Surviving Christmas Vacation

I have been absent as of late. Around 3am the morning after Christmas, with my forehead pressed to the cool porcelain of our toilet, I began to wonder if "Bowling" actually translated to something like "house of disease" in ancient Norse. The past week had given me plenty of reason to wonder. Shortly after our AMOK Christmas Bonanza, Alastair woke up with a fever that took two trips to the doctors to diagnose as an ear infection. With no symptoms aside from fever and lethargy, I was hard pressed to believe that by day 3 this was viral... And with Alastair on the mend (and antibiotics) by Friday, I crashed hard. I woke up feeling like I had swallowed broken glass and let us just say that the day did not improve from there. It took several days for me to be able to move around again and actually eat. Great timing for my brief recovery because I had to scramble for a few last minute odds and ends (which would not have been so last minute a week earlier). I had an OK Tuesday, a great Christmas Eve, and crashed again Christmas night. I am so grateful that I felt good Christmas morning because it was the only part of the holidays that I thoroughly enjoyed and spending it with just Kim and Alastair was wonderful. By the day after, I was in the doctor's office getting 2L of IV fluids. That was Friday. And by the following Wednesday I was able to move off my couch/bed and go to a New Year's Party for about two hours, sitting on my good friend Jennifer's couch instead. Boy, was this a holiday tradition NOT to repeat! A week of antibiotics and two weeks of anti-ulcer meds later, I am feeling about 85% back to normal. I wonder if the 15% of that is actually residual, or if it is me talking myself into thinking I'm not right because I am so scared of relapsing. Not being able to pick up my child and participate in all the fun of the holidays really sucked.

On a more positive note, Christmas morning really was wonderful. Kim and I got each other several gifts this year instead of just one or two big things. My hubby always spoils me and I got a massage gift certificate, fabulous new pj's (which I was able to live in over the next week), Photoshop magazines, and ironically, that KitchenAid Food Processor that I was talking about in the "Christmas is not a Four Letter Word" post (ironic because he hadn't actually read it). And Santa got us iPhones, which is my new favorite inanimate thing on earth even though I have only used it three or so times to make a phone call.



Alastair made out like a bandit. He got a tent, a rug to drive his cars on, tons of kiddo videos, an easel, a bean bag, a super cool remote control car that flips over when it hits something, a giant stuffed Horton, puzzles, and all sorts of wheeled toys. His absolute favorite presents were his Caterpiller Tractor/Front End Loader and 10 pack of Hot Wheels. Grand Total: $3 for Tractor through CVS wheeling and dealing, and $5 on the Hot Wheels (Black Friday, Wal-Mart). All those presents, and for $8, he was the happiest kid on the block. I'm happy he chose to play with the toys and not the bows/boxes!

Note the Tractor in the picture. It had to be within arm's reach all day.

The tent. Silly me... I thought this was going to be the best present EVER.

January also brings to mind new beginnings and resolutions. Long ago I resolved to not make official resolutions for the new year since I think it tends to be a bunch of hooey and who actually sticks to them anyway? When I resolve to make a change, it is because I need to make one, not because it is January again. I am a fan of "best of" lists and goal setting in general though!

My top things of 2008:

Meal Swap:
The best thing ever! Two girlfriends and I each cook two extra portions or two meals a month and then swap. I'm cooking anyway, and I come home with four different freezer meals a month, which is at least one meal a week I don't have to cook. Incidentally, we have an opening, Houston friends!

Google Reader:
If you aren't using this, you are missing out. I LOVE Google Reader. Possibly the greatest invention ever (after Tivo and the iPhone, of course. Well, and high speed internet. And the Harmony One Universal Remote. I digress).

2008 Couponing Deals:
The Great Huggies Deal of 2008.
I bought 23 or 24 boxes of wet wipes, tons of swim diapers, and assorted bath products, all for under $20 oop, including buying coupons. We are NOT going to discuss the gas I used chasing wipes all over town though. Sadly, Alastair is not planning to potty train before I run out. The best laid plans... This was the craziest I have gotten on a coupon deal and it mellowed me out for all of 2008. The coupon expired January 16th, I believe.

Hillshire Farms:
I got all this for about $6 oop. And I think I went back and got more after I took this picture.

Walgreens Diaper Deal
For about $6 oop, I ended up with roughly 8 packs of diapers.

CVS
Too many to count. Thank you CVS for giving me a new hobby. And giving me toothpaste. And razors. And diapers. And...

I know I am forgetting some other cool stuff, I'm sure, but of course the coolest thing (even better than Tivo) in 2008 was watching Alastair get moving and start talking. He cracks me up when he'll be sitting at the table waiting for dinner and will, apropos of nothing, exclaim "Ring of Fire!" from Finding Nemo, his all time favorite car movie. It is so neat to get an insight into what he's thinking, how he sees the world, and what his sense of humor is all about. Yesterday he helped me put clothes in the dryer and on the way out he tells me "Good job, Momma." Thanks kiddo.