Wednesday, February 23, 2005

Is This Month Over Yet??

February is the longest short month ever. I've often thought every year when this month rolls around, "If I can just get through February, then the winter will be near its end and like the earth, I'll be renewed too." I've been telling myself that just about every day this month. I wonder if Jack Torrance repeated that same mantra to himself up at the Overlook. I get out once in a while, but I've still got a major case of cabin fever. Save the driveway, the snow is too deep for David to play in, so going out is a little tricky. I can stick he and Sofia is snowbanks and dress them up like snow people, but they don't like that game. We could build igloos, but we kind of already live in one- our house is white and covered with ice and snow. Okay, we do have indoor plumbing. It's a good thing I'm into attachment parenting and that I really adore my kids, because we could not possibly spend any more time together if we tried...I know I am getting a little crazy because I suggested to Ernesto the other day that we get another cat. I have since had some moments of clarity and am frightened that I even spoke those words...

I was going to shovel the 2 1/2 feet of snow off the deck today, but Ernie reminded me that I could delay my healing time if I were to do that. I apparently have bruised and/or cracked one or more ribs since my hacking cough subsided earlier in the week. So I'm not coughing, which is good, because it hurts to breathe. I was going to go back to the gym which I had joined just prior to getting sick the first time, and have not been back since. The trainer who worked with me the first few visits must be thinking, "way to keep your New Year's resolution, lady". No, I got sick, I swear! So now I am pretty much unable to do anything physical, except lift Sofia who gets a little heavier everyday.

I'm putting this all into perspective, though. I think the purpose of all this for me is so that this spring will be the most glorious I have ever seen. I will appreciate like no other that's come before. I remarked to Ernesto the other day that we don't even know what our yard will look like come spring. We know it's pretty in the fall and we know it's really white in the winter. It's hard to picture now, but we have so many trees surrounding our yard and hill that I can only imagine how fantastic the budding will be on those branches, and how many varieties of wildflowers bloom along the path. We got just a taste of it in the fall and it was beautiful, but this place in its prime will be spring and summer and I just can't wait. Well, I guess I have to wait. At least until the end of this miserable month. David asked if we could play soccer all day outside once the spring comes and I happily said, "we can do anything you want, so long as it's outside."

Let the countdown begin!

Wednesday, February 02, 2005

Sick of being sick

I've been in a fog for the last week and a half. Without going into too great detail, I got incredibly sick with the "How to lose 20 pounds in 20 minutes" bug two Sundays ago, then Sofia caught the bug on Monday, David caught it on Tuesday, Ernesto had the flu the whole week and then caught the bug this past Sunday, but did not have as acute a case as I. Now David has an ear infection. Guess I shouldn't have mentioned in passing to someone recently that "David has never been sick with anything worse than a cold". Have I learned nothing in 31 years on this earth?

Well, I learned something this past week. I'm not good at taking care of sick kids. Perhaps that's why my kids aren't often sick. God knows I just don't handle it all that well. And it's not just that I hate seeing my children sick, which of course I do, but it's like I'd rather just be sick myself than have to wipe runny noses all day long and change diapers with indescribable contents. I've got chapped hands from washing them 50 times a day- a lame attempt to keep myself from contracting the next heinous virus.

But the kids are on the mend and the weekend is in sight, so I'm back to all the tasks that got put on hold while we were planted on the couch watching the Wiggles for the umpteenth time. Is it just me or is Anthony growing some serious sideburns? These are the things I find myself thinking about. I had a dream about Greg from the Wiggles recently, too. He wanted to be my boyfriend but I told him I couldn't date because I was married. He was really cool about it, but continued to stalk me for a while. I knew because of the way he stood out wearing that bright yellow shirt- it made it hard for him to hide. That wacky Greg.

But getting back to attachment parenting: I just wanted to post a link to this essay I came across while surfing tonight. This pretty much sums up my view of parenting, and in particular the co-sleeping issue. While the author Jennifer Cobrun believes that co-sleeping should be the norm and not the exception, she does point out that co-sleeping is not for everyone: "Heavy drinkers and drug addicts should avoid sleeping with their babies. Of course these folks should probably avoid parenthood altogether." Well put.