Polish, Pediatric Endocrinologists, and Petit Fours

Short post, as it's late, and I'm tired. : )

I remember now why I haven't been keeping my nails done. I used to wonder about strange people who didn't keep their nails painted all the time, and now I'm one of them. Weird. I would've never thought it would happen to me. But now I see how easy it is not to do them (saves a couple hours a week), and when I pick price tags off stuff (today making wreaths) or picking the sticker off an apple (today), or scrubbing the muffin tins that didn't come clean in the dishwasher (sucky thing) on Tuesday, I was glad not to worry about my polish chipping off. That's the other thing, my nails are so brittle/weak, that when I paint them, the polish chips off the ends in a day or two. No polish can make it more than two days. Yes, I use at least three coats. Yes, I use OPI polish, a base and top coat. Used to use Nail Envy, but it didn't work either. So, I have raw nails. Sometimes I even like them and their nearly maintenance-free bareness. Except when I see an adorable new color out! I still love You're a Pisa Work and Koala Berry, yum. Can be winter or spring!

I've filled more cookie orders! Yay! The sweet little girls don't even realize how very fortunate we've been! All these people who've ordered, and all the adults busy helping them sell! If you've bought, thank you so much. It's been amazing-more than I could've imagined. I know they've already earned over $500 (and we only have five girls right now)!! They may be able to go to camp this year. It's $200/girl I think, so they'd have to earn more or something. We'll see-I don't know how that would work out with Mary Claire. She hasn't been away from us for more than an hour. I don't know if she will for a long time. She hasn't been to someone's house for more than an hour, I don't think! Let's see-Mom's overnight, Kendra and Susan's for maybe an hour...It's something. I can't imagine an overnight-well, I mean that I didn't go with her.
There's a neat camp in the summer, Camp Invention, that the kids really wanted to go to last year (8:30-3 for 5 days!), but I couldn't get a commitment for anyone to check her, and I had Ethan and couldn't stay with her all day. This year, we got the flyer again. I didn't mention it to them, but I know they'd love it. I just don't know how it'd work. She's better at identifying when she feels low. In fact, she's come to me probably four times in the past five days telling me she feels low-and she has been! Only about 68-71, so she's really getting good at identifying before she drops dangerously low. I don't think she's been much lower in a long time! Maybe a month or so? Well, at night I think she's been a little lower a couple of times.

We go back to Arkansas Children's Hospital next week, or maybe the 12th-it's a Thursday. They sent me the reminder today, and they want a month of blood sugars (good luck, since they JUST sent the reminder), three days of food/insulin logs (like, do I still have to do that?), and all prescriptions with their labels, her shot record (could they not call about that one and get it faxed?), ahh, the excitement that preceeds the majestic appointment with the highly-skilled pediatric endocrinologist. Yes, I've been waiting since August to get back in (been gone for two years seeing an endocrinologist here). Now we are considered a "new" patient, so it's back to the beginning for us there. They've moved the clinic, so I must go early to find it. Mary Claire and I will go alone (unless anyone wants to tag along?) and Mom will watch Ethan as Ches has to work. We'll be fine, I've made the drive many times.

Anyway, I really have wanted to go back there, all kidding aside. They give us such specific, guided, educated care. I usually come away from there having learned something I can really use. They always download everything from her pump, and give us great advice on what we could try or do differently. The doctor here is so sweet (if sometimes late), but always tells me to keep up the good work. I want to learn more! He has to know something more than I do-could he share? I just hope the time I spend to get her down there (and miss a day of school) will be worth it. I'm sure we'll have a great day together, if nothing else.

Today was another surprise food at school. Once someone brings in something, I feel like I have to let her have it. If she didn't know about it, I could say no (maybe?) and they could eat it while she was detained somewhere mysteriously? No, that probably wouldn't work either, as I bet someone would tell her what she missed. Today was petit fours for a birthday. I mean, how sweet! But, she just can't do that all the time. Two weeks ago, it was a cake. I have to guess (sight unseen/impossible!) how many carbs the food has and how much insulin she needs, and since they can't really do a dual/square wave bolus (insulin over longer time), I must decide how much fat is in it (how long it'll take for the sugar to hit her blood). Crazy. I wish parents of "normal" kids would appreciate the ability for their kids to eat anything at any time. It's just so hard watching every bite.

Ok, enough ranting-I do get like this late at night. Hey, at least you didn't get the rundown!