The Winter Blues

The last couple days have been a bit unpleasant in our household due to various bugs and illnesses.

I've been fighting with some unknown thing that is causing me to wake up with excruciating headaches every single morning for the about the last 10 days. It's not a migraine headache - I know what those feel like - and at first I thought it was my sinuses but the pain isn't in my face. (Keep the jokes to yourself, please.) It starts at the base of my skull and radiates over the top of my head, and every little movement sends a new wave of dizzying pain crashing over me. So I went to the chiropractor yesterday, thinking it was my neck out of whack. And she did say that my neck was a bit "congested" and got some good cracks in, but I still woke up with the same sick headache this morning. So once again, I spent the first hour of my wakefulness with an ice pack around my neck. That seems to help. It's just wierd because Sudafed helps some too, plus I'm sneezing and having some post-nasal drip (sorry, gross I know) so I think there's several things contributing. Allergies, neck mal-alignment...whatever it is, I want it to STOP. This totally sucks. Not that I've ever been a hop-out-of-bed-greet-the-day-with-a-song kind of person, but this is taking my morning misery to a whole other level. And NOBODY is enjoying it, let me tell ya.

To top that off, my poor Sam has had some kind of stomach bug and has thrown up several times over the last couple days and nights. Yesterday he was pretty droopy and tired, having woken up sick during the night, so I kept him home from school and we all kind of just lazed around. He fell asleep at 5:00pm and slept until 3:00am, when he started dry heaving. The poor little fellar didn't have anything left in his stomach to get up. There's just nothing sadder than watching your kids in misery, knowing there's nothing you can do. I just hate it. So I was up with him for a while, getting him ice chips, sips of water and cold rags. He's such a brave little sick person too. He always reassures me (and probably himself) that "I'm okay, Mom", usually post heave as he's still hunkered over the toilet. He's feeling a bit better today, no vomiting at least, and actually ate a pancake for breakfast although he's turned down cookies and potato chips. Boy, he MUST be sick. Anyway, hopefully he's on the mend and the rest of us won't get that particular bug.

I'm heading to work today, not feeling great. Residual headache pain along with a stomach that's been a bit "rumbly" in the southern hemisphere for a few days have me longing for my bed and an afternoon nap. But, alas, it's not to be. I just hope that things stay under control and I can work my shift. We'll see how tomorrow pans out. Hopefully both Sam and I will have made great strides in returning to our old selves and Josh and Zoe will remain unscathed.

Can I just say that I hate winter. I LOATHE winter. The days are annoyingly short and dark, the weather is cold and wet, and it seems to be the time of year when all the bugs attack us. I hate winter. Is it spring yet??

I'm taking a sabbatical

...from fast food, that is. Ha! You thought I'd actually get away from all the insanity and noise in my house? Silly you. I'm not due for another get-away until...hmm, let's see...2013?

But I digress.

I've decided that February is going to be Fast Food Free Month in Kate's life. Not because I've been abusing any particular drive-thru or anything. I just decided that why not just NOT go there. I mean, realistically I only eat fast food a couple times a month. Maybe once a week if the kids and I are out running errands and I start to get the Low Blood Sugar Blues or need to somehow work in a meal in my already jam-packed daily schedule. And if truth be told, I have a severe french fry addiction. I swear they put something in them that makes ya crave them fortnightly. (Name that movie.) Oh, I remember what it is! It's the grease and salt and the potatoes. Yummy.

So in light of my recent renewed interest in my health (and waistline) I've decided to take a sabbatical from fast food. Because really, those cheeseburger, french fries, and meat pulp tacos from Jack in the Box really are making my time and sweat spent at the gym for naught. And Lord knows, I don't go to the gym for naught!

This pledge was further strengthened when Sam was coloring some french fries on a worksheet the other night and he very aptly colored the french fry box red and drew a big yellow M on it. Yup. Time for a break from french fries for ALL of us.

And in all seriousness, I am rapidly approaching the ripe old age of 40. Not only would I like to look like a smokin' hot momma at 40, but I'd like to remain an ALIVE momma for many years beyond 40. With my family history of heart disease and all the other scary things that are increasingly possible with age, I decided that it's time to quit totally treating my body like a junk yard, throwing whatever I felt like in it. Time to get things tuned up, straightened out and running smoother. I think it's the least I can do for my kids. And myself.

Tea for Two

There was a bit of a social event hosted at my home this evening, but alas, I wasn't invited. I was only allowed on the fringes as a spectator and photo-journalist.

Little girls are so stinkin' cute.

I have no more babies

Well, it's official. I no longer have any babies.

Friday night we moved Sam's twin bed into Zoe's room for her to use. I washed her pink kitty sheets and put them on, and moved her plethora of stuffed animals and blankets over to her Big Girl Bed. Gone is the crib. Gone is my baby girl. Suddenly, there is a tiny little toddler who inhabits the middle bedroom, which is often cluttered with baby dolls, plastic dishes and food, and dress-up princess outfits. She looks so tiny laying there in her Big Bed, but she has adjusted like a champ. The first night she did wander into our bedroom at some ungodly hour, but last night she stayed in her bed all night and we didn't hear a peep.

It has been an amazingly smooth transition out of the crib with Zoe. I remember going thru this with Sam and it was much more of a fight. We had to put the baby gate up to keep him in his room, then unscrew the lightbulbs in his lamp and overhead light because otherwise he'd turn them on and start playing. When we tired of fighting to keep him IN BED, we told him that he had to stay in his room and be quiet. Many a night he fell asleep on the floor in the doorway after discovering he couldn't get thru the gate or turn on any lights, but he eventually tired of that and would stay in his bed.

Sam also has a new bed, now that Sissy inhabits his twin. A kind co-worker gave us a like-new full size bed, which we've settled into Sam's room. He thinks it's the coolest thing, especially since there's room for Mommy or Daddy to lay with him now. The bed will last him until he physcially outgrows it, which at the rate he's going, may be sometime in middle school. But at least we've got a few years before that happens.

So both my kiddos are growing up, and technically no longer babies (which they don't hesitate to point out to me). Part of me mourns that fact because they were such sweet babies, but I'm so enamored with the little people they're becoming too. There's a small part of me that is quietly glad to have the baby stage over with too. It's exhausting and so consuming, but I'm proud and privileged to have been part of every single day (and night) of that time in their lives. There were times I thought I'd never survive or make it thru one more sleepless night, but my mommy mantra has proven true:

"The days are long, but the years are short."

To-Do Recap

Ok, so since I posted my To-Do list last week, I thought I'd 'fess up on what I did and did not get accomplished. As I fortuitously foretold, there were some unforeseen circumstances that prevented the 100% completion of the list.

First, what I DID get done:

I got both bathrooms mostly cleaned. This was aided when Zoe pooped in my bathtub, necessitating an immediate sound scrubbing with bleach and Comet.

I made it to the gym once.

I met Brooke for coffee along with all six of our children. During our relatively peaceful chat and snack, we were approached by an elderly Scottish-Irish grandma who told us we "had our hands full" and then asked if we had a whip. (Apprently we didn't appear peaceful to strangers.) She then proceeded to lecture the children about behaving "because your mothers are right here" and threatened that she would be back. This was all done very Mary Poppins-ishly with a smile and lilting accent, and as I told Brooke when the woman left, I wasn't sure whether to be offended or to hire her.

I made a dentist appointment for Sam.

I got Sam registered for swimming lessons, which begin on February 9th.

I got one of the quilt tops done (except for the border) for my cousin. Who is now 30 weeks pregnant with quadrulets and doing GREAT. I'm so proud of her.

I seem to recall leaving Hubby with dinner ideas and even making dinner for him to put in the oven at least once.

I definitely watched tennis. There were some EXCEPTIONAL matches, which demanded my undivided attention.

So, you see? I actually was very productive. Also, it was my week where I worked so I worked 5 of the 8 days, in addition to grocery shopping, laundry, house cleaning, etc.

Now, as to why things weren't 100% complete. Let me preface this by saying that I'm not placing blame or denying responsibility. Just stating the facts, ma'am.

On Wednesday I got some very upsetting news. The 2 year old son of a good friend started having some problems the beginning of January and long story short, he either has a brain tumor, seizure disorder or is autistic. The news really upset me, as it's any parent's worst nightmare, but my heart just broke for my friend. I spent most of the day fighting tears, praying for them and feeling generally lost, aching for my friend.

So it was really no surprise that I woke up throughout the night and Thursday morning with a migraine. I spent the morning in bed and even after getting the headache under control, I battled nausea all day. So Thursday was a complete waste.

It must have been some kind of bug because Friday the stomach cramps arrived. They weren't terrible but definitely uncomfortable and I didn't get much done except some shopping and the coffee date with Brooke.

So there ya have it. I've confessed. I feel so cleansed now, and actually realize that I was more productive that I'd thought. Instead of focusing on what I didn't get done, I'll concentrate on my accomplishments, give myself a big hug and sing Kum-by-ah now.

Amen.

Eat Pray Love

I just finished reading this book this morning. I very nearly finished it last night but my tired little eyes couldn't stay open for even one more page. I wanted so badly to finish it because I was SO enjoying it, much like I so badly want to eat an entire pizza because it tastes so good, but I just couldn't do it. Plus leftovers are always nice.

I received this book for Christmas after putting it on my wish list. I had very briefly seen the author and book on Oprah a while back, but like many books that I make note of, I didn't really know what it was about. Just thought it sounded interesting.

I'm not sure what I expected of the book, to be honest. I didn't really go into it knowing much about it, and even though Oprah loved it, there have been a few of her picks that really were a little too "out there". (Remember Gary Zukav? Ever try to read his book The Seat of the Soul? Agony.) So I kind of wondered if this book, which is about the author's quest for self-discovery and spiritualness, would be a little too "out there" for me.

I discovered from the very first page, really the first sentence ("I wish Giovanni would kiss me."), that I was hooked. The first leg of her journey starts in Italy, which I am in love with from afar, so naturally I devoured that section of the book. I wasn't sure that I would be that interested in the section on her experiences in India, but it was wonderful too and I came to admire her even more through her struggles and the honesty with which she wrote about them. And then she goes to Indonesia, specifically Bali, and that too was a thoroughly delicious adventure that I found myself wishing I could have a taste of. She is a wonderful story teller, and her personality totally comes thru in her writing. And while she does find the spiritual enlightenment and healing that she went in search of, the book is definitely NOT a heavy tome of religious wisdom that will bog you down. Her honesty and self-deprecating sense of humor saturate the book and make it immensely readable.

I'm very sorry that I've finished the book, but I'm so glad I read it. Alot of what she said and discovered rang true in my own heart, and I identified with her in a lot of ways. She honestly and humbly shares the lessons that she learned, yet you don't feel like you're being preached at. More like a friend casually sharing some pearls of wisdom, saying with a shrug of their shoulders, "This is just what worked for me."

If you've read it, or get a chance to read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it too.

The Chop Shop

Parenting Lesson #247: Don't take a long-haired little girl out in below-freezing temperatures when the wind is blowing and she has a sucker.

This is the lesson I learned the other day. I was in such a hurry to get into the store that I didn't even think about the sticky sucker Zoe was chomping on when we got out of the car. It took about 2.7 seconds for that sucker to become totally and completely stuck in her hair. We had to go into the bathroom at Trader Joe's and wash the sucker out of her hair and then de-stickify her face and hands. As I do everyday, I suggested to Zoe that we should put her hair up in a pretty princess ponytail to keep it out of her face. To which she replied, as she does every day, "No!"

The girl does not like having her hair in any form of barrette, ponytail, rubberband, etc. And it looks so cute when it is! (For the split second it stays in when I manage to do it anyway.) Her hair has gotten quite long - when it's wet it's down between her shoulder blades - and she's got some natural curl in her hair like I do. But she's always getting her hair in everything (i.e. food, toothpaste, etc.) because it's long and in her face.

We came home from the store and told Daddy about our sucker fiasco and I threatened that I should just cut her hair since she won't let me put it up. He wholeheartedly agreed, saying it would look very cute. But I waffled. I mean, I'd be cutting off her baby hair afterall. I tried coming up with a bunch of excuses NOT to do it, but in the end, I bit the bullet and did it. And if it is at all possible, she looks even cuter and sweeter than she did before.

Before haircut:

After haircut: