Wednesday, August 31, 2011

"You're My Friend's Mom"

So I was in the hallway the other day, trying my best to avoid the Kindergarten line that was coming towards me.

The cute little girl at the end of the line stopped and turned to look at me and said, "Hey, you're Sophia's mom.  No, you're not; you're my friend's mom."

I asked her which friend that was, since I didn't recognize her as someone I knew Bean knew.

She was obviously thinking and couldn't come up with her name.  So after a couple of seconds she said, while motioning to her own arms, "My friend, the one with the things on her arms.  That one!" (making reference to Bean's CGM sensor and Omnipod)

I said Bean's name and she was excited that I knew who she was talking about.

She trotted along to rejoin her line and I went about my teacherly business of making copies with a big smile on my face.

Gotta love friends who have friends with things on their arms!! ;)

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Come On...You Know You Want One! ;)

Welcome to My Sweet Bean and Her Pod's FIRST GIVE AWAY!!!

  Way before we became a part of the DOC and won Karen's give away, we were HUGE FANS of Lauren's Hope.


  When Bean was dx'ed we knew that a medcial ID bracelet would be a must:  she would be going places and doing things where we wouldn't always be.
  I did some looking around here and there and found an inexpensive hot pink rubber with 'silver' tab clasp that could have "type one diabetes" engraved on the back bracelet and ordered it.  It was way too big, so we had to punch our own hole in it for it to fit Bean's little wrist.  It lasted a few months before it broke...both the clasp and the rubber band part.
  When I noticed that bracelet would be 'going' soon, I started looking some more.  I stumbled upon Lauren's Hope and fell in love!!  There were so many options...a MUST for a girly-girl almost seven year old.  And I loved that you could engrave more than one line of information on the back of the tag!  So nice to have her name, Type 1 Diabetes, and contact phone numbers all right there on her little wrist!  And I loved that I could order a size that would actually FIT Bean's wrist.
  Over a year later, Bean's first Lauren's Hope bracelet is still going strong!
  That brings us to Karen's give away that I won!!  Bean picked the Mood Bead bracelet.  It arrived during the first week of school, so we waited until that Saturday to give it to her....she so didn't need another distraction for her while getting used to the new routine...hello, a bracelet that changes color!!
  We gave it to her, she squealed and danced around, and she's been wearing it ever since!  She loves checking to see what 'mood' she's in and really loves the pink caduceus tag that I got to go with this bracelet...and loves the fact that she can clip her already existing bracelet to the new tag, too. (If she ever remembers she has that one!!)

  So, after we won the new bracelet, I was contacted by Lauren's Hope to see if I would like to host a give away...um, YEAH!
  With the craziness that has been the past two weeks, I needed to wait...and now the wait is over!! :)

Here is some information about Lauren's Hope:



     When you or your child was diagnosed with diabetes, your life instantly changed forever. As your doctor explained medical procedures, medications, and other lifestyle adjustments, you may have been overwhelmed thinking about all the things that would have to change. One thing that your condition shouldn't affect, though, is your individualized sense of style! In the past, medical bracelets have been big, bulky, impersonal and unattractive - which meant a lot of people would opt not to wear them.

     That’s why Lauren’s Hope was founded - to create medical alert jewelry that people would actually want to wear. This inspiration for the business came from a family friend of the company’s founders.  As a teenager with diabetes, Lauren refused to wear medical ID jewelry because it was “ugly” and could “draw attention” to her illness. Lauren’s mother asked for a fashionable medical ID to keep her daughter safe, and the rest is history.


      Today, Lauren’s Hope is still dedicated to making beautifulmedical ID jewelry for people of all ages, with any condition, and with any sense of style! Whether you have a style-savvy teenager with diabetes or you feel self-conscious wearing your own chunky diabetes ID to a dinner party, we can help you find a fashionable alternative that will keep you safe. People with diabetes, severe food, drug, and insect allergies, heart conditions, asthma, autism, a visual or hearing impairment, epilepsy, or any chronic illness need to wear medical alert jewelry with that information engraved, as well as people who are on certain medications or are gastric bypass, lap band or organ transplant patients.

     In the event of an emergency, your medical ID will do more than just make you look good - it can also save your life.  Your medicalID bracelet should be custom engraved with a few important details so medical personnel will know how to treat you best. They will need to know your name, your medical condition(s), any allergies and important medications that you have, and emergency contact numbers.


Here are the bracelets you can choose from.
The winner gets one bracelet, custom engraving and shipping included!

Mood Bead Medical ID Bracelet
      This is the Mood Bead Medical ID Bracelet.  Don't like to keep your emotions all bottled up? Set them free with this psychedelic, color-changing mood bracelet! Featuring color changing mood beads surrounded by Swarovski crystals and sterling silver Bali beads, this medical ID bracelet will take you all the way back to the 70s. Attach your custom engraved medical ID tag to complete the look and show the world what you're feeling.  The lobster clasps attach to your custom engraved medical ID tag.  Slap on your medical ID bracelet and see what kind of mood you are in today!



Fiona Medical ID Bracelet
     This is the Fiona Medical ID Bracelet .  Everyone loves stylish simplicity - especially when it comes to medical ID jewelry. If you want a style that is elegant-yet-modest, you can't go wrong with this triple strand medical ID bracelet. This sophisticated design features black tubing and gray Swarovski crystals to create a look that is subtly stunning. Simply attach your custom engraved medical ID tag with our signature lobster clasps for instant, trouble-free elegance.





April Showers Medical ID Bracelet
     This is our AprilShowers Medical ID Bracelet. They say April showers bring May flowers.  Now you can have flowers anytime of the year.  This darling medical ID bracelet features 3 clay flower shaped beads (colors may vary), surrounded by delicate, colorful beads in pinks, greens and blues with stainless steel lobster clasps. This design will make it feel like springtime all year long!  Attach this sweet medical ID bracelet to your custom engraved medical ID tag and you'll be dancing in the rain!





Into The Dark Medical ID Bracelet
     This is the Intothe Dark Medical ID Bracelet.  Are you a fan of glow in the dark beads?  This unique medical ID bracelet features 2 lime green glowing beads.  The sides of the bracelet feature black tubing and you can attach this medical ID bracelet to your custom engraved medical ID tag with lobster clasps.







Undercover Medical ID Bracelet
     This is the Undercover Medical ID Bracelet.  If you are confident and strong, with a bit of an edge, this stainless steel medical ID bracelet is perfect for you.  The unique crisscross pattern and durable stainless steel are things you might not want to keep under wraps! This stylish bracelet can hold up to 3 lines of your important medical information. Combine safety with style when you snap on this medical ID bracelet.


Now for the important details...aka...HOW YOU CAN WIN!!

To Enter: (each one counts as one entry)
  1.  Leave a comment, with your first name, and the bracelet you would like.
  2.  Mention this giveaway on Facebook, and then here comment about it.
  3.  Tweet about this giveaway, and then here comment about it.
  4.  Post about this give away on your blog, and then comment here about it.

Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm Alaska Time Wednesday, August 31st.  The winner (chosen by random.com) will be posted Thursday, September 1st. (not promising when on Thursday, just that it will still be Thursday when I post the winner!!)

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Oh My Giddy Aunt!!

Since I can't seem to be able to run more than two sentences together at a time, if I want to make any sense, I will give you a bullet point run down of the RiDiCuLoUsNeSs that has made up the past few days.

  *  After getting to sleep in a quite house for an hour and a half Saturday morning (LOVE to Ubergeek for taking the girls to breakfast!!), we attempted to find some of my 'teacher stuff' in the garage.  NOT FUN, but we did find a few things, but not what I was really looking for.  Then we spent a good five hours in my classroom trying to get things organized, moved, and 'prettied up.'

  *  Upon returning home, I remembered that all the 'important, don't want to chance getting ruined by putting it in the garage' teaching stuff was put under the stairs when we cut a hole in the wall to make more storage.  That hole has been covered for the past 5 years with a bookcase, so we totally forgot it was even there!!  WAY easier to get stuff out of there than the garage!

  *  Sunday consisted of me singing at the four services at church.  With only one working car, that meant me going for the first service, returning home to pick up the fam, them leaving after second service and then returning for me after the third service.  I was home long enough to grab a bite to eat, bath the girls, freshen up, then headed back for service number four!

  *  This week at school, for me, has been a bit of a blur.  Found out Monday that not only had my teaching schedule changed (now teaching until 1:30 and then going to help out in the office til 3), but the subjects were a bit different meaning that the kids I was seeing in the afternoon I will now see in the morning and vice versa.  That also means I am sharing a classroom with the teacher who is teaching the last part of the day.

  *  Bean has been relying on Wilma for her 'before recess number' instead of testing like she has been told to do....and did all last year.  So it's made for some interesting lunch situations, needless to say.  Even after reminding her morning teacher that she MUST show a number on her PDM before she can go to recess, she didn't test.  Today, thankfully, she did test...let's hope that continues!

  *  Bean's BGs have been ALL OVER THE PLACE.  After having her crash just about every day last week, I adjusted her basal rates.  That seemed to do OK, but now we're seeing some sustained high numbers.  Breakfast is still a royal pain in the arse!  This makes for a very challenging 'learning' situation since it's down right impossible for Bean to concentrate when she's hanging out in the low 300s/high 200s for most of the morning.

  *  Bug is rockin her 'class' at all day childcare.  (I just can't bring myself to say daycare.)  It nearly broke my heart when I dropped her off on Monday.  She did great...after a couple of hugs she went to check out the toys and waved bye to me with a smile on her face when I left.  I seriously had to talk to myself on the way to the car to keep from crying.

  *  Found out that the new nurse at Bean's school has a brother who is T1.  HALLELUJAH!!!  Now if we can just find the money in the budget to have her there more than a couple of hours a couple of days a week, we'd be set!

  *  There is a mountain of laundry in the girls' room.  Bean mentioned the other night that I really should get around to doing the laundry.  I asked her when was I at home to be able to do that and she replied "um....never."  Sure seems like I'm never here...we all aren't here!  Today was the first day that we made it home in time for us to eat dinner before the girls should have been in bed.  Granted, that means I have a MOUNTAIN of papers to grade now, but at least we're home!!

  *  I MISS THE DOC!!!  I feel like an addict going through withdrawls!  I miss my friends that live in my computer.  Sure, I get to read the random post on my phone during lunch or waiting in the car while Ubergeek grabs some groceries because we can't handle taking both the girls in during the mad rush that is the afterwork crowd.  I miss being able to sit at my computer, sipping my morning coffee, and escape into 'our world' out there in cyber space.

  *  Getting to bed around 11, checking BGs at 2 (if not other times as well), then getting up at 5 SUCKS!  I'm trying, desperately, to get to bed earlier....last night it was not even 10 before my head hit the pillow...but it's hard because there is so much to get done at home.  UGH!  I know we'll figure it out.  I know it's only been a week and a half.  But it's draining me and I need to recharge!

  *  Last thought...because it's just typical of the life we all live....


when Bean dosen't have a tissue, I guess her butt will have to do!!


please excuse any typos, missed words, etc...so not taking the time to edit because there are still 5 sets of 42 papers to grade and I MUST get to bed at a decent time!  (oh, that's two classes ~ one with 19 and one with 21) :)

Friday, August 19, 2011

Friday is good!


Roselady over at Diapeepees started Good Fridays...
a day to reflect on the 'good' of the week, no D allowed!  
 
Friday is good!
English this week...cause my brain hurts!!

1.  We have survived!!  Holy Guacamole! What a CrAzY week it has been, but it's Friday and we've all made it!!  Yes, our butts are dragging.  Yes, the laundry has piled up.  Yes, the dishes have taken over the kitchen.  BUT we made it and I think we can make this work!!
  It has been really nice being back in the classroom.  Quite the shift from 'mommy mode' to 'teacher mode,'  to say the least.  Still trying to wrap my head around the schedule and what I'm teaching when, but I knew all the kids' names by the end of the first day...and there are 42 of them!  (Well, I did know about of them 15 before, but STILL!!)


2.  Bean is rockin the 2nd grade.  Great teachers, great rooms, great new nurse.  'nuff said.


3.  Bug says something nice...TO HER SISTER!!!  After a long week, we headed to one of our favorite places to eat for dinner this evening.  We were doing our best not to kill to keep the girls entertained while we were waiting for our food to arrive.  Ubergeek had asked Bean about her day and she told him about earning a very prestigious daily award given at her school.  To that, Bug says (and I'm not making any of this up!): Way to go (insert name)! That's AWESOME! Give me a high five!  That's COOL! Knuckle! (what we call a fist bump)  Ubergeek and I looked at each other across the table in proud amazement...so utterly sweet!


Tuesday, August 16, 2011

First Day, Second Grade

all ready to go...check out the tummietote peaking out! ;)

Today was Bean's first day of second grade.  She looks so big...and she should because she has gown about an inch and half since April!!

Ubergeek, Bean, and I had a 'brief' meeting with her teachers, the new nurse, and the new principal yesterday to go over the 'quick version' of the D care so they were prepared for today.  They were all very receptive and the new nurse even knows about T1...HUGE improvement over last year, to say the least.  A meeting to implement her 504 plan and have more in depth training will be scheduled soon.

She handled everything herself today (with teacher's supervision, as detailed in our meeting) and overall she rocked it!!  Not that I had any doubt, but with the excitement of friends and such...

After recess she was 68 (yikes!  need to change that 'not below 130' to 'not below 140' so she has her designated snack...she was 134, btw, before recess, and that little snack would have held her pretty steady during recess).  So, she slurped down her squeezable applesauce she carries in the D-backpack, and decided not to dose for her lunch, but went ahead and ate.  About an hour and a half later she tested and dosed.  She had only gone up to 266, so I think she made an excellent call!!



It was also my first day at school!!!  I found out yesterday at 2 that I would be filling in long term for a teacher who transferred to another school.  HELLO?!?!  18 hours notice to start teaching....seriously?!?!  Thankfully I was able to meet with my team teacher for a few hours so we could figure out a plan for today.

It's an interesting situation that I won't even try to explain...reason one being it's an incredibly bizarre schedule and reason two being I had about 3 hours of sleep last night!!  In a nut shell, I'm team teaching 4th grade Language Arts and then a 4/5 combo Language Arts and Math.

Today went well.  And it felt really good to be in the classroom again.  Kinda Really bummed that I didn't have time to set up the classroom (or dig out my teaching stuff from the garage ~ scary place!) so it looked a bit more inviting, but that will come in time, once I can get handle on the teaching part of it!

So...you will all have to pardon me as I fall behind on reading and commenting until we get into a groove.  It's quite to shift to our schedule ~ me working, Bean back to school with various after school activities, and Bean (oops correction) Bug going to childcare three days a week (the other two with Grandpa).  Yikes!!

Know that I am thinking of you all and missing your words terribly!  I will do my best to post here and there, but I'm not promising much...today was a 10 hour work day on 3 hours sleep...TIME FOR BED!

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Sleepover, Bean and 'G' style

Friday night, the night that will forever go down in history as "the first sleepover, ever" had Bean and G giddy all filpping week!

G's mom was able to get near perfect behavior all week, for the mention of 'Friday night' brought instantaneous improvement.

Bean's mom...not so much 'near perfect' but it sure made Bean straighten up!


G arrived after dinner, which was perfect because it gave Bug just enough time to play with her before going to bed that she felt included.  Bean was ever so grateful for Bug's early bedtime because she was already getting annoyed...or continued to be annoyed because I don't know if her annoyance with her sister has a beginning and end at these days!!

I then swept the girls away to the wonderfulest thing in the world...the drive-thru at McDonald's for chocolate dipped ice cream cones!
uh, YEA, she can have ICE CREAM!

They hung out, watched the Phineas and Ferb movie, and then got ready for bed.

some art work was attempted, as well

love the little 'hip stuck out' pose from Bean!


I gave them a good twenty minutes to 'whisper' after getting settled into bed.  And then I went up to remind them that "sleep" was a big part of a 'sleep over' and if the "sleep" didn't happen then the "over" was going to be over and G was going to be taken home. (Yeah, I'm mean like that! ;) )

The quite lasted for about 5 minutes, then Bean came down with her pod hanging by a thread.  Lovely!  She was due for a change the next morning, but it should have held on until then.  Whatever!  So, quick pod change; settled them back down, and thankfully they were both sound asleep in about 15 minutes.



Ubergeek took them to Bouncin Bears the next morning (along with Bug) so they all wouldn't kill  be annoyed with each other...and so I could sleep because that late night pod change had me up chasing BGs pretty much every hour!  (Yep, he's awesome like that!)

what goes up...

must come down...really fast!!

and with TONS of high speed giggles!!
no, I didn't blur Bean's face...she's just laughing that hard!


All in all, it was a fabulous 'first' and Bean is super excited to do it again.

I can't say I'm 'super' excited, but I'm open to the possibility! ;)


Friday, August 12, 2011

Ijumaa ni nzuri!


Roselady over at Diapeepees started Good Fridays...
a day to reflect on the 'good' of the week, no D allowed!  
 
Ijumaa ni nzuri!...Friday is good!
Swahili this week!

1. New Friends.  There is a new family at our school whose daughter will be in second grade with Bean.  We met them at a local indoor play area this Wednesday for a lunch play date.  The girls had already hit it off when they met at the school and the mom and I had, too.  We spent a lovely almost three hours chatting while the girls played.  It was lovely!  (oh, and because I just have to share this part...her cat has diabetes but when she told me that she started with 'it's TOTALLY different from Bean having it'...loved that!)


2. Job Search.  I'm trying my best to see the good in this.  I know it's there.     I currently do not have a teaching position for this school year...and since the first day is Tuesday, it's not looking all that promising.  I will be contacting the district so I can substitute...not my ideal, but it will be a paycheck; and that's really the bottom line at the moment.  I did figure out that although logistically it would be ideal for me to teach at Bean's school, I am becoming more aware that it wouldn't be a good idea.  It's one thing to become friends with people you work with; to start working with your friends is a completely different thing altogether!


3. Ubergeek.  The past couple of weeks have been very stressful, very busy, and very stressful (wait, did I say that already?)  Ubergeek has helped alleviate some of the load by having Bean tag along with him on some of his projects, bringing home dinner, and taking Bean to her eye appointment Tuesday by himself.  I love you, waia!


By the way...have you seen the ah-ma-zing give away Wendy is doing?  Holy Cow! Go check it out!!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Making the Switch

As yesterday's post alluded to, Bean is now rocking Apidra in her Omnipod insulin pump!

After reading several stories about others who made the switch, doing some other research, and talking with our ANP on Monday, we decided it would be worth a try to see if we could turn those sky rocketing mountain peaks into rolling hills!

Well, meal number one that Wilma (our dexcom 7+) documented (due to Bean forgetting to put on her tummietote before we left for a lunch playdaye! Can I just tell you I MISSED Wilma, big time in those three hours!) gave us some serious encouragement!

now that's a post-meal spike I can handle!

For those of you wondering....we've set Bean's range on Wilma wider than the range we actually want her to be in so that it wouldn't alarm on those post-meal spikes during day camp last week...and just might keep them like that for school until we get things more leveled out.  The last thing I need is stressed out teachers because of all the buzzing!

One of the main issues we've been having of late is breakfast.  Bean doesn't always like to eat in the mornings, so we've been sticking to just a yogurt and from the information we had before (the BG test before lunch) showed that it treated her pretty well.
Um, no!  Enter Wilma and her wonderful graphs and we were seeing that she was actually going up a good 200 points before steadying out and then heading down.  Not really the desired effect, especially when that spike will soon encompass her entire morning at school!  Kinda hard to focus and learn with BGs doing the sky rocket/speed back down thing!


So, this morning, armed with Wilma and Apidra, we gave yogurt it's test.

F.A.I.L!!

From low 100s to low 300s....not what we were hoping for, to say the least!!

Oh, um, yeah...pay no attention to that lovely 310...starting lunch at 200 it's not terrible but obviously it's not coming down yet! UGH!!  Could also be due to the 'stress' from Bug...three year olds don't always understand just hanging out and watching a movie and Bean has been quite frustrated with her!! :)  Whatever.

But, feel free to focus on the beautiful steady line in the low-mid 100s over night....that's PURDY! 


So far it's mixed reviews...but we're just a bit over 24hours into the switch. 
Totally not making any decisions until we've been podding Apidra for at least a vial's worth...and we have a total of three from our ANP to test out! :)


Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Wordless Wednesday

Borrowing an idea from Karen over at Bitter~Sweet 'cause I thought it was cool. :)


making a switch

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Sharing, because if I didn't it wouldn't be right

I have gone back and forth about putting this out there, but with all of the 'extra struggles' that some of my D-mama friends are having added to their plates, it just doesn't seem right to not.

I want to preface this with saying that I am not trying to exploit the relationships I have been blessed with because of this blog.  I also, by no means, will be upset if anyone wants to or doesn't want to know more.
I just know what these products have done for my family, friends, and others I know and feel like I need to, at the very least, give my readers  friends the opportunity to know about them.

Reliv is a  nutrition company that provides products that give your body the nutrients it needs to be able to function the way it was intended.

Personally I have found these products to help with my moods, headaches, and overall help me feel better.

My dad went through chemo and radiation with next to no side effects and amazed the doctors by more than doubling their expectation for him to live with brain cancer.

I have had friends who have found relief of conditions such as MS, Lupus, IBS, Crohns, Colitis, High Cholesterol, ADHD, and those who were already 'healthy' found improvements in that health.
The FDA has not given Reliv the stamp of approval for the treatment or cure of illnesses.

Bottom line, in a nutshell, Reliv products offer the balance of vitamins, minerals, and herbs the human body needs.  Several of the products are patented as food sources and Reliv has feeding stations in several poverty stricken countries where children are given these products as a life sustaining meal.

Feel free to check out their website and read about the company's products and mission.

Then, if you are interested in talking with me to get more information about the products, please feel free to email me.

Again, I am not trying to exploit this blog for personal gain.  I just know that a lot of my friends are looking for answers for their kids and if I can be part of their answers, then I have to put it out there.

Take or leave it...I just have to put it out there, with tons of love and a desire to help!

Monday, August 8, 2011

Really!?!

The other day I went out to check the mail and get a little 'we tried to deliver a package' note in the box.  Kind of odd since there are 'package boxes' for those items that won't fit in the 'mail box' and our mailman mail carrier mailman...he's a man, so can't I just call him a mailman?!?!...brings things to our door more often than not, and it said the package was addressed to Bean.

So, off to the post office the next day to pick up the box...fun.

When I saw the return address I realized it was from the new 'managers' for the chronic conditions care program associated with our insurance coverage.

Here are the contents of the box:
booklet about Diabetes Management, pill organizer,
Carbohydrate Counting Cookbook, and pedometer

Now, let me start by saying that I've already talked with these people and gave them EXTENSIVE information about Bean.

So, they sent a seven year old, Type 1, a four-compartment-a-day pill organizer?  REALLY!?!

And the cookbook....copyright 1998....with very few, if any, child friendly options. REALLY!?!

Ah, the booklet.  The lovely booklet that is supposed to help my child manage her diabetes has one picture of a child out of the twenty two 'people' illustrations.  REALLY!?! 


Where as I appreciate this 'benefit' of our insurance coverage, I just can't understand why they can't figure out that these items aren't appropriate for the patient they are sending them to!!  ('to whom they are sending them', I know, I just think it sounds so weird!)  



And then, there was this little 'funny' that my MIL showed me last night when we were over at their house for dinner... BELGIAN WAFFLES, yummy!  

It was in a magazine she happened to be reading.
download a UTI?  um, no thanks! :)


And a quick question...those of you who use Tegaderm...does the UniSolve (or whatever adhesive loosen-er you use) work for it, too?   
Had to go the 'Tegaderm route' with the dexcom sensor because after a few days, even with SkinPrep, the adhesive pulls up around the edges and the cloth tape that was supposed to be 'super strong' isn't doing the trick!

Friday, August 5, 2011

Biyernes ay mabuti!


Roselady over at Diapeepees started Good Fridays...
a day to reflect on the 'good' of the week, no D allowed!  
 
Biyernes ay mabuti!...Friday is good!
Filipino this week!


1.  The Sun Came Back!  It's been a cloudy, rainy, overcast week.  But today, the sun came back!  And with the clouds gone, the mountains are back, too!  Just one of the things I love about living in Alaska!

on the drive to pick up Bean from the last day of day-camp


2. Girly Toenails.  What's more fun than painting toenails?  Painting little girl toenails, of course!!

counterclockwise: Bug, Bean, Me


3.  New Crayons.  There's just something about a new box of crayons that is just plain wonderful.  And with the arrival of school supplies, they were on sale for a quarter so I can have my own box!!  (Yes, I enjoy coloring...wanna make something of it?!? Huh, do ya?!?)

and yes, I'm also a crayon snob...MUST be Crayola

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Stepping Out at the Zoo

Tonight was the kick off event for our Step Out Walk to Stop Diabetes that will be on October 30th.
More info to come as I clear some other more pressing items off the ol' TO DO list!! :)

It was at the Alaska Zoo and our group of Step Out Teams were the only ones there...totally cool!
There was a digital scavenger hunt, complete with prizes.  The Bean Team won a Brett Micheals autographed bandanna...woo hoo!

Here are some of the pictures....

picture of an animal on the top of the food chain


Bean on the look out for animals to fit the clues on the list
some of which were pretty tricky!


this is exactly how Bean framed this picture ...
there was supposed to be a team member in each shot with the animal
I suppose there's enough of Ubergeek to qualify!! ;)


we had to stage a 'death scene' in front of a dangerous
animal...good luck spotting the snoozing tiger!!


picture of team member jumping in front of an animal
that jumps...again, good luck spotting the snoozing wolverine
that the info sign said jumps from tree to tree


Bug getting into the jumping action, with a little help!




Huge thanks for all the LOVE from my 'downer' post. My computer friends are THE BEST!

One of the school events was last night and went off splendidly.  The other school event is now completely handed over to another board member.

Chatted with Bean's CDE at tonight's event and she's raring to go to help get all the needed school paperwork together with us at Bean's appointment this coming Monday.  Love her!

The updated school supply list won't even be out until the 11th, so no need to feel rushed to get to the store.

Do need to work on the 504 plan, but with help from Reyna and Tracy, that task is MUCH less daunting!  'Thanks' doesn't even come close!

Love you guys!  
     Ugh, that sooo needs to be ya'll since I grew up outside of Atlanta, but Alaska has frozen my ya'll and replaced it with you guys.  At least it doesn't sounds like I'm from  Minnesota when I say it...not that there's anything wrong with Minnesota! ;)

Monday, August 1, 2011

Debbie Downer alert

Maybe it's the clouds.

Maybe it's the actual weight from the stress eating I've been doing.  Sooo need to get my rear in gear and DO SOMETHING!

Maybe it's the busy schedule of the past week and this week and next week and then it's into 'school' mode, ugh!

Maybe it's the ever growing list of things that need to be bought (school supplies, D supplies), need to be sorted (clothes in the 'school drawer' that have been out grown or are no longer 'clean' enough ~ gotta love Art stains! ~ so I know what to add to the 'need to be bought list'), need to be planned (events at school for registration this week and staff returning to work next week that the PTO is in charge of), need to be written (504 plan to fit Bean's needs and have CGM info added because there's nothing about that in the sample I got from our local ADA), need to be arranged (childcare for Bug if I am going back to teaching, which is still up in the air; meetings and training with staff for Bean's D care at school because it will be very different from last year), need to be taken care of (laundry, dishes, vacuuming, meals).

Maybe it's the lack of sleep.

Maybe it's the basal rates that I thought I had figured out last week that don't seem to be working this week.

Whatever it is, it's heavy and I am starting to grow weary under the load.