Chapstick

In the winter, I get chapped lips, really chapped lips.


I have tried everything.  

• Chapstick, which was fun to bite the cherry taste off my lips, leaving them more chapped.  
• Carmex which is like putting wax on my lips. 
• Nivea that tastes medicine-y
• Vaseline brands that are just too slimey
• and the Blistex Roller balls.

The roller balls were nice, I guess the ball just felt comforting.

Then I found Burt's Bees.  

Yes, it's a bit pricey, but it always seemed to work.  The winter I started using it, no chapped lips.  I use it year round, no chapped lips.  Perfect!!

Then the last couple of weeks have gone by.

I have a cold that has been going on for over 2 weeks.  It's brutal.  I look like Rudolph.  And for some reason, my lips have gotten incredibly chapped.  Burt's Bees weren't cutting it.  I even tried Burt's Bees "Ultra Conditioning" lip balm.  Nope, it still didn't help.

The other day I was in the store, my lips so chapped, they were raw, aching, I could feel sores on my lips.  

And I saw Chapstick Medicated.  I wasn't completely sold, but I was highly interested in the fact that not only was it was softer than the usual chapstick, to make it easier to go on my damaged lips, but also had an External Analgesic.

It contains camphor, cooling menthol and phenol to relieve pain.  The minute you put it on, you feel full coverage of your lips.  And then you feel tingling.  I can't say the tingling makes your lips better instantly, and I did wonder if the tingling just makes you think that it's working.

But, I can say in the 3 days I have been using it, quite generously, the raw spots have gone away, the big scab that was forming on my bottom lip is now just a chafey spot, and my lips don't hurt anymore.

I even went out today to buy another one, so I have one at my desk and one in my purse.  And most likely, because I get addicted to these things, will buy more for medicine cabinets and the like so I will always be able to find it when I need it.

In WV, you don't get the brutal winters, in fact we've hardly had one here.  And I probably will continue to use my Burt's Bees, BUT I am really impressed by how well Chapstick Medicated works.  

If you are battling the winter/lip blues, go out and buy a few sticks of it, you will feel an improvement in hardly no time!

Genetics and Autism Proven.... Anecdotally

I read alot that Autism is genetic.  That if you have one child with autism, the probability of autism in your other children increases.  I know in our family, the twins both have Aspergers.  I also know a woman in our local Autism support group where she has three kids, all with Autism.

The other evening I went to a Moms night out for parents of children with special needs.

We did the introductions at the beginning.

It amazed me, while going around the room and hearing of the families represented, that every woman there who had more than one child, had at least two children with special needs.

As with our boys, they don't all fall at the same level of the spectrum.

For some reason, I found that comforting.  That it wasn't just my genes screwing up my boys, that it really IS possible that genetics play a part in this.

Autism and a "normal" life

Last night we watched "Glee" and Will went to Emma's his parents and ask for their permission for him to marry her.


They said they would not give permission to Will because of Emma's OCD and how debilitating it is and how they did not want Will to have to live a life with someone so excessive and how impossible it would be for everyone to live with her. 


I even had made the comment when she was cleaning the Christmas ornaments with a toothbrush that Will was voluntarily signing himself up to live a life like that.


After having some time to think about it is it really much different than having a child with autism?


Lifet with Jamie hasn't been easy, and many times is a pain in the neck. 


But would I really want to deny Jamie the right to have a normal life like everyone else because it might  inconvenience someone?


As a parent your first thought is it's not their fault they are and I am going to Love them regardless.  Is it really that different than learning that someone you have fallen in love with has a problem that you need to work around?



Even if you don't have ASD, or depression, or OCD.... everyone has problems.  Everyone comes with baggage.  Is one really worse than the other?


Jamie isn't easy to live with.  Heck, I'm not either.  But if you love someone, you love them regardless.  Everyone has the right to live a life full of love and acceptance.  If you can't deal with it, then leave.

Friends and connections

It's amazing how you can connect with people. Many moons ago (like 10 years), I had a great group of friends that most of them I'd never met. We knew each other from forums and then we all lit up LiveJournal like a Xmas tree.

We were all so invested in each other's lives, the ups, downs, miscarriages, cheating spouses, etc.

The boys came, and I sort of got lost. Way too busy to post on LiveJournal. Way too tired after working and taking care of boys to post, to keep up.

When Facebook came out, it was my chance to reconnect. And I did, sorta, with my friends. But apparently Facebook has decided to only let me see what it wants me to see. grrrr

Tonight I found out that a very dear friend of mine had her whole life turn upside down the last 2 years. She stuck with school, graduated, is in a career she loves, and has moved on from the man who was never any good for her and I hated what he put her through.

My first reaction. I almost started crying. I knew her struggles, her pain, her trying to hold on because of their son, the agony she was in. To look back over pictures of her the last year with pure joy and happiness radiating from her face, to talk to her briefly tonight and see her happy... My heart is so full. I'm so happy.

Alot of people think it's impossible to be good friends with someone you've never met. It's not. Sometimes not having the person in front of you allows you to open up more than you usually would.

And besides, I met my hubby on the net :)