ScrumpyDaddy

I loved the long weekend with the kids. It was great! We had so much fun and got to spend lots of time with family. Now apparently at 2:15am Monday, December 28th we are back to normal life. Zach won’t sleep in his crib and wants held. He felt quite warm so we decided to take his temperature. That’s right folks, you got it. He is running a fever of 102.5. I guess we will be calling my mother-in-law in a couple of hours and hope she can watch him for the day. I don’t have anymore time off at work and it would be another unexcused for me and Dave’s work requires a doctors note if you are sick after a holiday weekend. Oh why can’t we just win the Powerball so both Dave and I can stay home with the kids whenever we want. Come on Powerball!

It really shouldn’t be this hard to take care of your children in that you have juggle around with your work places to try and figure out who can stay home with the kids when they get sick. I am not sure how our work places could change and make it better, but we need to figure out a way.

My company has progressed since last year. This year they gave us a 1/2 day for Christmas Eve. I would love to see them give a whole day Christmas Eve next year, but we will see. Personally, I don’t understand why companies just don’t give the entire week before Christmas off (with the exception of retailers and emergency crews). I work for an asset management company and this time of year is very slow. We don’t really accomplish much during this time.

Anyways…enough of my rambling. Let’s get to the heart of this post. We went over to my in-laws for Christmas Eve dinner and then to their church. I have to say, even though I am not catholic, the service at St. Valentines is wonderful to go to. This is our second year spending Christmas Eve with the in-laws and going to their church. The service is a beautiful, traditional service. The canter was much better this year than last year. I love singing to traditional hymns.

After the service we came back to our house for dessert. Dave had made a cheesecake. Dave’s sister Edie and her husband Pat met us over at the house for dessert. We had a good time of being together.

After talking prior to Christmas Eve about traditions we had growing up, we decided on a couple that I hope to continue each year even once the kids have grown. I grew up with my Grandfather reading “Twas the Night Before Christmas” to me each year before bed and I loved it. Now…we don’t have a grandparent reading it, but either Dave and I will be reading it to our kids each Christmas Eve from now on. Also, we started a tradition of letting the kids open 1 gift before bed on Christmas Eve. Each year they will now be receiving new jammies Christmas Eve.

Abby did great going to bed even though I know she was very excited about Santa Claus coming. She even left him cookies and milk. She picked 2 cookies, a tree and a star sugar cookies.

After the kids were in bed it was time for Daddy and I to get started on our work. I swore I would never become my mother when it came to her tradition of staying up late Christmas Eve wrapping gifts. Apparently I lied. Yes, I failed this year to get anything ready prior to Christmas Eve. It has been a crazy couple of months. Daddy and I stayed up until 3am wrapping all the gifts and putting the finishing touches on the doll house we made Abby. Next year will be different. I will be going to bed at a more reasonable hour.

Zach had been breathing hard with a cough for about 3 weeks. He has been to the pediatrician twice for it. The first time he went they said they heard the wheezing and the cough. They didn’t really diagnosed him with anything, but wanted us to give him nebulizer treatments every 4 to 6 hours as the cough persists. The 2nd time he went for the follow up they found he has his first ear infection. He has been on antibiotics since a week ago Tuesday. He of course hates the antibiotics. I wish they made a stronger concentration for infants. He has to take 1 and a 1/2 teaspoons twice a day. That is just so much liquid for him to swallow, especially when he hates the taste of it. The nebulizer treatments started to go better, but he was not a big fan of them either. Poor baby sick already at 5 months.

On Saturday December, 19th we had a first day of snow. It snowed all day long. When we got up in the morning I would say we had at least 2 inches on the ground. I told Abby to go look out the window. She looked out our bedroom window and said, “There’s snow out there.” We went down had breakfast and then all got ready, except for Zach, to go out and play in the snow. Zach took his morning nap, which worked out great because then both Dave and I could go outside. Zach is 5 months old and not quite old enough to be outside for an extended period of time even with his snow suite.

We took out the snow pants, boots, mittens, hat, and winter coat. By the way, the snow pants, boots, hat, and mittens were all from our local Salvation Army store (less than $10.00 for all 4). The Salvation Army store is great for kids who grow out of things so quick and can only use things like snow pants and boots for 1 year. Anyways, Dave and I put on our long underwear, we don’t have snow pants, and got our hats and gloves on. The 3 of us headed outside to enjoy the snow.

It was beautiful outside. It wasn’t very windy and with all our layers on it didn’t feel too cold. The snow was still falling, but it was just lightly falling to make the perfect winter scene. Abby immediately went out in the snow. She wanted to make snow angels. She made at least 5 or 6 angels while we were outside. She really wanted to make snow balls and a snowman, but the snow was too fluffy and soft to make those. Not quite wet enough snow. We will have to wait until later in the season.

Abby had tons of fun anyways. We got out the sleds and pulled her around a little bit. We also went sled ridding. We have a hill for a backyard so Mommy and Abby went down the hill together many times on the blue and orange sleds we have. Abby laughed each time and wanted to keep going.

We stayed outside for about an hour before it started to feel cold on our faces. We knew it was time to come in and Abby was ready. It was a wonderful time. Days like this are why winter is so great. I am just glad it wasn’t a work day and I didn’t have to drive in it.

Abby’s Snow Angel