Grace Playing Monster

The Tanya/Skye Project

Tanya and I have started a scientific experiment to see which of the three hyper-pigmentation products we have purchased work the best on my face.

In the last five years I've started getting these hyper-pigmentation splotches on my face. I know it's from years of not wearing sunscreen, but the actual visual damage started after I used some eyebrow waxing strips that I found at Wal-Mart a few years ago. Now I'm not saying that the waxing strips did the damage, but I'm sure they didn't help either.

Here's a picture of me without makeup. Aren't I a brave little soul?


And a close up of where the different products are being applied.



Tanya gave me a sample her doctor gave her of some cream called NIA24 Sun Damage Repair ($36.74) and also some Joan Rivers Absolutely Magic Hand Cream ($38.50) to try. She said the Joan Rivers one helped with sun spots on her hands. I bought some Oil of Olay Definity Night Anti-Spot Treatment ($23ish at Wal-Mart) for the experiment.

I've been using all three creams for a week and so far the Joan Rivers stuff is fading the pigment the fastest, but it smells like old lady cream. It is the only one with the active ingredient hydroquinone. The other two products use a form of niacin.

I now have four significantly ugly pimples on the small area that the Oil of Olay is being applied, which makes me look a little like a cyclops, and the dark spots are still just as visible.

The NIA24 doesn't seem to be doing much either and it was the one that I had the highest hopes for; Hence why I chose it for the the place that the skin darkening bugs me the most, on my upper lip. I really hate looking like I have a mustache.

So there you have it. Proof that getting older sucks.

Cortland

For Dustin

Movies of Cortland

The Grandmas requested some videos. They're of just everyday stuff.

Pictures

Stuff we've been doing this week.

Prelude

I lost the control key on my computer and the function key stopped working after it got drooled on, Grace Ann has a Cheerio stuck on her ear, and the baby has wedged himself between the stereo speaker and the TV stand.

It's a prelude to a perfect day.

Pictures

Per a Comment Request....

*Mom, what's the word on the spiders?
*Have you caught any in the sticky traps?
*Did Marilyn put the rest of the traps down?
*Has Shrunken Head gotten one stuck on his ear yet?
*Has Grandma asked where all of the stuff from the laundry room (and I'm sure at least a few spider homes) went?
*Have you seen any more of those 8 legged freaks?
*Have you been bitten and lost a limb?
*Has the garage caved in yet? Off-topic, but inquiring minds want to know!
*Another off-topic, but everyone wants to know if your memory is improving. Tell us all something only you would know so we can judge for ourselves. Make it JUICY.

My last experience with the spiders is that night we found the one in the apple bowl I shook out the bedding, per the bug mans suggestion, and one of those SOB's was in my sheets! It took every ounce of self control to not pack and run! run! run! away from the countryside called Kansas.

The next day I called the much trusted neighbor to find out what bug kill company she uses and she said it was a futile task to kill those suckers. She said to get LOTS of sticky traps and make sure the dogs and kids stay out of them. So I did. And now we wait for my mom's response to the above questions.

I've theorized that they came out of hiding when the boys moved out and took all of their little spider hidey-holes. And then I cleaned out the laundry room further bringing them out to seek vengeance on all of mankind - I mean find new places to hang out and play.

I have nightmares that all of the spiders I've killed come back to get me. Ger-blah! Gives me shivers just thinking about it.

My Philosophy on Why He's Just Not That Into You Didn't Make a Big Splash at the Box Office (and other truths and declarations)

I finally saw the movie He's Just Not That Into You and I loved it. The book was out when I was dating and, to be completely honest, I wouldn't read it because there are certain truths a girl doesn't want to face when chasing after a guy (or guys) that is obviously not that into her.

In fact, I think this movie shot itself in the box office foot by being so painfully honest that girls wouldn't go see it. And if they did, they told all their girlfriends that the info provided in the movie wasn't true because if they didn't say that then they would have to admit to that same girlfriend that her boyfriend of 7 years was never going to marry them. Or that when a guy doesn't call then he really isn't thinking about you and being nervous, he's just not interested. And hello, what girl wants to volunteer to do that???

And I'm sure word spread like wildfire through the male community that this was totally NOT a date night movie. No guy is getting laid after taking a girl to a movie that gives away all of the Secret Guy Society's secrets except for the handshake. He would have to be an idiot!

I know. I know. There was a book before the movie, but the book doesn't have Drew Barrymore and the "I'm a Mac" guy. And funnily enough I'm totally hot for the "I'm a Mac" guy. It's okay. Alan knows.

Playing with the Fish

Wheezig

Cortland has gone viral.

I almost called my mom in the middle of C's 1st ever breathing treatment so she could hear what a really mad Cortland sounds like. I would have recorded it for you if I'd had my camera - and a couple extra hands. Man he was pissed.

They sent us home with 5 days of steroids for swelling in his lungs and an inhaler for the wheezing. Dr. Chris Hanson (oh yes, you heard right! We got the Dateline guy! His name was just one of many selling points) said C was a little young to be showing signs of asthma but the wheezing is unmistakable and he's hoping it's just an upper respiratory viral infection.

On another note, my n key isn't working properly and every 3 or 4th n it just won't type. Sometimes the coolest words are created and it is just a shame to have to go back and correct them. Like wheezig. I just wanted to leave that one in there and was a little sad to have to stick the n in and make it a proper word. So now wheezig has it's very own paragraph. Yay you wheezig! Way to rule the school!

Ahhhh, It's Good to be Home

Our air conditioner is broken. So broken, in fact, that Doug, the fix it man can't even give us an estimate until tomorrow because he has to get quotes from the digger drainage people.

I asked our neighbor (hi Tanya!) if we could borrow her box fan for the night since the evenings are still comfortably cool. I set the fan in the window and turned it on, but it really didn't do much. Well not much until my husband asked if I thought it might work better if maybe we opened the storm window, too.

Sometimes I feel like such a ding-dong.