A Boy & His Dogs

The last two weeks have been spent dashing around to doctor appts, labs and medical centers. Boy #3 has had chronic congestion for the last couple of years (gets better in the summer) which leads to a nasty sinus infection here and there. The pediatrician labels it "allergies" and throws some antibiotics at the sinus problem. But no definitive diagnosis.

I finally decided to get tough on it and made an appt. with an allergist. #3 let it be known that every now and then his chest hurt when he ran around in cold air. The nurse made him run the hallway for 12 minutes (to the amazement of his older brother who has never seen younger one do so much exercise). Diagnosis? Asthma.

I was sent out for neck x-rays, blood work and a visit to pediatrician for immunizations. Then we went back for skin testing (faint scratches with a plastic doo-hickey). Yesterday it was allergy testing which involved sticking a needle under the skin (17 times!).

Diagnosis? Allergic to bermuda grass and dogs. Great. Basically, we would have to get rid of three members of the family AND not let #3 outside in our yard for the rest of his life.

#3 put on his best "Call of Duty 5" face and told the doctor, "Its just a snotty nose. I'm not getting rid of our dogs." He will soon be going weekly for allergy shots and downing a host of meds.

Could you get rid of this?

or this????

In Comes 2009

Where did December and already half of January go?? I haven't even had time to make my usual list of lies, resolutions. But, here goes....

1. I will try and be less critical/cynical of myself and others (yeah, like that's gonna happen).

2. I will try and not have Monday Morning Meltdowns (instead Friday Freakouts? Tuesday Tantrums?).

3. I will try and not be so good at arguing. Certain people take issue with that fact that I can think and talk faster than they can (which is MY fault??) so I will pretend to be slower witted.

4. I resolve to not get irritated in the check out line at the grocery store despite the checker having a crippling disease and glasses that refuse to sit on his nose, despite one sacker being all of 85 and possibly taxidermied, despite the other sacker having Down's Syndrome and despite the senior citizen customer in front of me only checking her coupons AFTER total has been hit, then getting out her own pen out of her purse (obviously made by Samsonite), then getting out her old fashioned checkbook and no shitting you, looking at the total at least three times before writing. I took so many deep breaths I almost passed out.

Just to start the new year off right, here's a little extra cheese. I captured this on Christmas morning of two of my dogs. They were pretending there was mistletoe above their heads.