Miscellany

[pantryslut]

1. I sure could use some leads on a good anatomically correct doll for April. Affordable and un-creepy, and I am resigned to vinyl. She currently is undressing every single doll she sees and checking out its parts. She's also checking out visitors, so mind your boundaries. It may also be time to break out Where Do Babies Come From and its terribly tasteful watercolors.

2. Barbara Payton's life story makes Frances Farmer's look like a cake walk.

3. I know you guys probably think I'm a little too obsessively politically correct on the subject of the skin hues of dolls. Nonetheless, I am disappointed in Planet Pixies.

4. An unrelated toddler disappointment: it's surprisingly hard to find dresses with either frogs or elephants on them. I finally succeeded with the frogs. Makes me wish I could sew. I wonder if Mom wants to take it up again...

5. Anyone have any recs for treating mild but very itchy eczema? This stuff just isn't going away this time for some reason.

Comments

[aquenigmatic.livejournal.com]

Noxzema? Or Calamine Lotion?

[aquenigmatic.livejournal.com]

Also, I don't think you're "too obsessively politically correct" on that subject. It matters. A lot. (As you know.) And I would have to arch an eyebrow (before mentally crossing them off a number of lists) at anyone saying otherwise.

[fightingwords.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was kinda wondering which "you guys" you were talking about there.

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

OK, I cop to feeling self-conscious, and that's my shit to own.

But I know the solution! I am going to broaden my horizons and start complaining about other toys and children's media, too. Dora and Magicical Hipster DJs a la Yo Gabba Gabba notwithstanding.

[imnotandrei.livejournal.com]

Yo Gabba Gabba

Hush, mention not That Which Should Not Be Named!

Io! Io! Gabbagabba fhtagn!

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

Typo preserved b/c I kinda like it.

[wild-irises.livejournal.com]

I was going to say the same thing about not being too obsessively politically correct. You have good personal as well as political reasons to stem an almost uncontrollable tide. That way lies appropriate obsessiveness.

[jactitation.livejournal.com]

1. Let us all know what you find.

3. I don't. And Groovy Girls!

4. Pillowcase sundresses. Tons of tutorials online! Requires v. little sewing skill. And can be worn over turtlenecks and tights as needed.

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

the groovy girls site sings! ack!

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

I just bought them four Groovy Girls on markdown...

[jactitation.livejournal.com]

I've been doing ebay myself, but maybe I should be a proper NYer and worry about bedbugs?

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

I hadn't even thought of that.

[kate-schaefer.livejournal.com]

Frog iron-on or sew-on applique patches: http://www.frogstore.com/catalog/Crafts-orderby0-p-1-c-268.html

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

The Frog Store! Awesome!

[kate-schaefer.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it would not have occurred to me that there would be a whole store devoted to frog kitsch, but now it seems like a logical outgrowth of modern culture.

Elephants are not quite as fully served as frogs, but elephant appliques are also available.

[elusis.livejournal.com]

You may already have thought of this, but for anatomically-correct dolls, therapy and education catalogs are probably the way to go. If you can shake the inevitably slightly creepy/upsetting association with the therapy dolls.

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

They're expensive, though!

[abostick59.livejournal.com]

5. Cortisone creme?

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

Isn't working :(

[alibi-shop.livejournal.com]

Pardon the obviousness, but: there's no chance that there's some new source of irritation around (soap etc.) that you're reacting to, and that could be removed instead of treating the extra symptoms?

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

Obviousness pardoned :) I tried this too. It seems to have kept it from getting worse, but it's not going away.

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

i in no way think you are any more obsessive than i am. which means you have gone and set yourself up for a lifetime full of "hey, this variety of X sucks-- did you find anything better?" emails because you had kids first.

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

I think I can cope :)

[whipartist.livejournal.com]

Itching relief: soak it in the hottest water you can stand for 3-5 minutes. It will itch like bloody crazy while you do it, but after that the itching will go away for several hours.

[marialuminous.livejournal.com]

My skin has been super itchy recently too. It's driving me up the wall. I hope you find relief.

And I have been cracking up every time I remember April checking my body parts last week because I totally had not seen it coming -- ears, earrings, nose, mouth... nipple? I'll be more prepared next time, and maybe not just sit there like a deer in the headlights.

Also, I have some fabric paints and I'd be happy to decorate a few dresses with designs of favorite animals if you like -- I hear there is a birthday coming up. If you have some plain dresses I could paint those, or I could stop by a thrift store and pick up a few.

[marialuminous.livejournal.com]

What size dress do they wear? Do they have preferred colors? Might they want anything else in addition to frogs and elephants? And it appears you found a frog dress, but do you want a spare in case that one is in the wash?

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

They wear 2T, with no preferred colors that I know of. Robots are also in demand this season, apparently.

[slfisher.livejournal.com]

Check out books by this author:

http://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-Stork-Families-Friends/dp/0763633313/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_c

I've been very impressed by them.

I remember when my daughter came back from daycare to point to her nipples and call them "boo boos." "It's not a *wound*!" I said indignantly, and taught her the correct word.

Which she then went and taught to everyone else at daycare.

The funny thing is that they blamed her dad, and chided him when he went to pick her up. Wasn't *me*, he said, and explained the situation to them (which I'd already explained to him). They humphed, but I never heard anything about it.

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the rec!

[innerdoggie.livejournal.com]

I can ask my friends about the eczema since their little boy was troubled by this.

[doriankatz.livejournal.com]

I don't know about the dolls, but there are anatomy coloring books.

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

They're just a touch young for coloring books. But soon.

[gayathri.livejournal.com]

I've suffered from eczema a LOT - if otc stuff isnt working, might be time to ask a doc for a stronger steroid if its for you.

bathe in cooler water, moisturize like crazy - I'd been using Aveeno for ages, and just switched to CereVe lotion, and its helping. I liked Aveeno because it soaked in and lasted all day, but I was applying it twice a day! (I also have a ton of them, since I changed to CereVe)

The latest I got of all things was a bleach bath to help too: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/eczema/news/20090427/bleach-baths-may-help-kids-with-ezcema

(docs trying to start me on an antifungal to see if it helps, and if it does, then its bleach baths for me!)