That Crazy Tamiflu

Something at the end of a Tamiflu commercial today caught my attention. It went something like, "Patients should be watched for signs of confusion and unusual behaviour after taking Tamiflu blah blah blah." I took a look at the web site and found this:

Some incidences of self-injury and delirium with the use of TAMIFLU in patients with the flu have been reported (mostly from Japan). The reports were primarily among children. The relationship of these reported events to TAMIFLU is not known. Pediatric patients with the flu should be closely monitored for signs of abnormal behavior throughout the treatment period.

Oh sure, it will cure your flu, but it will make you crrraaazyy. But really it's okay because most of the people who have wigged out have been Japanese children. Yeah, you know those crazy Japanese kids.

What?!?!

Personally, I would rather have the flu.

Friday Fun -- Gustafer for Fun

Click here to explore Gustafer's lovely life and home. See if you can find the mint green bee and the cookie recipe.

Want a quick summary on Gustafer? Click to watch the video below.

Thanks Giving Thursday -- Maurine

Maurine was one of my Mimi's best friends. In my mind, as a child, they could have both been my grandmothers, loving, cuddling and doting.

Maurine could bring out the best in anyone. She believed the best of everyone.

If there is such a thing as karma, she must have loads of good karma. She could leave a diamond ring by a bathroom sink at a restaurant, go back later, and it would be waiting because someone found it and thought to themselves, "I should take this lovely diamond ring and turn it in. Someone surely will want it back." What was even better was that Maurine believed it would be there.

Tonight as I lay on the MRI table, mind adrift, a comforting scent came to me and brought her to mind. It smelled like her house. I walked through it in my mind. Through the front door. Then to the left and hiding under the piano with her red-headed grandson Rob. Into the living room and looking at the couch along the wall. Back to the back of the house and to the right into the kitchen. Past the kitchen sink to the shelves just at child height. I see a little plaque and it reads, "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

There in her kitchen I feel at peace knowing she will be home soon. Breast cancer will take her there. She has had the serenity to accept it, the courage to face it, and the wisdom to accomplish it all with grace.

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine Animation by Jlaruby

Wacky Wednesday -- In my day it would have been hairspray . . .

In my day it would have been hairspray (think 80's and big hair bands) . . .

Teens turn out to be underarmed and dangerous...
Mon Feb 12, 2007 3:57PM EST
From Reuters.com

BERLIN (Reuters) - A group of young German women used so much spray deodorant in the bathroom of a North Sea youth hostel that it set off a fire alarm and brought the local fire brigade rushing to the rescue . . .

Toddler Files Tuesday

This week the Toddler Files Tuesday post will appear Tuesday evening rather than Tuesday morning.

The Mother Lode -- Thanks Cool Mom Picks

Cool Mom Picks sent me this great gob of goodies just for posting their Holiday Gift Guide button, the button I posted simply because they have truly great finds. I had no idea I could win prizes too. Bonus!

My fave from the whole bunch, the Skip*Hop Saddlebag in pink camo:



From the Skip*Hop website:

n. sad·dle·bag
1. One of a pair of pouches hanging across the back of a horse behind the saddle.
2. A pouch hanging from a saddle or over the rear wheel of a motorcycle or bicycle.
3. A stylin’ pouch from Skip Hop that attaches to the sides of nearly any stroller.

Check the cool karate pants from Beasty Baby. If only the "Cranky" pants came in my size . . .




I love this adorable lavender tee from Emotional Armor. Guess what. These come in mommy size.



From Mommytrackd, came these nifty eat sheets -- menu planner and grocery list all in one. Where have these been all my life?



Tired of picking up sippy cups off the sidewalk? Boy, am I. I can't wait to try this one. Drop Stop, from Atea Kids, is designed to prevent baby paraphernalia such sippy cups and teething rings from making their way to the ground.



Last, not least, this lovely lavender scented Head-to-Toe Baby Wash from Bug & Pickle, is a treat for the whole family. The scent is soft enough for baby, masculine enough for dad and fresh enough for mom.



Thanks Cool Mom Picks!

Potty Train -- A Step in the Right Direction

"Hhhmmm. Pee-pee. Uh-oh."

Progress! Baby K uttered the words above as we drove to the bookstore today for a family outing. I never thought I would be so happy to hear my child tell me she wet herself, but it really seems like progress. While we still are not making many pees and poos in the potty, the girls are becoming more aware of what is going on with their bodies. I hope that is a big step in the right direction.

Mombot Monday -- No Thanks to $9 Dish Soap

I love Restoration Hardware. Their products are classically designed, and comparatively speaking, not terribly expensive.

When I received their Early Spring 2007 catalog recently, I enjoyed a quick fantasy run through it. Although I found lots to love, I just couldn't help but find the humor in the $42 soap and lotion "3-Piece Caddy" seen here:



A bit pricey for three plastic bottles of dish soap, hand soap and lotion, don't you think? While I don't mind paying Restoration Hardware prices for the quality they offer in more significant items such as sofas or bed linens, I just can't see paying $16 for Restoration Hardware Dryer Sheets or $9 for Restoration Hardware scented dish soap. I mean, do I really need my dishes to be scented? No, I think not.



But I do love the look of the simple little soap and lotion caddy pictured above. Here's my solution and tip of the week. Peruse the catalogs of the places you love and learn which less expensive stores imitate their style. You can invest in quality for significant items like artwork and furniture and save a little on things that are less noticeable, such as dish soap and dryer sheets.

I found a similar soap and lotion caddy at World Market for $15. Granted it has a slightly different look, but for a price difference of nearly $30, that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.



World Market and Pier 1 Imports often carry goods very similar to current offerings of Restoration Hardware. Their prices are lower, and you can find some great deals on sale.

Live, Learn, Listen -- The State of Black and White America

"I have a dream" still rings in the ears of those who believe in an integrated society. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka revealed the concept of separate, but equal schools as a farce and made it legally unacceptable. In most places, however, the reality is we still have separate schools, only under a different guise, and they are not equal.

We have separate churches and separate neighborhoods -- separate lives. Black and white America live in separate realities, a fact that makes genuine understanding a true challenge on either side.

With that in mind, regardless of your race, I would like to direct your attention to The State of Black America hosted by Tavis Smiley which aired this week on C-SPAN. Participants include: Douglas Wilder, former Governor of Virginia; Cathy Hughes, Radio One Founder and President; The Reverend Jesse Jackson; The Reverend Al Sharpton; Sonia Sanchez, poet; and others.

In law school, I was privileged to take a course called Race, Racism and the Law, taught by Professor Anita Hill. Perhaps the most important lesson I learned was that people's positions are not always what you anticipate. If you read about something, you can learn to think about it, but if you live something, you truly learn it. If you can't live it, you can at least listen to someone who has lived it.

To view The State of Black America hosted by Tavis Smiley as aired on C-SPAN, just click here or click here to go to the C-SPAN.org page featuring their recent video archives, scroll down and click on the program title.