Family time

The Holiday season has officially begun tonight with the first of the season broadcast of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”. The 7-year-old demanded that we watch it as a family. As the time neared we all settled in. The little one is working on a bracelet with her rainbow loom, Meg is laying with her favorite little bear,appropriately named “bear”, the dog is in the middle of the floor chewing on her bone while the hubby has fallen asleep. I sit here typing.

Family time is nice time. It does look a little different than it did as I watched Rudolph as a kid. I remember searching the TV listings circling the date and times of the specials. If you missed it when it was on there was nothing to do but wait until next year. I told the girls this as the show was about to start tonight to which I was told “that much have been tough”. Smartass kids. Last year our DVR was filled with specials, until I realized that they were shown several times on several stations over the season. This year we printed what seems to be a pretty complete list of holiday shows. It is over 3 pages long. I love the season but can not commit to seeing them all! 🙂

The ability to chill out in pj’s with an almost 50-year-old Christmas special with the people you love, well it does not get much better now does it? I remember watching this very show with my mother. I wonder if my girls will be sitting in a living room 30ish years from now watching with families of their own. I guess I will have to make a note to make sure I write a blog post while sitting with the grandchildren watching Rudolph. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?!

Brave…the movie

While I was in the Hospital after my prophylactic mastectomy, Frank and the girls went to the movies to see Disney’s Brave. I remember when they got to the hospital the girls hugging me and telling me that they all cried at the movie. I was not too aware of the plot. The girls told me that they thought of me when the princess almost lost her mommy which is why they cried. Frank compared me to the momma bear. I was intrigued but I was still on the pain pump so details of any conversation from that time period are a bit hazy but it stuck with me for several reasons. One because I was happy that they were out doing things together. Another because whatever had struck them about the movie caused them to talk which is something that the girls did not often do with their father. This movie was an important bonding time for the three of them that has continued nicely to this day.

Since the movie was important to them, especially to Madison, I wanted receiving it to be just as important. For Christmas, Madi received the DVD and a play set that included both Princess Merida and Angus (her horse). She was very excited! Usually when we get a new movie there is a big rush for the girls to watch it but not this time. The three of them agreed that we all needed to watch it together.

So today was the day. I made hot chocolate for the girls and I and the four of us settled in for movie time. The girls even took turns sitting on my lap, which is not normal nor it is easy these days with their sizes.

The movie was very good! There were no tears this time but I understand why there were the first time. In the movie due to decisions made by the princess, the queen is turned into a bear and unless the bond that was broken can be repaired, the spell will not be able to be reversed and her mother will be lost forever. She needs to be Brave to save her mother and protect her from hunters while trying to reverse the spell. Even in her darkest day with hunters upon her, the momma bear still protects the princess fully knowing that she is in the situation because of her daughter. My baby girls explained that when they saw it while I was in the hospital, they thought of me as the Brave momma bear who they would never want to lose and that they needed to protect me. Pretty cool!

As I have stated many times throughout the process, the babies who I was so worried about somewhere right in front of my eyes grew into beautiful, caring young girls. I am so proud of them both!

And as a movie review, I would give Brave 2 thumbs up! A great family movies that can spark even better life lesson conversations!

A down right epidemic

Ahh the holidays, the smell of cookies baking, the sounds of carols playing, and of course the ever-present sick family member. This year it is members and it started with the youngest. We have all been battling colds for weeks. Very normal this time of year in my part of the world. By Christmas eve, Madi was complaining of ear pain so off to the doctor we went. Hoping that this was the worst of it, back to normal preparations we returned after our medical detour.

Next was my husband. Late Christmas Eve he said he did not feel well but with everything going on I did not think too much of it. Also, his decision to wash the car in the driveway in 40 degree, cloudy weather helped develop my belief that he got a bit of what he deserved. I told him to go to bed early but think he was a little afraid, (we watch It’s a wonderful life every year and then put the presents under the tree).

Christmas was a nice day. Frank did the cooking and most of the dishes but was struggling. At dinner he was sweating. By dessert he was shivering. By bed time he was in the fetal position with a fever of about 102.5 and a layer of blankets. His fever lingers but he is starting to feel better.

Megan must have felt left out because as I put her to bed on Christmas night I felt her little burning head. She had such a good time during the day she never complained but her fever was also about 102. To the doctors yesterday and a long wait. They pediatrician’s office was short-handed because they had to send a doctor home sick! By the way, when I woke up I had no voice, to the joy of the entire family. No fever so I am a step ahead of the rest! I dropped Meg home then went to the CVS to pick up her prescription.

Although plenty of time should have passed, I was told there would be a wait. As I looked around I realized the place was packed. In the back of the store is a Minute Clinic. There were people siting up and down the back 2 aisles of the store. They had to be waiting hours. The pharmacy had bins stacked. The sounds of coughing and sneezing filled the air and in my head all I heard was my own voice screaming to get the hell out of there, but I waited. I slid down an empty aisle and stood until I heard my name.

I am seeing posts on FB of people saying the same things, flu, viruses and sinus infections. It seems like an epidemic. Funny, they have been pushing flu shots. Everyone has told me that I needed to get one this year. I was going to the other day but with holiday chaos I never got there. The rest of the family did as did almost everyone else I know who are currently flat on there backs sick. Not too sure what to make of that.

I still have little voice and today a lovely cough has joined the party. Still no fever so I am the rock holding my achy fever ridden family together. Tomorrow and Saturday are both days to lay low. Sunday we are supposed to have Franks sisters for dinner so hopefully things are looking up by then. I am glad that the girls are off from school this week but also feel bad that their break is consumed with not feeling well.

It could always be worse.