Mutterings Of A Mindless Mommy

Name This Photo

Melissa — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:15:42 +0000

Yes it has been more than a year since I posted on my poor, neglected little blog. Here’s a fun photo game for you – what is this a picture of?

Alexander Learned to Ride His Bike Without Training Wheels!

Melissa — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 17:25:24 +0000

Yesterday Alexander set out on his maiden voyage on his bike without training wheels – and he survived!! Such a proud moment for me.

Podcast on Food Dyes and Neurobehavioral Conditions

Melissa — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 13:00:21 +0000

I came across an interesting podcast on food dyes and their possible association with neurobehavioral conditions like ADHD. Here is an excerpt from the official podcast transcript.

AHEARN: Do you think the rise in ADHD diagnoses since the ’70s might be related to the increased number of artificially colored foods and drinks that kids are consuming?

WEISS: To me the evidence implicating food colors as a provocative chemical is clear. [But] you have to remember that these kids are exposed to thousands of chemicals in the environment. We know that some of them, such as lead, are very powerful members of the class of chemicals we call neurotoxicants; that is, they are toxic to the nervous system, to the brain. Endocrine disruptors such as those that are found in plastics also have the ability to change behaviors of this kind. Pesticides are also found in most children’s bodies today, and they too have the ability to provoke these kinds of behaviors. Our children are really facing an assault of chemicals, many of which have the ability to change how the brain functions.

Give my ADHD kid some Froot Loops and you will see a distinct different in his behavior. We used to follow the Feingold plan pretty strictly but have loosened up a bit (still no Froot Loops, though!). Perhaps we should revisit a stricter approach to it again.

My Crazy Saturday – A Garage Fire and a Frantic Mom

Melissa — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 21:16:14 +0000

Happy Saturday! While families across the country are gathering to remember those that lost their lives on September 11, 2001 one family in my neighborhood is thankful for theirs. I was driving down the road about 10:30 this morning and I noticed a bit of gray smoke coming out of the garage door of a house about 7 down from mine. In the yard was a man in a gray shirt on a cell phone. Two cars were in the driveway but only one person was outside.

I had Alexander in the back seat so I told him to hold tight I needed to check on this. I got out and started to run to the house when I saw an older teen boy sprinting down the road. I quickly asked the gentleman in the yard if he was on the phone with 911 and he was. I was prepared to go banging on windows to alert the family inside but at that minute the door open and a teen girl and a younger girl walked out.

At this point the teen boy went in to the house to let everyone know that the house was on fire and I told the younger girl to come with me. She said she didn’t have her shoes on and I told her not to go back in the house. I then swooped her up and went running to my vehicle. I heard the mom yell, “Where are my girls?” and I yelled back “I have one.”

I was in the Nissan Murano so I opened the gate and put the little girl down. As I turned around to go run back up to the house I saw the teen girl with an even younger girl and told her to sit them in the cargo area and I’d be back.

I went running back up to the house and by this time the entire family was out. The teen boy had quickly run and opened the garage door and a mass of thick, dark, black smoke came pouring out. It turns out that the water heater was on fire and as a result so was a part of the garage.

At this point the dad went over and turned the circuit breaker off on the house and then the teen boy and the dad went and got the water hose to start putting on the fire. By the time the first sheriff’s deputy arrived the visible fire had been extinguished however there was concern that it spread to the wall or attic.

I stayed with the girls, it turns out that they are in 3rd grade and kindergarten at the neighborhood school so we talked about the school, etc. The mom was very visibly upset and quite frantic (understandably so) and so I tried to keep her calm. Thankfully the grandparents pulled up shortly thereafter and encouraged the mom to be seen by paramedics to a) get the coughing under control from the smoke inhalation and b) calm down.

Alexander just kind of hung out and watched for the hour or so that we were there. When we were getting ready to leave, the firemen were just cleaning up and one brought over a toy fireman’s hat for Alexander was well as the two little girls.

As we left the mom, dad, and grandparents thanked me for stopping and I told them that they were welcome but anyone would stop and the fireman said that a surprising amount of people wouldn’t have stopped. I don’t know how that is possible because it was apparent that this was not an intentional fire and the gentleman that I saw in the front yard did not look relaxed.

Alexander and I stopped by the store and picked up each of the little girls a toy and then bought a gift card for the family to pick up new backpacks and a few other things that will reek of smoke but aren’t easily cleaned. The mom gave me a big deep hug, thanked me, and through tears asked, “Where do people like you come from?” I simply responded, “From up the street.”

FDA Alert – Stolen Advair Inhalers Sold at Pharmacies

Melissa — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 21:24:37 +0000

If you’ve been reading my blog for any bit of time then you’re aware that my daughter has asthma. After exhibiting the warned neuropsychiatric side effects of Singulair, she was switched to Advair to control her asthma. I just received an alert from the FDA that batches of Advair that were stolen ended up being sold through some pharmacies. If you or someone you know uses Advair Diskus 250/50 or 500/50 please read this notice. My daughter has been on 250/50 during flare-ups but we no longer have that dosage in the house. Her standard dose of 150/50 was not included in this alert.

Advair Diskus (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder): Stolen Product Warning
[Posted 07/16/2010]

AUDIENCE: Pharmacy, Pulmonology, Patient

ISSUE: Certain Advair Diskus inhalers stolen from a distribution warehouse in 2009 have been found in some pharmacies. The safety and effectiveness of the stolen inhalers cannot be assured and they should not be used.

The lot numbers, doses, and quantities of the stolen Advair Diskus inhalers are:

Lot 9ZP2255 – NDC 0173-0696-00, Advair Diskus 250/50, 60 Dose, Exp: Sep 2010 (14,400 inhalers)
Lot 9ZP3325 – NDC 0173-0697-00, Advair Diskus 500/50, 60 Dose, Exp: Sep 2010 (11,200 inhalers)

BACKGROUND: Advair Diskus (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder) is an inhaler used to treat patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The products were reported stolen in August 2009 from a GlaxoSmithKline warehouse near Richmond, Va. The inhalers found recently were the first from the stolen lots to be found in commerce. However, more stolen product may still be on the market and the FDA continues to aggressively investigate the matter.

Stolen medicine may be harmful because it may have been stored at the wrong temperature or humidity or other improper conditions, may degrade or lose potency, become contaminated, or may have been tampered with or handled improperly while outside of the legitimate supply chain.

RECOMMENDATION: Patients who have products with these lot numbers should immediately stop using them, contact GlaxoSmithKline’s Customer Response Center at 888-825-5249, and follow-up with their physician or pharmacist to obtain a proper replacement.

Pharmacists and wholesalers who find Advair Diskus inhalers bearing these lot numbers should remove them from shelves and contact the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) at 800-551-3989. The agency also is asking for the public’s help in reporting any information regarding these inhalers, including suspicious or unsolicited offers for the Advair Diskus lots in question, to OCI or by visiting the OCI website.

What is Going on With Mindless Mommy?

Melissa — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:33:56 +0000

Okay it has been more than two months since I last posted on my blog. My last post was a whine about the stressful weekend and Mother’s Day I had. I am now happy to report that I am in a happier place.

I graduated with my Bachelor’s of Science degree in Multimedia Writing and Technical Communication from Arizona State University in May.

We all got through Ava’s first (and probably last) dance competition. I was most nervous about her solo but at 6 years of age she got on that stage and performed with a smile.

We all got through the kids dance recital. Alex was in one routine with Ava and then she was in six additional numbers. I was a stage mom for the first half and boy is that a tough job – the girls are all sweethearts though so it made it much easier to deal with the hair, makeup, tights, and running up and down the steps from dressing room to stage.

We made it through both Camp Invention (Alex) and ballet camp (Ava).

We all lived through a fun vacation touring some of Northern Arizona’s National Parks (with a blog post by Alex providing a quick summary).

We’ve had a fun-filled and jam-packed summer but it is almost back to school time. Speaking of back to school time, one of my most popular posts for the past month is First Day of School – 2009-2010 School Year. It seems like parents across the nation are Googling “first day of school” and ending up on my post summarizing the kids first day of 3rd grade (Alex) and kindergarten (Ava).

Happy Mother’s Day to Me

Melissa — Sun, 09 May 2010 21:42:34 +0000

Happy Mother’s Day to me! My oldest is 8 and my youngest is 6. My daughter had a dance competition on Friday night and most of the day yesterday and so I’m tired. I slept hard last night and woke up this morning to find out that my daughter sat on my son and attacked him with an orange Sharpie. He had a bunch on his cheek and on one eyelid. Of course there were random marks on his chest and legs but I was more concerned about the facial marks.

I couldn’t get it off by the time we went out for morning brunch so Alex had some extra decorations thanks to lil sis Ava. At brunch I learned that both kids had been writing on the walls in Alex’s bedroom with the same orange Sharpie. Mother’s Day was not starting off to be the relaxing and calming day I’d hoped for.

On the way home from brunch I turned on Boneyard on XM Radio (I haven’t listened to older rock music in a long time). The first song that came on was Flying High Again by Ozzy Osbourne; I turned the music up and sang along. Up next was This Love by Pantera, one of my favorite Pantera songs. I turned it up even louder and the song was still on when I pulled into the garage. I booted the Sharpied kids out of the car and stayed in it until my song was over, I was instantly in a little better mood.

After cheering up a bit I jumped head first into the last two parts of my final. Oh, did I forget to mention that this is finals week at school? I have already put tons of hours of work into my finals but have one due tomorrow and just couldn’t get it finished before I had hours of time to put in at the dance competition. So today was designated as “finish my final” day.

I did it. I’m done. I’m done with my finals and as I hit “Submit” with that last project I have officially completed my undergraduate degree program. That’s right, I have finished my last undergraduate assignment. I started college fresh out of high school in 1991 but after three years I stopped – I had no clue what I wanted to do. I started back in Fall 2007 and on Saturday I will walk across the stage and receive my Bachelor’s of Science degree in Multimedia Writing and Technical Communication.

So yes, Happy Mother’s Day to me. Being a mom isn’t about having that ideal day every day – as my morning’s Sharpie adventures have proved. But today I celebrated my two loving and mischievous children and celebrated the completion of my undergraduate degree program.

Today is a good day.

Oh, and some eye candy, pictures of Ava from the Starbound 2010 Phoenix Dance Competition. (click on photo for a larger image)

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Ava Practicing Her Competition Jazz Solo

Melissa — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 17:24:22 +0000

Ava will be performing a solo at an upcoming dance competition. Although she’s only six, she’s wanted to dance on stage by herself for well over a year. Yesterday, the dance, music, and acting studio had a pre-registration celebration. This gave Ava an opportunity to practice her solo in front of people she didn’t know. I know I’m her mom and I’m biased but I think she did great!

Ava will have her hair in two big pigtails and we are having some bows custom-made. The polka dots on the costume will have some rhinestones added to it and I’m going to be putting some glitter on her stool so it stands out more.

Blogging From My New iPad

Melissa — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 02:22:01 +0000

Happy Easter to those that celebrate. I’m sitting here blogging from my new iPad, just because I can. I can probably type about 40-50 wpm on this and over 120 on a normal keyboard. However, I didn’t buy this as a laptop replacement. It is actually my graduation gift – I will finally be graduating with a BS in Technical Communication in about 5 weeks!

I am digging the new iPad but I have one complaint – the pre-holiday release. First I stayed up late playing. However I also woke up extremely early due to some excited kids. Four hours of sleep isn’t my ideal goal. Lastly, no stores open today to buy what I failed to yesterday – most notably a case.

Oh well, I will go tomorrow. Now my super sleepy self is going to join the kids in slumber land very early this Easter night.

Indoor Skydiving at SkyVenture – Wheeee!

Melissa — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:57:14 +0000

We spent St. Patrick’s day at SkyVenture, doing some indoor skydiving for the first time. It was a true family affair – my parents, sister, brother-in-law, nephews, husband, and of course Ava and Alex.

Ava was insistent on going first and she got her wish. When it was time to go she just walked like in like she’d done it a thousand times before!

Alex wasn’t quite as excited about it as Ava. However, this was a huge step for him. Initially he didn’t even want to do it. He went in there with a smile on his face and even gave a wave to the camera. He didn’t do his second “flight” (that is why Ava had three) but he is already making plans to go again.