Spicy Bear and Holiday Pre-Gaming

Claire came down with a 103 fever last Thursday night. She was a snuggly hot potato and while I never want my children to feel bad, I do love being able to comfort them as they wrap their tight little monkey arms and legs around my body when they don't feel good.

 

She would not separate from my lap, and Landon would not separate far from her. Favorite Baby also stayed close by for comfort (as did pink blankie, which reminds me, we should really was that thing now that she's better...).

(on my "yap," with a book and bug as pillow, and baby and brother nearby)

Through the magic of grape ibuprofen Claire's fever was controlled all day Friday and seemed to disappear on Saturday morning. We had tickets to the Fort Worth Zoo Pumpkins and Pancakes member event, so off we went to ride the carousel and watch lions hunt for meat-stuffed pumpkins hidden around their habitat. Claire indulged in the former for the first time and Landon thought the latter was the highlight of the day.

Carousel; Landon wanted a horse, Claire wanted the wagon. Claire won.
Don't let the mohawk fool you, he's a pushover.)

Claire's fever popped back up Saturday evening so we spent Sunday morning watching Tangled for the 16th time in 2 weeks (between JP, me, and Landon being sick two weekends ago and Claire being sick this past one, we have had a serious Pixar/Disney overdose). That night we went crazy and ate out at a Fort Worth restaurant for the first time since mid-September. It was a hole-in-the-wall Mexican place with yelp promises of excellent enchiladas verdes and spicy homemade salsa.

Claire, ever our culinary adventurer, indulged in both:

big chip!

zomg so hot

omg, seriously. so hot!

beer me.

phew

let's do that again!

Today was a federal holiday, and since I am now a federal employee, I got to stay home in my PJ pants all day! Claire hasn't had a fever since Saturday night, but she's still a little snugglier and more subdued than normal, so I kept her home with me while Landon went to school. She was snuggled next to me on the couch (under the germ-infested pink blankie) while I did things on the computer and she gave me a running monologue about her toys (2 wooden trees from a train set, small plastic starfish from who knows where, a fisher price little people dog from an Easter set, and two bangle bracelets). By the time she woke up from her nap at 5 p.m., my Aunty Lee's homemade lasagna was warming in the oven (omg so good; I ate a full cup of the sauce while it simmered on the stove for 2 hours yesterday), the entirety of my Christmas shopping was complete and within budget (thank goodness for the internet, online discount codes, and an oblivious 2-year-old who never looked too closely at the screen/Santa's workshop), and my Christmas cards were addressed and stamped (oy has that list gotten out of control; we have to stop moving and meeting new people).

There is still a lot of stress and uncertainty in our lives, and there are times when JP's job search, its lack of progress, and his flagging self-confidence make for mornings when I hide in my office before I can be myself to co-workers and evenings when I arrive home and sit in my car in the driveway to collect myself before I can walk inside full of smiles and support. I generally choose not to write on those days.

Today, was a pretty good day. I checked off all the items on my pre-holiday to-do lists and JP made a big fire in the pit in the backyard. Landon ran around in his old Transformer costume after school and Claire "helped" me make dinner and stamp cards. There are so many things I can't control right now, but I try to regain ground wherever possible. Like the holidays- I refuse to let them be stressful. I do everything in advance, sprinkling out the expenses over multiple credit card cycles, and I derive great peace and happiness from knowing the presents I've so lovingly selected for each kid will be sitting in my closet weeks before Santa gives them out.

Some days are bad; today was not. And at least I can always throw up a few pictures of the Bear to buy me time while I figure out how to write about both.