'll post the photo to Intagram, but I also usually select that the photo be upload to our Flickr and Facebook accounts simultaneously. The app has some really great filters and can either make a bad photo look good or else create a certain mood.
One thing I really like about Instagram is how open it is to other applications and developers. One site I use for viewing my photos is called Webstagram. You can view my photos HERE. From that site I can then check other people that I'm following or look at random popular photos. On the iPad I use an app called Instapad to give me similar views.
Another iPhone app I've been using in addition to Instagram is called Photo Collage HD. It's a simple app for dragging and dropping photos into various collage templates. I can snap 3 or 4 photos, use a template and then upload the finished collage to Instagram.
Here are some photos I've taken in the last few days.
One thing I really like about Instagram is how open it is to other applications and developers. One site I use for viewing my photos is called Webstagram. You can view my photos HERE. From that site I can then check other people that I'm following or look at random popular photos. On the iPad I use an app called Instapad to give me similar views.
Another iPhone app I've been using in addition to Instagram is called Photo Collage HD. It's a simple app for dragging and dropping photos into various collage templates. I can snap 3 or 4 photos, use a template and then upload the finished collage to Instagram.
Here are some photos I've taken in the last few days.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Extra Valentine Photo
Last weekend when we took the kids to get their photos taken we received one 8x10 that I had posted to the blog. Included with the sitting was a compilation photo that wasn't ready until yesterday. While we were running errands and going to story time we picked it up.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
No More Peanuts for Lucy
It's official - our Lucy is allergic to peanuts. Today I took her to see Dr. William Johnson at Gateway Asthma and Allergy in Belleville. He came highly recommended by both our pediatrician and Mike's cousin Kim, whose daughter Ali sees him for her food allergy. After Lucy's allergic reaction last week, we needed to see if our hunch was right that it was peanut butter that made her sick.
Dr. Johnson was wonderful with me and Lucy. After a consultation where I explained Lucy's reaction and answered some other medical questions, Lucy and I prepared ourselves for her allergy skin test. Our brave little girl was a pro as the nurse pricked her back with all the little needles. She of course cried as the needles went in, but she recovered and even managed to play with some toys I brought as we waited for the required 15 minutes to tick by.
Halfway through the wait, the nurse came to check on Lucy. She noticed that she hadn't reacted to any of the pricks except for the positive control one. The nurse said that there was a secondary peanut test that could be used, so she got it and pricked Lucy again. Of course Lucy didn't like that at all! But the second peanut test was definitely positive.
Dr. Johnson came back in and confirmed that it looks like Lucy is allergic to peanuts. She also had a slight reaction to cat dander. Apparently children start developing animal dander allergies around this time, but we're hoping Lucy doesn't develop a full-blown allergy, as the only remedy is to give up our cats, which would be a shame.
To be on the safe side, Dr. Johnson would like us to avoid all nuts, not just peanuts, although she tested negative for walnuts. Mike's mom pointed out that Lucy has been eating Honey Nut Cheerios with no problem at their house, so we looked at the box tonight and it has almonds but not peanuts listed. So I'm not convinced she's allergic to all nuts, but I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.
Dr. Johnson said the next step was to check Lucy's blood to see how severe her peanut allergy is. We left his office to go to the Quest lab for her blood draw. Again, not a lot of fun, but needed. We will know the results of that test next week when we call Dr. Johnson.
Finally, we stopped at Copper Bend Pharmacy to pick up Lucy's EpiPens. We will have to carry them with us at all times in case she has a serious reaction. The pens came with a practice device. The pharmacist, Dr. Clement, was nice enough to give me a quick tutorial, which I then showed to Mike, my mom, and Mike's parents. Here's hoping we never have to use them.
As Lucy and I sat at the pharmacy waiting for the pens, I let her walk around the store. She was drawn to the shelf that was full of candy. As she picked up each candy bar, in my mind I thought, she's never going to be able to eat a lot of them: Snickers, Butterfingers, Hershey Bar with Almonds, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups... it made me sad. We're going to have to be so careful now. Even Eric's diet will be limited so Lucy doesn't eat something by accident.
We're just trying to count our blessings that Lucy's health condition, while serious, is avoidable and controllable.
Dr. Johnson was wonderful with me and Lucy. After a consultation where I explained Lucy's reaction and answered some other medical questions, Lucy and I prepared ourselves for her allergy skin test. Our brave little girl was a pro as the nurse pricked her back with all the little needles. She of course cried as the needles went in, but she recovered and even managed to play with some toys I brought as we waited for the required 15 minutes to tick by.
Halfway through the wait, the nurse came to check on Lucy. She noticed that she hadn't reacted to any of the pricks except for the positive control one. The nurse said that there was a secondary peanut test that could be used, so she got it and pricked Lucy again. Of course Lucy didn't like that at all! But the second peanut test was definitely positive.
Dr. Johnson came back in and confirmed that it looks like Lucy is allergic to peanuts. She also had a slight reaction to cat dander. Apparently children start developing animal dander allergies around this time, but we're hoping Lucy doesn't develop a full-blown allergy, as the only remedy is to give up our cats, which would be a shame.
To be on the safe side, Dr. Johnson would like us to avoid all nuts, not just peanuts, although she tested negative for walnuts. Mike's mom pointed out that Lucy has been eating Honey Nut Cheerios with no problem at their house, so we looked at the box tonight and it has almonds but not peanuts listed. So I'm not convinced she's allergic to all nuts, but I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.
Dr. Johnson said the next step was to check Lucy's blood to see how severe her peanut allergy is. We left his office to go to the Quest lab for her blood draw. Again, not a lot of fun, but needed. We will know the results of that test next week when we call Dr. Johnson.
Finally, we stopped at Copper Bend Pharmacy to pick up Lucy's EpiPens. We will have to carry them with us at all times in case she has a serious reaction. The pens came with a practice device. The pharmacist, Dr. Clement, was nice enough to give me a quick tutorial, which I then showed to Mike, my mom, and Mike's parents. Here's hoping we never have to use them.
As Lucy and I sat at the pharmacy waiting for the pens, I let her walk around the store. She was drawn to the shelf that was full of candy. As she picked up each candy bar, in my mind I thought, she's never going to be able to eat a lot of them: Snickers, Butterfingers, Hershey Bar with Almonds, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups... it made me sad. We're going to have to be so careful now. Even Eric's diet will be limited so Lucy doesn't eat something by accident.
We're just trying to count our blessings that Lucy's health condition, while serious, is avoidable and controllable.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Valentine Photo
Last Saturday we took the kids to Sears to have Eric and Lucy's picture taken for Valentine's Day. Below is the picture that we gave to the grandparents.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Valentine's Day
Last night Shannon and Eric worked on his valentine's for his preschool class. This year's theme was crazy monkeys and each one came with a tootsie roll.
The next morning we all exchanged Valentine's Day gifts. Both Shannon and I took our cards from the kids to work to display on our desks.
Among the gifts we exchanged Eric had picked out this box of chocolates for Mommy.
When Eric came home from school he sat on the floor with Shannon and went through all of the valentines he received from the other kids in his class.
The next morning we all exchanged Valentine's Day gifts. Both Shannon and I took our cards from the kids to work to display on our desks.
Among the gifts we exchanged Eric had picked out this box of chocolates for Mommy.
When Eric came home from school he sat on the floor with Shannon and went through all of the valentines he received from the other kids in his class.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Weekend
Just to highlight a few things we did this weekend...
Saturday morning we took the kids to the mall to have their pictures taken. Shannon had sewn them Valentine's Day outfits and she had a coupon for a Sears Portrait Studios photo shoot. Once we give the finished photos to the grandparents I'll post them up on the blog.
Later that afternoon I then took Eric to go see Star Wars The Phantom Menace in 3D. He's just now sort of getting into Star Wars through the LEGO toys/video games and he was interested in watching it. Eric got a special pair of 3D glasses that look like Anakin's pod racer goggles. He was pretty excited about those as well as seeing the movie.
Then Sunday morning we went to church. Lucy had a new dress for Valentine's Day. Shannon and I taught Eric's preschool children's church class.
In the afternoon Eric had a birthday party to go to so Lucy and I stayed home. I had an extra pair of glasses left over from seeing the 3D movie the day before. So I took out the lenses and gave them to Lucy to play with. She did her best Harry Caray impression as I took this photo.
Meanwhile Eric and Mommy went to a birthday party for one of Eric's school friends. It was the first birthday party that Eric had been invited to. The party was up at the McDonald's on 159 in Fariview and he had a great time.
Saturday morning we took the kids to the mall to have their pictures taken. Shannon had sewn them Valentine's Day outfits and she had a coupon for a Sears Portrait Studios photo shoot. Once we give the finished photos to the grandparents I'll post them up on the blog.
Later that afternoon I then took Eric to go see Star Wars The Phantom Menace in 3D. He's just now sort of getting into Star Wars through the LEGO toys/video games and he was interested in watching it. Eric got a special pair of 3D glasses that look like Anakin's pod racer goggles. He was pretty excited about those as well as seeing the movie.
Then Sunday morning we went to church. Lucy had a new dress for Valentine's Day. Shannon and I taught Eric's preschool children's church class.
In the afternoon Eric had a birthday party to go to so Lucy and I stayed home. I had an extra pair of glasses left over from seeing the 3D movie the day before. So I took out the lenses and gave them to Lucy to play with. She did her best Harry Caray impression as I took this photo.
Meanwhile Eric and Mommy went to a birthday party for one of Eric's school friends. It was the first birthday party that Eric had been invited to. The party was up at the McDonald's on 159 in Fariview and he had a great time.
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