A Lesson in Ordering Magazines

Tweet So, my niece, KriKri, was selling magazines for a school fundraiser.  I like playing the part of the supportive aunt.

I do, however, like to save money.

Chris & I decided to pick a magazine that might appeal to both of us so I circled some that sounded interesting.  From that, Chris knocked out the ones he wasn't interested in and then we chose the cheapest one.

Outdoor Life

Chris & I like to camp, hike, enjoy the great outdoors on a regular basis. This sounded like something we could both enjoy and it would help out KriKri and her school.

You know that old saying - when you assume, you make an ass out of u and me - right?

Yeah. That.

I know, I know...when you think of me, you think of automatic weapons.  I completely understand the association.

I'm thinking about using some of the articles and headlines for blog fodder.

What do you think? I'll be getting these magazines for a year...

VLCADD Update #KnowAboutMito

Tweet We recently returned from an appointment with Dr. Vockley at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Dr. Vockley first met Klaw when he was about 8 months old and wanted a follow up by the time Klaw turned two, earlier if anything crazy happened that was VLCADD-related.

Thankfully, Klaw's VLCAD deficiency has been well managed through diet & supplements and our primary geneticist, Dr. Proud, did not see a reason to visit with Dr. Vockley any earlier.

First of all, it took three people, but we finally got a head measurement for Klaw.  This has been a bit of an issue for the past, oh, year. He is currently in the ~75%ile all the way around in height, weight, & head circumference. (35" tall & 29.5lbs)

Dr. Vockley does believe we dodged a bullet by the early diagnosis & intervention through the expanded newborn screening in Virginia. VLCAD deficiency can involve the heart, liver, & muscle tissue. Infants who are not diagnosed early are at a high risk of death during the first year of life.

Klaw's blood sugar is well-controlled. Even with the illnesses we've been able to manage at home, his caloric intake has remained high enough to prevent hypoglycemia, which is always a concern during any illness.  Our biggest day to day concern now is preventing rhabdomyolysis, which is when the body destroys muscle tissue. The dangers of rhabdomyolysis are not as acute as low blood sugar, but there are many long-term issues if he has multiple episodes over the course of time.  Again, we are trying to stay one step ahead of the game with his diet.

Naturally, Chris asked about how this will affect Klaw's participation in sports as he gets older (he's still hoping for that Cubs gig...). Dr. Vockley assured us he has many older adolescent patients with VLCADD who are active in a variety of sports. We'll just have to be vigilant about keeping Klaw hydrated & ingesting calories. Basically, while everyone else is drinking water or watered down gatorade...Klaw will be drinking the stuff straight because he'll have a higher need for sugar & electrolytes.

There is a new database/research registry being formed at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, so Chris & I elected to have Klaw's records submitted. It's not directly tied to his identity; each case file is given a number. However, if the information can help people learn more about VLCADD, it is worth it.

Dr. Vockley was very pleased with Klaw's progress so far and future visits with him are at our discretion.

Nice to Meet You! You Suck!

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Chris is participating in Mama Kat's Pretty Much World Famous Writer's Workshop this week!  Enjoy!

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Ok. So the title isn't exactly what was said when I first met my MIL, but that's what I heard.

I'll set the scene, briefly.

Chris and Dana meet. Chris buys Dana and roommate dinner. Chris asks Dana out. Chris goes out with Dana a few times. Dana goes out with Chris a few times to make another guy jealous. Chris tries to kiss Dana. Denied! Chris almost throws in the towel. Chris and Dana go out some more. Chris and Dana dare each other to get married to each other. Both accept. Both call their parents to tell them the great news.

At least I thought it was great news. That was until Dana called her mom.

Dana excitedly calls her mom, a woman I had never met or talked to, and tells her that we are engaged. Dana, being a lifetime member of the Prankster Club, is questioned by her mom if this is another attempt to get a good laugh at her expense. Dana tells her no; that this for real.

 Suddenly, the phone is handed to me with the statement from Dana that her mom doesn't believe her.

I take the phone and say "hello".

"Are you really going to marry my daughter," Joye asks.

"Yes, I am." I reply.

"I'm not sure you are good enough to marry my daughter," Joye then says.

I know, right? How dare she say that.

In any event, the conversation continued. Joye said that before this goes any further I had to meet her in person. I said sure and told her that Dana and I could come down the following weekend.

She said that that was fine but leave Dana there.*

This was going to be she and I, me and her.

Alone.

I wasn't too worried because I typically got along with parents of prior girlfriends. I made arrangements to stay at Dana's moms' home that weekend and all I kept thinking about was her telling me that I wasn't good enough for her daughter.

So when I finally pulled up into the driveway of Joye's home, I was ready to prove her wrong. We exchanged courtesies right away, although I don't remember if we hugged or not. We immediately went to lunch where I proceeded to get the third degree and was asked questions as if I were on trial.

It was a bit rough, I wont lie.

I suppose it went fine because she didn't say "You Suck."

Joye's smiling, right?

 5.) Describe what it was like meeting your in-laws for the first time?

 *For the record, I told Chris not to do it. - Dana

Top 5 #Blissdom Takeaways

Tweet I know, I know, I'm late to the game. In my defense, I have been very busy! I barely had time to breathe before we had to pack up again for a trip to Pittsburgh to visit one of Klaw's specialists, Dr. Vockley.

I have some deeper posts in mind about my experiences at the Blissdom conference, but I needed to get some of the general ideas out of my head and into the blogosphere.

Robin, Angela, ME, Jessica, & Carri

My Top 5 Blissdom Conference Takeaways

1 - Wow. There are some unique, impressive, wonderful women in the Blissdom world. I had a few people I knew I wanted to meet because of our interactions with our blogs, on Facebook, or on the Twitter.  I didn't expect to find so many awesome women in one location. It was almost like being back at Wesleyan College...except I was dressed better and Gaylord Opryland is bigger than Wesleyan.

2 - My inner voice needs to shut the hell up. Even medicated (whut whut zoloft), I still have a persistent nagging voice telling me that I'm not good enough, that I can't make a difference, and that I don't matter. I know this isn't the truth but it's very hard to not listen to words I hear every day inside my head. Several of the sessions and the keynote speaker, Jon Acuff, reminded me that I have got to find a way to let go of my self-doubt.

3 - I actually do cry and ocassionally it's in public with witnesses like Fadra & Bernice and no one has a tissue so I have to tear pages out of my notebook to wipe my nose.

4 - I like to nap...even if that means I miss sessions I planned to attend.

5 - I may have to adjust my PR Policy because I realized there are actually a few big brands I wouldn't have a problem promoting through a business relationship.  Granted, I am already a fan of these brands...it just never crossed my mind that they'd be interested in working with bloggers.

Have you ever gone to a conference or retreat that exceeded your expectations? What was it? What is something you'd like to experience or learn at a conference or retreat?

Ritani Stackable Rings #Giveaway #Contest

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Okay, y'all...at Blissdom, I had the opportunity to get a manicure AND create a stackable ring set with Ritani Designs. I am not a huge jewelry fan but I had seen these stackable rings before and liked them for their simplicity and versatility.

I was not about to pass up a chance to possibly win a set of my own.

The official rules involve lots of words & legal information, so I'm not covering it all in this blog post. If you are interested in the official rules, pop me an email and I will be happy to send them to you.

Here's the breakdown:

1 - If I win the contest, one of my lucky readers will ALSO have the opportunity to win the same set. (it's a twofer!) ~winners are responsible for taxes, etc~

2 - You have to have a Pinterest account to vote! (let me know if you still need an invite)

3 - Go to my Ritani Board on Pinterest & "like" it. You'll see the Facebook "like" button at the top, right by my board's name, "Really What Were We Thinking." 

this is what the board looks like

Also, I checked to find out if Ritani has a position on "blood" diamonds, and this is directly from their website:

Ritani has a zero tolerance policy in regard to conflict diamonds. We only purchase diamonds through companies who, like us, adhere to the Kimberley Process. For a complete description of the Kimberley Process, please click on the link below.

Kimberley Process

Please let me know if you have any questions!

This post is not "sponsored" by Ritani nor is it required by Ritani but I dang sure want to win.

Updated 3/6/12 @ 7:26pm