Body Image

Scout recently got this weird rash thingy (technical medical term) on her upper body and back, but it didn't itch and besides being kind of ugly, it didn't bother her a bit. So, like the good parent that I am, I just kept watching it and waiting for it to go away. Don't get me wrong, I occasionally slabbed some calamine lotion on it, but it wasn't bothering her, and if it wasn't bothering her, it really wasn't bothering me. Then, it started creeping up onto her face. Some pictures:

















After declining Troy's suggestion that we email the pictures to his brother (who is a real life bona fide doctor) for a long distance diagnosis, I called the pediatrician's office and made an appointment for the next day. After the requisite interminable wait, we moved from the big room to the little room, read all the books in both rooms, moved on to looking at all the pictures in all the magazines, and then to playing games and ripping the paper off of the examining table. The doctor came in, examined Scout, then called someone else in to take a look, then did a swab of her throat and "just in case" tested her for strep. She didn't have strep. But the calling someone else to look at her freaked me out a bit.

Then there was the doctor's reluctance to tell me how long it would last. "You're not going to like this" she said, very solemnly. "She will have this for a long long time." At this point, I'm really trying to remain outwardly calm, but completely freaking out on the inside. In the minute or so that it took for me to pry out of her any information about this weird rash thingy (that now has a technical medical term that I've never heard of), my mind goes on a roll. I had myself convinced that "my beautiful baby girl would be scarred for life. Kids will tease her at the bus stop, maybe she won't be able to go outside anymore, she will skip trips to the beach, she will lose that awesome indefatigable sense of self esteem that I love so much. Ack, girls, body image. Oh my goodness. What are we ..." Then the doctor told me it could take months to go away.

Excuse me, "months"? That is what you are afraid to tell me? That is what about caused my own nervous break down. Come on.

Turns out she has this.

Anyhow, we very lucky and it's really nothing. It is self-limiting even though it does take a long time to resolve. But no matter, I needn't have worried about Scout and any self esteem issues.

She can't stop showing her skin to everyone she meets and excitedly telling them, "See my spots? I'm like a Dalmation!"

Why It's Okay To Litter

All four of us were driving in the car last week when Scout announced, "it's okay to litter."

"What?" Troy and I say in unison.

Scout responds, "Yeah, sometimes it's okay to litter."

Okay, we think, going with it, "Why is that honey?"

"Because the bad guys have to pick it up. You know, the bad guys who are in jail."

From the "choose your battles" school of parenting

Alternately titled, "We did buy them beds, didn't we?"
Or, "Those new tile floors, so soft and snuggly"



It all started with the little fold-out couches and the sleeping bags they got for Christmas last year.

little children: "Can we sleep on our couches?"
tired mommy: "Sure"

little children: "Can we make a bed on the floor?"
tired mommy: "Sure, good night"

little children: "Can you cover us up? and get us pillows, and blankets, and wait, can I have a glass of water?"
tired mommy: "Sure, whatever, just please go to sleep"

Then,
"can I sleep in Scout's room?"
"can I sleep in Wolf's room?"
tired mommy, (thinking, if it will mean you go to sleep, yes, yes, yes!): "Sure."

You'd think that means they're actually going to sleep in the room.
Not quite.

Big Bad Wolf

We are lucky to have a nanny. We were lucky in Nashville to have found Crystal -- and lightning struck twice -- we got lucky here too. Jennifer is great and without a doubt, she loves the kids like crazy.

Jennifer's husband, Clayton, graduated from college in April. To celebrate they planned a weekend trip to Disney. And, they wanted the kids to be there too. Isn't that cool? Our nanny - and her family - like our kids so much they want to hang out with them on vacation.

Anyway, in preparation for the trip, Jennifer bought matching Disney shirts. She and Scout got "If the slipper fits, wear it." And Clayton and Wolf got Mickey shirts with their names on the back. Well, Wolf's said, "Big Bad Wolf." The kids excitedly modeled their shirts around the house.

After a while though, Wolf looked very thoughtful and said, "I like my shirt, but I think I'd rather be the 'Little Good Wolf.'"