Forecast Details

This is what I was going to post yesterday, when I discovered I couldn't post. Technologically challenged, that's me.

So I spent most of the day trying to figure out who was burning brush in the extremely windy, dry weather we've been having lately. Anytime I went outside, I smelled smoke. I could even see smoke.

About 9pm, I checked the weather forecast. The forecast was for smoke.

Forest fires in Southern Quebec. Wind blowing smoke in our direction. And this helpful tidbit: "The smell of smoke is predominant throughout the region."

No kidding. Wish I'd known that before 9pm!!


It was smokey all day today as well. The wind seems to have switched around to come off the ocean now but the clouds still have kind of a gold tint to them.

ps..my next door neighbor thought someone down the street from us was burning..so at least it wasn't just me.

I can post again!

Thanks, Haleine, for fixing my blog so I can post.

And if you read her recent blog posts, you will get to see lots of pictures from Russia five years ago this month. Can't believe it's been that long.

This is a Test

Our Maine Life has been hacked by that technical genius Haleine.

Muhahahahaha (evil laughter...)

Read My Pet Blog at www.paperbackwriter.org

It's the best blog ever!!!

Attachment Challenge

Well, I've intended to do this. What better time than a holiday weekend when we're actually home, for a change?

We're pretty good on hugs most days, but if I'm trying to keep track, it doesn't feel like we're even close to ten. Of course, most days it takes several hugs to get out the door in the morning, and today we didn't have to get out the door. I wonder, if she asks for a piggyback ride and hugs me in the process, does that count as hugs? Or does it count as attachment time? Its physical contact, so I try to always say yes when she asks.

Playing an attachment game...I get a zero.

I have one more day of holiday weekend. I should make a timetable for tomorrows activity.

Heat Wave is over

I love heat waves. Maybe I love them because they happen so rarely here. They rejeuvenate me. I can sit in the heat and it's so relaxing...love it love it love it. I even did yoga last night..after I spent 25 minutes trying to get the wiifit to work with the new DVR software.

Jupiter, by the way, hates the heat. It's the one way we are complete and total opposites. She gets invigorated when it's nice and cool. I could hibernate all winter.


The front went through and the wind switched around just after I got home this afternoon. The windows are open for the cool breeze. Jupiter is asleep as of 6:15. She didn't go to sleep until after 9:30 last night, and may be fighting a bug. Or she might have been overheated..not sure yet. I'll find out around midnight or so, I'm sure.

The weather forecast for the weekend has now changed to sunny and the 70's. We're both pretty happy in that weather, so it's nice to have it when I don't have to work for a change. She wants to cruise all the Targets in New England in search of a horse Littlest Pet Shop. I want to go to the ocean. Will update later on how that goes.

Simple Things

Today I tried to appreciate little things.

I appreciated the job interview that took place outside because someone with a laptop had taken over our conference room.

And the weather that allowed us to be outside. And that allowed me to sit outside in the sun and read a book during my lunch.

And driving home with the window open, and my arm on the edge of the window.

The blackberry bushes in the backyard are in beautiful white blossom.

I have an aloe plant so I can use the juice in the leaves to comfort the sunburn I got yesterday at soccer.

Its 8:18pm and its not completely dark outside.

Jupiter is not sleeping, but reading quietly in her room.

Mothers Day next year

After informing me she wasn't getting me anything for Mother's Day this year (told her that was completely fine, btw), tonight she told me what she's getting me for NEXT Mother's Day.

She's getting me a bra that isn't ugly. (she was yanking at my shirt and caught a glimpse of my ugly, yet functional bra). She's going to get me a cheetah print bra. And maybe even matching underwear.

LOL

compliment of the week

Jupiter gave me a nice compliment one of the days she was sick. Don't ask me which one, it's a blur. She said, "Mom, you make the best ice cubes."

Is that not the best? Pour water out of the sink and freeze it up. Apparently my best recipe.

Not the ropa vieja. Not black beans and bananas or mexican lasagna. Not fried rice. Not chocolate chip cookies.

Ice cubes.

Who knew it was so easy?

Antiobiotic taken

We went back to the doctor's office today. We got a long acting antibiotic shot. When I called the office this morning the nurse didn't indicate that a long acting antiobiotic shot was an option. I asked if there was such a thing and she said she would check and call me back. I'm a little frightened to get the bill for this medication that I suspect the insurance won't want to pay for, given that my daughter's anxiety disorder and fear of oral medications if of course, entirely invented by me and not a reason to cover an alternate medication. But at least I didn't have to pay another co pay for the nurse visit.

The office was this close to being down one intake nurse though. She brought us into the exam room and informed Jupiter that since she wasn't willing to take her medicine, she was going to get two shots in her butt. (See above about the anxiety disorder diagnosis that I appear to have entirely invented.) Consequently terrifying Jupiter and making the whole thing MUCH more difficult than it needed to be. Then she left us alone so I could talk Jupiter down off the ledge and calm her. The next nurse who came in was, thankfully, much more sympathetic. She had been listening outside the door while I was talking Jupiter down. She let me do my thing when the kicking started and I was able to get her in a position where they were able to give her two simultaneous injections, so the two extra nurses didn't have to hold her down. Cause that would have been even worse. Then as soon as they were done injecting they all cleared the room in a flash so I could calm her again.

Then we left. No more ten days of oral medication. She was sulky about it until we were in the car and leaving. Then it was like we'd never been there. Except her butt and one leg are a little bit numb from the lydocaine she got along with the antibiotic. And as noisy as that five minutes was, I still think it's easier on us than the alternative.

Strep Throat

She will NOT take the **** medicine.

If I had it to do over again, when she was 20 months old, I would not have tried to give her crushed up flagyl pills in liquid. Because this is what happened. She is now terrified of medicine. Any flavor, any form. Except melty strips. But apparently amoxicillin doesn't come in a melty strip. I gave up on liquid medicine a couple years ago, but amoxicillin comes in a chewable. Unfortunatly the chewable doesn't look exactly like bubble gum junior tylenol.

Speaking of which, you should have seen the look the intake nurse gave me when she took Jupiter's temperature and showed me the readout. You would have thought I was a terrible mother because I didn't force her to take tylenol for it. A fever of 101.7, while uncomfortable for her, is not high enough for me to have a medicine battle.

So we're home now and she won't take the nice chewable pills. Maybe I'll do some internet research and see if they have a slow release injection like they do for the cat antibiotics.

Jupiter's spring singing concert is starting at the moment. We are not there.

Even reminding her that if she doesn't take her medicine, she won't be able to go to riding on Saturday isn't working. That's how scared she is.

I'm open to suggestions on the medcine thing. The first dose has gone from plain pill to crushed pill covered with granulated sugar to plain pill covered with granulated and brown sugar, to all of the above plus maple syrup. I've heard chocolate syrup works, but I don't have any of that. Not that I think chocolate syrup will work. I tried mixing the flagyl with it once. That was a mess and a half to clean up.

Feverish

Last night Jupiter woke up with a fever of 103.5.

I should have known she was coming down with something.

I'm not sure she has the strength even to walk to the bathroom right now. Doing lots of carrying. All she's had today is water and ice chips. I've been trying to give her tylenol (the non recalled kind) but she took one and threw three of them behind my bed in various half dissolved states. If her fever is 101 or less, I don't even bother with the tylenol because she hates it so much. And she threw up one of the half tylenols, so that probably means that the only pain reliever/fever reducer she was ever willing to take is now down the tubes.

I did discover that a bag of wheat berries that had been stored in the freezer for a few months makes a suitable cool compress. Made up a couple ziploc bags of rice and dried beans so we can rotate.

Last week there were nine kids in her class one day. Normally there are 19. Whatever is going around is potent.

In her weak feverish voice she wishes she could ride her bike.

Piggyback

Today Jupiter wanted piggyback rides. She piggybacked out to the car when I picked her up. She piggybacked into the house when we got home. She piggybacked to the bathroom when she got ready for bed.

My mother thinks I was babying her because I allowed (and, if I may say so) encouraged the piggybacking.

However, I think I'm right. She initiated contact which didn't result in any pain being inflicted. I am SO going to encourage that. And given her dysregulation the last few weeks, I think she needs me to baby her a little bit. And if she's going to let me do it without fighting, I'm all for it.

Great night tonight, btw. Very calm.

We're reading The Trumpet of the Swan right now. One of my childhood favorites, which only requires a few quick modifications now and then when a word now has a different primary meaning than it did when the book was published.

Tonight we got to the part when Louis plays his trumpet in front of the Swan Boats in Boston. The boy on the swan boat said that Louis the swan reminded him of Louis Armstrong the trumpter.

About a minute later, Jupiter said, "That's why his (the swans) name is Louis! That's the whole reason..because he plays the trumpet like Louis Armstrong!"

She was quite pleased with herself for making the connection. (a couple weeks ago we read a Magic Tree House about Louis Armstrong. Unplanned evening reading theme.)

Tomorrow night Louis the Swan spends the night in the Ritz Carlton hotel in Boston. Jupiter will probably want a field trip. To the Swan Boats, yes. To the R/C..not overnight anyway.