Monday, October 12, 2009

That's How It Goes Whenever It Snows

We're having a freaky fall here this year. Two weeks ago, we were having temps in the 80s. Today, we woke up to snow, and we now have 3 inches of the fluffy white stuff.

I thought I was prepared. I put the snow shovels by the garage door. I bought new snow boots for the kids last week. And it was still pure chaos getting out the door for the school bus this morning. I had to put the fleece liners in the winter coats (which were hanging in the coat closet and were supposed to be sent to the drycleaners, but somehow they never made it there.) I dug out snowpants. My daughter's snowpants fit, but her winter coat is a bit snug in the shoulders. My son's coat fit, but his snowpants were so snug, he looked like a shiny black sausage casing. I had washed and put away all hats and mittens; however, most of the mittens are now too small for my son. So much for being prepared.

On the other hand, I've completed almost half of my Christmas shopping, and (remind me that I said this in December) I'm on track to have everything wrapped and ready by December 1st. Yes, I have a self-imposed deadline this year. No more wrapping gifts until the wee hours on Christmas Eve while watching "White Christmas" on the tiny TV in our basement.

Of course, I just decorated my front porch for fall on Saturday. I see that the corn stalks are all full of snow, and the towels that cover up my mums are full of snow as well. My Stella D'Oro lillies by my mailbox are still blooming in the snow. My beautiful Purple Dome Asters bloomed late this year. I tried covering them up for a couple nights, but I think it's futile to save them at this point.

Part of me is still hoping that we get temps in the 60s once or twice more this month. Who knows? Right now, I see myself and the kids slogging through snow on Halloween.

While it makes me sad to close the door on summer and fall this year, the snow is very pretty. It is one of those light fluffy snows that seem to float down from Heaven. My kids made me a tiny little snowman in the front yard. My daughter told me that I can look out the front window today and think of them when I see it.

I'm going to close this post with my favorite version of Carol of the Bells. I love the kettle drum. Beautiful. Enjoy.


Friday, October 2, 2009

The One Where I Rant About Parenting Advice From Playboy Models, Celebuspawn and Cats Who Eat Yarn


Not a good week here. The daughter came home sick on Monday afternoon. The son got a "croup virus" and was home sick on Wednesday and Thursday. There have been pediatrician visits, pharmacy visits and the usual mayhem.

Last night my son was put on a very strong steroid for the croup cough. This steroid is four times stronger than Prednisone. I researched it online and found that it did have a good record for helping kids get over the croup in its clinical trials. The information I received from the pharmacy contained half a page of warnings of possible side effects. This is what kept me from sleeping last night. I was up until 12:40 am this morning constantly checking on my son to make sure he was breathing alright, not swelling up, not coughing, not throwing up, etc. I am tired.

I got both kids to school this morning and came home to sit and eat breakfast in peace and then start in on what I hope to accomplish today now that I don't have sick kids hanging on me. I sat down and saw the message light blinking on the phone. It was a message from the daughter. She forgot her glasses. Again. She only needs them for school and reading. I put her glasses case in her backpack and told her to keep them in there. She keeps forgetting the glasses case in her desk at school. I trotted off to deliver the glasses to school.

After leaving school, I went to the grocery store to pick up a few things that I need for dinner tonight. In the checkout line, I saw a tabloid touting some pregnant Playboy model and a pregnant Kardashian sister giving "baby advice". What the hell? Like these two bimbos are ever going to change a diaper, stay up all night with a sick child or run their kids to 50 different activities. Something about this made me want to scream. And just why are those Kardashians famous? Because their father was an attorney . . . for OJ Simpson?! Or is it because their stepfather won a decathalon in the '70s? Something about that tabloid story really flipped my b**ch switch. It must be from the lack of sleep last night.

And while I was up into the wee hours, I knitted to pass the time. At one point, I heard a smacking sound coming from the floor. I glanced down to see my cat chewing on my beautiful hand-dyed Vesper self-striping sock yarn in the rare and very beautiful Witchy Woman colorway. She chewed the strand of yarn in half. Much as I love my cat, I would've had her stomach pumped if she had swallowed very much of that yarn. I had to re-join the yarn and knit it into the fingerless gloves that I'm making. Hopefully, it won't unravel the second time that I wear the gloves. I'll be sure and post a picture of them when I am finished knitting them. They will be gorgeous.

And now my whole day lies ahead of me. Much filing and cleaning and organizing to be done. I need to paint my bedroom which I am looking forward to doing. My To-Do list is neverending.