I have the new normal family. My daughter, his daughter, our sons and my nephew we adopted. We have been called a rainbow family more than once. I like to share our achievements, challenges and falls when raising so many beautiful children, a cat and a Doxie. Welcome to my world. -Mary
This year we chose to celebrate Mother's day next Sunday. Something blended families readjust holidays. This time it's Mother's day. My step daughter is with her Mom and my biological daughter wanted to spend Mother's day with her Grand Mother on her fathers side. I'm good with that. I think that it is important for children to be with family. I would prefer to be with my whole family on a day all about me. Each child is so important to me. Each child has emotional needs that need to be filled if it's my day or not.
So today me and my boys who are with me 100% of the time are playing ball and doing craft projects. Treating today like every other Sunday. Next next Sunday I'll tell you about our awesome celebration.
To you all Happy Mother's Day. Enjoy some of our fun. Oh the doll is Joey's homework it's a 3D portrait of himself not Flat Stanley or a voodoo doll.
Today I finally set up a simple recycle center in my kitchen. I have been dying to stop giving our local trash company a nickel for every soda, energy drink, bottled water or beer we drink. I think if I'm putting down that deposit I should be getting it back. We have seven people worth of beverage and I'm sue we can at least get a couple bucks back in a month or more. I'll have to tell you how it goes.
This week my nephew came home to something like this. Don't watch the video if you have a weak stomach. His best friend had Parvo.
My boys got Parvo too. The good news is that people don't get the same Parvo as dogs do, and it's not transmitted between animals and humans. Never the less Parvo sucks.
This is how it starts. You child starts with flu like symptoms.
Lazy, achy, fever and miserable. Very sad when you see a baby/child this way. My four year old vomited. All the kids had a cough. This lasted about three to five days.
Then you get a lovely rash on your face that looks like someone slapped you. Parvo is sometimes called Slap Cheek because of this syptom. This is also when you are no longer contagious.
The rash starts in the face and falls down the body. Almost like gravity is pulling it. The face begins to heal and then the arms get blotchy, followed by the legs. It can itch but my kids where itch free.
Parvovirus/SlapCheek/Fifth disease is a common childhood illness. Your Child will not have symptoms of your dog with pools of blood and will go back to normal as soon as their body finishes fighting off the virus. However it can be dangerous to people with compromised immune systems or woman that are pregnant. My poor sweet pregnant baby sitter had to have two blood tests. The first one she already has done and she has to have a second in two weeks. I guess it's going around since we were not the only family she has been around that has had it recently. About 50% of adults don't get this illness since they most-likely were exposed as a child.
Here's a link to the official website in case you wanted more than a Mom's version of this rotten childhood illness.
One of my children can not hold their bladder while they sleep. I am going to try as hard as possible not to hint to what child it is.
I suppose the reason I wanted to bring this up is because they have started picking on my four year old who can hold his bladder over night. It's kind of strange to me. We know the reason they can't keep it in is most-likely hereditary. They have started trying to convince us there is no longer a problem by getting dressed quickly in the morning and making their bed up over the wet spot. For about a week I was so proud until I started to smell their room and I had to inspect.
This mother thing is hard. We have seen a doctor, a nutritionist and a therapist and basically have given up. We changed the diet. We attempted to wake our child in the middle of the night but they are violent hitting and punch and refusing to go and standing behind the door telling us they where done. We have used pull ups and told to stop using them because it makes our child lazy.
The most recent is the most challenging to deal with. Our four year old hardly ever has an accident even over night. Now our older child keeps trying to blame him. Asking us to check him for poop or change his diaper. It's almost an obsession. As a mother who tries to foster independence in her children and encourages her children to be who they be, this one has me floored. My instinct is to protect my four year old from being picked on. How is that possible with out embarrassing my older child?
I'm starting to live my dream. I'm selling my blankets. I have been making blankets for about 15 years. Given as gifts and used in my own family,
Today I made two blankets, and cut and started to pieced together together a Memory blanket. The two items I think people will like. My kids helped out. I had Marysa and Joey tacking patches and pulling pins from finished blankets. It was nice to see them excited.
Joey wants me to keep the the blankets. All I can think is my house has more blankets than any house on earth and really we don't need to keep another.
Marysa and I also hit the sale at Joann's. More bright fabric hopefully to draw some attention to my website.
Oh the website is MarysaJane.com . A bunch of gently used Fluff is there now but I do have one of my creations up so far. Hop over and tell me what you think. I'd love feed back.
The Winner is #133 Lindsay's Family Reviews and Giveaways You have until June 2nd to contact me with your mailing information and what cloth diaper you would like from Sandbox Lane. If you do not contact me I will be forced to choose another winner.
Thank you Linda for letting me honor your small company. I hope this helped boost your site traffic and if you know someone who could benefit from a small business shout out you know where to send them :-)
Thank you to all my participants. I hope you play for a chance to win another you pick the prize. The new giveaway starts at 12:01 am June 1st PST.
~Mary
Here's a shout out to a new company I thought a Pay It Forward was worthy.
*if you are a new company and want to have your own Giveawy please contact me. I love helping people out.
Sandbox Lane was launched in 2011 just a few months after our first baby was born. We wanted to create a store that sold eco-friendly products at affordable prices because we could never find a store that had everything we wanted for her all at one place. When we choose products, we decided we'd only sell products we can stand behind and would suggest to our friends and family. We also wanted to make sure it would carry a big enough selection for others as well. We are always updating our inventory and wanting feedback what others want to see. Our goal is spread the word bringing eco-friendly products into a child's world can make a lasting effect on their life to come.
Our team is created of a menagerie of creative and green-minded people who want to make a difference. Our office is in beautiful Southern California. In our spare time, you'll find our team cycling, running, gardening, playing with our kids, and finding excuses to soak up the sun!
This store started as a way to spread our love for a greener lifestyle and turned into something so much more. The knowledge we've obtained and all the wonderful people we've met online makes us feel truly blessed.
*****So here's the rules. This is Pay It Forward. So I want to hear what your doing to make this world a little Greener.
I need to hit 50 followers by May 31st when the winner will be chosen to win a diaper of their choice from Sandbox Lane my treat.
This giveaway will close on Tuesday Mary 31, 2011 at 8:59 PM PST. The winner will be chosen via Random.Org.
Please be honest. This is for fun. I will be verifying this information. Links and tags are a must to find things easier. Entries that can't be verified will be deleted. If you need help, please don't hesitate to ask.
Winner will be contacted via email via Google Connect within 24 hours after the close of the giveaway. You will then have 48 hours to respond or the prize will be redrawn.
Let the fun begin!
Mandatory Must follow GFC and let me know. + 1 entry
Blurb something Green as a Pay It Forward for my readers. +2 entry
Post about the giveaway on Twitter and let me know +1 entry ( can be done multiple times. No more than 1 every 2 hours)
Post to FaceBook and let me know +1 entry
Like SandBox Lane on FaceBook and let me know +1 entry
Follow @sandboxlane on Twitter and let me know. +1 entry
Follow me on Twiiter @pinkradish and let me know +1 entry
