Things for which I'm thankful...

Sunshine.

Health (even if it's relative - we're not quite there yet!).

Antibiotics.

A pediatrician who called to check up on ME (not the kids) because she was worried about me.

Friends, near and far.

Email!

Family, namely my mom who always, ALWAYS is there to listen if I want or need to.

Luke, who couldn't be more dedicated to our family and who encourages me to be "me", whoever that is.

Faith. All encompassing, deeply felt, and real.

My babies, who help me to be a better person every day, and who bring me more joy than I thought possible.

The fact that tomorrow is a new day -- life is ever-changing and ever full of new adventures...if we choose to see it that way.

The curse of sickness

This is something I really didn't understand until I had kids. I thought I understood it when I had A kid, but having more than one brings this to a new level. I had heard people shout expletives at the very mention of "cold and flu" season. I thought they were overreacting, battening down the hatches and stocking pantry shelves with a three month supply of Macaroni and Cheese.

But now... Now I understand. I decided to go back through my calendar and gmail account to see if I could figure out how often someone in my house has been sick through this winter. It wasn't hard to track, what with the emails to friends complaining about sick kids, and the emails sent canceling my positive RSVPs due to a last minute sick child (for the record, I try not to cancel my own social engagements for anything less of a stomach bug - no one REALLY wants to hang out with you if you are possibly the carrier of that lovely virus). What I found, in my quick search, is that since mid-November, we have had on average, one sick child every week. Some weeks, no sick children, some weeks, 2 in one week. So it averages out. 12-ish different illnesses - colds, fevers, flus, etc.

As of now, we're still in the throes of the latest round. Perhaps one of the worst. The kids have had a virus that manifests as a fever (101+) and a nasty wet cough that wakens them at night. I've had strep (as previously stated) and I'm still struggling to move on from the sore throat. At this point we're still waiting to see if we can trade, and spend next week with swapped illnesses.

I'm just about ready to lock my doors, set up Peapod to deliver all groceries through March, and never leave the house. Already, we don't go a lot of places. Henry has preschool (honestly I don't blame school for MOST of these germs), we go to church (unfortunately, I do blame church for most of Miriam's maladies due to her need to put every object she comes in contact with in her mouth, but that's not really the church's fault), and we go to the grocery store. That's it. Oh, and we had the unfortunate experience of heading to the Children's Museum last Saturday just because we NEEDED to get out of the house. Yeah, we won't be making that mistake again.

So that leaves me with the question - do you give up your life, so as to not have to REALLY give up your life nursing your family back to health? I try to strike a balance in ALL aspects of parenting, and I actually think it's one thing I'm very successful at. I constantly come down somewhere in the middle of all issues. But this one has me headed to the extreme edge of the spectrum. I'm just going crazy with my sick family! I know that there is not a finite number of bugs out there, so we could be at this all winter. And with everyone's resistances already low, I fear this pattern will just continue. I'm truly at my wit's end. When, oh when, oh when will it be spring??????

No offense to the daddies...

So I have been stricken with strep throat for the last couple of days. This experience has given me a new appreciation for what our little ones are feeling like when they get this nasty germ. It literally felt like I was swallowing razor blades every time I swallowed. And THAT was with the max dosage of Ibuprofen in my system coupled with the Tylenol gargle that my doctor prescribed. Now it just feels like I'm swallowing one of those buckeyes that fall of trees and have the prickly poky things all over it - kind of like a porcupine, but a buckeye off a tree, if that makes sense?

Fortunately, my overworked, overtired and hopefully not still-strep-incubating husband took a half day from work yesterday so I could go to the doctor and get a little rest in the afternoon. He changed diapers, he took the kids to Walgreens to pick up my prescription, he oversaw the changing of channels, the building of train tracks, and the getting of snacks. I was incredibly thankful to have him around. I did still take care of dinner, by ordering pizza from the interaction-free ease of my phone and the Dominos website. :-)

After my dear husband and professional daddying husband got the kids to bed, he relaxed on the couch with his show du jour, The Tudors. I did not mind missing this cinematic moment. I lost interest after Anne Boleyn lost her head two seasons ago. Anyway, although I fully understand that daddies do things differently than mommies, this break from the routine (couch time directly after the kids were in bed, as opposed to frantic pick up, kitchen cleaning and prep for tomorrow after the kids were in bed) led to some frustration, on my part.

And I seriously mean no offense. Again, I recognize that we do things differently. And that's okay. But in the middle of the night, as the baby was screaming and hot with fever, I attempted to find the Motrin and medicine syringe. After just a little bit of cursing and a few lights illuminating the disaster in the kitchen, I found what I was looking for. The medicine syringe was submerged in the sink amidst the half-drunk glasses of milk and floating pieces of pizza. The Motrin was, cap-free, sitting behind the mixer and half-obscured by the coffee maker. I quickly washed the syringe, measured out the dosage, and handed the baby to my husband so that I could take my own dose of Ibuprofen. He did, patiently "shhhh" and rock the sick baby until 30 minutes passed and the medicine finally took effect, God bless him.

This feeling of frustration, though, may or may not have continued this morning when the baby needed a bottle (none were washed), wipes couldn't be located (they tend to walk around when he's in charge), and random toys were either stubbing our unslippered toes or being stepped on and penetrating deep into our arches (ouch).

I'm not saying there is only one way to do things, but I am saying that I just want to be appreciated. And I feel like me being sick has shown that I need to be present to do the things I normally do, even if it's only for my own sake. Heck, I'll say it, I appreciate myself. Is that an un PC thing to say? I'll live with having put that out there. Maybe it would be better to say that I UNDERappreciate my own health. That is something to be thankful for, for sure.

Anyway, there's no other point to this post other than the fact that when mommy is sick, things fall apart. And it has to be that way, because just as much as I could NEVER do Luke's job and think about spreadsheets all day, every day, he also can't really do mine, though he is sometimes forced to when I can't. Because unlike the treasury department at the University, our household can't really function when I'm not doing my job. The kids can't wash their own clothes, Miriam can't change her own diapers, they can't prepare their own meals, or mediate their own disputes. (Though it would be hilarious for Miriam to mediate a dispute over a toy taken by Henry.)

And, in ALL fairness to my sweet husband, this morning he DID make us all pancakes AND unload the dishwasher AND clean up the kitchen. All, noteworthy tasks that I appreciate very much. Accordingly, I've just about forgotten my cursing and eye rolling at 4:15 am.

Why I stink at blogging.

Back in the 9th grade, after marching band season was over, I was looking for a new extracurricular activity. My friend Becky (no, we're not still friends. Not EVEN Facebook friends) convinced me that I should join Speech and Debate with her. I was smart enough and could speak in front of a group. She thought I could do it (though what did she know? She was also a freshman new to the Debate Team). So I went to the first meeting. And there, our job was to figure out what topic mattered to us SO MUCH that we could speak on it, extemporaneously, for 2 minutes at a time. The advisor challenged that this should be a topic that we were PASSIONATE about. Like, we couldn't stop talking about it, whatever "it" was. When the advisor stopped at my desk (I was chatting to my friend Becky, off-task as I often was in those days. I seem to remember that she was talking up her topic that she had so much passion for - it was the Space Program) he asked what my topic would be. I vaguely said I wasn't sure, that I hadn't quite nailed it down yet. When pressed, he asked what I was opinionated about, "Uh, EVERYTHING!" I adolescently replied. "You name it, I have an opinion about it!" Clearly I wasn't answering his question. He offered some encouragement about this being easy for me then, and walked away. And I... Well, I never returned to Speech and Debate, mainly because I had no clue what I wanted to talk about.

And now, here again, I'm in the same position. 14 year old me and 30 year old me have a lot in common, I'm afraid, and I'm trying to figure out how to come to terms with it! Certainly I have opinions now. But in a public online sphere like blogging, I'm afraid that sharing all of them makes me seem know it all-ish and condescending. Neither of which I am! And as for topics that aren't so opinion-based, I worry they're pointless and not interesting to anyone. Do you want to hear about Henry's fever and cough? How about the way I organize socks when doing laundry?? Somewhere in there is my niche though. I feel it. Maybe I'll just have to leave the blogosphere, only to return in oh, 16 years.

Back in the saddle?!?

So I'm finding myself at the computer again this week, procrastinating emails and other things on my to-do list, so I thought I'd just blog for a bit! Not a lot to share, but I can just give a quick update on our lives these days.

Luke continues to be EXTREMELY busy with school and work and other commitments. Ever since Miriam was born (10 weeks ago!) he has had a VERY full plate. I've felt like a single parent, a lot. He's just had a lot of big projects for work, end of semester assignments, and a handful of other commitments that have caused him to sit at the kitchen table until the wee hours of the morning. Henry's been asking for daddy a lot, and

hopefully he'll be able to see more of him come May!

Henry is about to have a birthday! My almost 3-year old boy makes me laugh every day with his hilarious sentence structures and way of seeing the world. Currently, he loves making up words to see how I react to them. He is a showman and a goof, just like his daddy! He has just started an obsession with outer space. Unfortunately, there are not very many toys that have to do with that particular passion. He did just get a pair of new shoes

- Buzz Lightyear, light-up shoes. I told him this was proof of my love for them. I think they are tacky. But they are awesome, when you're three years old.

Miriam is the sweetest baby anyone could ask for. She melts my heart more and more each day. A great sleeper, a great eater, and even entertains herself for small periods of time! I am so thankful to have an "easy" baby the second time around. I couldn't have done it the other way, having a challenging baby while having a toddler. She currently sleeps from around 7:00 pm to 3:00 am, eats, and then goes back to sleep until 8:00 or 8:30. Hallelujah!

I continue to stay home with my babies. Although I am not someone who "always thought" I'd stay home, I love it more each day. It's been something different to get used to, but I actually feel like it's what I was meant to do. I love the balancing act, and adding another kiddo to the mix makes me feel like I enjoy it more than ever. Call me crazy!

We are still enjoying our time in Boston, with at least 2 more years here before we consider heading out to our next adventure. Spring, summer and fall in Beantown can't be beat. We love our little house, and try to open it to one and all as often as possible! We love that it's become a gathering place for friends and family, and it seems like nary a weekend goes by without visitors. We are incredibly blessed by the people in our lives.

That's pretty much the update! Now I can feel free to jump right into the smaller happenings, since the big picture is sketched out for you!

Here is our most recent family pic - this one from Easter.

Should I? Or shouldn't I?

I'd love to have had a blog. Yes, that's in the past present tense (or whatever it is!). I want to be able to look back and see our family's adventures, but I don't know if I love blogging in the moment. I want to take the plunge and try, though...

So here goes nothing...

Biggest update since Christmas 2008...

Miriam Grace!

Okay. I'm exhausted... ;-) Enough blogging for one day.

Christmas Morning in Boston

Hi Mom!  (And anyone else who actually views this blog!)  :-)

I know I haven't been keeping this up to date very well lately, and I promise to go back and add some events from the fall.  But for now, here was Christmas morning in Boston.

Henry had a fantastic time; he loved opening gifts and playing with his new toys.  We were proud of him for wanting to read each book as he opened it.  He didn't want to open a new present until we had read the book we just opened.

His big toy is the ride-on car.  He's enjoying it a lot, especially as he drives it backwards!  He'll get the hang of forward motion soon enough!

Here was Christmas morning breakfast: Blueberry Muffins, Scrambled Eggs and Sausage.

Our Christmas Tree, and Stockings hung by the chimney with care.

Looking at the loot under the tree.

Digging into the stocking!

Reading one of the Monkey books with Mommy.

Ready to open the BIG one!

Taking his new "ride" on a little spin.