Boring blog post because it's been too long

And I continue to be a really pathetic blogger. Sorry. I haven't any new excuses, just the same, played out old ones and honestly, this is yet another filler post.

Our Thanksgiving passed very pleasantly and without any photographs. I was going to bring my camera, but in my hurry to get out of the house, it was forgotten.

We Barrons like Thanksgiving. We ALWAYS get together on Thanksgiving, no exceptions and our poor spouses and in-laws could never have anticipated that they would be coldly rejected year after year in such a cruel manner. Thanksgiving is just a Barron Family Holiday. Christmas, we can take or leave. I think that it's because Christmas is such a high maintenance holiday. There's expectations and celebrations and what if they don't like my gift? and what if I didn't spend enough? and what if I spent too much? and on and on. There's the pressure of balancing the spiritual aspect of the holiday with gift giving and carol singing and the family parties and I always feel like I'm out of balance. But Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is different.

All you have to do for Thanksgiving is sit around, watch sports, eat food and enjoy each other's company. These are things that we Barrons all excel at and boy, did we excel this year.

In an effort to include a photo in this post, here's one of Jane sporting her outfit from her kindergarten Pow Wow. She participated in all the traditional Pow Wow activities which, I have to admit, seem a little outdated and racist at this point. I'm not sure that Native Americans really want us teaching 5 year olds to jump up and down hollering and patting their mouths to make that cool Indian sound in an effort to educate them about their rich culture, but I could be wrong.

She even got her own Indian name which is Rising Star. Quite fitting.

Leslie and I then decided that while we were both feeling incredibly sleep deprived, it would be a good to idea to compound the the problem by getting up before the crack of dawn to take part in the yearly gathering of insane people for the Black Friday door busters. Americans are weird. Do other countries do crap like that? Let's hope not. We faired really well this year. I got everything that I went out to get including, but not limited to a(n) half price trampoline, a mini dvd player, a couple of digital pictures frames and the very hard to get a your hands on legos. Who knew?

And now it's time to catch up on sleep. Hope that you all had a nice holiday weekend as well. I'd like to be promise you that I'd be back with another post soon, but I don't have the faith in myself to do that so I guess I'll see you when I see you.

So far, so good

First of all, my "A" button isn't working so if this post it missing a couple, it's becuse I hve to use ll the force my left pinky finger cn summon to mke it work.

Secondly, and more importantly, thank you to everyone who emailed me and posted suggestions for the organic cotton pajamas. I feel so loved! We were able to find some at Costco (Costco, I love you. Costco I do-oo.) so we went and bought some for her today.

Lizzy's creams and such have always gotten all over her pajamas and they get gross really fast, so she seriously owns like 15 pairs already. Fortunately, I've never really had a problem spending Brent's hard earned paycheck on jammies.

She's already looking and feeling better (blow up the photo to see her feet already). She usually has to wear jammies with feet in them because she scratches, but when we put these on she said

"look mom! i not scatching!"

I asked her if she was itchy and she said "nope!"

Then Lizzy was so kind as to help me out with one step of her bedtime routine by locking herself in the upstairs bathroom, turning on the water in the sink and completely drenching herself, her pajamas and everything in the surrounding area, including her younger brother. I'd have taken photo of that too, but she was so cold that she was begging to get into bed and promptly fell asleep. I could get used to this.

Who knew?

It's their favorite food AND their favorite toy.

I totally didn't set up this shot. They all went and got their own Mac & Cheese and sat down just like that. I had to run and grab my camera before it was over. I also couldn't tell when the camera was recording and when it wasn't. I had to guess and I guessed wrong. Oops.

One of the cutest things ever...

Lizzy in her new Sunday outfit. I wish she would hold still and pose for pictures.

Considering how cute she was, it made it extra super sad when she came downstairs with her doll.

"mom. ask me how my baby is."

"Ok, Lizzy, how's your baby?"

"she's itchy."

and then she started to scratch the baby's hands and neck, the places that she itched herself.

"my baby needs some benedwyl so that her allnergies don't make her itchy."

Brent and I about cried. Life isn't fair. We feel like we've tried so many roads to help her skin and only find dead end after dead end. Whenever we've taken her to doctors, they have always told us that we were over reacting and her skin wasn't as bad as we thought it was. Although I continue to love my pediatrician for most things, I won't try to count the number of times he discouraged me from taking her to a dermatologist because he said that they wouldn't be able to do anything for her that he couldn't. I wanted to smack the allergist that was so kind to inform me that he believed she had eczema and maybe we should try taking her off dairy for several months to see if it made any difference. I had about given up hope that anything could help her even when it seemed as though she was getting worse and worse and obviously having trouble enjoying life.

Anyway, a while ago my mom sent me an article on my email and as I read it, I found myself really liking one of the contributing doctors. I wanted to take Lizzy to THAT doctor. THAT doctor said things that I liked. THAT doctor seemed to know what she was talking about. I was uber pleased to find out that THAT doctor practiced in Alpine. It's been a weird, long, almost miraculous story (i'm going to do you a favor a spare the details, but if you call me, i probably won't be able hold back), but today I was finally able to take Lizzy to her.

For the first time since Lizzy was just a few months old, I finally feel validated. If I'd had to listen to another doctor or nurse ask me if I'd tried using Eucerin Cream, someone would have gotten a swift kick in the pants. Fortunately for us all, that wasn't the case.

The doctor and her PA were both shocked to see her skin and told me that she had the worst case of eczema they'd ever seen. The doctor also told me that she found Lizzy's situation to be unacceptable and that she was going to make sure that she didn't live like that anymore. She said that Lizzy's skin wasn't able to retain any moisture on it's own and that it also lacked naturally occurring antibiotics that most people have, meaning that any germs that touch her skin can easily infect it like so...

For those that aren't so lucky as to get to interact with Lizzy regularly, her body looks like this most of the time. It's sad.

If the doctor hadn't been so abrupt and callused (she really needs to work on her bedside manner), I'd have let myself cry the way I wanted to, hugged her and told her my miraculous story of how I found her and finally got the appointment.

Her new regimen involves several different steroid creams, topical antibiotics, bleach baths, new heavy cream and shampoo and cleanser, a sedative at night and she's also supposed to sleep in WET organic cotton pajamas with a heating pad to keep her warm, (deep breath) but I finally feel hopeful again. I know that it won't be a cure, I know that she'll always have skin issues and I know that using steroid creams isn't ideal, but at least it's something and someone with a plan. I'm so desperate for this to help...

Anyone know where I can buy organic cotton pajamas?

Come on get happy

Has anyone actually had a "nervous breakdown?" What exactly does a "nervous breakdown" actually entail? Does it entail delusional thinking, irrational tears, screams and perhaps a little hyperventilating?

If so, a couple of weeks ago, my kids may have thrown me into a "nervous breakdown."

It was in the middle of the now notorious October of 2009 wherein we were all sick for the entire month and it had just been too dang long since I had had a day without listening to whining, screaming, fussing, sniveling and misery all day and night. Chas was absolutely relentless. I took him to the quick care and then to my pediatrician because he was so miserable for so long. I was reminded of why I love my pediatrician when he told me that "Chas wasn't really all that sick, I had just forgotten to take something into consideration: Charlie is a boy and was therefore born a bigger whiner than both of my girls put together" (or something along those lines)

Did I mention that I love my pediatrician?

I was beginning to wonder what Charlie was like before all the snivelling began and then, through some miracle, he woke up on Sunday morning completely recovered. Since then, he's been making up for lost time, keeping himself busy by being the cutest, happiest baby I've ever seen.

It's a good thing too because he totally owes me.

I always love my kids, but this week I really feel love for my kids.

And it feels good.

More adventures in couponing

I totally promise not to turn my blog into a coupon blog, but I wanted to let people know about a deal that you can get on the new UP dvd in case you were thinking you would get it for your kids for Christmas. Unless you are like my cousin's wife Kathy that finished her shopping in like July. Seriously, why must you show us up that way? :)

In Utah, the blu-ray combo pack is on sale at Target for $19.99. It might not be advertised that way, but Leslie bought copies for both of us today at that price, so price check it and then get pushy and annoying and tell them that you KNOW for a fact that the Ft. Union store in Utah is selling them at that price and then they will think that you are crazy and they will be right, but you will get your movie for way cheaper than it was originally priced.

OR if you are new to couponing and are not yet prepared to sacrifice your pride in that way for $8 (i think mine was sold for like $2), you could just go to Wal-mart in the first place and pay $19.96 for it. I find it amusing that they maintain their place as the low price leader with a $.03 margin.

The blu-ray combo pack includes a blu-ray copy, a DVD copy, a digital copy and a bonus disc so I've started buying the blu-rays even though I don't have a blu-ray player. Maybe some day...

Ok, so go to Target or Wal-mart, get your UP blu-ray combo pack and take a copy of the $10.00 off coupon that you can print HERE. (you'll have to install coupon printing software to your computer and you HAVE to buy the blu-ray combo)

This will make your movie only $10. Nice.

There are also several mail in rebates available if you have that kind of patience and since there are 2 proofs of purchase on the box and you can send in copies of your receipts, you can use 2 and possibly get your movie for free.

This one is for buy two Kernel Seasonings, get a $5 rebate
These are $2 each at K-mart. There used to be a $1 off one coupon floating around on the web, but I can't find it now. If you can't find a coupon, I wouldn't use this one unless you really actually wanted the Kernel Seasonings.

This one is for buy one pasta, get a $4 rebate
Here is a link for coupons.com where you can print a $1 of 2 coupon.
The Ronzoni spaghetti is at Target for like a little over a dollar each. I think Leslie said it came to $.62 a box with the coupon. (note- look for the smallest, cheapest boxes that you think you'll actually use, it's cheaper that way and I'm all about cheap)

This one is a buy 2 Bird's Eye family favorites, get a $5 rebate
Here is a link for $1 off Bird's Eye.
You can also access the coupon directly from the Bird's Eye website HERE. I don't know how much these normally are, but I'd hold out for a sale before I bought them.

You've got until after Christmas for the rebates so you can wait to open the movie (i've already opened mine to pull the codes off, my kids won't notice ;)* and wait for things to go on sale to make the most of your coupons.

Ok, hopefully someone will appreciate that, other than Leslie and me. Even if you only print the $10.00 off coupon, you're getting a good deal. Have fun! My job here is done. I will lay off the coupons.


*One year, we gave my dad Sea Biscuit for Christmas, but none of us had seen it, so we opened it and watched it before we gave it to him, unbeknownst to him. I felt kinda bad. I wonder if he ever noticed....

Adventures in couponing

Special K was on sale this week at Target. I paid an average of about $.75 a box for it and I bought 16 boxes... so far. Not only did it feel good to stock up on our family's favorite cereal, it also provided us with some fun this afternoon.

Couponing: it saves you money AND it's super fun!

Technical Difficulties

Fact: Charlie is a boy.

If we didn't have good old anatomy to rely on for that information, one would be able to deduct as much from his obsession with buttons. He LOVES anything with buttons, specifically electronic equipment, and will defend his possession of every remote control and telephone with all his little baby power. He's found that his most effective means of keeping charge of the remote is (ironically enough) to scream.... like a girl.

The computer is his favorite. Whenever we get on the computer, he crawls on over, pulls himself up to it and starts trying to sneak in his little hand underneath ours. He also likes to take his sharp little nails and pull the keys off. I'm still missing one of my 'Ctrl' buttons.

So anyway, a while back, I was using our laptop upstairs before bed. In a moment of all too common exhaustion and absentmindedness, I left the computer upstairs... on the floor... open and then went to bed. The next day, Charlie had gone missing so I went looking for him and found him upstairs, sitting on said computer. I have no idea how long he had the computer at his disposal or how many buttons and combination of buttons he pushed before I found him, but he did some funky stuff to this computer. Brent spent a while trying to undo it all, but there were a couple things we just couldn't figure out the most annoying of which was that I couldn't log into my google account, meaning no email, no blog, no fun. I had talked to Brent about expediting the planned purchase of a new computer just so that I could access my accounts. I think he started to love me more for the mere proposal of the idea.

So all this time, I've been locked out of my blog, unable to tell you all about how sick I was or how sick my kids have been or how mean the doctor at the quick care was or how I've hardly left the house in weeks and I'm starting to get cabin fever. Come to think of it, it's probably all for the best. I've been super whiny. And then my mom came up to help me yesterday and asked if I'd tried to log onto my google account using Internet Explorer instead of Firefox.

My mom is a freaking genius.

And so I'm back. I just have to use a different browser and all is right in the world again.

And since I don't ACTUALLY have anything to blog about, I'll just post some awesome photos that the amazingly talented Brooke took of my family right before we become stricken with every virus known to Utah this season. Seriously, I have no idea how she made us look so good. It's us, only a lot more attractive than we are in real life. I like these black and white ones of my kids because they just look like my kids are supposed to look.

Head over HERE to oliverminiej photography and HERE to check out more. Thanks Brooke! You are officially my hero.

p.s. uploading photos to posts using IE is lame and inconvenient. boo. oh well, at least it's possible.