Winter blues...

"Baby, it's cold outside!"

Wow!  I can't believe the holidays are over and we're already well into 2008! Now it's the winter blues we have to deal with...

Not my favorite time of year.

They say that when we enter a season we dislike, we should try to find some beauty in it to get us through it. I guess that makes sense but it's rather hard for me to find the beauty in a season that generally keeps me and my restless kiddos indoors suffering from 'cabin fever'. But I suppose if I must, I must. After all, seasons depict perfectly the ebb and flow of life.

Well, this is what I've come up with:

Signs of winter:

1. Going to the doctor more often, sitting in the waiting room and wondering why I even got the flu shot because I'm so sick my hair hurts.

2. Taking my children to the pediatrician so much that I think we are personally financing her new porsche.

3. The barren, leafless, lifeless trees in our yard that now expose the perfect view of my neighbor's backyard with his wonderful pole barn, blue-tarp covered boat, camper, six cars and a rusted out pick-up truck. Apparently, each square foot of grass in your backyard is an opportunity for yet another parking space. Time to plant those fast growth evergreens at the back of our property...

4. The train is louder now because of the leafless trees not providing enough of a buffer...but this doesn't really bother me. I actually like the sound of the train, though I didn't when we first moved here.

5. The lack of energy from the lack of sunlight. Although, this January has been pretty tame, with mild weather here and there. We have enjoyed it but, I don't like tame January's. Tame January's usually mean that winter is going to make a late comeback and most likely whip our butts clear into April, when the flowers should be blooming. We'll see what that groundhog says this year...

But wait a minute...I was supposed to find the beauty in the winter season...

Well, it is kinda cute the way my son's mucus-covered face resembles a glazed donut when he's sick during the winter...does that count?

Oh well. I tried.

I am doing some things to combat the winter blues. Planning my daughter's 'birthtism' is one thing that keeps me busy. Her birthday and baptism will be occuring around the same time so instead of having two parties, we're combining them and having one. Our theme is 'angels' because the theme is great for both. I am currently looking for angel wings to fasten to her outfit for her pictures.

The hubbasaurus hasn't been working such horrid hours lately, thank the good Lord! He still works overtime hours but he doesn't walk through the door at 9:30pm anymore (for now, it will pick up again in time). The kids love seeing their Dad at dinnertime. Especially Marcus. Daddy teaches Marcus everything. How to push buttons, how to help get dressed (he puts his arms up for the sleeves now), how to do a high-five, how to burp at the dinner table (whoops!) and hopefully sometime this year, how to use the potty...we'll see about that one!

Little Annaliese has been growing in leaps and bounds! She wants so much to pull up, stand and walk around because that's what she sees her brother doing. She's getting there and when she does.....LOOK OUT! I'll be running after two then, (Lord, help me!). She feeds herself now and wants no part of anything other than her cheerios, banana pieces, sweet potato puree and her bottle. Try to give her something more adventurous like apple sauce and you're gonna get it on your face. She spits it right back out, powerfully!

Something interesting that happened the other day on one of my many trips to the pediatrician's office:

When I was leaving a young woman with pretty blonde hair was cleaning the foyer of the building. Upon seeing me, she immediately went to the door and held it open (so nice!). People tend to do this when they see the double stroller and it actually has amazed me how many times it has happened. Anyway, this is the conversation that followed:

Her: "Oh no, I hope the little ones aren't sick..."

Me: "Actually yes, they both are."

Her: "My son is nine and he's sick, too. I gave him his medicine the other day but I think he's allergic and when I took him to the doctor the doctor said no so when I went home I gave hom another dose and he still seemed sick and then I read the side of the bottle and it said take with food and I thought, wow! That's why he's getting a stomachache from it so I called the doctor back to tell him..."

Me: Trying very hard not to be rude as I am standing half in, half out of the door in freezing cold weather with my children in their stroller screaming... "Well, I hope your son feels better..."

Her: "Oh he does, now, I think... I mean I hope...that was last week anyway! Hey, how old are your little ones?"

Me: Despereate to leave now... "18 months and 10 months."

Her: "Oh how nice...are they twins?"

It was all I could do to remain poker-faced.

Someone FINALLY came in the other way and the conversation was interrupted. I slipped out as Miss Nicebuttalksalot started chatting with them.

The hubbasaurus and I had a good laugh about it when he got home that night.

Me: "Twins! Can you believe it?"

Him: "Yeah, we just decided to put the second one back in for a while...we wanted a few months between them..."

Of all the comments I've gotten about my kids, that had to be the most interesting one. However I'd have to say that someone telling my husband that his son looks just like him runs a close second.

Blessings, laughter and peace to all in this new year...

-The Mamasaurus