Jan 21, 2011

A Picture is Worth...

well, a link or two at least, if not a thousand words.

Pix from our trip to Syracuse to see my sister - wherein I drove an ATV for the first time, nearly threw myself off it, and drove a motor vehicle on a frozen lake (as well as got no sleep for days on end). Pix are of the black ice - which was really cool - and some images I caught as I was putting the Christmas tree away. Sparkly.

Pix from John's and my weekend away to Cape May. It was the first time we'd been away from the kids overnight in 4 years. It was wonderful. It was far, far too short.

Jan 6, 2011

Best Message of the Day...

From an email forward from my dad:

"If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague."

Jan 4, 2011

Why I haven't posted...

November 22: Matthew sick - nasty cold.
November 23: Evie sick - pneumonia. Antibiotics, albuterol nebulizer treatments every 4 hours round the clock for 10 days.
November 27: Kelley ankle injury. X-ray shows it unbroken. Naproxen and a narcotic for swelling and pain as well as being restricted to combat boots. (Still hurting but grateful for said combat boots which saved the ankle from fracture per the doctor.)
November 28-December 10: Prep for holiday open house including a zillion dozen cookies, major grocery shopping, and decoration - all on said ankle
November 30
: Follow up audiology report shows consistent hearing loss for Matthew, ear tube surgery scheduled
December 1: Kelley sick - laryngitis (just in time for 12/5 concert)
December 6: Katie sick
December 11: Katie first choir rehearsal. Holiday open house - turns out at least 20 invitations were not delivered by the postal service... crowd lower than normal (but enthusiastic)
December 13: Kelley still sick - inflamed vocal cords - prednisone, only iced beverages, and a teaspoon of straight honey before bed - to continue until Christmas
December 14: Family friend and beloved colleague of John's dies suddenly at 61
December 17: Kelley misses family friend's wake but plans to go to funeral
December 18: babysitter cancels at 7:30 a.m., Katie second choir rehearsal, Katie emergency pediatrician visit -ear infection - amoxycillin, Kelley scrapes up a replacement sitter but misses funeral due to doc visit, hoping to get to burial, doesn't make it due to extended wait at doc visit, hoping to get to reception... no reception.
December 19: Lessons & Carols
December 20: Matthew starting to get sick again but surgery goes ahead anyway. Lots of thick fluid drained and an active ear infection found; Kelley sick - cold
December 23: Katie sick - cold
December 24-25: Katie sings in her first choir! Kelley sings 6 Masses in less than 24 hours.
December 26: Kelley sick - hand-foot-and-mouth disease(!!), heavy duty antivirals; blizzard
December 27: Matthew sick - nasty cold and ear infection persisting -- more eardrops; drive through blizzard to Syracuse for photo appointment with family; photographer doesn't show; no sleep for Kelley; bathtub removal to start (to stop leak that is causing a hole in the kitchen ceiling) but doesn't
December 28: Evie starts coughing; no sleep for Kelley; still no bathroom renovation
December 29: Evie sounding worse; Kelley gets on bad side of family by picking up the check at Olive Garden (I know, I don't get it either!); bad night, no sleep
December 30: Trip to urgent care with Evie, blood ox at 91%, emergency albuterol treatment (of course, no nebulizer in travel kit... will be in future!), located rental nebulizer - prednisone and albuterol breathing treatments every 4 hours.
December 31: Thank the Lord in heaven, John's here and we can go HOME! Bathroom totally nonfunctional (which it still is).

BUT:
Mid-December, I got three lovely packages unlooked for just as I really, really needed them. My voice held out thanks to the prednisone and, after, massive doses of ibuprofen. So proud of Katie in her first choir experience. And we have a second bathroom so we're at least relatively clean. And I only gained just under 8 pounds in a month of totally leaving my diet in the dust.

SO:
December, don't let the door hit you on the ass.
Onward, upward for January.