Monday, June 20, 2011

Girls Night!


A few weeks ago, Annika and I were chatting and I had a brainstorm....what if once/week she and I went out on a special date and called it "Girls Night."? Activities could include dinner, movie, ice cream (a specific request of hers), the mall...you get the idea. I mean, it's a list of things girls like to do. GIRLS NIGHT. Get it?

We've done Girls Night twice so far. The first time we went to the mall and grabbed a quick bite so we could shop for Daddy's birthday and Father's Day. The whole trip was actually quite handy, because otherwise I'd be forced to use the Interwebs for gift orders, and we all know I'd do it too late and then would have to spend at least 50% of the cost of the gift on Express shipping...This Girls Night thing came in quite handy.

The second time, we went to a restaurant that I like, but Chris doesn't. Handy again! There are a whole bunch of places he hates going that I never get to...thanks Annika!

So, even though Girls Night is certainly useful for gift-giving and pigging out, its real purpose is maybe even more awesome...spending 1:1 quality time with my gorgeous daughter. We do Girls Night on Mondays, and even though that's a school night (for me, since it's summer time for her) and I'm usually *exhausted*, I rally because having that time with her is simply amazing. I'm so honored that she's willing to spend that time with me, and I hope it's something that she looks back at fondly after Girls Night is long over, and has turned into "Monday Night...The Night Where I Ignore Mom...Just Like Every Night."

Long live Girls Night!

Friday, June 10, 2011

All choked up

Annika "graduated" from Kindergarten this week. I'm so over these "graduations" but well, it's still cute and I still eat it up like a cupcake with peanut butter icing and devils food cake...was that too specific?

The teacher promised the parents who were able to go a "surprise" and a surprise we got! The kids sang four songs that they had clearly been practicing and they even had little hand motions for many of the words. It was super cute, to say the least, but I found myself holding back sobs thinking to myself "she'll never have it this good again."



Not that I'm that much of a pessimist - I think Annika will have a swell life. But after Kindergarten, when do you really get to sing with your friends and sit on a carpet with different colors and have a room full of toys to play with during your "free choice" time? When do you have 4-hour school days and "snack time" and friends who forget to zip up their pants and have their shoes on backwards and no one cares? I literally had to pinch myself to stop crying while they sang, sad that my little girl is on her way to finding out what life is really like.

Again, this sounds so awful, but come on...it's true. Mortgage payments, fat jeans, teeth whitening, busted water heaters, weird neighbors...it's all coming for her. I'm so sad that her innocence will slowly be chipped away until she finds herself writing a blog post (or whatever they have in the year 2028) about many of these same subjects.

As we were walking back to the car, I started to tear up again, and she asked me "Momma, are you sad because I am growing up? I'm not even in 1st grade yet!" And I laughed a bit and said, "Yeah baby, I am sad. I'm sorry." Then she insisted she would cheer me up. Her tactic? "Think about my butt."

It worked.

Monday, June 06, 2011

Dominoes

Last week, Declan slept in a little. Unusual for him since he loooves to be the early bird that catches that proverbial worm. He finally started rousing after 7, and I went to get him. His little cheeks were flushed and his cute face was lying next to a tiny pool of vomit. Ew!

Little guy had a stomach virus. He proceeded to tell us that his tummy felt "sick" and then puked two more times that day. His appetite wasn't its usual robust self, so we knew he was sick. However, he was in pretty good spirits and seemed to bounce back in a day. We thought it might be over.

Two days later, Chris came down with something similar...but the virus had gotten worse and he was laid up for at least an extra day more than Dex was. I, of course, have little patience for adult sickies, so I was less than helpful and annoyed that I had to spend my Memorial Day weekend tending to the kids as a single mother. The nerve!! In Chris's defense, he did rally for one day so we could go to the beach for a few hours...but he promptly relapsed pretty bad on that Monday and our long weekend was over.

Tuesday we wake up and Chris decided he needs an extra day, so is staying home sick. Declan is at the grandparents, and Annika and I are getting ready for school and work, respectively. Then guess what? Annika runs into our room and starts grabbing her tummy and says "Mommy, Mommy, Daddy Daddy, I don't feel good!! My tummy!!" and not five minutes later, we're bringing out the cleaning supplies. So much for Chris's sick day.

I had been grumpy for the last few days, but thought I was avoiding the virus monster, so I went to work. I felt a little off, but just thought I was annoyed to be at work...I mean, I usually am. Anyway, I get home that night and feel the alien invading my body...I ate dinner that night knowing it would be my last meal: and it was.

Annika and I are still feeling bad, almost a week later. Of course after I finally was able to keep food down, I promptly got a cold. Like, what the heck! Anyway, I spent this weekend on Nyquill and eating toast. Good times. Oh, and Chris's Dad got it too...from Patient Zero: Declan.

Annika finally went back to school on Friday, which is a bit of a bummer since this is her last week of school and she missed a few special days with her friends before the summer starts. I luckily was able to work from home the rest of the week (I tried to go in for a day, but my co-workers said I was gross and shooed me away).

We're all a little thinner, a little grumpier and a little out of it...we've never all been sick at the same time, but we sure fell like dominoes. The only thing I'm grateful for is that the sickness was somewhat staggered so we were all able to take care of each other at one stage or another. Well, except poor Chris...no one really took care of him. Love you, sweetie!