Sick and Tired

It has been a rough week. With Rinar out of town for his weekly Albuquerque trip, Julia decided to get sick at 12:30am. I had to give her a bath and have her sleep in my bed for the night. We went back to sleep at 1am. She woke up every hour or so because she was so miserable. In the meantime, Zach was coughing profusely at about 2am. So I turned on the humidifier and gave him some medicine. At 3am I heard Eli crying vigorously. His light was on and he was standing there in a daze. He had vomited on his blanket so I changed everything out and put him back to bed.

It was not the most peaceful night's sleep I have had, that is for sure.

Hence, Wednesday required an incredibly high volume of diapers in our house. I was up to my elbows in it. Let's just leave it at that.

Thankfully, I have some incredible neighbors and friends who rescued me as I was about to drown. I called Rich M. to come and give Eli a blessing. He brough Dwan with him and they gave him a beautiful blessing. Then Rich told me he would send Elaine over to help me. She came and started doing laundry and vacuuming things. Eli had vomited on almost every carpet in my house. She started cleaning the carpets and then Rich came back and cleaned all of the carpets upstairs. It must have taken him 2 hours to do it. He just did it. Elaine held babies and just gave me the extra pair of hands I desperately needed.

Things started to subside a bit and I only had to wake up once the next night. I thought Eli was better, but he wasn't.

Thursday was a day of baby-holding. Eli planted himself on my lap and wouldn't leave. Julia was still sick and Harry seemed to be getting sick, but I wasn't sure. Julia and Eli wanted me to hold them. So I called my visiting teacher Sue H. to come help me. She came right over and held Julia while I held Eli and took a nap. I really needed a nap, that is for sure.

Rinar had been sick in Albuquerque, but thankfully he didn't come home sick. He got home late because his plane was delayed, of course, and was able to help me. Finally there was someone else around who could change these incessant diapers.

Raef came down with it over the weekend and now Harry is sick.

Did I ever tell you that I have FIVE children now?

Eli's First Sick Day and a Rant!!!

Yep, it's official. Eli is sick today. This is a first: in spite of two brief runny noses in the past, Eli had a temperature today. He was a lot fussier than normal, and wanted to be held all the time. He also took 3 naps today, instead the normal two.

Luckily, Amy saved me today and took Raef and Zach to our co-op. I stayed home and did stuff around the house while Eli slept.

Can I hear a big aaaaahhhhh?

Eli says thanks in advance for all of your sympathy. I think he is starting to feel better, so hopefully tomorrow he will be on the road to recovery.

We also drove through the The Gift of Lights at Sunset Park. It was exceptionally lame, but very free. Therefore it didn't bother me... much.

ATTENTION: Rant is coming your way.

Is it just me or does it bother anyone else that every year Christ is taken out of Christmas more and more in favor of Santa, Reindeer, and an annoying little snowman named Frosty. Don't believe me? Turn your radio station to the Christmas channel and listen to about 5 songs. Not one of them will be about Jesus Christ. Lots of stuff on snow, lights, santa, reindeer, chipmunks, and that Beatle dude that just put an X right through the most important part of the word Christmas.

I remember sitting in my bedroom window, when I was a teenager, staring at the Christmas display across the street. It completely fascinated me. My neighbor had a very simple Nativity scene. Oh, how I loved it. I would listen to beautiful, sacred Christmas music and dream about the presents I would give and receive. It made me feel so good to be alive, and for a little baby in a manger.

What message do we send to kids these days? It's all about the toys and no matter how much you have, there is always more stuff to get...more, moRE, MORE!!! I get exhausted just thinking about it.

It isn't even Christmas and the santa music is annoying me already.

Season's Greetings, Happy Holidays, Feliz Navidad, Happy Hannukah.

But, but, but...do you hear Merry Christmas?

No, {gasp}, how could one utter such a scandalous phrase? So, unless you are Jewish, I am not accepting any greetings except Merry Christmas this year. If someone says, "Happy Holidays" while I am checking out at a store, I am putting them in their place. It is all nonsense...absolute nonsense. And even if someone is Jewish, why in the world would they be offended if I said Merry Christmas? It certainly would not be offensice if they said Happy Hannukah to me. Big deal.

News flash people...Christmas is about Jesus Christ.

Yep, this man right here. He, who has saved us all.

Not Frosty...

Not Santa...

Not Rudolph...

Or that annoying Beatle guy.

So let me be the first to tell you this holiday season...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!