Affirmations About the Sum

I am not defined by:

• the extra cream I put in my coffee today
• the large healthy salad I will have for lunch
• the exercise I did for an hour yesterday
• the complete absence of exercise over the weekend
• being the mom who can make her daughter laugh so hard that she cries
• being the screaming shrew of a mom who yells at kids for hours every afternoon, all while trying to get work done
• being the "always on" employee with the great job for people she genuinely likes
• being the person who just wants to shut off the work when the weekend comes
• my home, which looks like it was kit by a tornado most days
• my ability and passion for tidying up and preparing the perfect party
• having the worst brought out in my by my mother, when offereing up her parenting "two cents"
• being the daughter who is so grateful for the amazing amount of love she gives my kids each and every day of the summer, when most kids of a working mom would have to be in day care
• wanting to throttle my husband for waiting until the last possible day to pay a bill
• adoring this man so much it makes my heart ache

I am the sum of all these things, and more.

Humidity, Winter and Marriage

I am getting a cold.  The kind of itchy throat, slight sinus congestion and dry cough that indicates I should be miserable in a day or two  Fortunately my colds are usually pretty predictable and if I sleep with a humidifyer, drink lots and lots of water and inhale vitamin C...I can usually head-off a truly debilitating illness.  If I don't do the aforementioned things, I am sure to progress into an upper sinus infection or bronchitis.  It never fails.

Chris can't sleep with a humidifyer on.  If he does, he ends up as congested as I am without it.  And will get the upper sinus infection or case of bronchitis. And will be miserable.  And a big freaking baby. And yes, he will tell you the same thing about himself.

Ok, so it's not las if I am allergic to him.  It is inconvenient, at best, when one of us sleeps elsewhere.  But dammnit it is Friday, we get to sleep in tomorrow and I want Chris & I to slumber in the same place.  Is that so wrong?

On the up side, the kids had flu shots today and despite my worst fears, did remarkably well.  Jack kind of yelped, turned around to look at the nurse as if to say, "Lady what the eff did you just put in my arm?" then outwardly said, "Whew, that's better" to the utter delight of the nurse.  Abby recoiled generously at the alcohol rubbing stage, starting crying furiously, and when she realized that it was already over was giggling just as furiously, with tears still streaming down her face.  They can be so awesome.

The weekend?  It has promise of good weather, yard clean-up,  bread-baking, some recipe experimentation in preparation for Thanksgiving and a good dose of catching up with our kids now that the World Series is over.  (Please confirm my assumptions that other parents ignore their children during major sporting events?  Please?)