Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Communal germs, lots of snow and a FAT welcome home...

I am back! I survived! I am on my OWN couch, on my OWN laptop! and I am smiling from ear-to-ear! Although, I love my in-laws dearly, their house was a Petri dish of gargantuan germs this week. After the first day of our visit, my sister-in-law took her family home so they could hack up a lung on their own turf. My poor niece and nephew were heart-broken that they had to leave their cousins at Grandma's but I heard my nephew say to my s-i-l, "Wait, if we go home then I can play Webkinz, right?" See, even a 4-year old misses high speed when he's at Grandma's! Last night, my mother-in-law came down with the nasties. Fever, snot-filled sinuses, he whole she-bang! But, she was quite the trooper and played scrabble with my daughter until the ball dropped! This morning, one look into my daughter's big hazel eyes told me she was next in line for the IFEELLIKECRAP train! And she had a morning of crazed packing up and a 3 1/2 hour drive home with two loud brothers and a big black dog riding home next to her to look forward to. She slept some of the way and as my favorite girl always does, she kept her sweet smile the whole way. Precious! To expand on Dina's comment from my "help" post... Yes, I do live in PO-DUNK central (a.k.a. Amish Country) (Dina can call my town PO-DUNK because I could walk to her house from mine! haha!) but my in-laws live in PO-DUNKIER upstate New York. It is quite beautiful. They own/live on a tree farm, have a huge pond, an organic garden and lots of wildlife; and this holiday weekend, apparently ALL of the snow in the free world. Sheesh! My three kidlets were thrilled when they woke up yesterday morning to almost a foot of snow! For those of you who have more than one child, you know how ridiculous it is to get multiple children into snow clothes. Boots filled with crumpled socks, pant legs uncomfortably folded inside thick snow pants, untucked shirts twisted around sweaty torsos and gloves that don't quite reach the too-short sleeves of last year's winter coat. Then the mad search for a hat that actually covers their ears...by then kid 1 and kid 2 have disrobed and are on their way to the bathroom. Have you ever seen those queer hats that have the beer cans on them and the long straws that reach the drinker's mouth? Yeah, I would like one of those with a tall Mojito on either side JUST for getting them out the door and into the snow. Call it my Mama-Cap! This time, though, my hubby was tag-teaming and we got the three of them and the dog out the door in record time. That's when I realized I had not packed my boots, gloves, scarf, coat OR snow pants! Some of these items I refuse to even own because I pretty much HATE HATE HATE cold weather. I only pretend to like snow for my kids. We make snowmen, forts, and the like and I do it all with a smile (except for the getting dressed part). But I hate it! Really. So, I went sledding in 12+ inches of snow with a pair of too-small, ripped gloves that I found in the mudroom, the only pair of boots that came close to fitting...probably too low for the depth of Binghamton snow, some kind of fuzzy hulahoop for your ears, my mother-in-law's coat and NO FRIPPIN' SNOW PANTS! Somebody give me that dang Mama-Cap! We walked and sledded and walked and climbed and sledded and threw our share of fat snowballs... and my snowpantsless BEHIND was FROZEN!! Freezing to the point of causing me severe pain. I had visions of having to have my butt cheeks amputated due to frost bite...although that thought made me pause and contemplate that beauty...I needed to get inside. Quick. My Mama-Cap was no where to be found and I was grumpy! So, as I sit on my warm leather couch in my clean house (hubby helped get everything back in order after my minivan PUKED its contents upon our arrival home) in my snowless town, I realize... EVERYONE had a good trip. So, thanks for asking. Thanks for reading. Thanks for validating my pain. :) (of course I have at least 3 other posts in my head but fear I will lose you if I ramble too long...need to space 'em out)

19 comments:

Coffespaz said...

Happy New Year to you and your family. Despite the ickiness being passed around, it certainly sounds like you had a wonderful time. We missed the snow here, as it seems our little area is in a weather-related black hole. However, we shouldn't have drought conditions this summer.

Anyway, glad you are home safe and sound. Thanks so much for your blog, I look forward to sharing next year with you.

Alison said...

Glad you are home safe and sound...hopefully the Crud won't make its rounds through your house!!

Dawn said...

LOL!!! Looking good, my friend. Looking good! If you find a place that sells Mojito Mama Caps, get two and send one my way please! :)You totally deserve that hat! You're much braver than I. Taking the kids sledding is hubby's job in my little world.
I hope your daughter feels better and doesn't share her germs with anyone else.
Good to have you back!

Anonymous said...

Hey! Fellow Amish-country person! I live in Western Chester County PA and am surrounded by buggies galore. It's a constant battle to teach my children not to stare and point! Do your kids do the same?

Glad you're back to the regular world of high-speed!

Debbie @ Three Weddings said...

It looks like you had a great time! I keep forgetting to buy a sled until it snows, then everyone is sold out or it is too late in the season and there aren't any to be found. My kids always have to go with friends. Hmm, maybe I'm on to something here.

Just-Me-Jen said...

BRRRRRRR!!!!
Glad you survived the snow, and had a good time to boot!
I hope the germies leave quickly, and that you have a marvelous 2008! :-)

tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

You look so HAPPY In that picture! Hope the sickness leaves TODAY and that you can enjoy in the warmth of your own home!

I am Heather...creator of all things crafty! said...

Make mine a "cosmo cap".....check out my new years resolutions....

Teresa said...

Ahhh, the comfort of home! There's nothing quite like it.

Your post cracked me up because I feel the same way about outside snow activities. I put on that smile for my kids. :)

ALF said...

that looks like so much fun!

Anonymous said...

Welcome home and Happy New Year! I happen to enjoy snow for about 24 hours and then I would be as happy as a clam for it to melt and be in the 60's. However, MN has been blessed with at least 15 inches of snow on the ground that has been here for over a month. Hopefully, the weathermen are right and we are headed for a thaw this weekend!
looks like you had some fun despite not having the mama cap!

Jenster said...

Glad you made it home safe and sound! Wish we'd get a little bit of that snow here. I counted about 30 snowflakes this morning. Did you get any there?

Heidi Jo Comes said...

ha ha ha ha!

do your in-laws read this? probably not with dial up huh:0)

funny stuff...since it didn't happen to me.

Tracy Rambles On And On said...

Can I just start by saying how much I love you for posting that picture of yourself in this post? I too am one who knows that some pictures turn out to not be the most flattering but still need to be shared. I have posted a picture of myself right after having given birth to Peter and just recently I posted a picture that Emma took of me where I only have one eye. I think you rock!
And I'm glad that you all made it back safe and sound with butt cheeks intact. I hope that everyone stays well!

Pam said...

Sorry to hear about the germs (we are fighting in law germs ourselves right now), but I am glad to hear that everyone had a good trip. Also glad you are back at home and on your own turf again. Happy New Year!

Michelle Kemper Brownlow said...

multiple mom...HAHAH! Yes! My daughter once saw a traditional Amish woman in ALL black - shawl and all - in the grocery store and shrieked, "MAMA! It's the wicked witch of the West!!" I could have DIED!

jenster...yep, we got a mere dusting over night last night...no biggie...no frozen hineys!

heidi jo...yep, they read me! :)

tracy....do you SEE that pic? How could I NOT share that? HAHAHHA! Brave, huh?

pam...hope the germs vacate your house soon! We seem to be on the mend!

Grandmother Goddess of the Garden said...

Glad you made it back home safely! I found my self with the crud about two o'clock this morning...no Story Time for me today! I'll just sit here and catch up on blog reading. Thankfully my coworker Sarah (a mother of a two year old) was more than happy for me to keep my germs at home and take over the Story Time responsibilities for me! The picture is priceless! Hope you're all feeling well soon!

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