plague season

Since we last spoke, everyone in my house has been sick, some with multiple sequential ailments. In the past as a family we have generally been pretty healthy, so this has been quite an unwelcome schooling in how bad winter can suck. For the record, since the beginning of January:

>> The kids both had gross colds

>> Nico spent three days in the hospital with an asthma flare-up

>> Nico got an eye infection

>> I got a gross cold

>> Elliott spent a day being cranky and generally Not Himself and then was diagnosed with an ear infection

>> After feeling better for one day, I got a second gross cold

>> Elliott tested positive for RSV

>> MB got a gross cold

>> A weird raised red patch showed up on the side of my nose and then the lymph nodes on the left side of my face got swollen and tender and I felt like someone had punched me in the cheekbone. I went to the doctor yesterday and they told me I had a sinus infection and gave me an antibiotic prescription

>> Then today, the weird patch on my nose got worse and my left eye got red, watery, and swollen. I went back to the clinic for a big shot of antibiotics in my ass and another prescription for another antibiotic

And of course, of course, it could be so much worse. But I'm really hoping this is us getting all of our sickness out of the way for the year, rather than setting the tone for a year of various disgusting ailments.


presents

There was this thing going around facebook last week asking people to sign up for a "pay it forward" thing and agree to send a surprise of some kind, large or small, to ten people over the course of this year. I love sending random gifts and signed up, though I'll admit I'm a little relieved I didn't get ten comments on my re-post. So far I've snagged a gift for the person whom I thought would be the hardest to find something for, plus I sent out two random non-facebook-related gifts, too. I'll have to be careful to mind the budget, but I'm happy to rediscover how much fun random gifting can be.


playground interlude

On Sunday there was a brief 55-degree break in the Polar Vortex so I took the kids to the little playground down the street. It was Elliott's first time in one of the baby swings and he loved it. Unfortunately the big kid swings and baby swings are on opposite sides of the lot, so only one kid can swing at once and the other one has to wait (im)patiently for his turn.

pretty easily amused

I'm not even sure why this was so funny to me, but I laughed until I had tears in my eyes. "I am very sorry you are all great." Hee!

This is What Happens When Americans are Asked to Label Europe and Brits are Asked to Label the US

Needless to say, I would be hopeless at this. Even as a kid I knew I'd never stand a chance at the final challenge of Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, when the contestant had to put the light-up things on the correct countries. Did anyone ever actually win that game?


Reading:  Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

Playing:  Led Zeppelin IV