It's Time To Play:

MYSTERY DIAGNOSIS!

Here are your clues:
-Stuffy nose in only one nostril
-Foul smelling breath

Here are your choices:
A) Sinus infection
B) Halitosis
C) Common Cold or

D) Play Dough up the nose

I'm sure you can guess the answer now!

D.

Are you as shocked as we were?! Here's the story:

For over a month, Maya has had this horrible rank breath. Like, really bad, can't stand being around her, what on earth is that smell, kind of bad. I thought it was many things at first: Not washing her hands after using the bathroom, halitosis, something wrong with her digestion, disease in her mouth, sinus drainage, on and on. Just when I would think I knew for sure what it was, I would rule it out for different reasons. And sometimes the smell would go away for a day or two, so it was really hard to know what was the matter.

Yesterday I decided I could not take the smell any more and I made an appointment for her to see the doctor today. I did feel kind of stupid making the appointment.
Me: "Um, hi. I'd like to make an appointment for my three year old."
Nurse:"What are her symptoms?"
Me:"Uh, really bad breath."
Nurse (chuckling out loud) "O.K. see you at 10" ...still chuckling.

When the doctor looked up her nose, she decided to see if the "green snot" was something else. We held poor Maya down (and she was so brave!) and the doctor pulled out this (hopefully you are done eating as you read this!) huge green blob the size of a grape.

Play dough.

The green play dough I made for her in early December.

She's been going around with rotting play dough in her nose for 5 weeks.

Gross.

But, she's all better now and the smell is gone.

But, yeah, I know.

Gross.

Christmas Goodies

It's always fun to come up with gift ideas for teachers and neighbors! OK. Not really. I stress about it. Am I spending too much? Am I not spending enough? Have I done this treat before? (I can never remember!)

Here's some ideas for you to use for next year, or if anything else, to help me remember what I gave out this year.

The kids made these little gingerbread men to give away to teachers and Grandparents. It's very easy and it made our house smell lovely while they were drying. The only thing is...you need to plan ahead. They take about 3 days to dry completely.

Here's the recipe:

Gingerbread Men
(Makes 6 ornaments..And I mean it! Don't make more than that or they'll be too thin.)
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup cinnamon
2 TBS. household glue

Mix and knead ingredients. Roll out between two pieces of wax paper. Roll to 1/4" thickness and cut out your shapes. (Be sure to make a hole at the top to hang it. We just used a toothpick to round it out) Let dry on cookie sheet covered with wax paper. We put them under the kids bed and the aroma filled the home! Let dry about 3 days. Paint with fabric paint. Pull a ribbon or yarn through the hole to hang it on the tree.

Here's one of the ornaments Maya made. She took some creative liberty here and I can't decide if she gave him an extra button or made him anatomically correct! (hehe... had to document it!)

For neighbor gifts, I kept it simple. Jello popcorn balls! I think just about everyone I gave them to asked for the recipe. Here it is for you:

Jello Popcorn Balls
1 cup light Karo Syrup
1 cup sugar (I didn't say they were healthy!)
1 package of (3 oz.) jello; flavor of your choice

Stir ingredients over a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Pour over 2 batches of popcorn. (remember to remove the kernals) Spread out over wax paper to cool. Can eat as is, or grease hands and form popcorn balls.

I made strawberry and lime flavored to be festive! I just broke off large pieces of the popcorn and placed a few of each flavor in a lunch sack. Then I folded the top, stapled a little greeting and we were good! 25 neighbor gifts done in 1 hour. Priceless.

And for my lovely young women! I have 12 girls in my Mia Maid class and I needed to come up with something affordable and cute. I think these fit the bill!

I bought little chinese food boxes (found at any craft store) and put a cupcake inside. Then I attached a "lipsmackers" chap stick to each box and tied a personalized greeting to each box. I think they turned out so cute!

And then the beauties below.
They are called "Festive Candy Cane Kiss Centered Brownies".
I used this recipe and they. were. good.
Enough said.