Ugh

What a crap couple of weeks. Not to say there haven't been some good moments, but I have to say this has not been the best of times. And to top off this two-week anniversary of crap, I am sitting here at 6:30 a.m. when I could still be asleep, since no children are awake (Isaac had a 5:30 a.m. shout out, which I could not recover from).
But let's first focus on the positive, shall we? To begin with, while Jon was cavorting in Miami for work, I had a lovely afternoon visit with some dear friends who were visiting the area. We had not seen each other since graduate school, and it was so very nice to catch up and meet their adorable baby girl. Meanwhile, Anna had a wonderful time at the Renaissance Fair with her grandma and did her share of cavorting with the resident princesses and faerie.
Other positive events included a visit to the zoo, getting formal pictures of the kids, and finding out there are more babysitters in our neighborhood than I had thought (always a good thing). Surprisingly, I will also put Jon's four day absence in the positive pile, since we managed to keep busy and had no major breakdowns (children or mommy).

The negative comes down to the soul-sucking nature of illness. To begin with, Anna caught a nasty bug while Jon was away, resulting in a spectacular display of fluid projection. Luckily, the carpet was unscathed. Alas, the toilet was also unscathed. The poor thing was so sick, but managed to be up and about the next day, despite some minor dehydration and some mental scars (i.e., she now "feels like I'm going to throw up" about once a day.)
My own illness has been less dramatic but more tiresome. Now let me be clear: I rarely get seriously ill. [Case in point: when Anna was about 7 months old she got a horrid stomach virus while we were on vacation, which required various trips to various ERs in various countries. This virus managed to spread to Jon, my parents, and my brother with shocking speed, reducing each of them to quivering, vomiting masses for about 24-48 hours. My own symptoms included mild sleepiness and a nap.] So finally going to the doctor last weekend was a big deal, made bigger by various tests and a CAT scan which will cost us hundreds of dollars. The kicker is that there's was nothing obviously wrong. Frankly, I don't think I should have to pay (as much) for expensive tests if they don't turn anything up.
Anyway, my only choice is to wait it out. So I'm waiting. And waiting. And waiting. And waiting. And waiting...

Back to the positive. My parents are coming on Tuesday! I'm so excited! Anna and Isaac will be thrilled with all the attention, and it will just be nice to have them here. An added bonus: Jon and I will be able to take off for a full 24 hours! We haven't had 24 child-free hours since before Isaac was born. We're not going far, but will be staying in a nice hotel and perhaps even get a hike in, or a massage, or just breakfast in bed. It boggles my mind.

Back from Vacation

On Monday we arrived home from a short vacation in northern New Mexico. Every few years, there is a family reunion on Jon's side and we meet up at a great retreat in the mountains. The drive is about 5 1/2 hours from here (sans children) and I was a little apprehensive about it. However, we stopped for the night at a halfway point, staying at a hotel with a pool. Much splashing ensued. On the way back we elected to drive straight and it *only* took eight hours. Frankly, I was impressed with the minimal fussing and crying that emanated from the back seat. A new toy, a new DVD, and many pit stops were integral. It also helped that I'm keeping Isaac in a rear facing seat for the time being, which encouraged naps. (As soon as Anna turned one, I plopped her in a forward-facing seat, but Isaac seems so much smaller than she did. And anyway, I hear the thing now is to keep kiddos rear-facing until age two. He doesn't seem to care either way.)

Between drives we had a fantastic time. Not a restful time (Mommy doesn't travel well), but it sure was fun. Jon and I went mountain biking down an actual mountain, which was fantastic and a little scary. I was sore for days after that. There was a bit of hiking, some people went fishing, a fun playground was nearby. But most of the value came from the people we were with. Jon has a great family, and everyone is very open and close despite somewhat sporadic face-to-face time. Anna had so many cousins around, and we could just send her out the door to play. It was also nice to have many eyes on Isaac, who is still in his run-wild phase. For me, it was incredible to be around adults all day and have time for actual conversations with both depth and breadth. I suspect Jon felt the same way.

It was hard to come home and get back to the grind, but we're managing. Not much choice, is there?