Everything I know about cold sores . . .

They come very late at night when you least expect and usually right before a very large, picturesque, life event . . . right girls.

Over the years, through sad experience, I've become one of my families experts on cold sores. After a few recent calls from family members in the thralls of cold sore trauma, I've decided to share everything I know that helps and somethings I've heard that help but I haven't tried. (Noted by a *.)

Cold sores, fever blisters, and sun blisters can appear as a result of stress, too much work, being over tired, or having chapped lips from not drinking enough or being out in the sun too long.

Remember that the germs that cause sores can linger on chap stick and lip gloss. Using an infected product can reinfect you lips. Be safe and throw away any balm or gloss you are unsure about.

To prevent, try drinking more water, getting plenty of sleep (ha ha), getting a good lip gloss with UV protection, and taking yoga classes.

When you feel that tell-tale burning sensation of your lips, treat it with my two step philosophy . . . "Clean and Dry." Here are some ways to keep your new found friend clean and dry and help it on it's way:

1. Wash with water and a soft washcloth at the first sign; then dab with a q-tip of rubbing alcohol.
2. Keep some handy alcohol wipes in your car or purse in case you feel one coming on while you're on the go.
3. A strong mouthwash also works great in place of rubbing alcohol.
4. Try this product: Abreva . Keep it in your pocket and apply multiple times a day.
5. If you're home all day, put on a movie and hold an ice cube to your lip.
6. Try this product: Neosporin or any antibiotic ointment. I put the regular cuts and scratches stuff right on my lip. Reapply multiple times a day. (If anyone tries the lip health products, please let me know how they do.)
7. Try this product: Carmex. It's great for prevention but works very slowly as a treatment.

For kids: Don't put anything on your kids lips you don't want them to lick off. For rashes and dry lips and cheeks try Lansinoh HPA Brand Lanolin and Carmex.

For bad inside mouth sores, amp your brushing up to three times a day, or after every meal. Get a good mouth wash to use after brushing and flossing. If this doesn't help, but some mouth wash on a q-tip and hold it right up against your sore for 30 seconds. Do this every morning and evening until it's gone. For more advice on this, talk to Mom.

Long term help:
Try L-Lysine - a dietary supplement used to improve immunity and skin health
If you feel like you have a serious health problem, talk to your doctor about a prescription for Acyclovir -medicine designed specifically to treat pervasive lip sores.*

For Cheri

For Cheri, on her birthday, I would like to offer the wonderful gift of options. I know 7 is one of those ages, one of those times in life, when you feel like options are scarce and the available options are all less than optimal. Here are some options that you will love. I promise, they are all good.

Option A) The Mercy Watson Series by Kate DiCamillo. Oh my goodness. This is really funny. It's about a family that owns a pig as a pet and the funny thing she does and their funny neighbors. My favorite so far is "Mercy Watson Fights Crime."

Option B) The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron. Here you have a classic!! I love this book and it's sequal. I loved it when I was 7 and I still love it now that I'm . . . well, never mind. It's about Julian, of course, and the funny funny stories he tells his sister.

Option C) Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa by Erica Silverman. Do you love Horses? I think you do. You will love Kate and Cocoa. Cocoa talks!!!! It doesn't get any better than that.

"What's so good about these options?," you ask. Well, They're short, they're funny, and there are more where these came from. That's what is so good about them.

Happy Birthday Cheri

Give me a C

At our house C is for cookie. That's what I sing everytime I put a Cookie Monster diaper on little bit. But to day C is for cookie and for Chelsea. Happy birthday Chelsea. Here are some cookies for your birthday. I wish I could be there and make them for you.

Peanut Butter Rolo Cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup shortning

1 cup peanut butter

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teasoppns baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 package of Rolo chocolates (about13)

1. Mix all ingredients together except rolos

2. When dough is mixed well, take a small amount, flatten out in hand and place a rolo in the middle. Close the dough around to form a ball.

3. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Let cool before eating.

Soda and Scratchers

I love Magic! I love when I feel like my house is cleaned by Magic. But the other week I was out of Magic. So I used the next best thing . . .

AND

My husband calls them scratchers, but they are jsut scrub pads. So, the next time you're out of Magic, or if you have unfounded chemical fears, just go with Soda and Scratchers. I promise, you're feel like you discovered the cure to soap scum.

Great!!!

Today is my Grandma Jackson's Birthday. We love our grandparents so much, and Matt and I both feel very lucky to live so close that we can visit our grandparents. Although she won't remember, Jill has now met ALL of her Greatgrandparents.

Happy Birthday Great Grandma Jackson.

We love you Great Grandpa Svedin.

See you soon Great Grandma and Grandpa Pack.

WMMMMMMMM

Dear William,

You don't remember your third birthday, but I do. You had a scare over your lip from a tragic, rainy day, park accident and you had just learned how to say how old you were. You would hold your hand up to your mouth like an "O" and very slowly lift up your pinky, then your ring finger, then your middle finger, all the while saying "thhhhhrrrrreeee" with great focus. You would move your hand with three outstreached fingers away from your mouth and down to your side on the "eeee" part. Then you would smile the biggest, crooked mouthed, smile. So cute.

Happy birthday, and happy St. Patties day. Here's a green treat for you and Rebecca to make.

Feta Spinach Dip
(party size)

1 ten oz box of chopped spinach, thowed
1 six oz container of feta chese, crumbled
1/3 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 package crackers or bread rounds

Add first 5 ingredience together in a bowl and stir to your hearts content. Eat on crackers or little toasts. (I really enjoy it on toated pieces of sour dough bread. I also added more walnuts that asked for. About a cup, and it was good.)

Patty's Cake! AKA a father's interpritation

I love hearing Matt sing and play with Jill. We both love nursery rhymes, and I'm aften surprised how many my sweet sports loving husband can rattle off. This week we had a little competition. An article in our local paper challenged us to recite the first lines of poems after hearing only the second line. Let's see how you guys do.

Under Grad Level:
1. The cat and the fiddle
2. Sat on a wall
3. Lost her sheep
4. Went up a hill
5. The mouse ran up the clock

Graduate Level:
1. This little piggy stayed home
2. Three men in a tub
3. Father John , Father John
4. See how they run
5. Eating her curds and whey

PhD Level:
1. Kissed the girls and made them cry
2. Had a wife but couldn't keep her
3. Went to bed with his stockings on
4. The sheep are in the meadow, the cow's in the corn
5. How does your garden grow

Later, Matt was singing Pat-A-Cake with Jill. It went something like this:

Patty's Cake, Patty's Cake, Bake-a-Man
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Flip it, and throw it, and drop it on your knee.
And . . . ummm, What's the rest of this song?

I was laughing so hard at the knee part I almost couldn't rember the last line. I love our daddy's nursery rhyme renditions.