How I Survive Winter

Winter is doable for me through about New Year's.  After that, it becomes one long 3-month ordeal to Spring.  Winter means cold hands, wet feet, an assortment of fevers, viruses and infections, short days, and early nights.  It just isn't my favorite, or 2nd favorite, or 3rd favorite season.  And while I enjoy a good sweater wearing season, that is what Fall is for.  Winter is for Christmas, and then I want it to be warm again.

So, I have had to come up with survival tactics.  I drink hot chocolate, wear wool socks, layer with sweaters and have space heaters strategically placed around the house.  And I also have taken up snow shoeing.  And by taking up, I mean I go a couple times of year.  But those couple of times are literal magic.  There is something about walking through a snow covered forest, breathing fresh air (out of the inversion!), and watching Oliver bomb-dive snow piles that just makes my heart happy.  And here we are with two of my dearest friends, Marianne and Bryan.  I love these two so much.  Marianne is the instigator of lots of the good things in my life.  Bread class?  That was all her.  Snow shoeing on this Saturday?  Their idea too.  They even brought hot apple cider, crackers and Nutella on our adventure.  Everyone needs friends like these.

Sheesh

In the last 3 weeks, between Scott and Lucy and me, we have had,

3 ear infections
1 fever
1 stomach flu
1 sinus infection
1 strep-like sore throat, but 10X worse

and all 3 of us have had a standing, 3 month cold

I'm looking for a break somewhere, before I roll up in the fetal position and cry.

Uncle, Uncle, Uncle.

Update:  and Scott is pretty sure he ruptured his ear drum.

Pretty, Pretty

These flowers were probably the prettiest that Scott has ever given me.  There were tulips and roses and ranunculus.  I loved them!  Poor Scott though.  He always has bad luck when he tries to have flowers delivered.  It used to be a fantasy of mine to have flowers delivered at work.  So, once upon a time, about 5 years ago he had some roses scheduled to be delivered on Valentines.  When there was no phone call from me he started to get worried.  One week later they arrived (thanks, 1-800 flowers.)

This year he had them scheduled to be delivered to the house.  Alas, the driver quit on Valentine's.  Who does that?  But I still got them.  And they were still pretty amazing.

Scott also gave me a Mandoline, which is pretty cool.  I have been wanting one for awhile now, and it makes making my daily sweet potato chips a breeze.  The night was capped off with dinner at Cucina Toscana.  Lucy got some books and a puzzle from the Valentine's Day Man.  She wasn't overly excited.

And this weekend, we are going to enjoy my present, which was a trip to Zions.  We really need to get out of the cold and our sick, sick house.  Hopefully it will warm up a little down South, and we can have an early Spring.  All in all, it was a pretty sweet Valentines.

Lucy and How to Handle Stress

I can always tell if Lucy is getting irritated, because she starts removing her clothes.  She is irritated a lot during her naps, because I often find her in a state of undress.  It kills me what she manages to remove.  So far, no diaper.  But I bet we aren't far away.  The other day she managed to have her shirt pulled over her head, but her arms still in.  I should have gotten a picture of that one.  It was priceless.

Scott's Valentines

Scott's Valentines gift looked a little like this.  I made up clues based off of two of my favorite children's books.  The books were wrapped up with the clues.  The answers led to a 2 night stay in Zion's during his Spring Break next week.  All 3 of us have been sick for 2+ months.  A little vacation somewhere warmer is just what I think we need!

So next weekend we will be packing up our bikes, baby backpack and heading for sunnier climates and R&R!

Love, Love, Love

Who is getting kisses in your house today?

Happy

Lucy's newest word is happy.  And she says this when she is snuggling.  She will lift up her little arms, ask for a hug, lean in and say, "happy (appee)."  I don't know who taught her this.  Scott?  I actually don't think I say happy that much, but it makes me really happy when she does.  And look at those little curls peaking out from her hat.  They make me happy too.

Yummy

Lucy's favorite word right now is yummy.  A couple of nights ago, several hours after we put her to bed, I could hear her talking to her baby (featured in the post below), and saying, "Mmmmm, yummy, yummy.  Mmmmmm, yummy, yummy, yummy."

Yesterday, when I walked into the house after putting Oliver outside, Lucy quickly licked the snow off my boots, looked at me and said, (you guessed it), "Mmmmm, yummy, yummy."

Bedtime Rituals

Miss Lucy hates going to bed.  It started when we put her in own room at 6 months.  She can tell if you are taking her to her room for a diaper change or playtime, or if she is going down for the dreaded nap.  She cries, clings to you and in all ways acts completely pathetic and heartbroken.

We have a nighttime ritual.  Feed, bathe, change, toothbrush, read.  And then we put her down with her "baby" which is really an Ugly Doll and listen to her cry for 5-10 minutes.  After nearly 9 months, this schedule hasn't changed.  She still cries, every single time.  We wait to put her blankets on after she falls asleep, otherwise they are thrown out of the crib in disgust.

And so, one night, when I went to put her blankets on, my heart melted with this dimly lit view.  How sweet is this?  Lucy is not a fan of the baby when it isn't bedtime, because she associates it with her crib.  However, it is her comfort all night long.  After she calms down, we hear her talking to it,

"no, no baby."
"mmmm, yum, yum, yum."
"peek a boo."

and she usually wakes up peacefully talking to her doll.

Pictures like these, make trying days and months worth it.  And by trying months, I mean Lucy has been sick in January.  All month long.  Between a black eye, a 2.5 week cold, and an ear infection, we are about done in.

Thank goodness for sweet, sleeping moments, and Ugly Dolls, to make my heart sing.

Dear Today

I really love you.  I do.  So many sweet and simple and silly things happened.

Like Lucy picking up my phone, and pretending to laugh.  Or taking a tissue and wiping her own nose.

Or when I was on the phone with a sweet (apparently young) customer service rep, who was so surprised when she found out my age.  It was complimentary and offensive, all at the same time.  "What, you are THAT old, but you sound so, so, young."  Yep, I'm 32 and fabulous.

Or when I found out I have been selected to be in PDN Top Knots issue.  That is kinda a big deal for me.

Or when I found out that one of my weddings will be featured in Style Me Pretty.  That is also super cool.

Dear Today, I ate really healthy, and I felt good.  Veggie chili and homemade sourdough bread for lunch, mmmmmm.  Tikka Masala, brown rice, and veggie/barley salad for dinner?  Even better.  It makes me feel good to be in control of my life, eating healthy and delicious food (well, Lucy ate chocolate pudding).

I ran 30 minutes.  For you runners out there, that is small potatoes.  For me, it was like climbing Everest.  3 months ago I couldn't even fathom running a mile.  I feel strong and powerful.  I feel empowered.  I'm so proud of myself.  Today I did 60 minutes of cardio total.  Go me.

and I was sad that I couldn't read, "The Book Thief", because Scott left it at work.  But it is probably just a well because I wanted to read it in the bath, and inevitably I would get water on it, and ruin it for him.

Today, I saw the sun, and there was no inversion and the snow melted.

I spent some time with an old friend, and by old, I mean we have been friends for 13 years, because we are NOT old.

I watched Lucy give herself a chocolate mustache with her pudding, I gloried in her new, darling haircut, and we played peek-a-boo and talked about colors.

Today, I ate dinner with Scott, and sent him off to night class,
while I bathed and read to Lucy (she surprised me with a choo choo when we came to the train; Scott secretly taught her). 

So, Today was a good, good day.  Thanks a whole bunch for being awesome.

-Lindsey