and if you thought we weren't sick enough...

Patrick has pink-eye. So, no daycare even though he isn't supposed to be contagious from his cold which we now think is the flu having felt the symptoms ourselves. And he is still snotty and coughing from that. I don't know that I buy the whole not-infectious-unless-there's-a-fever argument. No way this is just a cold.

Hippity Hop

Hee hee. Love this adorable toy by Montgomery Schoolhouse Toys in Vermont (and made right there in Vermont). Jesse has/will order it for Patrick. So cute. And, it is constructed to hop. They have a frog and a duck, too.

I found this place because Jesse's mom, Connie, brought the three train pieces left from Jesse's boyhood days and they are Montgomery Schoolhouse trains. So, I got interested in learning more about the company. They were bought out by Maple Landmark Woodcraft but everything is still made in Vermont. Did I mention that it's all made in Vermont ;-) (BTW: where are my emoticons???)

Little Patrick Petri Dish

Thanks to the incredible petri dish of germs that is the daycare classroom we are all sick, sick, sick. Patrick is at least on the mend but I have hardly been out of bed -- chills, fever, sore throat, almost unable to swallow, body aches, etc. Jesse has been a real trooper by taking care of Patrick all day. Let's at least hope that we aren't both on our backs unable to function but that we go through this at different stages.Publish Post

$300 A Day (or Me Bitching)

Patrick is paid up for two months of daycare since the beginning of August and so far the WHOLE SEVEN DAYS HE HAS ACTUALLY BEEN IN DAYCARE have run us about $300 per day. He was out because of his 28-day Lyme treatment and then another week on top of that because he couldn't have vaccinations or be exposed to anything until 5-7 days after the PICC line was pulled. He went back last Thursday through Tuesday morning when I got a call that he has a rash. Yep, a rash all over. Ped says it is a virus. He did have a runny nose last weekend and a low grade temp (still has a runny nose). So, he's not in daycare and who stays home with him? Me. Where is the gender equality in the world????? Jesse is going to try to come home early today because he knows he will have a wife better suited for a padded room if he doesn't.

I need Patrick to be in daycare. Patrick needs to be around other kids and have a safe place to explore besides his own house. I need to work without Patrick wondering why Mommy isn't giving him all the attention he needs. I really, really hate this.

Patrick's expulsion from school

Jessica says it better here and you should really read it before going on. I am not so funny in print. Hint: when you get there, scroll up to the blog entry. Don't just read the comments.

So, if you have read that, go on.

The truth is I made a civil complaint about the use of TV in the day care on Patrick's first day. Like talking to a brick wall until I called the corporate offices. That's when the hate started.

So, when Patrick went back this week and I saw a toy with peeling paint and others that are of a brand (Fisher-Price) that I was told was not ordered by this daycare and I 1. asked them to please remove the defunct toy and 2. INQUIRED politely as to the discrepancy (ooh, big intimidating word must have set off the director), I was told I could take Patrick elsewhere by some lady three rungs up from the director. Then I was ordered to take Patrick elsewhere. I never raised my voice or got belligerent so this was completely bizarre. I think it's a little like what some of the cell phone companies are doing now. They have enough customers so if you are one to lodge a complaint (and yes, I mean one friggin' complaint) then you are tossed overboard since they don't want to take the time to deal with you.

So, what's interesting is that I left a message with someone at the corporate office. I never heard back from him but within 30 minutes, the same woman who told me to take a hike, called back kissing my rear and telling me thank you for "bringing an important situation to light."

Digging herself out from under the compost is my guess.

Do something!

I read Tired Mummy on occasion and she put together a most poignant, difficult post today. See it here and be prepared to cry and get angry. And then do something. Do something for Patrick, your own children and the children of parents who are completely overwhelmed by the horrors of war.

We have got to stop being complacent in this country.

Toy update

I called the daycare. They told me that they order all their toys and equipment from Discount School Supplies. I called them and spoke with a manager. This is what I found out. They use independent labs to test toys they want to sell. I requested that they e-mail me the names of the labs so that I can verify this as fact. The manager was very nice about my paranoia and took my e-mail address. He said he would also scan in a company statement about the things they do to make sure their toys are safe. They do not order toys from Fisher-Price or Mattel, in the first place. I have been through the lists and Patrick doesn't have anything from the lists of toys recalled but I don't want to risk it. Let me put it this way, when dog food was being recalled, we cooked Bette's meals from scratch following directions from our vet and the AKC until we located a food made in the USA for her. Wouldn't we do absolutely anything for Patrick?

We have gotten too comfortable in this country with paying the lowest price on an item without enough regard for quality, safety, and whether or not the workers in other countries are treated well. It is time this stopped. I heard an interview with Robert Reich the other day (Sec of Labor under Clinton) and he said that we have become a super-capitalist society which has the effect of undermining democracy and added that we will never become socially-concious consumers unless our country regulates it. He's right. En masse, we will continue to buy the cheapest whatever unless the government steps in and stops some of this nonsense. I am a true Democrat. Bring on the legislation because we are just miserable sinners without a law.

No Toys from China

Patrick is blessed to have wonderful grandparents and godparents who love him and give him toys. I hate to do this but I have to. There is too much evidence to suggest that more and more toys from China are going to be recalled for toxicity. What gets me going is that we may have toys or bibs in this house which have toxic chemicals but just haven't been tested. So, I just cannot let Patrick play with anything from China. For our part, Jesse and I are going to read labels very carefully from now on and only buy him toys made here (hey, it's better for our economy anyway) or in Western Europe. It turns out that even Barbie has lead paint. Also, I thought that the smooth plastic toys were immune until I saw some Sesame Street toys recalled. They are just like some of the smooth plastic toys Patrick has and loves but we just can't take the risk. There are too many people/companies in former communist countries (and current ones like China) who do not give a flying flip about other people and/or don't know the risk their lack of regulations pose when it comes to toys or prescription medications or dog food.

Don't know what I am going to do about Patrick being in day care. They already think I am crazy.

Here are just a few links I picked up today about toxic toys:

http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/30/news/companies/crayon_recall/index.htm?postversion=2007083010

http://money.cnn.com/2007/09/05/news/companies/mattel_recall/index.htm?cnn=yes

http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/14/news/companies/china_recalls/index.htm?postversion=2007081413

For information about toxicity in plastic toys go here:

http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/consumerism/toxic_toy_story.html

Thought lead paint was only on wooden toys? Wrong!! Those smooth plastic toys have levels of lead, too, and little ones put their mouths on them.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/08/13/china.toymaker.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Lyme Positive

This post is way overdue but then I saw that people with whom I don't have regular contact are reading and so an explanation is due. Patrick does have Lyme Disease. The first set of tests were inconclusive/negative but the second set was positive. We got those results in the second week of August and had a spinal tap that night. It had a high white cell count and, according to both our ped and the infectious disease specialist (a wonderfully gentle man who reminds me of Mr. Rogers meets Yale), the thing to do was to admit him to Fairfax Hostpital and start IV antibiotics and then move him to a PICC line. He has been home with the PICC line for 3.5 weeks, had handled the meds very well and get his line pulled this Thursday. In a week he can have his 1 year vaccinations and then return to day care (THANK GOD!!!). We got the third set of Lyme tests back after we started treatment and they were positive as well. We are thankful that nothing truly serious is going on and that the disease was caught early. BTW: he is the youngest reported case in the state.