My Daughter, The Hypochondriac

Dr. Phil - if you are reading this right now - I promise you I am not enabling my child's addiction. And even though I think she's a little too young to be put out on the streets (as you often recommend), I'm going to try to create a "rock bottom" and then put her on a plane to a wonderful "center for healing" in Malibu within the next few days. I swear : )

It all started with cherry-flavored chiildren's Tylenol (or "Schmylenol" while Tylenol was off the shelves)... It's ok. I can admit it: Cherry-flavored children's Tylenol was my daughter's gateway drug.

First - I just have to ask - whatever happened to terrible tasting medicine?! When did medicine start to mirror the flavors in the Jelly Belly Jellybean Variety Pack? I remember DREADING having to take medicines when I was a kid - to the point of pretending I was sleeping so I could skip a dose. I still gag thinking about the terrible tastes. ANYWHO... Back to the matter at hand.

A month or two ago, Miss Paige took a tumble and roughed up her knee a little bit. The week before that, she had a hang nail. And a little bit before that, she got a few bug bites while playing outside. And each and every night before bed, Miss Paige walks me through each "boo boo" and expects they be medically treated with the utmost TLC. Did I mention they have all healed up? That's right - each night we apply "ointments" (aka: hand lotion), take syringes full of "medicine" (aka: water) and go through the motions of treating her boo boos as if they just happened.

The best part? Her dramatic interpretation of how much each of these boo boos hurt. Sad eyes. Pouting mouth. Furrowed brows. A timid finger pointing to the boo boo as if even the thought of it is painful. And then the biggest smile you could ever imagine as I "treat" each of them. It's absolutely hilarious. And adorable. Which is why I play into it each and every night. And sometimes during the day : )

Luckily we skip the "Pharmacy" during the day and jump right into the "ER". Miss Paige seems to get head injuries at least 5 times a day. Now, before you call Child Protective Services, this too is pretend. I promise! It's all a ploy to get ice packs out of the freezer. She'll slowly saunter up to me - again with an Oscar-winning dramatic performance - point to her head, and say "boo boo". To which I respond, "Oh no! Poor Paigey! We better get the ice!" Then she'll side step slowly to the freezer door and stand there with a fake pout until I hand her an ice pack. And then - like clockwork - she busts into hysterical laughter and runs off into her playroom. Is this a little odd? Maybe : ) But it's just so hilarious I can't not participate.

So is Miss Paige destined for a life of hypochondria? I sure hope not! Any other boo boo addict babies out there? Or is my little drama queen the only one?

How 'Bout Them Apples?

He's lovin' it

Can one restaurant make a massive improvement on the way our kids eat? Maybe. Definitely worth a shot, right? Well - McDonald's is giving it a go with their *NEW* Happy Meal. Last week Miss Paige, Big D and I headed over to our local Mickey D's for an event to try out the new and improved Happy Meal - and I have to say, I was pretty impressed. So what's so different about this *NEW* Happy Meal? Apples. Lots and lots of apples. An additional one million pounds of apples each year to be exact.

I know what you are thinking - we could ask for apple slices in our child's Happy Meal as a substitute for fries for a while now... so what's the big deal? WELL - now apple slices are included automatically with each and every McDonald's Happy Meal. Every time I drove up to the Drive Thru window, I always had the best of intentions to remember to ask for apple slices instead of fries. But just like brushing my teeth before I leave the house - sometimes my mind takes a vacation and it just doesn't happen (ew, gross, I know... PS: if you are going to view me differently after reading that tidbit, then please pretend I didn't just say that!). So it's one less thing I have to think about. Also - the new Happy Meal has a "Kid's Sized" fries - only about one oz. or so. And if you are a super healthy mama, you can skip the fries and get double the apple slices instead.



She's lovin' it too! : )



I know as the reigning Super Mom of the Universe I'm supposed to say I don't feed my kids fast food... but every once in a while it happens. Whether its a million and one errands that are keeping us on the go or a last minute outing that took too long (of course) and lunch time snuck up on us, sometimes fast food is a part of life for my kids. I don't really beat myself up over it or anything like so many mamas do. As long as chicken nuggets and french fries aren't a daily occurrence, I feel like a trip down the Drive Thru lane won't hurt anybody. And now that apples are included automatically in each and every Happy Meal? Well jeez! Maybe I can keep my Super Mom of the Universe crown after all! : )



Do I Have Time to Worry About Wrinkles?

The "29 year old" from Most Eligible Dallas show on Bravo

I've decided that it's about time I start thinking about keeping my skin looking young and fresh. And my inspiration are the women of Bravo's latest show - Most Eligible Dallas. Because they look so wonderful? NO! It's because you could have pushed me over with a feather when they said their ages of 29-ish. I would have bet money they were in their early 40's. And not a fresh, vibrant 40-something. A forty-something who never wore sunscreen and tried to remedy the problem at some point with too much Botox. But no - they are in their late 20's / early 30's. And it scared the crap out of me! I'm 28... do I look like that?! We all know that there can be some major discrepancies between what we see in the mirror and what we see when a picture of us is taken. I don't see wrinkles and abused skin when I look in the mirror - but then again, I don't see my back fat either and we all know it's still there : ) I'm not into Botox or anything like that (but I might be one day - so don't hold me to that statement!Give me 10 years and ask me again...) so I decided to seek out a more natural solution that doesn't involve shooting poison into my skin. And so on a recent trip to the mall under the guise of picking up my husband's new Falcons visor at Lids, I step into my little slice of heaven on Earth - SEPHORA - and began my search for the fountain of youth. My requirements? Something super simple that can be applied once a day and didn't come in the form of a moisturizer or cream. I have a weird aversion to putting on lotions and creams and feel like a major grease ball if I use even a dab anywhere on my skin. The only lotion I use is cocoa butter to remove my makeup - but it's applied and then rubbed off along with the makeup residue. Oh - and this fear of lotion is in direct contrast to my husband who slathers on a pound of lotion each day. Anywho... back to the anti-aging solution. So after scouring the store I finally found a toner that can be applied daily with a cotton ball. It removes impurities from the skin, and is also supposed to help decrease fine lines and wrinkles. So I bought it. And I have to say that after 2 days of use, my skin does look a lot fresher. I don't have any wrinkles or "fine lines" yet (well, according to the mirror) but I feel like this is a preventative measure. A small step in ensuring that I don't end up looking like the ladies of Most Eligible Dallas next year, when I too turn 29. Here is a link to what I got - don't know much about it beyond what I read on the label, but so far so good!

Perricone MD - Firming Facial Toner
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P211306&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=4180