T.M.I. Kind of Day

As Pollyanna would always say, "Just play the Glad Game!" She was probably the one who came up with the 'when life gives you lemons just make lemonade' saying too. I am no Pollyanna...and I only drink Diet Coke anyhow and that is your warning for the mood of the rest of this post! So there's this new law that takes effect in February that is so broadly written that it's giving all of my seamstress friends ulcers. It involves lead testing on "any product used by children under 12 years of age". Now I used to be in the "they mean toys and who's going to really enforce this" camp but after today I'm torn. I just got this Stellaluna Style Studios gig up and going plus I have the Irish dance costumes I make occasionally. According to the law I have to have an exact replica of every garment I offer for sale tested for lead content....which is in the $800-$1500 range. Sick irony with this is that most of the testing labs are located in .....wait for it....wait for it....you guessed it....CHINA!!!!!!!!!! So because those SOBs tried to contaminate the next generation of American children(conspiracy plot you know :-), I have to make two of every 'custom' outfit I make and have one sent over there to be DESTROYED so that I can prove the lead content of the one I'm hoping to sell for a few dollars?!?! My kids are too young for me to risk the jail time and I certainly can't afford the fines so what's a one woman sweatshop to do?....sigh As if my head was not spinning enough with that dilemma, Mari had another pre-orthodontic check up today. Even with the generous 'professional courtesy' we are looking at a final cost of 3K.... that the extra income from sewing would have come in handy for making the $100/month payments...but noooooo because the Chinese had to go and ruin it with their lead based paints. Trying my best Pollyanna, "At least he is not going to start treatment until April so I can be glad of three full months more to save up." She's bummed because, of course, she bragged to all the kids at school about getting braces on today...lesson learned?...probably not! My mood was not improved any by the Christmas UNdecorating today either! Why is it that the ONE ornament that they take off the tree qualifies as 'helping'? Every year I go through the ritual swearing that there will be no decorating the next year....and then about 295 days pass and I start falling for the holiday spirit all over again. I think from now on I'll try to soothe myself by saying that someday they too will have their own home and then I can just go and admire their decorating. Patrick earned a by because he took down all the outside lights on Monday...good thing because the weathermen are hyperventilating again...seems that after we get dumped on again with more snow tonight and tomorrow we will drop into the below a million Fahrenheit zone for about a week. Better clean out the back of the van so the girls can climb in when their doors freeze shut! Two bit of great news did squeeze into today. Firstly, Vanessa was discharged today and when I last talked to her she was in the car heading home via any/every drive thru in the quest of 'real food'...her words not mine. Secondly, Mari had challenged me to 'get with it Mom' and to start a Facebook page awhile back. Mostly it's just my 20something nieces and nephews contacting me on there but today I heard from a long lost friend! Okay, not that long lost but a good six years since we burned the midnight oil venting about the international adoption hurdles we were trying to jump in order to get our precious babies home. Thanks for reaching out Melissa! Can't wait to catch up on the years we missed. Lastly, tell me I am not the LAST woman on earth to find out the following bit of kitchen information!!!!!!!! Please someone tell me that they never knew this either! Please, anyone?? I just was taught by my sister (who also just learned this factoid) about the little perforated tabs on the ends of the boxes of aluminum foil, plastic wrap, waxed paper, etc. that once pushed in keep your rolls from lifting up and out as you try to pull the product out. How many boxes of aluminum foil have I used up in my nearly half century of life and NEVER saw that little feature??? If I only had a dollar for all the times that the damn roll popped out and ran away on the counter I wouldn't need to spaz over lead testing..........