J has poison ivy. Based on the pattern, our pediatrician speculated that she sat cross-legged on a patch, then switched it up by lying on her stomach for a little while. At first I thought it must be bug bites again–I’ve never gotten poison ivy before (knocking on wood), so I had no idea.
J decided to give me a makeover, which involved caking on cheap play make up, putting about 6 barrettes in my hair, and choosing my outfit.  Later I was pushing her on the swing and she said, “Mommy! Are you growing a baby in your belly? Because it looks like it and that would be totally cool.” Alas, I said, it’s just an unflattering dress. The Empire waist just isn’t a good look for me.
Meanwhile, J recovered from her illness, but today she left practicing with W and her team to go to the bathroom, and en route she started a big ol’ nosebleed. I arrived soon at the field & became alarmed that she’d been AWOL for several minutes, but meanwhile I had to heard my extraordinarily slow-moving almost-six-year-old to the appropriate field while W carried the gear and got the 3rd graders in the right place. M managed mostly on her own, with me to help with some clean up. In fact she started getting antsy as I was wiping down the blood-spattered toilets (yeah, baby!), so I told her to go ahead to her game. She ran right up, changed shirts, and got two shots on goal. At 8 she is already more with-it than I am.
But not as nice. At Back-to-School Night, the teacher had the kids leave little notes for their parents, and did I get an “I love you” or “I hope you liked my whatever”? No.  It was “Mom, don’t be embarassing [sic]!!!” Complete with a little picture of me, sitting at a desk, smiling, and saying, “la la la!” with a line crossed right through it.
Oh, and I believe that the Silly Bandz cake went second. Not bad.
