I resolve...

I have been posting to this blog for over a year now and I still love writing this journal, spelling out the daily happenings (warts and all) for my children to have a record of how things were when they were merely babes. I enjoy making observations and knowing that my friends and family both near and far are reading and relating to my experiences too. I am currently reading Paula Deen's Memoirs and she says that if you give a secret, you get a secret. I agree with that. My friends and family know many of my secrets - making them not secrets, obviously, but that means that they open up to me and share their intimate thoughts and experiences - warts and all.
I plan to continue this blog and in the coming months it will no doubt be a tool that I use to keep me on task. I have a friend who blogged about her resolutions for the new year. I usually don't do that but this year I will. I have had great intentions to do several things over the past years and have seen none to completion. In 2010, I will finish these things. Many of them are small projects that I will be glad to have finished. I know that I will feel good about seeing them done and am optimistic about the new year because of this.

A Late Boxing Day

Since I was sick for Christmas and the actual Boxing day, I decided to cook the delicious, free range fried chicken and collard greens tonight. They were delicious, though, I never cook the collards enough and they are still bitter. I must remember from this and cook the hell out of them next time!

Sickness and Death know no holiday

Rhys and Cole have been suffering from a virus lately and as per the norm, they both have respiratory trouble. For Cole, it became RSV again with pneumonia and for Rhys, it stayed a virus but he did develop a secondary infection. They are both on antibiotics and Cole is on the nebulizer twice a day with two different medications each time. I kept thinking that Divine Intervention was working in us and that was the only reason I could explain not catching what was going around.
Yesterday, Christmas Eve, I started getting that sick feeling around 4pm. By the time Santa was due to arrive, I was well and truly ill. Rhys was sleeping/settling for only 5 to 10 minutes at a time and required attention to settle again. I was in bed by 10pm with ear plugs in to ensure that I got some uninterrupted sleep. It worked until about 1am when Rhys started up again and Chris didn't hear him. I tended to him and dissolved another round of Echinacea - a.k.a. "the nasty" on my tongue and then drifted off again.
I have been able to function today and be the mom of two little guys who are only feeling their way through the magic of this day. Chris also is suffering fatigue and cold symptoms. We are both hoping for good nights for both boys and us too.
I was able to pull myself together and put on a good face because I know that my friend is doing that same thing only multiplied by 1000 today for her family and children. Her mother died two days ago, suddenly, and too soon. I have a physical sensation when I attempt to relate to her experience that can only be described as a hollow spot in my soul. I can imagine that she is in deep and unexplainable pain and sadness but, knowing her, she is pushing that aside as much as possible to be the pillar for her children who have lost their grandmother at the same time they were planning for Santa to come.
Sickness and Death don't take holidays and I am reminded that all things are trivial when compared to the importance of wellness and life. My heart goes out to those who suffer from incurable diseases and those who have lost loved ones. I do hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas and we are all able to find peace on Earth.

The boys were well and truly excited to see that Santa did, indeed, come and bring everything they wanted and things they wanted but didn't know. I loved this Christmas and as Cole has said, this is the BEST Christmas ever, in spite of the sickness.

Christmas Eve Festivities

I hosted Cole's friends today and it all went over really well. I was prepared and had all of the activities lined up and we quickly transitioned between them so the kids were always doing something new and kept the waiting to a minimum. It was really good and I was glad to have them. Here is a picture of the crafts all lined up. We made clove studded oranges, Christmas Morning Pancake Mix, Candy Cane Syrup, two different bath salt scents, and melted used crayons in Christmas Tree molds. I hope they all enjoy a magical day tomorrow.

Christmas on purpose

As I mentioned before, I am making an effort to do something Christmassy every day. Today, we did some light baking. I say that because both boys were coughing far too much for food handling so Cole held a sanitizing wipe and wiped his hands constantly as he placed Hershey's Kisses on top of pretzels. They are troopers, bless them. Cole has RSV again with a touch of pneumonia and Rhys has another virus and we are hoping it too doesn't turn into RSV.

To add to the list of fun Christmas activities, we are on the 10th day of Christmas stickers that I made, we made cards for Chris, our Elf on the Shelf is as mobile at night as ever, and the gifts are all wrapped. Tomorrow we will bake a cake and decorate it for Jesus' birthday party, and we will host Cole's friends (minus one, who can't make it...we will miss you D) to make gifts for their families in the morning. It will be a bit hectic since Chris will come home to get the boys at 11 for follow-up doctor appointments and the remaining kiddos will play and hang out for lunch. I am REALLY looking forward to spending the time with Cole's best friends. They are a great group of kids and I feel so blessed for both of us that we have them and their moms in our lives.

Merry Christmas Eve Eve.

Record Snowfall

We have had SNOW and A LOT of it! Nearly 2 feet of the white powdery stuff. We are up to our windowsill in our bedroom and the kids have to wade through. At least to Dog is loving it.

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas!

This is Cole's very favorite Christmas song and he wants it to be on repeat on the cd player in the car all of the time. He sings along and knows almost all of the words. He loves everything, absolutely everything, about this season of holiday festivities! I love that he is so into it all. It makes the spirit soar within me too.

Rhys gasps says, "Mama" and points following his excitement with the token "un-gah!". This is his go-to sound when he doesn't have a word for what he is pointing at...this happens a lot. He points at inflated lit snowmen in a yard, at a decorated tree in a window, and sometimes at traffic reflectors. He is noticing every light imaginable now and thinks they are all special.

Cole gasped and said, in whispered tones "wow" when I placed the baby Jesus figurine in the nativity scene. He also is regularly saying, "this is the best Christmas ever". I agree. It has been pretty wonderful.

I have eaten enough cookies and chocolate and I am a bit tired of hearing Elvis crooning about his blue Christmas but I can't get enough of Burl Ives telling me to have a Holly Jolly Christmas. I dig that tune too. Cole has good taste.

Things we have done:

Decorate Gingerbread house

Neighborhood light tour