ohmygod

I am seriously in love with this picture. I know it's tacky because I took it and whatever but OH MY GOD how sweet is that little pig? And his mama? Oh Mama, I know what you're going through!

I've really lost my marbles when I'm identifying with a mama pig, huh? ha ha ha

a little something sweet...

...for Elle's teacher in appreciation of her responsiveness, dedication and generosity with her time. After going in to school early and leaving late today, Elle is mostly caught up with the school work she missed while she was out sick last week.

a near-miracle

In my last post I quipped that if I made it to Sunday night without bursting into tears it would be a miracle. I'm happy to report that, hey!, it's Sunday night! and I only *almost* cried yesterday while trying to help Elle finish her make-up work which was such an experiment in terror that I finally gave up, sent off a desperate email plea for help to her teacher and took to bed.

Did you know that I really do that? Those of you who were with me back then will remember how in my early post partum days with Anna Sofia, I'd reach a point where I would literally just up and announce to no-one in particular that I.HAD.TO.GET.OUT.OF.THIS.HOUSE.NOW! leaving a now-amusing-in-retrospect trail of slack-jawed kin in my wake. I would go to Target or JoAnn's Fabric or to the book store, take a drive around the lake, somewhere, ANYwhere that wasn't here (my GAWD did I just want to enhance the end of that sentence with a colorful word that starts with F and rhymes with truck) (the fact that I am able to restrain myself is testament to the superior level of hard-won sanity that comes only after you've emerged victorious from a week like I've had) (I know, I know, I'm probably jinxing myself by saying that but just let me enjoy this for a minute, OK?). Anyway, all this to say that post partum I would escape the house and now I just escape to my room with my Kindle which pshaw! is clearly monumental mental health progress. One might even say, EPIC! (that's what all the kids are saying) I know, I know, I 'm such a show off with all my Look at me! I'm not as crazy as I used to be! bragging.

Oh! And this despite the fact that I felt like such useless crap yesterday that I decided to skip an art show. No, not just an art show. THE art show. The one to which I donated a small painting to be auctioned off for charity and very basically the first public place, a gallery even!, that my art has ever been displayed. Donated or not. I should have been there to see it hung in all its cute little glory but it was far (all the way in Ft. Worth) and I had yet another latent wave of illness. Yes, as recently as yesterday afternoon, I was momentarily wiped out. Enough to bail on my big (to me) art debut. Classy! But really, I jest because I'm not upset. I honestly can't be. Anything less than the promise of world peace or a million dollars would have lured me out that far from home last night. Truly. I just wasn't up to it.

I did manage to fulfill two volunteer responsibilities this weekend. One very late into the night (chaperoning a jr. high band event Friday night) and one very early (helping with race day packet pickup, etc. at my friend's hugely successful half-marathon and 5k this morning) and well, I feel good about that.

Oh! And huge props to Elle's teacher who answered my ridiculous email with such dedication and willingness to help that she even offered up part of her SUNDAY to help Elle catch up. I couldn't possibly impose on her that way; we decided Elle will go in a little earlier and stay a little later tomorrow...but, well, let's just say I'm more than a tiny bit in love with her right about now.

Also? I'm in love with my new friend, "Pretty Mom." Remind me to tell you more about her soon but for now just look at the adorable apron she gave Anna Sofia for her birthday. Seriously, what's not to love, right?

what a topsy turvy week!

The illness has lingered but only enough to fuck with my head (sorry Mom). The girls are great. I kept Elle from school all week mostly as a courtesy because she was still running a bit of fever and I did the same with Anna for the same reason. As for me, it comes and goes in waves. It's been a little bizarre, this illness. Is it sinus? Is it swine flu? Whatever it is, it's been disruptive, for sure. And just to keep things interesting I had a weird run-in with a friend (she swears she's not upset with me but I get that not so fresh feeling even after we've discussed it ad nauseum - hate that!), an annoying experience at the pediatrician's for Anna's 4-year check up (was kept waiting forEVAH and mes petites took absolutely no mercy upon me) and was considering dropping the one class I'm taking this semester (I've decided to hang on a little while longer...the deadline for withdrawing is over a month away). Oh! And I disappointed Natalie by not taking lunch to her yesterday (I redeemed myself today). It sounds stupid but she's had so little of me this week and the little she's had, I'm sure she'd be happy to return eBay style: NWT (new with tags). Meaning, if she admired me at all it was from a safe distance, I assure you. God bless her.

Now I'm faced with a conceivably fun but eventful and dutiful (read: tiresome) weekend. If I make it to Sunday without bursting into tears (for about the fifth time this week), it'll be a miracle.

Let us bow our heads and pray.

four

Anna Sofia turned 4 today.

As a mother, age 4 is big in my book. I remember being 4 and not just from pictures and old family stories. I remember actually being. To me, that is a huge turn of events in the life of a human. To think that Anna Sofia will henceforth be a self-documenting cognitive, sentient being; that she will have actual memories of her life at this age materialize at will without visual or spoken aid sort of blows my mind.

Happy Birthday to my sweet little girl. No longer an infant, a baby or toddler. Now a bonafide child.

oink, oink

Elle tested positive for the swine flu today.

Last night, she was suddenly very tired, very achy and a little feverish. She also had some chills and complained of a head & neck ache. I gave her some medicine, a warm rice sock for the chills and a cold one for her head and slept with her so that I could keep a close eye on her. She was feverish through the night. Nothing alarming but definitely "warm like a little muffin out of the oven" as I like to say (my girls love it when I say that to them). I told myself if she still had fever in the morning, I'd keep her home from school and take her in to the pediatrician. She was actually in great spirits this morning and had me wondering if I'd been duped but no, fevers don't lie. I suspected something was up since I was sick last week and figured I might as well play it safe. Sure enough they tested her for flu and yep, swine flu. Apparently a mild case. I was very surprised but am not alarmed. In fact, the pediatrician thinks I probably had it too (I had some mild fever, chills and body aches but was never tested for it). Our ped doesn't feel Tamiflu is necessary but prescribed it just in case we chose to give it to her (we've decided agaisnt it). As a courtesy, I called all three of the girls' schools, sent an email to the Jr. High band parents (we were at an event on Friday) and called my friend whose daughter's birthday party we attended over the weekend.

Now we just treat the fever and watch her. She has an appetite, she's alert, happy and playful. She can return to school after she has been fever-free for 36 hours, as per the ped's instructions. I was also instructed to bring her back in to the office if she starts to "oink." He cautioned her directly agaisnt smoking and running around naked. As Guy said at lunch afterward, "Good advice for us all." ha ha ha

color

Today is the first day since this sinus crud set in that I've woken up without pain. I didn't even realize I had been waking up in pain until its abrupt absence. What a difference, my friends! It's amazing how we take our good health for granted. This sinus infection has systematically taken its toll. That is new for me. Usually it just hits all at once but this one took me down one painful step at a time. First agonizing pain in my throat, then body aches, then major congestion, then head-splitting pain and now it's moving down into my chest. It's not over but I feel my body (and the meds) exorcising it out of me and though it's slow, at least its progress. The no pain thing is BIG. I'm coughing and still congested, but my world has color again and not a moment too soon. (Sadly, no sense of taste or smell yet, but that too will come.)

Thanks for the get well wishes here, on Facebook and Twitter, lovies.

Happy Friday!