Sensitive Subject

At the present time, we're treating Roxie for Schnauzer Bumps.  Yes, it is a skin condition exclusive to schnauzers.  It happens from time to time from grooming.  She gets these little bumps on her back and the only way to get rid of them is a special shampoo.  So, every other days, Roxie has been getting a bath.  She hates it and me right now!  The good thing is that it doesn't bother her in any way.
As if that were not enough, I always have skin problems because of my sensitive skin.  I have a collection of potions, lotions and washes to help my crazy skin.

The Mize ladies have sensitive skin!!!

Erin must have felt left out...

She has had these little bumps on her face, legs and upper arms.  The doctor looked at it in July and told it is a form of eczema.  She told us to treat it with hydrocortizone.  I have, but it didn't clear up.  It looked to me like it was getting a little worse, so before we left this week for 7 days in the sun slathered in sunscreen, I decided to take her back to the doctor.  She was diagnosed with Keratosis Pilaris.  The doctor said she will have flair ups and that it will be controlled, but will never be cured.  She gave me the name of some OTC lotion and told me Erin's case was too mild for Rx.  I agreed.

So, today at lunch I was on a mission to find one of the two lotions she recommended. (The doctor told me she has the same condition and said she knew both of these lotions work from personal experience!)  I went to 2 different Walgreens, 2 Walmarts and called a CVS and an independent hole in the wall pharmacy.  No one could help me and they all acted like I was asking for nuclear launch codes instead of an OTC lotion. 

All the driving around I did led to me getting low on gas, so I stopped at the Shell station beside Target in the Woodlands.  As I sat there pumping gas I remembered they have a pharmacy in there now.  So, I sat in the parking lot and called them.  I just couldn't take another face to face rejection! 
The Pharmacist answered the phone and knew immediately exactly what I was asking for.  She said, I don't have the name brand, but I have the generic in and can order the name brand if you want.  Needless to say, I ran right in and bought it. 

The pharmacist may have gotten the wrong idea though when I tried to climb over the counter to give her a big hug and kiss.  Some people are so sensitive!

We greased Little E up tonight after her bath and hopefully this stuff will work.  It doesn't smell nearly as cute and babified as her other lotion, but if it gets her cleared up we can go back to the other stuff soon.

It should now be noted that all the Mize boys that live on Caradoc Springs Court have beautiful non-sensitive skin.  Naturally!

Future Republican

Okay, apparently Erin has decided to go with her Daddy on political leanings.  No Free Rides.

She has this tractor and a school bus and she CANNOT stand anyone to ride.  I shot this video, then did it again so everyone could see that it wasn't a fluke.  She cannot stand for them to ride, and she ALWAYS takes them off in order.  She starts with the farmer and works her way to the back of the tractor. 

So, she's going to be a Republican and a little on the OCD side!




and...



Maybe we will have to have another kid to even things out!!!

An Expert In His Field

I married a Grill Sargent.  Everyone that knows Tommy knows he isn't much on the indoor cooking but can totally rock the house with his outdoor cooking.
In 102 degree heat this weekend, he's cooking outside! On the menu: Brisket, ribs, fajitas!

One brisket is for Florida.  It's a monster 16.5 lbs.  The second brisket is much smaller and for us to keep in the freezer as a throw down meal.  He's cooking ribs because he already had the fire going from the briskets, and you can't waste a good fire.  He likes to have them in the freezer too so he can defrost and snack on them during football season when the Texans are playing out of town.  (I think they're better when we're watching the Cowboys, but that's just a matter of preference.)  The fajitas are for my mom's birthday party tonight.  They are actually still marinating.  Those will be done on the gas grill instead of the smoker.

Like any good professional, Tommy has his equipment.  I won't bore you with commercial for Weber products, and ALL the accessories we have to go with them.  His most important piece of equipment is his uniform.  Some cooks prefer an apron or special monogrammed shirts, not Tom.  He prefers a torn up 10 year old Roger Creager t-shirt and an equally holey pair of worn out Tommy Bahama shorts.  I've tried several times to throw them away because the smoke smell is permanently embedded, but then I came to my senses.  As long as he's cooking his wonderful barbecue, what difference does it make that he looks like a homeless guy?

(As his older wife, I can appreciate that he doesn't like to get rid of the old things.  He prefers to hang on to them in case he needs them again later!)

The whole uniform.

The hole uniform

(Up close of the shirt - one of many holes and a large hole on the shorts where the pocket goes)

And For My Next Trick...

Erin had quite a day!  In a good way...
I worked from home and was taking a break downstairs with her and Pawpaw in the playroom after her snack.  I was sitting on the floor about 2 feet from her Fisher Price house.  She was crawling all over me as usual.  That part is nothing new.  She crawls all over me all the time.  But today, after she crawled up I got her to stand on her own, and then she took 2 steps.

Before I got there, she was taking one step from the toy box to her rocking horse, and Pawpaw said she did that about 3 times.  I came in and she was standing in my lap.  I pulled my legs back and she stood up on her own and toddled over to the FP house! 

Daddy said my jaw dropped a foot!

Then tonight after our bath I was checking her top teeth.  She's had one that has been trying to poke thru for a while.  I was feeling all around and low and behold, she has a new one on the bottom.  It must have just poked thru today.

We came out and told Daddy about it and he said, "Alright, give me 5 Erin".  He held up his hand and she gave him 5!!!

Days like these make it so worthwhile being a parent!

I Have to Laugh at Me.

Okay, I like to laugh, anyone who knows me knows that.  I'm an equal opportunity make fun of 'er.  I'll pick on someone relentlessly if they give me the right material. 

With that being said...I have to laugh at myself for what I recently did.  It wasn't bad enough that I did it, but that we actually took pictures of it and that I'm putting out there for the world to see.  I told you, equal opportunity make fun of 'er!!!  Even I'm not immune to my ruthlessness!

We bought Erin a bike seat to fit on my bike.  It's been so hot that we really haven't gotten to use it yet.  One night right after I bought it a storm was blowing in (yes, the only one we've had in months!).  It was cloudy and windy and the perfect day to try it out.  I yanked the tags off the baby bike helmet and literally wrestled E to the ground putting it on her.  Perfect, mom and baby ready to roll... 

The stupid helmet kept hitting my boobs while I was riding and Erin hated it.  It's pointed on one side and that was the side that was hitting me.  Poor baby, I kept knocking her in the head and knocking the helmet down lower and lower in the front.  Erin ended up yanking it off mid ride and trying to throw it on the ground.  I'm fast like a ninja, so I caught it.  It wasn't until we got home that I realized I had the stupid thing on her backwards!!! 

Yes, here is the photographic evidence of my stupidity.  Moral of the story, take time to read the directions on all children's products and don't take pictures until you know you've done it right!!!

Next, I'm going to teach her to run with scissors and not to wait the 20 minutes after a snack before getting in the pool!  I would like to think it was a rookie mom mistake, but it was just straight up idiot! :)