Sick Days

About a week before Christmas I had a horrible sore throat.  This is not that uncommon for me.  My throat aches quite a bit during the winter season.  This time, though, it was accompanied by a HORRIBLE MIGRAINE that caused my husband to miss a day of work.  Plus the sore throat lasted 5 days.  It was time to go to the doctor, it really hurt, seriously.  Now if you are a mom you know that it has to really be bad to actually take the time and energy to go see a doctor or take any time off from being a mom.  I marvel at how cavalier I used to be about being "sick".   I would have taken a day off of work at the first sign of sickness or at least come home and laid in front of the tv or read a book for the rest of the night.  (Do you ever wonder how you EVER thought you were BUSY before you had kids?  As if you even knew the definition.............I use to think I was tired or had a long day when I would get home late after school, say 6 o'clock but that gave me FOUR HOURS to do whatever I wanted when I got home.  I didn't have to clean or cook or do laundry if I didn't want to.  I could eat a bowl of cereal, I could nuke some leftovers, I could leave the cleaning and laundry for the weekend.  OH THE HOURS AND HOURS I spent reading :) while I thought I was busy or tired......oh and I know that this does not apply to every person without children, that there are those out there who are generally busy people but by and large when my friends and I discuss pre-kids and post-kids the most noticeable change is how little time there is just to be with your spouse or by yourself, you have to plan it.)

Well, it turned out I had strep throat.  No big deal really, right?  Get some meds and after 24 hours you aren't contagious and life goes on.  Right.

No.

Not if you are the one in however many that gets psoriasis when you get strep.

That's right.

Little, itchy, red bumps covering my entire torso and then spreading to my arms and legs.  Fun, fun times. This happened about six years ago for the first time.  I had to try steroid creams, lotions (which my LOVING husband put on while wearing work goggles, a face mask and completely clothing himself which he thought was SO FUNNY - this is also an indication of how widespread the bumps get.....this time there was none of that, he was barely fazed by it.  That's over seven years of marriage for you :), meds and then finally I had to go tanning (orders from the dermatologist).  It lasted a month.

Let me digress for a moment to tell you what else has been going on.  So this was about a month a ago that the strep and psoriasis appeared.  About a week later the nonstop vomiting started.  I might have told you all about it before but just a recap - Fia had it for about 3 days.  Then Nico and Francesca got it for 3 days.  We had a healthy day.  Then Francesca vomited, then Nico, then Joe.  Then my mom and brother got it.  Nico vomited again.  Then my dad got it.  Then...........all was clear.  One day later?

My throat hurt.

Come on.  Really?

I went through a day of being really tired, mild headache, sore throat, that kind of thing.  I thought, no way.  (I have no idea why I thought that as the bumps were still going pretty strong....)  Day two I felt worse but still thought, no, we just all got over being sick.  I am SO NOT SICK.  Joe comes home and Nico and I are on the couch.  I am SO TIRED and feeling oh so wretched.  I actually let Nico play the Ipod Touch for almost an hour because I thought I just cannot get off this couch.  I went to Aultcare.

Yep.

Strep throat.

The doctor WAS SO NICE but a little horrified by the bumps.  He asked are they that bad everywhere?  I showed him my back and legs.  He said we have to get rid of those!  No kidding, doc.

So now I am on some different meds.  The kids are fine.  The spouse is fine.  My parents are fine.  I'll be fine tomorrow and NOT contagious.  I felt better this afternoon so after Francesca's nap we made blueberry muffins, chocolate chip banana bread and mozzarella cheese.  I love to cook.  We may have a dusty house and PLEASE DO NOT LOOK under any piece of furniture but we eat well :)

Oh and if you see me looking so tan or Fia tells you that her mom goes tanning every day it's because of the psoriasis.  Although......oh my, some of the favorite 12 minutes of my day are spent in that quiet, warm, peaceful tanning bed.   I asked that lady at the tanning place if anyone has ever fell asleep and she said they had to take 30 minutes to try to completely wake up one person, so completely were they our of it.  I believe it.

Clothespins.....

The essential tool for any sophisticated fort-builder............

Do you love out stars, clouds and moon?  They are leftover from our town building this weekend........the kids wanted to leave them up

Might be a bit precarious but the clothespins attached to the curtain rod give our fort
a certain height it was lacking before.

 More clothespins and the sun shining down on us........

Of course, don't forget lots of old sheets.......more laundry, you say?  Awww.....what's another load.

May you enjoy your rainy day as much as we are!!

There's No Fun Like SNOW FUN!

 

Our "Super" Snowman - Nico loved this snowman.  We all worked together to make him in the backyard.  Well, Francesca just ate the snow and couldn't be bothered to stop eating for even the picture.

Isn't he beautiful......runny nose and all.......

My girl - she said she wished they only had school 4 days a week now, she had so much fun these past few days.
Me too, Fia.........

Again, this is Francesca's version of a smile these days (sigh).  She really does have beautiful eyes.

Our girl snowman in the front yard - we call her The Auntie Tash :)

Some indoor fun!  The kids LOVED making their snowman candle holders.  They wanted to light them up and each have their own candlelit breakfast :)

Nico's snowman

Fia's snow woman - gotta love the endless craft supplies from grandma retiring, Zia Maria/Uncle Steve presents and Uncle Vince/Aunt Colleen presents :)

Oh and you might think........gee, Mandy this is AWFUL LATE for you to be posting....why it's 2 o'clock in the morning!  What on earth have you been doing all night that you are up this late?  I have been playing some beans game that my brother and sister-in-law brought home from Kansas City.  It is now time for them to go back.  I can't take too many more late nights.  The game and their company is addicting...........it's time for them to go back to Liv, Audra and Rachael and keep THEM up all night.

Plus after a day's respite from the puking........it's back.

Nico threw up YET AGAIN in his bed.  It has now cycled through everyone, Nico and Francesca twice already and is back to Nico.  It is time for the sickness to end.   Two weeks is long enough.

 I have to be up again in 4 hours.  

Wish me luck.................the GINORMOUS pile of laundry and I will need it :)

The Apple from the Tree

Fia and I were playing THE WORST GAME EVER yesterday, otherwise known as Chutes and Ladders.  I have come to really, really dislike this game (I say dislike because once you have children you are not allowed to say the word hate, apparently).  I mean who creates a game that gives you a headache upon looking at the board - all those checks, makes it impossible to tell where you are suppose to be going  if you are a little kid.  Then let's just talk about the THREE SLIDES on the last row of the game, prolonging the torture even further.  I have, in the past, done some creative counting so someone would finally win.  However, last night it was all fair and square.  Fia is 5 and fully capable of the counting and following the arrows and doesn't seem to get distracted by all the checks.  

I was winning........in a big way.

I won the first game and was well on my way to winning the second.  Score.

She looks over at me and says are you done with your coffee yet?  I say no.  She takes her mug of smoothie and begins gulping.  

I think what on earth is she doing?

She says well at least I can beat you at something.

I have no idea WHERE she gets this competitive streak from.....................

A Rude Awakening

Last night at 3:30 am I heard Francesca crying, screaming really.  Now you might think, if you are not a parent or are an uncommonly compassionate parent, that I jumped up out of bed to see what was wrong.

I did not.

I waited.  First I waited to see if it would continue.  I prayed for God to wrap His arms around her so I would not have to, I prayed that he would calm her....so I would not have to, I prayed for the screaming to please, God, please stop.  It stopped for a moment.

Then it continued.

This time I waited to see if my dear husband would get up.  However, I did remember that he was up late grading for school and I was the one in bed snoring at 10 pm.  I also remembered that the kids would be going to my parents tomorrow night and that I would have the three of them only until 4:00 pm and then TOTAL RELAXATION (again, if you are a parent, I assume you understand looking forward to being without your children and basing all decision making on the fact that you will be without responsibility for 12-14 hours).  Plus my husband usually bears the brunt of nighttime wakings (much to the amazement of some of our friends - sometimes I feel they think he is the saint in this marriage and how on earth did he get stuck with this lazy woman who will not have anything to do with her children between the hours of 8 and 5 when he is the one working all day long...........sometimes I wonder myself and then other times I think I am going to drop all my kids, my laundry and the chore list off at their house one morning at 7am and then come pick them up at 4:30 and then see what they think :)  Back to the matter at hand.....I went to see what on earth could cause such angst at 3:30 in the morning when momma was trying to get some dang sleep.

Oh.

There was vomit all over her bee pillow.

It was matted in her hair and all down her jammies.

I guess that would cause me to scream too.

Into the bathtub she went, still screaming.  The sheets, the bedspread, the pillow went down to the wash.  New jammies were put on.  And here is where once again it is proven that my husband is a better person than I am.  He heard the screaming, the bath water running and he appeared in the doorway.  (Do you hear the chorus of angels?  The shining light beaming from behind him? Because at 3:30 in the morning when you are combing the vomit out of your screaming 2 year olds hair angels do indeed appear in the form of bleary-eyed, hairy men in boxers)  This wonderful man got out of bed and took our baby and held her and cuddled her and eventually fell asleep on the couch with her where she vomited one more time and then wanted to go back to bed.

I am not sure I would have done the same thing.  I would like to think I would have gotten up and helped him but part of my thinks I might have just feigned sleep and heard all about it in the morning.

This is kind of the look he had going on at 3:30 but he wasn't smiling..............such a good looking man,
 even with his eyes partially closed.

Every day I think......thank the Good Lord I married someone who is nicer than I am and needs less sleep than I do.

Nonna

I first met Joe's grandma, Nonna, and grandpa, Nini,  just a few weeks after we started dating.  The family would get together every Sunday for lunch.  There would be a huge pot of pasta (there is never enough as far as grandma in concerned), chicken, potatoes, fiscotini, wine, assorted vegetables, cafe latte and fruit.

I loved going.  I loved grandma and grandpa.  They welcomed me from the very beginning as I sought to capture the heart of their grandson :)

It was loud (even though they ALL say that I am loud, truly, it was loud) and it was filled with lots of talk, lots of food.  Everyone would help with the clean up, except those that will remain nameless that would escape to the bathroom.   When there was wedding soup on the table you knew Anthony was coming.  Julie would make appearances.  Occasionally Uncle Nick would stop by with produce for everyone.  An uncle would show up at times.  Friends, girlfriends, boyfriends all came through the house, too.  All were welcomed and made to feel at home.  Grandma loves to share her food and loves to tell stories.

Not long after we were married I said to Joe that I want to be grandma.   What I meant by that is I want to make things from scratch.  I want to have a long table filled with food for everyone to eat.   I want to be remembered for the food that I make, the lunches or dinners that I have.  I want to have a house where everyone is welcome and everyone gathers.   

And sometimes when I get down about my weight, I think of grandma.  I think of how every inch of grandma is treasured, not because of what she is wearing or how she looks but because of how she loves.  When I start to become anxious about the food I am making - is is good enough?  is it special enough?  I think of grandma.  I have only ever had maybe 8 different dishes at her house and I have had MANY, MANY meals there.  Wedding soup, pasta, pasta potate, chicken, potatoes, chicken cutlets, sausage and rice balls - always delicious, always good.  Why?  Because it's grandma food.  It tastes of her, it tastes of the love she pours into whatever she is making.  Nothing will ever taste quite like it.  When I start to think I need to dust, I need to organize this or that or that our house isn't as pretty as it should be.  I think of grandma.  I never really notice what her house looks like - outside of the statues that she decorates with flowers or scarves or any manner of things which cracks me up.  Her house is warm and welcoming and she is always excited to see you.   Grandma is more than just her house, her appearance, her food.  And that's what I want.

I called grandma the first time I made cheese.  I called her when I used the whey leftover from cheesemaking to make bread - she was impressed, she never thought to do that.  I called her when I made wedding soup from scratch the first time.  I called her when I went my first year without buying bread, making it at home instead.  Grandma was always encouraging, she always was approving, excited that someone else is doing the things she always did and thought they were important too.  I know I have a long way to go to achieve grandma status but I hope I am on my way.  I hope that one day our house will be the gathering place that grandma's always was...........and I hope that Anthony or Vince will take me to Marc's when I am old and pick up MY tab.  For if I am to be grandma surely Anthony is Uncle Frank and Vince/Joe both remind me of grandpa.

A little grandma story............have you ever seen "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"?  Remember the spray bottle of windex?  How it was to be used for EVERYTHING?  Well, grandma kind of feels the same way about vinegar.  One time at dinner she pulled out a spray bottle of vinegar and started squirting her salad.  I about peed my pants, it was hysterical.  So many things about that movie remind me of the clan.

Random Question and Clips.....

This past weekend I got to hang out with my brother and his wife - IT WAS AWESOME.  There is something about family that is just good and easy and fun.  You can tell the same stories over and over and over but they are still funny........at least to us they are :)  Well, one of the things I think about when I am with the immediate family is.......well, Designing Women.  Along with Golden Girls, this was one of the staples of my growing up.  An odd choice, I know.  Both Matt and I were servers at Applebee's and when we would come home Designing Women and Golden Girls were on at night back to back.  This is also the summer I think I gained 10 pounds.  We would come home and make "tacos" - except our version of tacos was cheese, more cheese, meat and lots of chips.  On nights we didn't have tacos we had pizza from Dominos.  It was one of my favorite summers. We laughed so hard and had so much fun together.  More than brother and sister, we were able to be friends.  

But, seriously, is there anyone funnier than Suzanne Sugarbaker?  Is there anyone more inspiring than Julia Sugarbaker when she gets on a role?  Oh and Charlene, I swooned when she met Bill.  MaryJo?  Hilarious.  And  good old Anthony, doing anything for Suzanne and of course, Bernice.  

So which one are you?  Anthony, Suzanne, Charlene, MaryJo or Julia?  I would really like to know.  I have some ideas about some of my friends.  Bekah?  So very clearly a Julia.  Diane is too.  Mrs. Kandel out there?  Charlene all the way..........  Jani?  Mary Jo - can can either way, she hangs with Julia but can get into equally as much trouble/silliness as the other two.  Plus she's sweet.  

I'm torn about myself.  There are the people that I want to be and then there is the person that I am.  I think I am mostly Charlene with a little Julia thrown in.  What about you?

Classic salad bar episode - MaryJo loses Suzanne's "real" pearls in a salad bar

AND THAT. IS THE NIGHT. THE  LIGHTS. WENT OUT IN GEOR-GIA!

Seriously, cannot even think about this scene without trying to imitate her exact tone and emphasis.  I love Julia.  Just classic................