Sisters, Sisters, Never Were There Such Devoted Sisters

Yesterday Eli dumped out half a container of red pepper flakes. I didn't have time to clean it up before swimming lessons, and after swimming lessons everyone was "starving" so I didn't clean it up the minute I got home.

The result: Emeline went over and played in the stuff when I was in the kitchen making sandwiches. She then proceeded to touch her face and eyes. First I knew about it was when she came into the kitchen and said her face hurt. I thought maybe it was the chlorine (duh) and told her to rinse her face with cool water.

A minute later I heard ear-piercing screams coming from the bathroom. Kami, on the phone, said it was probably the pepper flakes (again, duh, on my part). I rushed to the bathroom. Emeline's face was a terrible purply - red all over. I hung up the phone and washed her face with soap. When I rinsed off the soap her face slowly started to turn back to its normal color.

Then, thinking that bread makes your tongue feel better, I made a past of coarse-ground oatmeal flour and put that on her. After a minute of the oatmeal she said her face felt better. Plus, she thought she looked so funny.
I had oatmeal flour on hand because my face went crazy when I tried Mary Kay mineral face make-up. Now I've learned that people with sensitive skin shouldn't use mineral anything, but I didn't know that. Point is, when I was trying to fix the damage done I found a website whose author insisted that using plain oatmeal is the cure to every skin problem. I'm a convert. And a disciple. My skin hasn't looked and felt this nice since I was a child. I take oatmeal and blend it in my blender and store it in a container. Then, at night when I wash my face, I dump about a teaspoon full into a little container, add a little water, and let it sit while I brush my teeth. It forms a paste. I love it. Try it.

You might be wondering about the title of my post. Well, let me clarify. Yesterday was a rough, hormone charged day, and I called Lindsay to come babysit me but she was babysitting Megan's kids so she couldn't come. That was okay. I muddled through the day, more or less. But this morning I woke up with a terrible headache. I got the kids bathed and fed and Harriet down for her nap and then I went back to bed and hoped my kids wouldn't burn the house down.

A few hours later Lindsay knocked on my bedroom door (which woke me up, which is a good thing). She had come over to bring me two Symphony chocolate bars--the kind with the toffee, yum, because she wanted to cheer me up after my morose hormonal day. Seeing that I was still walking rather gingerly, Lindsay fed my kids lunch and cleaned up a little bit--for which I was very, very grateful.

Then Lindsay left and I tried to get the kids to help me pull the house back together. About 30 minutes later, I got a call from Lindsay. She was on her way back to my house to pick up my four oldest and take them back to her house for dinner and a movie.

Saint. Seriously, it was the nicest thing ever.

And so I stand by the statement I have made to Timothy numerous times: we have to have more children because my girls only have two sisters, and that is not enough sisters in a crisis. I need all five of my amazing sisters. Couldn't manage without them.

Thanks again, Louisa Lou.