The gift that noone wanted

So all of you know by now that my holiday season wasn't shaping up so well.  We had the strep and the family stress and the other nonsense.  The strep turned out to be the scarlet fever variant of strep, complete with a rash on Moo and strawberry tongues on two of the three girls (Doodle and Moo). And then, as we were going to bed on Christmas night, Moo tells me her head itches.  Oh, yes (I know all of you are now reflexively scratching your heads).  Dan took a quick look and said, "If it is the real  cooties, nothing we can do about it until the morning." He went to bed. But when Moo started to cry, I rooted around in the basement.  We still had the lice meds we took with us to Ethiopia.  As luck would have it, we only used the scabies meds we brought and not the head lice meds.  Wahoo!  So Moo and I spent the better part of the evening showering, shampooing, doing research on the internet, stripping beds and de-lousing.  Thankfully, I think we caught the lice early on.  And thankfully, none of the rest of us have it.  I still spent the remainder of the weekend prophylacticly treating heads, cleaning, vacuuming, washing clothes, and alternately heating and freezing things.  We've got one more round of treatment to go, but so far, Moo's head is still clear (as are the rest of us).  I can't stop randomly scratching my head, though when I think (or write about it).  It's going to make all the people at work today very nervous.

I felt so bad as I packed up all the Amer*can G*rl dolls and the Barb*es and the P*llow Pets and the most favored Christmas toys and sealed them in plastic bags.  Poor Moo was so tired and sad by the time the evening early morning was over.  I ended up convinced that we have far too many pillows and stuffed toys and blankets--and was inappropriately bitter about it at 2 am.

I'm sure our neighbors think we are really crazy and have piles of garbage on our porch, but it's just bags and bags of items we can't wash or dry clean that need to be frozen for a few days.   We added the car seats out there just this morning!  I just can't bring myself to tell the neighbors why our backyard suddenly resembles a junkyard.

And let me tell you, calling all of your Christmas guests to tell them that they had been exposed to lice was really fun. I keep calling our house the lice house and am half convinced we'll never have guests again. 

I suppose we were doomed.  We've gotten no fewer than 4 or 5 letters home about lice (and scabies) from the school.  It's been going around kindergarten and the first grade.  Some of Moo's friends already had it. But really, did it have to be on Christmas night?!

So I'm done.  I surrender, universe.  I've held it together for a while, but am losing it.  I cry "Uncle." I'm sure things will look better after a full night's sleep, but for now it's grim at our house.

The Spirit of Christmas

This has been a difficult week to 10 days for us.  A very close family member of ours has/had a serious medical condition and an extended hospital stay (I'm not going to say any more here.  It's her story to tell, not mine). We've had family members staying with us, and others popping in and out--some coming from afar.  All three kids have strep.  The garbage disposal has died.  Dan was out of commission for a few days with a minor thing.  We're planning on hosting Christmas Eve and Christmas and hoping that we won't be celebrating at the hospital.

But in all of this, amidst the fear and the tears and the stress, there are good things, too.   Seeing Three follow my aunt/godmother around and scream like she is a rock star every single time Three sees her.  Finally uploading Skype, so that after this is all over, the family can stay in better contact.  Being reminded that true families come together not by blood but by mutual love and respect and support.  Spending time with relatives in a quiet space.  Giving comfort.  Receiving comfort.  Living in the moment, as hard as that can be.  Having a reminder that life can be fragile and precious.  Having the opportunity to tell people and show them how much you love them. A reminder that the holidays are about love and family, not gifts and lavish meals. I could go on and on.

The blessing here is that we've experienced the true spirit of Christmas.   And for that I am thankful.

Say What?

I'm away on a business trip, but this nugget of goodness happened before I left.  We were in the kitchen, the whole family.  I was working on dinner, Dan was loading the dishwasher, all of the girls were talking at once.  I wasn't really paying attention until I heard, in the cutest, tiniest girl voice:  "And THAT really pissed me off."

Ahh, it was the Moo.  And she used the language in the correct way.  I was kinda proud.  And I kid you not, my first thought was "oh, shit."  I KNOW, very helpful, right.

Me, quizzically, "Did you just say that something pissed you off?"

Three, in a sing-songy voice: "Pissed off, pissed off pissed off pissed off pissed off, piiiiiiiiiiiisssssssed off off off."

Moo:  "Yeah."

Silence.  Dan and I pause and look at one another.

Me: "Well that isn't a very nice way to put it.  I know that I say that phrase all the time, Moo, but it is one of those things I shouldn't say.  I should choose better words.  And saying that you are pissed off is one of those unfair things that adults can do but kids shouldn't.  It's not nice manners."

Moo:  "Ok."

Dan: "This one was all you...."

Me:  "I'm aware. But I'm sure your turn is coming soon."

Three

Me, making breakfast, cutting strawberries, getting coffee, pouring cereal:  "Moo, eat your eggs."

Moo:  "I already ate my eggs."

Me, distracted: "Oh, sorry, I meant Doodle."

Doodle:"I don't like eggs."

Me, passing out plates and coffee now: "Crap, I meant TTM.  TTM, eat your eggs."

Dan: "Just call her Three, it's easier."

A few minutes later....

Moo:  "Mom, Three has poop!"

I think it's gonna stick.

Overheard-- 'Tis the Season for Tinker Bell

TTM:  "Tinker Bell, Tinker Bell, Tinker Bell Rock!"

Me:  "Don't you mean Jingle Bell Rock?  Like this:  Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock!"

TTM:  "No.  Tinker Bell.  Watch Tinker Bell?  Please?  (now at the top of her lungs) "Tinker Bell, Tinker Bell, Tinker Bell ROCK!"

So TTM is obsessed with Tinker Bell.  She's seen all three of the movies, but she prefers the most recent one, the fairy rescue.  Wonder how many other holiday songs Tinker Bell will join this season?

Come to the Dark Side......

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