This Is The Cold That Never Ends...

Yes it goes on and on my friend!

Tis the season for germs!!  Well technically I would say all seasons are germy; yet is always seems like that stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas brings with it the stuffy heads, red noses and rattling coughs.  Since the addition of Linc I have noticed that we seem to pass that cold right around the house.  During this time we have countless boxes of tissues side by side with bottles upon bottles of Purell yet none of that does the trick.

I have noticed that no matter how diligent I am about hand washing I always seem to catch the bug - normally AFTER Brian and Linc have had their gunky days and are on the road to recovery.  Is there some magical means of keeping the sickness contained to one family member?  I can only spray so much Lysol and wash my hands so often before they become so red and chapped.  I am dreading the day when Linc discovers that he doesn't need one of us to wipe his nose for him - I will be finding used tissues EVERYWHERE!

As for now, I will start my orange juice infusion and make sure the Clorox wipes are handy.  I will also think about how thankful I am that Linc now knows how to blow his nose and those horrible aspirators can forever be out of my life!  Always look on the bright side - at least Linc sounds adorable when he screams "BLESS YOU" from the other room :-D

Only Child Syndrome

G. Stanley Hall seemed to go out of his way to give only children a bad rap, as a matter of fact he called their state a "disease of itself."

It has taken two years and a LOT of tears to come to grips with the fact that Linc will in fact be an only child.  I know that all you single children out there are reading this thinking "why is that such a big deal?"

First you have to understand that I always pictured having at least 4 children.  The more the merrier - that seems to be my family's opinion and personally I have always loved it.  With that being said, life has taken a different path and I am reshaping that picture of the future to now revolve around Linc and his EXTREMELY lucky/thankful parents.

Secondly, I am not an only child.  I am privileged enough to be the younger sister to my WONDERFUL older sister.  I can honestly say that there has been no time in my life when I could picture something being better without her.  I can't picture my LIFE without her and I am positive she enriched my life growing up.  I am not saying that all of those people without a sibling had a worse life then mine, I am just saying that my sister and I have always been and will always be there for one another - and that is not something I would ever trade away.  (Seriously, who but a big sister could you do this to day in and day out and they still want you around?)

Now maybe because I had that live in playmate/confidant/someone to always take my side against that of the parental units, I never had to find all of those things in one or many other people outside my house.  That doesn't mean that it wouldn't have happened it just means that I never had to look for it.  Does being an only child make you view your friends in a different manner?  Will Linc be angry that he doesn't have a live in playmate?  Will he understand?  Will he like the peace and quiet?  Will he view his lack of siblings as a "disease in of itself?"

I know that this is very jumbled and jumpy - as are my thoughts on the topic.  I just wanted to write something down in hopes of helping my refocusing and reshaping!  I just want to be able to provide the best possible life for Linc!

Is it wrong that I get goose bumps when I hear the Disney version of "When You Wish Upon a Star"?

I posed this question to my Facebook friends not to long ago.  I know I am a grown woman, however there is just something about Disney.  Just the first opening notes of a Disney movie will do it to me!!  I am not talking about Eisner's later years and multitude of sequels (however funny some of them may be.)  I am talking about true Disney.  I know that mostly all of Disney's big movies are just regurgitations of fairy tales or other cultures stories (Kimba the White Lion anyone?).  Yet despite knowing the stories I still flock to a Disney movie with the enthusiasm of Augustus Gloop to the chocolate waterfall.

Disney World really is the happiest place on earth.  How could it not be?  There are rides, shows, your favorite characters, and just a total ambiance of fun and childhood.  Brian and I had made the trip to Disney (World in Florida) every year from 2000 - 2009.  The addition of Linc paused our yearly excursions until he was old enough to enjoy it at least a little.  This coming year we will be going back.  Linc will be 2 and in my mind that is plenty old enough to enjoy the sights and sounds of Disney.  Yes I know there will be those people out there that feel we are crazy to bring him so young - he won't remember it.  Well we don't plan on this being his ONLY trip to Disney, just his starter trip and I say let's bring him while he is still FREE.  With his current love of Cars, his newfound love of Mickey, and his overall enjoyment of amusement parks - I can not WAIT to see all his expressions when we go!

I have never been to Disneyland, Tokyo Disney, Disneyland Paris, or Hong Kong Disneyland.  I have, however, been to Disney World many a time!  Though in recent years, Magic Kingdom has not been a frequent stop for us - it seems we will be changing that now that we have a little one to enjoy the "magic".  Animal Kingdom, also, was never very high on the to-do list while visiting.  Though they do have some exceptional rides (Everest) and the atmosphere is gorgeous.  MGM - oh I'm sorry - Disney's Hollywood Studios was always a favorite of mine from the very first trip we took to Disney when I was 7.  The addition of the Rock N Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror, and the Stunt Show have solidified it as a must see whenever a Disney trip is to be made.  MGM (I'm sorry I will never be able to think of it as anything else) is also home to Fantasmic!!!  If you have never caught a Fantasmic show, and you are in Disney I suggest you get yourself over there for priority seating right away! Talk about goose bumps! (Of course it may be because I am a HUGE Maleficent fan and there is a HUGE Maleficent in the show but I would have to say that it is one of the best Disney shows I have ever seen - it kicks Illuminations butt!!)  My absolute favorite of the Disney World parks is Epcot!  Not only do you have all the fun of future world - where I rode my first ever Segway, but the World Showcase is the perfect way to spend a day!  Might I suggest going during the food and wine festival, that way you get to try all the wonderful different foods!!  Also, Epcot is home to Figment - and who doesn't like Figment?


OK I have rambled enough about the joys of Disney World - see I am like a little kid.  I would be great for one of those commercials where a kid is told they are going to Disney and they squeal and scream - just change the kid into a 28 year old female and you have your lead!  I should say, however, that we always make the trip on "off season" times - January!!  That way we really don't encounter too much of a crowd and the heat isn't unbearable.  ALSO we normally break up the Disney adventures with a trip to SeaWorld and WonderWorks (blog about them coming up now that I have mentioned them).

So am I the only one?  What does Disney mean to you?

Some things stay the same even as they are changing

This past weekend Brian and I took Stinks on an adventure - like we are wont to do nearly every weekend.  Ever since I got my license I found myself heading to Salisbury, MA about once a month.  For anyone that knows me you know the reasoning behind that - my Nana lived on Beach Road for as long as I could remember.  Sadly Nana passed a few years back.  To try to keep this post in a positive, non-downer light I am going to just say this now and move on:  My Nana was a wonderful, amazing woman whom I loved and miss dearly!!

I have been going to this fun area for my whole life.  On top of the fact that I have family there, there is just something about the are that keeps me coming back for more.  Brian has joined me in my jaunts to the north for quite a few years now.  I have him hooked on Beach Pizza (more on that later) and he can even find something in the Pink Store that keeps him going back.

As with everything, Salisbury Beach has changed over the years.  I am sure my older family members can tell me how it had changed a lot before I even remember.  When I was younger I remember begging my parents to let Heather and I go on the water slides, the carousel , or just blow $5 in Joe's Playland.  I remember when they started tearing down the amusements and putting up condos - or the day they took out the water slides and up went more condos.  I remember when Joe's took over the arcades on both sides.  Store fronts have come and gone.

The main constants - and reason, in my opinion, for the boardwalk to even still be there - have been Cristy's and Tripoli's.   We stopped by this weekend and the picture would have been a good representation of the crowds at the pizza places.  As always, we have to get a selection of pizza from both - it is an ongoing battle (and not just with our family) over which joint provides the best pizza.  For all of you that are curious - the breakdown currently stands at 2 for Cristy's (my mother and myself), 2 for Tripoli's (Heather and my father) and 2 that refuse to pick sides (Brian and Chris)!  Though I am thinking that at some point Chris went over to the dark side!!   Beach Pizza has been described many many different ways - delicious, interesting, "crap on a cracker"!  Though the last description seems to be mutually exclusive to that one person.  If you have never been, you are missing out.  I say get in your car this very evening and drive on out there.

The beach at the end of the boardwalk has been cleaned up in recent years.  I remember when I was little  we used to have to watch where we walked for fear of stepping on broken beer bottles and still lit cigarettes.  That does not appear to be an issue anymore.  They have built up the boardwalk area to have live bands, nice benches, and apparently they do fireworks during the summer quite frequently.  The beach itself has a nice parking area that, on off times, provides excellent views while you eat your pizza in the warm coziness of your car!

Due to the shortcomings of the boardwalk beach, when I was little we always visited the Salisbury Beach Reservation.  Nana had a car pass, and would therefore bring little Heather and Amy to the beach and watch us play in the sand.  It was always nice at the reservation, if a little crowded at times.  The beach was kept up and no one really bothered you - not to mention there was always plenty of parking (an issue during the summer at the boardwalk).  On heading up this past weekend I suggested to Brian that we check out the reservation.  I couldn't believe that he had been making these trips with me for almost ten years, yet I had never brought him there.  It had probably been 14+ years since I had been myself!!  As we pulled down the entrance feelings of nostalgia kicked in - soon to be replaced with WHAT THE HECK?!  The camping area - which I definitely do NOT remember from when I was younger, though could have been there - was HUGE!  It looks like all the boardwalks had been replaced - when I was younger it was just paths through the dunes.  There were changing stalls, showers, bathhouses etc.  There was even a PLAYGROUND - which either was not there when I was little or Nana just didn't allow us to play on it.  It was gorgeous - all of it!

Stinks loves beaches (probably steming from the fact that we have been bringing him to not only Salisbury Beach but also the beaches on the Maine coast for his entire short life)!  He loves walking on the sand and trying to get as close as we will allow to the water.  He loved the boardwalks, the sand, the dogs, everything about the reservation.  There were some ominous clouds threatening rain and we told Stinks we had to go back to the car - he was not having any of that!!  I am sure from now on we will definitely be bringing our pizza over to the reservation for eating.  I leave you with these beautiful pictures of the day!!  Oh and remember everyone needs to have Beach Pizza at least once in their lives!!!

Permanent Ink

It has come to my attention that the vast majority of my family and friends are anti-tattoo!  OK, maybe that is an overstatement, and the anti's are just more vocal.  Between being told I am crazy for being jabbed with a needle repeatedly and being asked why I would consider permanently altering my body, it isn't hard to infer the feelings of many.

I have no fear of needles, nor am I going to ink the insignia of my favorite sports team anywhere on my body - no matter how much a part of Red Sox Nation I might be.  I know I have stated, in the past, that a tattoo is something controllable in my otherwise uncontrollable life - yet that does not mean that at times when life goes astray I am going to run out and get some new ink.

I will agree that there are some STUPID tattoos out there.  Though I am sure everyone has their own reasons for getting the ink that they do, that website makes me question the intelligence or sobriety of those tattoo bearers.

Brian and I have a rule in life, if there is something we want we wait to get it.  If in six months we still want it then we wait a little bit more.  Finally if we still want it we make plans to obtain it.  This is the same philosophy I have with tattoos.  They are not something that I would suggest anyone gets on a whim.  You should have a design in mind and wait it out.  If in a few months you still love that design and are still hell bent on getting it inked then - wait some more.  If you can go 6 months still wanting the same design with the same intensity then I would say you are probably safe.  (It took me until I was 21 to get my first tattoo!)

Also keep in mind that this is something you will have for the REST OF YOUR LIFE.  You might be a diehard My Little Pony's fan now, but when you are 60 will you still love the fact that you have a Pony inked into your lower back?!  PLACEMENT IS EVERYTHING PEOPLE!  (Sorry my hatred of tramp stamps is showing!) Please keep in mind that not all professions approve of tattoos and not all areas of your body will look the same in the years to come.  (With these things in mind you might want to think of locations that can be covered easily if need be.)

Now on the flip side, my tattoo of Linc's footprint from birth is something that I will PROUDLY display for the rest of my life.  This tattoo has great meaning for me - as I feel tattoos should.  The claddagh insignia on my ankle is a testament to my marriage (it was a featured design on the day as well as it is inked in the colors of the day as well).

I have a few more designs floating around in my head that I am sure I will put to ink at some point in my life.  One of them being a favorite line of mine from a poem - yet I can't seem to find the perfect place for a script tattoo, any suggestions?!

I leave you with two ink blogs that are just fun to read through:
This one is for the literary minded
This one is a little bit of it all - with a fair amount of humor added in

Mystic-al Fun

So as you all know, Brian and I like to take little day jaunts here and there.  One of our favorite places to go is Mystic, CT.  We have been taking day trips to Mystic and the surrounding areas even before we moved to Foster.  I would say the allure is completely due to the Aquarium, however that doesn't appear to be the case.  We recently found a very cute children's museum in Niantic that I am sure we will be visiting often in the coming years.  Of course the Olde Mystic Village shops have always been a stop on our visits -  it is funny to see them change, yet stay the same.

We visit the Aquarium so often it almost feels like a home away from home.  Between Brian's love of penguins, my love of sea lions, and Linc's new found love of beluga whales it s a good thing we have a membership!  That membership was a long time coming.  Entrance to the Aquarium is up to $26/person!!  To me that is insane - yet Brian and I would regularly pay this astronomical amount each and every time we went!  Now I am sure some people are thinking that really isn't that bad of a price for a day's entertainment - and I would have to agree.  It is when you go 10+ times in a year that you realize you just paid over $500 to visit the Aquarium.  I cannot stress enough how great it is to have a membership!  Linc will be free until he turns three, therefore Brian and I only have a "Couples" membership right now.  The price of this membership is a mere $109 (we always get a deal of $10-20 off).  Included in your membership are certain perks that, if taken advantage of, are worth the price of membership alone.  We get invited to all sorts of "Members Benefits" and black tie galas.  They have great children's days and the entire month of February members eat free at the Penguin cafe!!  The absolute BEST part of our membership is that fact that we no longer feel the need to spend hours upon hours at the Aquarium - catching every feeding hour, show, or tour in one day.  Seeing it is a quick 40 minute ride down to Mystic from our house, we can take off in the afternoon and just stop in to see the Penguins if we want.  It makes the entire experience so much more relaxed and enjoyable!

OK so a blog about the fun aspect of Mystic turned into a sales pitch about an Aquarium Membership - sorry I can continue!!
I have been a Mystic Girl my whole life.  I cannot count the number of times I have been to Mystic Pizza - though Brian has never been.  (Have any of you been?  I used to love it, yet I fear that with age my fondness is disappearing.)  The Seaport, though also extremely expensive, is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon in the late spring or early fall - summer months see WAY too many visitors for my liking!  There are a number of cute shops and restaurants that always have something new and exciting to offer you!  All in all I would say the area is a perfect place for a day trip.

If you do find yourself at the Aquarium or the Village shops might I make a few suggestions:
Grab lunch at Mangos!  It is a cute little place nestled in the shops known for it's brick oven pizza's.  They are EXCELLENT!
Stop by Franklin's and grab some fudge samples or maple candy.  They also have a great supply of wooden toys!
If you are a kitchen nut like me you will have to stop in at the Grey Goose Cookery - they are a little pricey but you can always find that one item you were looking for that no one else has.
It's Raining Cats and Dogs is the perfect place to grab all your pet related goodies.  The ladies working this store seem gruff but are actually sweethearts - get them talking about your pet and you will see what I mean!
Alrighty I have rambled on enough for one day.  I hope everyone grabs a chance to hit up Mystic and the surrounding areas sometime soon!

Doctors, Doctors, Doctors

As I am sure most of you know by now, Linc was recently diagnosed with RSV and a high probability of asthma.  I brought him to the doctor because he started wheezing along with his cold - the scariest sound an asthmatic mother, or the mother of a premie could ever hear!!  They sent him home with a nebulizer and directed us to give him 6 inhaled treatments a day of albuterol, pulmicort, and flovent, in addition to taking a liquid prednisone steroid every morning.

Linc has been a trooper through all of this.  It took him all of one treatment to realize that they were going to HELP him.  As long as we have Elmo or Cars on for the 10 minutes of each treatment he is fine.  He sits and inhales deeply and lets the medicines do their work.  As expected, the combination of albuterol and steroids on Linc was Like watching Twitchy from Hoodwinked!  About 10 minutes following each treatment Linc would just start running around, spinning in a circle, or just bang on things.  It would be completely adorable if it wasn't medically induced!

 The doctor informed me that we would know when to start tapering off the treatments - for he would no longer sit and inhale!  Like clockwork, 7 days after starting the treatment Linc's wheeze was gone.  Just as the good Doc said, he no longer wants to sit still and inhale.

I know most of you are thinking - RSV, all children get that!  Which is true, according to the CDC almost all children are infected with RSV by their second birthday!  In most kids, it just presents as a lingering cold.  Linc just happens to get a double whammy from having an asthmatic mother and a predisposition from being a premie (though I seriously thought we wouldn't need to worry about that "premie status" anymore).  I took the news of Linc having a high probability of asthma, in addition to having RSV, very HARD!  Believe me I know that the prognosis of asthma is good and that it is treatable and controllable.  I don't seem to weigh any of those facts in my reactions.  All I seem to think about is that fact that at some point in his life, my little boy will know what it feels like to not be able to breath.  He will experience that panic that comes with your airways closing.  He will experience the after effects of an attack and he will know that horrible feeling of one just starting.  All of these things are things that I NEVER wanted him to experience!  I have since calmed down.  I realize it was ludicrous of me to believe that he would never be touched with any form of respiratory issues (I mean the genetics etc are stacked against him).  Now I am just happy he appears to be doing better!!

It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood.

Children's shows - some of them are just downright SCARY!  Mr Rogers scared the bejesus out of me when I was little.  I hated the trolley, the Kingdom of Make Believe, and King Friday especially scared me.   I can't even stand the sound of Mr Rogers voice - something about it just sends the creepy crawlers down my back.

Growing up we were not allowed to watch a lot of television.  By the time we were older we had moved on to Care Bears, Popples, and Rainbow Brite (quality television if I do say so myself)!   

We do not subscribe to cable, so Linc's television time is limited to what we have on DVD (every Disney not in the vault makes for pretty good viewing) or what we will find for him online.  Recently Linc learned to say Elmo - and it is so darn cute that we try to find Elmo shows for him to watch.  That means we end up watching Sesame Street episodes.  Now I should stress that I was NEVER a Sesame Street fan.  I have never been a huge Muppets fan - I think it stems from seeing a Muppets movie where Big Bird was locked in a cage and he turned blue, to this day I still do not know what that movie is but the image stays with me.

Watching these episodes of Sesame Street with Linc has been an eye opening experience.  I am all for Elmo stuffed animals - they are cute and cuddly, however how can anyone feel Elmo is GOOD for a child to watch?  He has HORRID language/speaking skills.  Add that to the fact that he interacts with people like Mr. Noodle - the scariest mime/clown I have EVER encountered, and the Elmo segments of Sesame Street are mind numbing.  I do, however, like the counting and dancing segments of the show.  Maybe I just haven't seen enough episodes to truly appreciate what they are doing.

I have to throw in another "kids show" that recently threw me for a loop - Thomas the Tank Engine!!!!  The stories are HORRIBLE.  They seem to end before any form of moral or message can begin to take shape.  They simply do not make sense.  There is no story line to follow at all, it is almost like they assume all children interested in trains are suffering from ADHD and will not be able to follow a full story line.  Linc would watch an episode of Thomas and at the end just stare at the TV - I like to think he is saying "WTH?!" in his head.  I know not all children can sit through a full length feature film, however at least a little effort should be put into story lines - if only for the parents that need to watch along with their children!


The one Elmo segment I do enjoy is The Duck Song.  It is just cute and it is a song!

April showers bring...

MUD!!  Springtime is when most people are thrilled to be leaving the cold snowy winters behind.  I have heard so many people in the past few days exclaim how spring is around the corner and they couldn't be happier!

I appear to be the only exception to the jubilation.  Spring is my least favorite season.   I know it is a time of "rejuvenation" and blooming etc, however all the ingredients that go into the blooming make me want to pull my hair out.  I am not saying that I enjoy watching flowers die, having to close up the pool, or even keep Linc inside!  Yet, there is nothing quite as disturbing as the perpetual "wet dog smell", the massive amounts of mud tracked through EVERY building, or even the days that cannot decide if they want to be a nice comfortable 60 or a bracing 30.  My allergies act up and I spend the the months between February and June fighting for breath and leaving piles of tissues everywhere.  (Hint everyone: buy stock in Puffs!)  And seriously does anyone LIKE looking at melting snow full of dirt and animal excrement that just seems to linger?

I am sure many will feel I am being harsh - what is just a little mud?!  Spring is just not for me - I appear to have reverse SAD (seasonal affective disorder - a better acronym I have never seen).  Spring is just the lead in to summer, which is simply the place-holding season before the wonderfully perfect Fall!! (But that is a blog for another day :-D )

The Waiting Game

As many of you know I have returned to lotion/soap etc making with a vengeance.  I truly enjoy creating lotion bars, soaps, bath bombs, and anything else I set out to make.  I guess you could say it is like a form of baking (yet another thing I truly enjoy) - or you could just chalk it up to me being the daughter of a mad scientist and enjoying the process of experimenting with "chemicals" to see what I can create.  

What I don't enjoy is the waiting between the ordering process and the actual experimental process.  Don't get me wrong I love the fact that every possible butter or oil is available at my fingertips.  Though I enjoy scouring country shops and fairs, they aren't always the most convenient and reliable sources for all materials - and honestly you can only take so many trips to Amish Country a year :-).  I do like that I can buy whatever it is I am looking for at the click of a mouse.  That being said, I am not a very patient person.  When I get something into my head I want to act, not think about it for a week or longer waiting for supplies.  I am the type to read a book cover to cover in one sitting just so I can mark it as complete.  I like starting things when the mood hits me and pushing through till they are finished.  

Most suppliers of quality butters, oils and other natural products have been experiencing a boom recently.  Apparently everyone wants in on the "natural, organic, handmade" market.  Due to higher demand their normal turn around of one business day has been stretched to a week - not including shipping time.  This means that I come up with a wonderful idea for a new hand and foot cream, order the magical new butters to make it (and improve upon my basic lotion bars), wait the 7-15 days for it to arrive at my house - and promptly lose all interest in making it seeing the feeling has past.  The materials then sit in my newly appointed "Amy Cubby" of the new desk till the feeling hits again.  This is not an efficient system at all.  I wonder if there is a way for me to keep the truly productive/creative feeling surging through the staging and shipping phase - any suggestions?  

Bloggedy Blog Blog

A B C and 1 2 3...  The ranting and raving of my mind would normally make any sane person beg for asylum.  With that in mind I give you my blog :-D (and please keep in mind people that many of the public health forums are already over booked!)  

I have never been a diary writer - no girly notebooks with locks for me, nor have I kept a journal for anything other then academia related topics.  However, I am finding more and more that I need a place for my nonsense to spew or I end up talking - at high speeds - about the same topics over and over.  Let's face it, Brian may be able to tolerate more then the average human's ability of my nonsense spew but we shouldn't push him too far!  

And so my blog was born -kicking and, well, spewing into the wonderful world of cyber space.  I have named this oh so wonderful speck of cyber realty "My Mushroom Ring" and I will give my surprised congratulations to anyone that knows why.    

"Be prepared" as Scar likes to sing, for I have set up shop and don't plan on relinquishing my hold until I have run out of things to say - oh dear I do believe I just created my own never ending story!

Hometown Girl

Vacations are new and exciting adventures (most of the time) to new and exciting places.  That being said I am a hometown girl!  Don't get me wrong I love to travel, yet leaving the country is not something that I have an itch to do.  Every time a friend or family member goes to the Caribbean or Mexico I reassess my thoughts of staying on US soil.  One of the best experiences of my life was our trip to Hawaii.  The sights were amazing and I cannot wait to go back - wouldn't that amount of contentment be perfect to have for less then 12 hours on a plane?  However I can't determine if the peacefulness that was felt on the islands could be duplicated out of country.  In Hawaii I was comfortable, I was safe. 

All the stories I have been told about not being able to leave a resort are not something I want to experience.  I enjoy knowing that I will not be denied medical care in an emergency.  I like that I am recognized as a one of the group.  I also enjoy exploring my surroundings.  Not to mention the fact that I would not want to bring Linc to a place where I did not feel completely sure.  Maybe I am crazy and need to get over my "Country Pride".  Heck the first step would be to get an updated passport!!  

If I did conquer the fears and anxieties (or simply not want to spend the extra money) where should we go?  Any suggestions?