Sunday, January 24, 2010

Pink Cupcakes and Supermom Capes

This has been a crazy week. The recovery isn't going as quickly as I would have hoped. My nose is very dry and sore and I can't seem to shake this blinding headache. I've used up my grace period of being sick, so my family is none too patient. Rob's schedule is very tough. He gets home at 7:00, so it's back to me to run all errands and get the kids to all activities. Throw in monitoring homework, grading papers, analyzing student data, dishes, laundry, making dinner, thwarting and diffusing evening tantrums and I am beat. There has to be a better way. When I figure it out, I'll let you know.

I had a meltdown on Wed. Lily's birthday was the next day and she wanted to bring pink cupcakes to school. Unfortunately, her school will only take food that is store bought and labeled with the ingredients. I was planning on going to the store next to her school, but when I picked her up, I found out I had to go to a peanut free bakery. I had an hour to pick up Caroline and get her to scouts and to find peanut free cupcakes. I blew my top and proceeded to g off to Rob (via phone) in a manner that would have earned me a spot on Fox news. I still do believe that is a child has an allergy, the parents should proved a treat for them. Rob offered to get the cupcakes. I took Caroline to scouts. By the time, he got to the bakery there were only two different types of cupcakes left and not enough to feed her class. He bought both types and cookies. I knew it would be too hard for her teacher to deal with three types of treats, so I sent in the cookies.

Ultimately, Lily didn't really care. She got a pink crown and had a Chuck E. Cheese party with her friends this weekend (that was crazy, so crowded, so loud, wow!). I need to keep reminding myself to roll with it and not sweat the small stuff. I also need to put some starch in my supermom cape. Up,up,and away!

Lily Bean, Dancing Queen

Lily turned five on this week. It is amazing how quickly the time flew and how now I no longer have a baby. There are many reasons to love and be frustrated by Lily. Here they are:

The fact that she can watch Piglet's Big Movie three four times in a row, especially the scene when Kanga washes Piglet:)

Her dancing. She dances in the car, in the living room, in the store. If there is music she grooves and shakes her tushy. She especially loves to dance to the Wiggles or The Imagination Movers.

Her ability to remember every lyric of every song or commercial (good or bad) after the first time hearing it.

The way she starts so many sentences with "Well, actually..."

The fact that hse can ask and remember the answers to 30 questions in a day.
Her tenacity. If you don't answer her question or give her a pat answer, she'll dog your heels until she is satisfied.

Her sweet tooth and addiction to fruit snacks.

The way she chooses only certain people to love and loves them with her heart body and soul.
The way she has no problem walking up to adults she met once and asking them questions.

The way she says "w" for "r."

The funny little people she draws.
The way she watches TV or reads while laying on her belly with chin propped on her hands.

The way she says "Mom, that's my sketch!" when I try to repeat one of her funny stories.

Her potty humor. Anytime someone asks what's that smell she dead pans "I farted." She almost busted a gut when Rob said "the Back Fartigans." For the record I discourage this.

Her belly laugh. Lily's laugh is the best and most infectious sound in the world. When she laughs, her body collapses in on itself. She exudes pure joy.

Her sweet nature. When she leaves school, she is hugged within and inch of her life by the other kids. Lily is kind to everyone, but only chooses a few to call friend. When you are Lily's friend, she is loyal for life (thus far).

The way she stands back to check out and observe a new situation. It is almost like she's scanning for the rules of the situation.

Lily loves rules.

Her desire for ultimate domination of our house. Her fury at my thwarting her every move.

Her ability to remember word for word every story, movie and cartoon she's seen.

Her tendency to say "That's inappropriate!"

When she is mad she spells "s-u-v!" I think she thinks she's spelling a bad word.

The way she renacts shows with props while watching them.


Lily loves the following: the Imagination Movers, babies, books, big families, Spaghettios, fruit, chocolate milk, her mom, family, her bear, Beary, coloring, dancing, singing, telling jokes, being tickled, tormenting her sister, asking questions, soft clothes, comfortable socks, and the adoration of all.

And love and adore her we do.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

I Can Breathe Clearly Now, the Tubes Are Gone

The gross tubes are finally out of my nose. The doctor took them out yesterday and while it was gross, it was very interesting. The tubes actually had wings on the side and were folded up in my nose. First he pulled them out and then used very long tweezer thingys (my medical termonology is outstounding, I should have been a doctor) up my nose into my sinus passage and pulled out the packing. Very uncomfortable, but afterwards..... I could breathe! I don't think I've drawn a full breath in two years. It was worth it (the only glitch is he left an annoying stitch in and I need to go get it taken out).

Friday, January 15, 2010

I'm sitting in my green chair in my red polka dot pjs with my weepy eyed dog playing video solitaire. Sounds like a line from a poem or a bizarre country song, nope it's my reality. I had the sinus surgery on Tuesday and the recovery is a little more than I bargained for. I have two tubes up my nose for six days with all manner of science experiment type stuff draining out of them. I really wasn't counting on the discomfort and disgustingness of this. I somehow thought I'd be fine after two days and would be able to convalesce in the manner of a Victorian lady; lounge serenely while reading or working on projects. Nope, every four hours I get to shoot saline up my nose and clean the tubes. All I taste and smell is dried blood. I can't breathe through my nose, so I sit hear panting and puffing. When I'm not doing that I'm dozing off in front of the Sundance channel or during video solitaire. Makes for some trippy dreams, that's for sure. Luckily my family gets to leave and doesn't have to sit here and watch this.

Oh well, the tubes come out on Monday and it's back to the same old same old. For now, I'm just going to sit hear and recuperate with my poor Callie (she has pink eye). I can't complain, I have the insurance and luxury to opt for surgery to fix something people would have just had to live with years ago. I have the leave to take the time off to recover. And I live in a country where these things are available. Caroline and I have been watching the news about Hati and our hearts just break for them. Like I said, I have no room to complain. It's been two months of this and it is almost over. Most tough situations don't have that clear an end in sight.

PS I hope this makes sense, I forgot to mention that I am also on pain killers:)

PPS My brother requested an upbeat post after the last. Hope this counts:)

Friday, January 1, 2010

Back to Reality

Thanks to the surprise snow storm at the end of December, the girls and I have had 16days off from school. It has been the laziest and most relaxing vacation ever. Partly due to the fact that I have been feeling so crummy and partly due to the fact that I hibernate well. Hibernation is one of my special talents. We bake, we snack, we watch lots of movies or holiday specials, and we surf the net, most of this done in comfy pjs with fuzzy socks while wrapped in snuggly blankets. My friend described my house as "joining a bunch of cuddly puppies." Yup that's us, warm and dozy.

Rob is in between jobs (he starts his new one on Jan 4), so he was able to join us for the last week. Everyday, we took a break from chilling to complete a long put off household task (lots of organizing and throwing away). We all also stayed up way too late and slept in (often in a snuggly bunch of kids and parents). Not a soul rose before 9:30. I am blessed to have kids who love to sleep in (at least on the days when there is no school).

But as I sit here with a queasy feeling in my stomach, I know there is another reason for this self imposed isolation. I am worried. When I worry, I pull the ones I love best close together and hunker down. I truly am happy with just the girls and Rob. I don't think there are many couples who are just so happy to be together. He's my best bud. Unfortunately, that makes fear losing him all the more. I don't talk about it a lot because he'd be mad at me, but Rob is not a very healthy man. He has diabetes and doesn't manage it as well as he should. I know that my time with him is shorter than most couples our age. I deal with this by trying to be super woman and prove myself or by sticking my hands over my ears and singing la la la la. I know that he is not feeling well lately and that makes me nervous (my step father has also been sick so I'm on hyper alert). I've lost so much of my family, I live in terror of losing anyone else. I don't think that I could function without him. I really need to be more realistic and come up with a plan, but that is too practical, even for the likes of me.


P.S. If you read this (family, friends) please do not mention this post to him. It will only piss him off and not change a thing. I have promised not to write about him too much, but what can I say? If I write it maybe the worry will lessen. Yeah, right and pigs will fly:)