The Adventure Continues...

How's a mom supposed to be on strike when her children are being eaten by spiders?  Just kidding.  Seriously though, things got worse before they got better, but I'm going to get through it.  I had one of those "crazy mom" moments Friday, but I think I'm past it now.  Thanks for all the well wishes, understanding, and super generous offers to watch my kids.  I'm really going to take you up on your offer when I don't have Anthony, Brandy.  Right now I'm trying to re-prioritize my life to somehow include me in the mix.  Kind of hard to do, but I'm going to work on it.  Blogging is such a break from day to day life for me that I'll probably still be around plenty, but I have reorganized things so that I make sure I get the most important things done first (like scriptures, prayer, temple attendance and other self-boosting needs that I neglect far too often).  So if you don't hear from me for a few days here and there, I'm either catching up on my scripture reading or I've gone completely crazy. :)

Okay...don't freak out!  Dylan got this bite from my mom's house, not from ours so I think it is still safe to visit our home.  My kids' blood somehow seems to have a Bella Swan-like reaction on insects.  Completely irresistible!  Unfortunately, my children also seem to have a real sensitivity to their bites.  After watching Dylan's arm grow and grow (from Sunday night to Monday afternoon), the skin become super sensitive and hot to the touch and then find out he had developed a low-grade fever (100-ish), I took him to the doctor.  He started treating him for an infection, drew a line on his arm where the red marks were and told us to come back if the lines were going up his arm any further.  Sure enough, by 10:00 last night, his arm was swollen about two inches past his elbow and the red marks were following.  I was still thinking he would probably be fine, but my worry-prone husband decided Dylan was going to lose his arm if we didn't take him back in.  Honestly, how did I become the CALM and rational one in the family?  Not good!  The second doc said he would probably be fine once the antibiotics kicked in, but gave us steroids to slow the swelling and told us he is probably really sensitive/allergic to insect bites in general and this may just be what happens to my kids when they get bit.  GREAT!  So there's probably an infection and he also had a pretty major reaction to the histamine.  Either way, we're treating both.  But scary!  At least he doesn't seem to be one of the tiny percentage of kids that need epi-pens for bug bites.  His breathing stayed normal the whole time.  So...we've already had someone spray for spiders this year, I'm calling again to have the house resprayed and I'm buying spider traps.  Apparently there is such a thing.  Never seen them, but I'm going out in the morning to find me some.  

Here are a few of the pictures I took.  Again it's hard to get a picture that really shows just how bad it was.  Remember Popeye's arms?  Well, that's what Dylan's left forearm looked like yesterday - only really red too.  It's still quite swollen today, but it's starting to go down so hopefully he doesn't look too crazy when I take him out in public. 

Yesterday morning

What his normal arm looked like when we took him to the doc

The arm with the bite

This was his arm at 10:30 last night

Hard to see, but the swelling goes halfway up his upper arm

Mom On Strike

I've had it!  I've seriously had it.  Kids not minding, husband working late all the time, grumpy attitudes all over the place, to do list growing and growing no matter how hard I try.  I can't watch even one show on TV - I'm too busy with the kids, we're watching a cartoon or Marcos comes home and takes over possession of the remote.  I gave up possession of my radio to my children a few weeks ago and am quite sure I will not be getting that back any time soon.  It's Bob the Builder and Bear Necessities over and over in the Uboldi car.  I can't find a moment for myself.  Marcos got home tonight at 8:00 - just in time to tuck the kids in bed - and then informed me his soccer game was at 8:50.  Nice!  He can work late and still find "me" time, but I can't seem to.  Someone is always around or needing something.  I just want a boring night all to myself - or with my friends.  I thought about up and quitting my 24/7 job that pays a big fat nothing, but I know how prone to extreme measures I am (especially on days that I'm feeling rather hormonal) and that I would eventually feel guilty.  So I'm not quitting...I'm just going on strike until further notice.  To even begin negotiations with the ungrateful union, I have a few expectations that need to be met.  They include more love, support, and appreciation, less whining, fewer tantrums and more minding.  Until further notice, the following is a list of the tasks I will not be performing until my needs have been met.

No more laundry - stain removal, washing, drying, hanging, folding and ironing.  No more cooking, fixing or preparing meals.  No more loading, washing or putting away dishes.  No more scrubbing, scouring and polishing.  No more vacuuming, dusting, sweeping or mopping.  And no more cleaning icky boy bathrooms.  No more sorting and organizing mail.  No more paying bills, calling to get better prices and taking care of EVERYTHING that has to do with money and accounts.  No more errands, coupon cutting and grocery store shopping.  No more kid taxi driver.  No doctor, dentist or other appointments.  No planting, weeding, pruning or watering of the garden.  No more extra projects.  No more building and painting and fixing and deciding.  No more reading and teaching and playing.  No more parks and swimming and museums and the zoo.  NO MORE!  If you need me, I will be sitting on the couch watching movies and eating bon bons.  After all, that's what most people think we stay-at-home moms do all day anyway.