Christmas vacation with a silver lining

We are 5 days into the new year. The festive season has come and gone for another 12 months or so. Although the way the marketing machine works in the world I suspect we'll see the first hints of Christmas in about 9 months.

It was a wonderful break. Really really good. There was some bad stuff like my car being an asshole and costing me about 700 bucks I could have saved or used elsewhere. The weather being crap for playing outside or doing anything winter/snow related. As in there was no snow.

But in all reality I could not have asked for anything more. It was fantastic. And further proof that I could retire tomorrow and have a ton of things to do with my days, but I fear my savings would run out long before my ideas of things to do if I retired now. So I will carry on working for another 15 years or so.

The lack of snow meant easy travel for the most part and with a 700 km journey each way to the "nord" that was welcome.

We got to see family and friends and for the most part did not tire of either. 

We ate lots, probably drank more than we should have and generally enjoyed ourselves in all situations.

We even slept a great deal and partook of many naps which further refuelled the batteries in our life.

I learned a few things too. Maybe learned isn't the word, but gained a new perspective on things might be a more apt description.

We visited 5 week old puppies while we were off. Siblings of our existing dog. If you know what a labrador puppy looks like at 5 weeks of age, then you know how impossibly cute they are. Damn freaking adorable let me tell you. But I am glad that not one of them is coming home with us. No puppy training, no chewing, no howling in the middle of the night…thank goodness.

We visited some friends of Big C's while in the nord, the husband of which was diagnosed about a year ago with ALS. A cruel debilitating disease with very little chance of long term survival. You would think it a depressing visit and in some ways I suppose it was. I thought as we rolled away that there was very little chance that we'd see him alive again if our pattern of Christmas visits continues as it has. In all honesty it was more inspiring than upsetting.

It hurt to see his young daughters and know they would be without their dad within a few years, but he was the same old guy. No he could no longer walk and his speech was starting to slur a tiny bit, but he still had the zest for life and humour that he always had. He said to us that at one point he was ready to pack it in and give up on things and one nurse said that he still had much to give and many to inspire. I believe it. I'm not sure I was inspired, but forced to be happy for my own relatively good health as well as the health of those around me.

I have a chronic disease, but its managed and for the most part in remission so for that I am grateful. Big C and Miss K have their troubles too, but nothing major and all is manageable. You realize quickly how much life is impacted when we don't have our health. Even some small bout of flu can spell havoc for even the most organized of families, let alone a major illness or disease.

This man was losing control of his body. Motor function was failing him at every turn, but you could see the spirit and life and fun emanating from him no matter how bleak the situation may look. 

It put a lot of things in perspective. How things may truly suck in your life for any number of reasons, but if you put the good out there, share some positivity and contribute something wonderful no matter your limitation you are going to impact people on some level.

Miss K made me proud and thankful this holiday season too. She did have her moments of pure 5 year old selfishness where things were all about her and presents and doing what she wanted but for the most part she was her usual kind, caring and sensitive self.

We were around other people and kids that made me thankful that mine was for the most part polite, not argumentative, cleaned up after herself (not always without being asked, but acceptable for being 5), used her manners and was respectful of other kids and adults.

Is she the most perfect kid on the planet? Nah. But in my honest opinion I think most would say she is a pleasure to be around and doesn't make too many waves. 

She got an iPad for Christmas. OK, don't judge. Under normal circumstances there is no way in hell I would buy a 5 year old their own iPad. Not even a responsible, gentle kid like mine.

However I happened to win said iPad over the summer at a golf tournament. Both Big C and myself have one already. So obvious choice is the remaining member of the family who does not right?

Yes and no. I did consider a donation to a charitable organization as a fundraiser, but since I won it from such a fundraiser, I thought that sort of weird.

Miss K is very responsible and careful when using our iPads so I knew damage would not be an issue. But still an iPad for a 5 year old?

We eventually decided that we would, it would be a good learning tool and something to grow with her and use for school etc…

Before Christmas Miss K did mention that she was saving her money for an iPad. We told her that she would have to save a lot and she seemed OK with that.

A few days after receiving her iPad we had this discussion.

"Hey mom?"

"Yes"

"You said iPad's cost a lot of money right?"

"Yes"

"So did you and dad have to pay a lot of money for the iPad I got for Christmas"

"No, not really. Do you remember the time I went to that golf tournament and you and dad hung out because I left really early and got home just when you went to bed"

"Uh-huh"

"Well, there was a contest that you bought tickets for and I won the iPad at that golf tournament and that is why you got it for Christmas"

"Oh, OK"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, you said it was a lot of money for one and I was saving for one and I didn't want you to spend a lot of money"

"We would not have bought you one if that is what you are asking"

"No, but I can use my money now to buy stuff for the iPad right""

"Yes, you can"

"it was pretty lucky to win one wasn't it?"

"Yes it was"

"I'm glad you did, I really like it"

"I'm glad I did too"

Yup, it was an expensive gift for a 5 year old, but after that conversation I'm glad we did it. She very likely has no concept of how much an iPad actually costs but is smart enough to know she's pretty lucky to have one and that is enough for me.

Plus, the fact that she is more content to do crafts or play games than be glued to the iPad. I know at least for the time being there will not have to be any restrictions on how much she can use it or limiting her screen time, she's is her own best electronics police. In the 10 days she's had it, I think she might have logged about 3 hours total on it, and that is just perfect in my books.

When you hear of all the childhood obesity and lack of social interaction skills due to tv/video games or in general screen time, I'm very happy to say my child does not think any of that screen time is a priority, and neither do I.

I hope everyone had some enlightening and uplifting moments in the last few weeks

Til next time…stay warm!

The final countdown

Four days until Christmas.

And its pouring rain. Yuck. Admittedly in these parts we are more likely to have green Christmas than those in other parts of the country, but this is nuts.

It is supposed to be 11 degrees and rain in the 23rd. What?!

Crazy stuff. We're headed north to see Big C's dad so we should have snow, but even that could be touch and go as they're forecasting warmth and rain just before the big day there too.

We've completed one Christmas already. It was good too. My mom and stepfather were down. We went bowling, opened gifts, had food, played cards. Mostly we just had some fun and lots of laughs. A good time had by all really.

Miss K was excited about bowling but then her ear began to hurt so the enthusiasm wore off a bit. She perked back up when we got there and then proceeded to have a good afternoon and evening with her grandparents and parents before passing out at 7:50pm last night. Some ibuprofen and ear drops and she was good to go for today so that is a blessing.

I'm a little disappointed that I still have one Christmas present to get…a gift card that I cannot get anywhere but at the store it is for. And I have not got there yet. I do feel that I could wait until after Christmas though as we will not be giving this gift until we return from the nord.

That and it was a weekend of hemorrhaging money. We knew there was going to be the last gift cards and cash for the sitter, dog walker, etc… as well as the inevitable liquour and beer run. But we did not plan on the 220.00 vet bill.

The dog has some sort of infection between his toes. The vet says its pretty common in dogs, especially the water loving kind of dog like ours, but its not so common to have the infection in 3 of 4 paws instead of just one.

Awesome. Now we have to manage 2 weeks of antibiotics and a few doses of corticosteroids for the inflammation. I say we, but I really mean me. I am the one that is up in the morning feeding him for the most part and supper time is a crap shoot, so I might as well do the whole thing.

He is typically fabulous at taking any sort of meds. Put it in his food and he eats it. Done.

Friday night that got blown to hell. He chomped one of the capsules instead of inhaling food like normal. It burst open and he just about gagged on what was inside. No way no how was he going back near that bowl of food. 

He could have been famished for all I knew, but he wasn't going back lest he get a taste of that medicine again.

So, we've now resorted to the capsule wrapped in a partial cheese slice method for administering these pills. It works nicely, but he's enjoying the cheese a bit too much I think. He follows me around wondering if there may be more. If he were a dog on the street would he be a drug addict? LOL

Big C is on antibiotics for a sinus type infection…I'm surrounded by sickies.

It should be a good Christmas, Miss K is excited but isn't losing the true meaning of things either. I chuckled last week when the 2 elf on the shelfs they have at school got together and had a birthday party for Jesus in the classrooms. I thought it a good mix of Christianity and the Santa Phenomenon.

I will still grumble some about the commercialism and mass marketing machine that is Christmas, but I'm staying out of the hustle and bustle as much as I can and hopefully staying sane in the process.

Yesterday was a simple day with family, I hope the rest of the season can be as much fun and possibly filled with naps.

Sleep is eluding me these days. The hours between 4 and 5:30 am seem to be the most troublesome. Miss K was up at 5:10 this morning, that did not help the situation.

I crave 8 solid hours of good quality sleep. Long for it. Yearn for it. But, the zzz's do not come. 

They will though. Every week or 2 of 6 hour slumber nights are followed by a couple weeks of solid sleep nights that really do recharge the system.

You take what you get, once done its done there is no going back…and all that cliche type crap.

Christmas vacation could not come at a better time. I need the recharge, the food, the drinks the time spent with loved ones.

Til next time…hope you can recharge your life over the festive season

The countdown continues and Nightmare on Elf Street

Somehow time has ticked away so that we are only 22 days away from Christmas.

How in the hell did that happen?

I thought I was ready this year. I mean you pretty much have a 364 day warning that its coming again on December 25th, but still you don't ever seem quite prepared enough.

I am trying to keep things low key and minimize the stress however. I'm one that would be all for a burgers and beer and store bought cake type of Christmas. But I also confess to loving big turkey dinners with loads of homemade treats.

Shopping is pretty much done. Thanks to the 24/7 availability of the online store it makes a busy mom's life much easier when she can shop on Tuesday night at 9 o'clock in her p.j.'s. One can even get their husband's approval on items they are buying for his relatives. Thank you God for the internet, you have saved my sanity, not to mention a trip to the mall, which would result in rage or at least annoyance of indescribable proportions.

I've got a good start on baking and cooking for the holiday too which is a plus. The next few weekends have quite a bit of stuff going on, so not much time for domestic chores.

All in all as prepared as I should or could be. Still some stuff to get, but we're down to the gift card/cash/alcohol stage so that is pretty straightforward to do at any time without being mobbed.

Miss K is starting to get excited about the big event, or big events as they have about 100 things going on this month for them at school. There's a big dinner, some field trip to a play, among other things.

She took her head out on a rock Tuesday at school. Which resulted in her being basically sent home with a watch for concussion symptoms sheet of paper that had to be signed and returned if she passed the test so to speak. 

When her description of the events was that she thinks she tripped on a stick while playing hide and seek and thought it funny that the "girls" were looking all over for her. (she was the self proclaimed winner of the hide and seek that lunch period). She was impressed with the freezie she got while sitting in the office and was thoroughly impressed that she got to go home early with what she said was not even a "contusion"

I declare no sign of concussion, just typical 5 year old enthusiasm for something out of the ordinary.

Yesterday I came home to pick her up to find she'd spiked a pretty good fever. Awesome. Kinda figured it was coming as the day before there were 7 kids absent from her class. (she made 8 with the head injury).

She was reasonably pleasant over the course of the evening, even managing to join us for supper, but she was in bed at 7:15 saying that everything hurt and we prepared for the night of drama to come.

All in all not so bad. She awoke at 10:30 complaining that her ears really really hurt. I asked if she wanted ear drops and she said yes, so with that affirmation I know things must have been rough. I stuck around for a snuggle and when I went to go back to bed she gave me that look that would melt the heart of any parent around.

The look that says "I know you really can't do much for me mom, but if you could just hang out I'd be really really happy". OK, done.

I scooped up Miss K and off to the spare bed we went. I did manage to scare the crap out of Big C when I told him what was up…poor guy. About 5 seconds after I crawled into bed with Miss K she let out a big sigh and fell into a fitful sleep. 

The fever broke a couple hours later and life and sleep returned to almost normal. She was gung ho to go to school for a while, then thought maybe a day at the sitter's might be better as it had already been a pretty crazy week.

In other news we have an elf. Not an elf on the shelf, but one that acts like it.

Big C really wanted to do it last year and I was not really on board. I was not on board this year either, spending 50 bucks for that creepy looking thing and a book was a little too much for me. Not to mention I don't have the time to hide that stupid toy every night and have it do crafts or change the oil in the car or whatever people do with the damn thing.

That little skinny thing gives me the creeps. Nightmare on Elf Street if you ask me. And spying on kids, to make them behave for the month of December? Bullshit, kids should behave the whole year, not just under the threat of reports to Santa and no toys.

I told Big C he was on his own. If he wanted to be creative, then go for it, I was having no part in it. He  did figure that the real Elf was too much money. But I give him kudos for dubbing a stuffed Elf that we already had as Miss K's pseudo "Elf on the Shelf". She thought it very cool and quickly named it Snowflake.

We're not really doing the "behave or else" spin on things but more the fun magical side of hide and seek and where will he be tomorrow. 

I can get on board with the magic of Christmas and she does delight in even the simplest of moves. Big C tipped Snowflake on his side yesterday before leaving, and Miss K determined he must have got tired and needed a nap.

I'm not a fan of the marketing machine that is Elf on the Shelf, but am a fan of seeing delight and wonder in my kids eyes when she truly believes there is some sort of magic taking place.

After the start of the week that she has had, I will take anything that doesn't involve another bottle of ibuprofen

Til next time….may the elves in your life soon have all the Christmas shopping done

Thanksgiving and the great marketing machine

Another long weekend has come and gone. A beautiful Thanksgiving weekend in these parts. Sunny, highs near 20 degrees, which at this time of year is a rarity. That's about 68-70 degrees for you folks that use Fahrenheit. 

And the weekend seemed long too. We didn't do too much special but it seemed like a good 3 day break from the everyday. Very nice to have the good weather to go along with it. 

We did a ton of yard work, not nearly enough I'm sure, as we'll still be out in the freezing cold trying so scoop up the last of the leaves and cut the grass one more time. But we're slowly getting stuff put away and cleaned up and ready for winter.

The weekend was not all work either. Big C and the dog got 2 hunting days in so that was exciting for them. Exciting for Miss K and I as well and we were able to sleep in. Not that we couldn't have slept in with them home, its just different somehow…quieter maybe is the word. I dunno, it was nice to sleep past 7 at least once and nearly 7 the other 2 days.

Miss K had her swimming lessons Saturday morning. There were no tears this week, she still cannot get over that she is too big for a parent to go in the pool with her. She feels a little out of her element all by herself I guess, but she's doing ok just the same.

We had a big family dinner on the weekend. My mom's family still gets together over Thanksgiving and Christmas. All the cousins now bring their kids and I'm suspecting in a few years we could even see another generation as the cousin's kids start having kids which is frightening unto its own.

There were about 28 or so of us for supper. A big group, but kind of nice that you could avoid the ones that you don't really want to talk to. One cousin was home that hadn't been in about 3 years so it was nice to see them. Others who shall go nameless, I just try to avoid.

Miss K had fun. She stuck pretty close to Big C and I for the most part but she was reasonably social and well behaved. She was also asleep about 15 minutes into the drive home, but when you play hard you sleep hard too.

Back to the grind for a shorter week which is always nice. Sucky that its the last long weekend before Christmas, but what can you do?

Speaking of Christmas my dislike for the season is increasing. There is Christmas crap in the stores already…already like 2 or 3 weeks ago already. Total bullshit. The marketing machine of corporate greed rolls on. Pretty soon we'll be able to buy Christmas lights with our kids back to school supplies.

It's awful. No wonder people get so stressed during the holidays, this crap has been shoved down your throat for over 2 months about buy this, do that, make this blah, blah blah.

I hate it. I don't hate much in this world but I hate the materialism, marketing and mayhem that goes along with it.

Deep down I quite like Christmas, there is much wonder and peace to be had with the season, but all this other crap I can do without.

I went this morning before work to pick up some solutions to our mouse in the house problem and a few other things and was assaulted by boxes and boxes of Christmas crap awaiting to be displayed in the aisles along with the stuff that was already there.

Not the way I wanted to start my day. Halloween is still 2.5 weeks away and I have to see all of that?

I don't get it, I never will and I will rebel against the Christmas machine. I long for a simpler time. Maybe not so simple that the gifts are handmade, but you get where I'm going…no one really needs a clove ball for their closet anymore do they?

We know Christmas is coming, we will probably decorate, and buy gifts but don't bombard us with gross displays of money grabbing commercialism until at least mid November…

I know its just my two cents…but that is about all I want to spend on Christmas at this time of year.

Til next time be thankful for what you have and enjoy the good weather while it lasts