The Rat. #RatBiteFever Part 4

In case you missed the other posts...
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

I'm going to give a little history here. We purchased a rat, in January, after much begging from our son Gavin. It was his 11th birthday, and I gave in. It would be good to teach him responsibility!

So, we purchased a rat from Pet Supplies Plus (and we were given this information, in a print out). All the kids loved it. It was cute, cuddly, and nice. It died within days. So, we went back and got another from a new shipment. This rat seemed healthy and happy- it was cute, cuddly, and nice too! We were happy.

We were amazed at how tame this rat was. Even our one year old son could hold it! Orrin adored the rat. He adores all animals, really; you can tell he is an animal lover.

 But... we also have a cat. The cat wanted to eat the rat.

For the last couple months, the cat would try to get the rat through the cage. We couldn't keep it away. The cat seemed to be just playing with, it in a way- she didn't attack the rat out of the cage... just messed with it while in the cage. But, the rat started attacking everything that touched the cage (fairly understandably, IMO).

Our son, Nolyn, got bit first, it was more of a nick than anything, but we moved the cage. Then another day, Orrin got bit... just a small bite, barely enough to get the skin. We moved the cage again. The kids loved the rat, and the rat was still very tame and calm when held- it just didn't like to be messed with in the cage. Then, Orrin got bit again. This time right through the finger nail. It was a full bite.

This time the rat went up above the bird cage. The kids couldn't really see it to mess with it and the cat didn't mess with it. Seemed like it was a good place for it.

After we cleaned Orrin's wound it healed up- and we didn't think much more of it... until the rat died.

So, that's the story of the rat... which is an important piece to this whole story.

Now back to Tuesday and Part 5.

Horrible thoughts. #RatBiteFever Part 3

If you need to catch up, here's part one and part two.

The next morning we were called and told to immediately go to Helen DeVos children's hospital. It's a 3 and a half hour drive from where we live... so it isn't a quick or easy chore for us. We had to get childcare for the other kids, then drive an extra hour to pick up the x-rays from the hospital... but we were on our way.

My husband and I had had horrible thoughts racing through our minds for the entire night, and now they were even worse. We hadn't been sent an hour away to Munson (the next biggest hospital near us)... no, we were sent across the state to a special children's hospital. The doctor has said the test results could mean a range of things were wrong, but he was most concerned about a bone infection.


Helen DeVos emergency got us in very quickly (the shortest wait I've ever had at any hospital). Orrin was quickly assessed and the slew of doctors started pouring in. We saw so many doctors in such a short amount of time, it was nearly overwhelming.

The first thing they wanted to do was repeat some blood tests. So, they did...and we waited.

We waited, and waited, and waited.

Finally, pretty close after shift change, a new doctor came in and said that they thought everything was fine and that we would be going home soon.

Then, another doctor came in and said that we would need to have Orrin sedated so they could take fluid out of his knee and elbow to check for infection. We were confused, we had just been told everything was fine?! Well, apparently the test results hadn't come back when the other doctor had said we should go home, and now that they were back, and showing even higher levels of inflammation, Orrin needed to have his knee and elbow aspirated to check for bacteria.

Orrin's cast came off... and his elbow looked huge, red, and was very painful. He was not a happy kiddo. The orthopedic specialist there said he didn't see a fracture on the films, so they weren't planning on re-casting his arm, but would put it in a splint after the sedation to protect the joint just in case it was close to fracturing.

Then, they put our little guy into a "semi-sleep" state and we had to wait in the waiting room.

We came back and our little dude was still in this sleep-like state. His eyes were twitching and he wasn't really aware of his surroundings. 

And now we had to wait some more. The results of these tests wouldn't be quick. The test was completed at 8:30pm... and we waited.

We were told that the fluid taken from the joints looked pretty good, it wasn't full of pus, but there was very little fluid collected from his elbow. This was good thing in relation to infection, because infection creates pus and that would mean that there would be a lot of fluid.

The waiting was horrible. Orrin was starving, We hadn't eaten in... well, I don't even remember when. Raymond went to the cafeteria to get something for us to eat. When he got back, Orrin was SO upset. He wanted "nummies". He wasn't allowed anything to eat or drink, though, in case he needed emergency surgery. So, we all sat there... staring at the to-go container all wishing we could eat. Finally, Orrin fell asleep around 1am.


Around 1:30am the doctors came in and told us that his knee results came back negative. But we were still waiting on his elbow results. A bit later the doctor came in and said they were negative as far as he could tell. The situation wasn't deemed an emergency any longer so we were discharged after they gave Orrin some more toradol (a strong anti-inflammatory medication given by IV).

We were told Orrin likely had Toxic Synovitis. A type of arthritis that is common and is the body's response to a viral infection. The doctor also said it could be a rheumatoid arthritis since RA is on both sides of the family... but that it would take a rheumatist to find out and that would be coordinated with our primary doctor.

 We thought that it might just be Toxic Synovitis.... but something had happened while we were at the hospital that kept playing on our minds. Our pet rat had died quite suddenly while we were at DeVos. 

We traveled home, exhausted, and in the dark. We finally got home and got a few hours sleep.  When I finally woke up my husband and I started discussing the death of the rat and how Orrin had been bitten a couple weeks before, and  I started Google-ing.

This was the first instance where I saw anything about Rat Bite Fever. The arthritis and fever fit... but besides that, it didn't seem that likely. He didn't have a rash, or an open sore... the site of the bite had healed well.

Orrin's doctor called that Saturday afternoon. I mentioned the rat, but he asked if the bite seemed to be infected, and it didn't, it had healed well and we had cleaned it thoroughly. The pediatrician said it was pretty unlikely and so we didn't give it much thought after that.

The next few days Orrin seemed to be better. He was walking around and acting fairly normal. We had two birthday parties and he was active in them both. We thought everything might be okay.... that he may just have arthritis... or maybe it was just a viral infection. 

Then, Tuesday came.

Part 4: The Rat.  

SOMETHING is wrong! #RatBiteFever Part 2.

(Did you miss part one? Click here)

We weren't thrilled to be going to the hospital again, but our kid couldn't walk! I was worried about how they would think of us as parents. Our son's arm was broken, and we didn't know how it happened... and now he wasn't walking on his leg. AND, we had just been at the hospital with our 9 year old who had a concussion. Surely they would assume we were harming our children. I was crying I was so upset at this. Nothing had happened... nothing out of the ordinary toddler bumps and falls, at least.

When we got to the hospital we were seen pretty quickly. One of the nurses had been there the last time I was at the hospital with Orrin, and the doctor said she'd already heard about what happened with Orrin's arm. She had seen Orrin and I before when I had picked him up from the couch and hurt his leg, which was stuck under part of the couch before I had realized it, and was hurting. Last time we were seen he was fine and walked fine as soon as we got to the hospital. She asked to see him walk just to make sure I wasn't just an over-worried mom. But, Orrin didn't walk right. He was dragging his leg behind.

So, she ordered some x-rays. Nothing showed up, everything appeared normal on the films. When the doctor came back to the room she asked if anything had happened. RJ, our 10 year old, had said Luke had thrown something at Orrin's leg earlier, but it didn't seem to bother him- it didn't even knock him over- but I told her about it.

I asked her if there was any way it could be related to his arm. I mean, two limbs not being used within a week? She said it was probably just a coincidence. I asked if there were any labs or anything that could be done to see if he was sick. She said they don't do that there, we would have to go to our primary doctor. She "diagnosed" Orrin with a limp and said to follow up with our pediatrician in the next few days if it persisted.

Well, it didn't get better and I was able to finish work early the next day. We were able to get in to the pediatrician. I told him what had led up to this and said SOMETHING is wrong. I really felt like Orrin's arm trouble and leg trouble were connected. Orrin's knee was warm and slightly swollen at this point. The pediatrician agreed that something was amiss. He ordered a bunch of blood tests and told us he'd call when the results came in.

At this point I was very concerned. I had had two friends who had children with leg pain, one had ended up with cancer, the other a serious bone infection. Nothing good was running through my mind.

At 6 PM we got a call from the pediatrician. His first blood test results looked okay. He didn't think this was anything serious at this point. His white blood cells were at a normal level and he said the tests looked reassuring. I was relieved, but still baffled at what was going on. We waited for more test results.

Then, at 10pm, we received another call from the doctor. His blood tests that tested for inflammation had come back with very abnormal results. The doctor told us he would call in the morning after consulting with some other doctors in some other major cities and decide what to do from there.

Part Three: Horrible thoughts.

Mommas, trust your gut! #RatBiteFever Part One.

What an odd couple of weeks we have had. It all started two weeks and three days ago, a Friday morning....

Orrin, our nearly two year old, wasn't feeling well that morning. My husband (the amazing stay-at-home Dad) called me to say that Orrin was really whiny and not acting himself, he put him down for nap and hoped he would be better after. When I got home from work, he wasn't any better. He wouldn't be put down. If he wasn't in our arms, he was screaming. I noticed when he was put down and made to walk to one of us he was walking rather oddly, he wasn't using his left arm at all. So, we took him to the hospital.

At the hospital we were told that he likely had "nursemaid's elbow", a type of dislocation that is very common in toddlers- usually resulting in a caregiver pulling on a child's arm. The tendon near the elbow isn't very strong, so it gives and allows the two bones in the child's forearm to twist. Since we didn't know of any trauma to Orrin's arm, I trusted the doctor and allowed him to "set" the arm. Orrin actually started to use his arm a little, although it was still shaky, and after about a half hour of observation we were allowed to go home.

While at home it actually seemed like he was a bit better. He played for a few minutes and then we sat down to watch a movie. At one point, a bit later, Orrin decided to try to get out of his little chair. He started screaming and holding his arm. I knew something was still wrong. Back to the hospital we went.

This time there was a different doctor on. He did some x-rays of the arm this time. He said there was nothing that he could see in the way of a fracture on the x-ray, but it is hard to read at this age since so much of their bones are still cartilage. He said nursemaid's elbow relapses easily, especially immediately following it being set back into place. He tried to set it again, said he felt a "pop"- so that was good, it was likely back in place- and then put Orrin in a hard splint and told us to follow up with the orthopedic team on the next Monday.

The next morning we were called and told that the radiologist did see a fracture on the x-ray. Our son's arm was broken, so be sure to follow up with the orthopedic team on Monday. 

The doctor prescribed some tylenol with codeine to help with the pain, but after the second dose, Orrin broke out in hives. He was allergic to the pain medication, and there wasn't anything stronger than tylenol and motrin we could give him now.

On Monday, my husband took Orrin to the orthopedic doctor. They took more films of his arm and put a cast on his arm. At that point, we assumed that Orrin had gotten his hand caught in his crib, or his almost three-year-old brother had tried to help him out of his crib and pulled on his arm too hard. There was no trauma that we knew of, so we were trying to find answers as to how this could have happened.

Two days later, while my husband was at the hospital with our son, Liam, who had gotten a concussion at school, Orrin stopped walking suddenly.

I was sitting in the living room, Orrin and all the other kids were playing and running around, and quite suddenly, Orrin stopped where he stood. He was whiny and upset. At first I thought he just wanted the chair he was holding to be moved... so I asked his brother to move it... but then he got more upset. I called for him to come to me and when he did, his right leg just kind of dragged behind him. He couldn't walk.

My husband came home just minutes after this started happening. I gave Orrin some motrin in hopes that it was just the pain from his arm overwhelming him. But, it didn't seem to help.

After a bit of contemplating we decided to head off to the hospital yet again.

Part 2: SOMETHING is wrong.

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Three days off!!!

So this busy little rural carrier has been in general orientation, driver orientation, and "Rural Academy" for the last two weeks. I know it has been scarce around these parts...and I apologize!

I've had to readjust my schedule and it has been.... overwhelming interesting. First of all... I am a second shift kind of gal. I have worked second shift for soooo long. Well, I've had to be up at the butt crack of  dawn or earlier for all this training and I've been going to bed early (like 8pm early)!  

Next week I start my on-the-job training, but it won't be nearly as intense (only a couple days next week, and a few the week after), so I will be back to blogging a bit more regularly! Yay!

Let's see...what else is new. We got hit with a bunch of snow a couple days ago...sooooo many cars in the ditch, and so many accidents. It was a bad first snow this year. The ground was still warm, so it made some terrible ice and drivers just didn't use enough caution. I can't even remember how many cars I saw on the side of the road because of being stuck, or in an accident. 

I think that's about all for now... I'll be writing more soon since I have three wonderful days off. Be on the lookout for a GREAT Mohawk Rug giveaway!

EVERYTHING happens for a reason...

So, this week has been rough. No, really. ROUGH. Our van started making noises...if you know us, you know we NEED our van. Well, within about a week the van was, well, dead. Kaput. Something happened to the motor and THAT is an expensive fix. A fix that our vehicle's worth just couldn't justify.

Granted, our van was old... it was a '99. We always buy used vehicles, it just makes more sense for us.... we had our van for 4(ish?) years, so it served us well. 

Since that was our family's only mode of transportation, if we wished to go anywhere together, it had to be replaced. 

On top of my already BUSY 3 days off, I had to also do searches for vehicles now too...not to mention the running around and figuring out childcare while we did this search. Well, now, I want to tell you that I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. No joke.

I had stayed up very late a couple nights ago scouring websites for good deals on 12 passenger vans, suburbans, yukons, excursions and the like (ya know, all the huge vehicles). We found a few good deals, but they were hundreds of miles away. 

So, the next day we had to go to a town about an hour away to get some stuff from a big box store. On our way back we noticed we were low on gasoline, but weren't worried and figured we could make it to the next town where gas was cheaper... the gas light wasn't on so we were safe. Well, I had to make a quick costume run in Walgreens to see if they had a skeleton costume. When I came out from my successful shop my husband pointed to the dash... the gas light had come on.

source

So...we went around the building to pull into the alley and get to the closest gas station. Well, that alley just happened to be butted up against a car lot....and what should we see? A Yukon. A Yukon XL that just happened to be priced exactly in our price range.  Now, we figured it would be too good to be true... it must not have 4 wheel drive (which is mandatory where we live for a vehicle like that), it must have problems. We get out and look...low and behold- it has 4 wheel drive! And it is still in our price range! 

Anyhow, the craziness of the story is that if we had gotten gas before Walgreen's we would have never seen the vehicle, and if the gas light hadn't come on while I was in Walgreen's we wouldn't have gone to the alley, and would have never seen the vehicle. Everything happens for a reason. 

This isn't the first time I have noticed something like this... I have been speeding down the road, only to get behind a super slow driver....then 2 minutes later pass a police officer. I have forgotten something at the house and had to turn around and get it (annoying), only to find that I had just missed a three car pile up. I have noticed so many things that change my course of a day only to result in something else happening (that either saves me, is needed, or is just plain oddly coincidentally related to the other event). 

So, now we have a new vehicle with a payment we can afford... there are a few minor problems that came with the vehicle (and was probably the reason for it's lower price), but they are things that we can fix. First on the to-do list... get a seat to make the vehicle an 8 passenger. ;)

Have you ever noticed an experience like this in your life? I would love to hear about it!

So..... I PASSED!

In case any of you didn't see my Facebook and Twitter posts yesterday, I did in fact pass my USPS driving test!  I received my official offer of employment today, and I go for my physical on Friday! I am VERY excited, and the local post office that I am being hired for has been SOOOO fantastic! They have been routing for me every step of the way!

I will still be working as a CNA, and I will still be blogging.... I will just be delivering mail now as well! 

Thank you ALL for your well wishes, thoughts, and prayers!

Hello, My name is Jen...and I am TERRIFIED of Friday!

I am scared terrified of the impending doom coming this Friday. No, I am not joking...

What is it that I am so concerned about, you ask?

This:

source

And this:

source

And most of all.... this:

All because I want to do this:

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That's right...! I want to be a mail carrier. Well... a part time mail carrier. I have applied for a position in a local post office and I am to the point where I have to take my USPS driver assessment test.

Let me tell ya, this test is INTIMIDATING. They look for ways to fail you.... I was told that no one who has applied for this position in the last six months has passed the driver's assessment test! Now I am even more terrified... and to top it all off- I have to drive an hour away to the closest thing northern Michigan has to a large city! I HATE driving in the city. *sigh*.

So, I sit here psyching myself out and studying. I have never been a good parallel parker- I will walk 10 blocks to avoid parallel parking! I have done a U-Turn about twice in my driving life, and never done a Y-Turn or a K turn (both requirements for the test). I don't keep two hands on the wheel at all times, I don't curb my wheels or put my parking break on when parking, and I rarely stop before a stop sign ( I usually stop a few feet afterward... to see better). All these things will be watched during my assessment.... so now I need to re-learn how to be very strict in my driving ways. 

Now, although I am not rigid and strict in following all the driving rules I do want to say I have only once been in an accident involving another driver (that one time was in a parking lot involving an EMT vehicle going too fast and without lights and sirens, and the cop said it was NOT my fault). I know I am a good driver... and I think I *should* pass this test, but I totally feel like I will fail!

How, oh hoooooow will I figure out how to calm myself for the test!?!  I am so worried that I will be soo terrified that I will get into an accident or do something totally stupid. 

Any of you wonderful readers taken an USPS driver's assessment test before? How was it, I need all the scary details... 

Check out our gorgeous Autumn colors!

A Beautiful Autumn Day in Northern Michigan...

We were taking a drive today and I decided to snap some photos along the way.... I live in an amazingly beautiful area, not doubt about it. I only wish I had a camera that could really capture the beauty, but these will have to do...

All images are my own, please do not copy or use without my permission, thanks.

Like I said, it was a beautiful day. I hope to capture some more of our beautiful fall colors to share with you all soon!

Holy Smokes... MORE Facebook changes coming soon!

Thanks to a friend on Facebook and this article, I am trying out the new "Timeline" feature that will be hitting Facebook in early October.  I have to say, it is DIFFERENT!

Now, I am not a fan of change... not one bit. I find security in the same ol' same ol'. 

This one is fairly neat... I am still going to be a little resistant, though.

 Here's a screenshot of my  NEW Facebook profile page..

And here is the page scrolled down a bit...

See the new "Timeline" feature. 

This is definitely a new look for Facebook profiles.... what do you think? Will you like it?

One thing that makes me a little hesitant about this change is the privacy concerns any new changes bring to a social neworking site. Will the new changes create loopholes for hackers, yes, more than likely... so I hope Facebook will be on their toes and get them all fixed quickly when they do come about.

Leave me a comment, I would love to hear what you think of the new Timeline feature that will be coming to Facebook in early October!

Annoyed with the Facebook changes...

So, there are some big changes today in Facebook world. I am not a huge fan of change, so I am always slow to warm up to them... but this one is especially irking.

Facebook isn't content with being FACEBOOK! The new feed looks and feels more like Google+ and ever since Google + came out, Facebook keeps hitting users with these changes. 

If you are in Facebook land... what do you think? Do you think you'll warm up too the new look, or is it just going to annoy you each time you log in?

There is a current fix for the new look, I haven't tried it, but some say if you go to account settings and change the language to English UK, you'll have the old Facebook back. Worth a try if you really hate the new feed. I have told that this doesn't always work, they are probably rolling out the new feed to UK users too.


I personally really hate the rolling ticker, well, the fact that I can't get my activity OFF it. I don't like ALL my friends knowing every little thing I do! I don't want my posts on other's pages to be broadcasted to everyone else. Grr.


Also, have you noticed that you can now "subscribe" to people who have public posts. Then their posts will show up on your feeds. I wonder if Facebook is going to do away with "friends"?

The truth about glue....

You've probably heard about horses "going to the glue factory".... I always told myself, nooooo, that can't be true.

Well, I am here to say it is, at least partially.

Now, I am no expert on glue, and there are a LOT of different glues out there... but let me tell you a little of what I have learned.

Many, many, many years ago people happened to have eaten an animal and left the bones, tendons, and cartilage to cook a little too long. Well, the cartilage and other proteins from the animal melted and happened to be really sticky.  Someone thought, "hey...this could be useful"- and then there was glue.

Now, there were other natural glues, saps from trees probably worked to stick things together- but it often took a long time for these to "set". Glue made from animal proteins set quickly, and they could be stored- all you had to do is re-heat it (think mankinds' first "hot glue") when needed. Animal glue sets quickly, and thus must stay hot, or be stored- this makes it not very user friendly for the "normal" person.  The glue made from animal parts are usually used in a more industrial setting. These glues are often used for cabinetry, woodworking, glassworking, and for binding books. 

According to Elmer's website, you don't have to fear there are horse remains in your child's creation. They state, " No, Elmer's does not use animals or animal parts to make glue. Our products are made from synthetic materials and are not derived from processing horses, cows or any other animals". They also go on to say they do not use milk proteins, or any part of milk, only synthetic ingredients.

What about other glues?

"Super" glue (Cyanoacrylate glues)-  Synthetic polymers- no animals needed.

Hot Glue- Synthetic (save for possible coconut oil and soy) as far as I can tell. Hot glue is melted plastic (thermoplastic).

Rubber Cement- made from rubbers, usually Latex. No animals harmed from what I can tell from the information.

Glue sticks- Unsure. While Wikipedia offers the composition of the Pritt Stick, there are many brands out there. Most likely there is no animal proteins in them.

Any other glue that you can think of that you are wondering about? I'd be happy to check it out!

This is NOT a paid post, nor is it for any specific brand. Any brands that have been mentioned in this post have no current affiliation with Six in the Nest as of the day of this post. 

'Twas the Night Before School....

Twas the night before school started, when all through the town, the parents were cheering... It was a riotous sound!

 By 8, kids were washed and tucked into bed... Where memories of homework filled them with dread!

 New pencils, new folders, new notebooks too! New teachers, new friends...Their anxiety grew!

The parents just giggled when they learned of this fright- and they shouted upstairs: Go To Bed! It's A School Night!!

Yard Sales and Emergency Rooms...

We have been planning a yard sale for couple weekends now. Last weekend I was too sick to do much other than lie in bed. This weekend started off quite rainy. 

We were blessed with some sun this morning and were getting our yard sale set up. My husband wanted to put his weight bench out for sale, so he put that out. My kids had quite the fascination with it. They all wanted to be tough guys! Well, we kept telling them to leave the bench alone, that it could hurt them, but they didn't listen. Well, at least not until their two year old brother decided to mess with it too... he ended up with a broken, fractured, and mushed thumb. :(

I can handle a lot... most injuries are not a big deal to me.... I've seen some pretty bad ones. This one was different. Nolyn's thumb swelled so much that I thought it was going to burst, and it looked like he was pouring blood out of his thumb like a watering can does water. It was everywhere. 

We quickly poured some water on it and bandaged it and he was off to the hospital with his Daddy.

This is what it looks like 10 hours later... ( much, much better than this morning):

 

The doctors said he would have to have surgery to really do everything they needed to do, but that they didn't recommend it because of his age. He will likely never have a nail on his thumb again because of the damage to his nail bed. For now, all we can do is change the bandages, keep it in a splint, and follow up as soon as the nail falls off to see if they can try to repair the nail bed. 

It was hard to believe how quickly it swelled this morning, it was really scary! My husband told me Nolyn broke his thumb, and has a fracture near the knuckle, which is why it swelled so much. Poor little Boog! 

Other than that, the yard sale was pretty uneventful. Only a handful of people came (and we are thankful for each one!). It was a hot, sunny day up until about 4:30 pm or so...then a dark cloud loomed in the distance. My husband told me to check the weather...'no real chance of rain', I told him. Within minutes it was pouring and we were scurrying around covering and moving things. Hoping for a busier day tomorrow and no rain- we need this stuff gone!

What kind of ouchies have your kids (or yourself) gotten? Do you handle blood/injuries well, or do they make you a little flustered? 

They're Making Me CRAZY!

No, not my kids.....(well, at least not currently)...

INDIAN MEAL MOTHS

We have an African Grey (a parrot).... I purchase our bird food in bulk (it's cheaper...well, maybe not).

A few months ago I had unknowingly purchased some bird food that was infested with Indian Meal Moths. I started to notice these pesky moths fluttering around....

Image via Wikipedia

At first I didn't think much of it... figured it was because the kids left the door open or something. Then one day I go to feed Mac (our parrot) and one of these things flew out. Hmm....well how did it get in there? 

So I took a closer look. BLECH. Larvae, lots and lots of Larvae all webby and crawling in the bird food. 

Well, my husband quickly disposed of the rancid bird food....but our battle continues with these pests!

Now, anyone who knows me in real life knows I am not an animal killer, I even tolerate insects in my home for the most part....but these were ruining my food. 

Little did I know, these moths can chew through packages to get to your unopened food and lay up to 400 eggs at a time. Well, let's say by the time I figured out how big of an issue this was we had some serious problems. I was now seeing larvae crawling on my kitchen ceiling (BLECH, again) and moths were everywhere. 

"The entire life cycle of this species may take 30 to 300 days. Female moths lay between 60 and 400 eggs on a food surface, which are ordinarily smaller than 0.5 mm and not sticky. The eggs hatch in 2 to 14 days. The larval stage lasts from 2 to 41 weeks, depending on the temperature" (Wiki)

So what are we doing? 

Well... we tossed out ALL our grain products. That is a big deal! Since we are a large family I buy in large quantities.... we tossed out soooo much food, it was very depressing. 

We keep our vacuum in our kitchen.  Yes, you read that right. Every time I go into the kitchen I vacuum up any moths and/or larvae I see. There was one point where I was vacuuming 100+ moths a day! I am glad to say I know only see about 10 a day...but still... I WANT THEM GONE!

These things seem impossible to kill... and they can get anywhere! 

We had contact paper in our cabinets (from an old resident of our home)... the moths got UNDER the contact paper and laid eggs! My husband had to rip it out and kill them! GROSS. 

These moths can chew through nearly anything, they can get into sealed containers (even Tupperware like containers) and unopened food! 

I seriously feel like I am fighting a losing battle with these darn things! They are driving me crazy... I have a hard time even eatting in my own home because I am always worried that these things have gotten to my food. 

*Sigh*. I don't want to lose my mind....what am I to do? Have you fought these evil villains? If so, will there be an end to this disgusting treachery of nature? 

So you want to support Breast Cancer Awareness....

Or anything else for that matter....

Do you really think posting an odd status on Facebook is going to help?

Okay, it might, as in there will be people upset (like me) and post about the real cause, but the status itself isn't going to do much.

I posted something to my personal Facebook page tonight (and my Blog's Facebook page, too) about the recent Facebook "Breast Cancer Awareness" viral message that is going around. These posts received some pretty varied responses.

Some people thought the games were a fun way to get people interested, others were hurt, and some people were annoyed. 

Now, before I get into this subject, let me say,

I am in NO way against supporting ANY Cancer Awareness! 

Okay, thanks for listening to that part. 

I am appalled at this new game that is being played. Women message other women and tell them to post a certain status so that we can raise awareness.... here is the message:

Ok pretty ladies, it's that time of year again, in support of breast cancer awareness!! Remember last year so many people took part that it made national news and, the constant updating of status reminded everyone why we're doing this and helped raise awareness!! Do NOT tell any males what the status' mean, keep them guessing!! And please copy and paste (in a message )this to all your female friends to see if we can make a bigger fuss this year than last year!!! I did my part... now YOUR turn!

The idea is to choose the month you were born and the day you were born. Pass this on to the girls only and lets see how far it reaches around. The last one about the bra went round allovr the world. So you'll write... I'm (your birth month) weeks and I'm craving (your birth date)!!! as your status.

Example: Feb 14th= I'm 2 weeks and craving Chocolate mints!!

January-1week
Febuary-2weeks
March-3weeks
April-4weeks
May-6weeks
June-8weeks
July-10weeks
August-12weeks
September-13weeks
October-14weeks
November-16weeks
December-18weeks

Days of the month: 1-Skittles 2-Starburst 3-Kit-Kat 4-M&M's 5-Galaxy 6-Crunchie 7-Dairy Milk 8-Lollipop 9-Peanut Butter Cups 10-Meat Balls 11-Twizzlers 12-Bubble Gum 13-Hershey's Kisses 14-Chocolate Mints 15-Twix 16-Resse's Fastbreak 17-Fudge 18-Cherry Jello 19-Milkyway 20-Pickels 21-Creme Eggs 22-Skittles 23-Gummy Bears 24-Gummy Worms 25-Strawberry Pop Tarts 26-Starburst 27-Mini Eggs 28-Kit-Kat Chunkie 29-Double Chocolate Chip Chrunchy Cookies 30-Smarties 31-Chocolate Cake.

This particular game isn't as innocent as other games I have seen. I have seen the "Post your shoe size then 'inches' :( after" status, the "I like it "where ever your purse goes"" status, and the infamous bra color status. 

The current Facebook status game can cause people pain. Sure, I might be over doing this, and I am sure for the majority of people it is just a fun game, but what about the mothers who read these status updates and think they are going to be a grandmom (or the dads, who aren't included in this "secret")! 

Or even worse. What about all the young women who have had breast cancer and now are sterile because of the treatment.... they get to see these status updates that are supposed to support their cause, but are also playing on a pregnancy they will never get to experience.

Now, I will not ever say I am perfect, as I am not. But I would really like others to think about this game, and I would like to dare you all to start spreading around a new kind of email message.... one that helps us all support Breast Cancer Awareness.

Did you know that MEN can get breast cancer, too? Yes, they can. While Breast Cancer is much more common in women, is awareness something we should really keep from the men when it concerns them as well? 

Anyhow... before this becomes terribly long, why don't we all try posting some facts about Breast Cancer as our status, or share great links that help fund mammograms for women in need. There are plenty of true statements that can get just as much shock value as these silly games.

What does this sticker on my shoe mean??

So, since I was back-to-school cloths shopping for the little ones ALL DAY LONG this is a late night post...but  hopefully it will get to those who will find it informative.

I'm not sure if most schools require children to have so many pairs of shoes, but my kids' school require kids to have a pair of gym shoes, inside shoes and outside/recess shoes (or boots in the winter). The gym shoes MUST have non-marking soles. 

So, on my quest to find shoes with non-marking soles, I found that A.) Not all shoes say "non-marking sole"- even if they have a non-marking sole,  and B.) these stickers that were on nearly all the shoes I looked at. 

Here is the sticker I am speaking of....

Let me tell you now...this sticker has nothing to do with whether or not the sole is non-marking. This sticker tells you what the shoe is made of. It took me a good 45 minutes of internet searching to find this out. Searching "shoe sticker" does not get you anywhere, nor does "sticker on shoe", or " sole diamond", or any of the other odd combinations I tried. I finally put in the entire question, "What does the sticker on the bottom of my shoe mean" to find the answer.  Well... according to What A Pair (Sorry, this link doesn't work anymore), this is what those symbols mean....

The top picture on the left with the arrow pointing to the upper of the shoe is telling you what the upper is made of, in this shoe's case coated leather (the first symbol), and "other materials" (the white diamond). 

The second picture on the left hand side of the sticker is showing what the lining and sock is made of. In this shoe, the lining and sock  is made of textile, or fabrics.

The third picture on the left with the arrow pointing to the sole is for the outer sole. The white diamond means the same as in the top right hand diamond... "other materials". 

Sooo.... why the info? Well, people like to know what they are getting, and some people really need to know this info. Vegans can use this information to help them purchase shoes that do not harm animals. The textile picture and white diamond both represent materials that are Vegan Friendly (contain no animal parts, such as leather). 

Leather: This is the hide or skin from an animal that has been put through a process called tanning. There are many types of leather and that is an educational page all in itself.

Coated Leather: This is one of the processes of treating leather; basically the leather is coated with one of a variety of products for the desired look.

Coated Leather: This is one of the processes of treating leather; basically the leather is coated with one of a variety of products for the desired look.

Textile: This means fabric, the list is endless. This is one of the symbols the vegans, vegetarians and eco-friendly consumers look for because it means all natural or man made materials are used for the construction.

Other Materials: This is still man-made materials just a little different because these materials usually refer to the sole of the shoe. The most common of these materials are Thermoplastic Rubber, PVC, Rubber Compounds, Crepe, and Composition. All of these materials are friendly for the Vegan, Vegetarian and Eco-Friendly consumer.

In other news... the shoe that was in question (in the above picture)-Sketchers Grenadier- has a non-marking sole according to the Sketchers' website.

Tonight's Crazy Clouds