—1—
On Monday, my daughter came home and told me she'd signed up to bring 2 dozen cookies to school.
"Sure, what's the occasion?" I asked.
"We're having a winter solstice party."
Ah, like the winter solstice parties of my youth. Filled with... um... uh... oh that's right, nobody celebrates winter solstice!
"What the heck is a winter solstice party?!" I yelled.
She shrugged. "The teacher said we can't call it a holiday party, so we call it a winter solstice party so no one is offended."
Oh, for the love of Tina Turner. I thought the entire point of saying 'happy holidays' was so that we didn't offend anyone.
Anyway, the point is moot because I'm offended by being asked to bake. So it didn't even work.
Look at me, all full of winter solstice spirit! |
—2—
In our family scriptures at night, we started reading the story of Jesus' birth from Matthew. Matthew begins by giving the genealogy of Joseph, a.k.a. an entire page of "So-and-so begat So-and-so." That's thirty-nine 'begat's in all.
We slogged through it, read the rest of the chapter and discussed it a little bit, and at the end the 5-year-old asked, "So why did everybody forget everyone?"
—3—
One of my girls is allergic to peanuts, and we go back to the allergist every year to keep tabs on it.
The allergist mentioned that next year their clinic was starting to offer oral immunotherapy (OIT) and said my daughter would be a good candidate. He encouraged us to look into it and call the office if it's something we were interested in.
Basically, it's a new experimental therapy designed to desensitize kids to their allergens by giving them ever-increasing small doses of them over time.
With life being what it is, I haven't had one single minute to even sit down and research it, but I thought I'd pose it to you guys. Have you ever heard of OIT? Or know anyone who's done it?
—4—
We almost made it to Christmas without getting sick, but over the last few weeks we've been passing something around in our house and someone has been stuffy, achy, and tired every day.
As a result, all of the presents are still unwrapped, the kids are glued to the iPad all day long while I lay there moaning, and one of my daughters lost a shoe days ago and has just been wearing snow boots to school because I've been too tired to find them or take her shopping.
The baby is also at the delightful age where you can't tell whether he's having a grand mal seizure or just trying to get away from the tissue when I make a move to wipe his nose.
—5—
When Phillip took his new job in May, I didn't realize that he was going to be going on a trip every month. They're not long, sometimes just a few days, but just the fact that they happen so often is starting to really irritate me.
He left me again earlier this week. Right when I was sick. On the week of Christmas.
Every time he goes on a trip I get more irate, but I think after this he's scared I'm going to stab him the next time he tells me about more work travel.
And perhaps he's right to be afraid.
—6—
Speaking of presents...
Guess who does all their shopping at Amazon? |
When the first Amazon packages started to arrive, I just told one of the kids to toss them in my and Phillip's room. And the stack kept growing until we could hardly get to the bed.
In the back of my mind I logically know that at some point before Sunday, we've got to wrap all of these things.
But honestly the pile has gotten so big it doesn't even stress me out anymore, I just start cackling at the sight of it. Which then causes me to hack up a lung, pop some more ibuprofen, and go back to bed.
—7—
And lastly, merry Christmas from this Harry Potter hedgehog.
As I write this, it occurs to me that this would be a way cuter Elf on a Shelf. Feel free to use for next year.
23 comments:
My son has a nut allergy. Is the allergist part of the OIT clinical trial going on? Our guy is to young to qualify for the trial or we would definitely do It. Some allergist are doing it outside the study and ahead of any actual clinical data and that would make me nervous.
I know nothing about OIT, but it sounds a lot like what Wesley did in the Princess Bride ;)
Haha, perfect reference!
OMG, this post had me laughing! Of course the husband has to go out of town when everyone (including yourself) is sick. That's always the way it goes!
We heard about OIT through the news quite a while ago. Apparently there have been good results, and, if your child can be desensitized to it so the allergy goes away, I think that's a plus for everybody!
Merry Christmas!!! (No Happy Holidays or Winter Solstice here!!!)
Well gee golly, if Wesley could do it than so can we!
Merry Christmas to you, too! Our librarian (who I'm friendly with) started to wish me happy holidays last time I was in the library, but then she caught herself and said, "Oh. I can say 'Merry Christmas' to YOU!"
Our clinic is doing it outside of the study. I've heard that clinical trials are notoriously hard to qualify for.
You're nicer than me. I'd have Christmased those cookies up and made them the most Christmasy cookies in the history of cookies and wrote Merry Christmas on the bag with a Sharpie.😃
If I enjoyed baking, perhaps I would also enjoy spite baking. But I don't so the point is moot.
Just write names on the boxes and give your kids markers to decorate and call them "wrapped". You can thank me later :)
I'm fairly certain that those Amazon boxes count as being wrapped gifts. Just saying.
One of our friends had a pretty severe allergy to bee stings and he was doing some sort of therapy to desensitize himself to them. That's all I've got. Helpful, I know.
#1 is so sad it's hilarious. But what if I'm offended that the teacher is forcing students to celebrate the Winter Solstice? ;) Your preschooler's reaction to the genealogy story makes me laugh-little children are so cute!
Your picture of the Amazon boxes makes me dread what will be waiting for us at my in-law's house. See, they live several states away from us and we're flying there on Christmas Eve, so we decided to have Amazon ship all the presents there for us to wrap. So...it'll be a late night for us on Saturday, I'm sure!
I'm sorry to hear that sickness has been hitting your house! And that Phillip has to travel for work so much. Ugh. That'd be awful to have him gone so frequently!
Ann-Marie, that was exactly what I thought when I read the OIT part! PB is so applicable to all facets of life.
We'll probably be awake at the same time wrapping, most likely. Not only do we buy from Amazon, but all 3 sets of the kids' grandparents live out-of-state so they buy from Amazon and ship directly to us (for us to wrap!)
About Phillip's travel: the problem is that I'm a baby, really! His trips aren't that long. It should be no big deal. I'd just rather have him be gone for a few weeks at a time and then here for a while rather than ALWAYS getting ready to go on another trip.
I will admit that we just write TO and FROM with a Sharpie on the wrapping paper instead of messing with bows and gift tags and all that stuff!
Oh that big pile of presents is giving me the hives. I would suggest just putting a big bow on each one and calling it good. But then I guess you don't know what box is for which person so that wouldn't work. Guess you better get to wrapping! Feel better soon!
Whoa is that a huge stack of boxes! See, my mom would look at that stack of boxes and consider everything already wrapped. You can't see the presents inside, after all!
My Dad didn't do too much travel for work when I was really little, but when I was 13 he started a new job that requires 12 weeks a year of travel--I think when all of of kids were still young it was annoying because of course everything would break while he was gone and all the bills would come due and basically everything would be inconvenient. Now, though, he's had that job and that travel schedule for 12 years and after all that time, my mom and sisters, in a way, look forward to his trips, they have their traditions that they look forward to, things they can't do when he's gone--my baby sister goes and sleeps with mommy every night, they eat things like popcorn and apples for dinner instead of the real food they always cook for Dad, they watch Korean dramas past their bedtime. Having some things you can only do when Dad's away makes it not such a sad thing if Dad being away is part of life.
That said...I had that experience growing up...and I specifically chose to marry a nurse because nurses generally don't travel for work.
My only experience with OIT is Wesley in the Princess Bride and it obviously worked for him and the iocane powder.
#1-GAH!! Now it's winter solstice?? #2-Bwahaha, forgetting everybody!
#3- I've heard of OIT, but don't know anyone's who has done it. #4- My grandbaby has the exact same "seizure" disorder!! And so does her 3 yo sister!!
Merry Christmas!! Jesus is the reason for the season!!
I don't get it when people deny Jesus, like pagans, and then they want Christmas presents. Say what??
My first reaction was to send a note in explaining that we don't celebrate the winter solstice so I would be unable to send in cookies. Spite without baking. Kudos for taking the high road.
When my granddaughter was 3, if you managed to wipe her nose she would wail," I want my boogers back!"
Hope you all start feeling better soon.
I have a friend whose daughter did the allergy thing and she raved and raved about how awesome it was. Her daughter can now eat nuts.
Winter soltice parties... sad.
Aside from the fact that the boxes might contain presents for several kids, I think that Amazon boxes are quite festive. Isn't an Amazon box just like a frugal gift bag?
My friend's son did the allergy thing and he can now eat peanuts, which took a lot of worry off her plate.
They've come out with a new electric booger sucker that plays 12 different songs to lull your kid into a false sense of security. They're awesome!!!
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