Finding the happy everywhere.

So - over the holidays both kids got extremely sick. High fever for days. Coughs that made a good night's sleep tough.  The conversation at the pediatrician on Christmas Eve (!) went something like this:

Doc (kindly and with great feeling): Oh, too bad you are feeling so very crummy over Christmas. You are just burning up! :(

Kate, to doc (earnestly): I had *perfect* attendance at school so far. If I'm going to get sick, then now - or the weekends - is the time to do it!

Doc (with admirable straight-faced delivery): Well, certainly if you were a Type A personality, yes.

Kate (in awe): How did you know?!


Soooo - we had been blessed with great health for all of us during the school time, pretty much.  Kate's right - if it has to happen, it is best to happen when I am off work and the kids are off school. But it really stunk to not have them energetic and bouncing around and able to go out and do things. A lot of fun activities that we had planned for break were canceled - no Ice Castle trip. No snowshoeing. No going to see the Terracotta Warriors at the Art Museum. Even hanging with friends was out as at first they were viral/contagious - -  and then it turned bacterial and they were super gross. :)

THANKFULLY they are healed and fine.  ALL is well. BUT. Boy did Nick and I need to get out of the house. I realize there are parents with very sick, desperately ill kiddos and we had it SO easy by comparison, but we HAD to get out of the house. To highlight this need please understand that the kids were so sick and I was housebound with them for so many days straight in a cold Minnesota dark winter that my car battery died from misuse. :)

Once the antibiotics were administered, Nick and I got the chance to see the US Air Force Academy hockey team play the Minnesota Gophers hockey team.  We went to a USAFA alum gathering first and it was so fun.   Of course Nick was rooting for the Falcons....and I had hopes for them as well. But the Gophers ARE ranked Number 1 in the country. AND literally half the hockey team are former or current students of mine....so I was pretty pleased to see the Gophers perform so well (and win the game). It was such a fun - and needed - night out.

But truly - though the kids were sick for almost 3 weeks...I loved cuddling them. I loved being able to care and provide for them. I loved watching movies and snuggling with them and reading to them in bed. I know absolutely that those moments FLY by and that sooner than I want there will not be those opportunities for cuddles and whispers and hugs around the neck because they will be bigger and more independent and grown - as I want them to be. I know that I will not always have the chance to sit on their bed while they sleep and kiss them on the forehead and marvel at their eyelashes on their sweet rosy cheeks without them opening their eyes and saying "Oh my gosh Mom you are so weird and embarrassing!" And the fact that a night out to a hockey game felt like the most special, cherished date with my husband is something that I LOVE. Because we enjoy our time together no matter where we are, no matter what we are doing. And that is special. And rare. And wonderful. And I know it.

Why not find the happy everywhere? What's the point in doing otherwise? We are so very abundantly blessed with love and care.

Here is a snapshot....Nick has his "I'm on vacation" scruffy beard that I actually love on him. Lucky me to have a guy like him. Don't I know it!