snow glory: a picture story

Just Write will be here later tonight, but I had to show you some pictures from the recent storm and the fun Miles, Asher and Elsie (and the dog) had with the fresh white fluff and balmy 30 degree temps yesterday.

(By the way, Elsie Jane hates wearing mittens and refuses to keep them on. I have found ways to keep them on, but then she’s mad that she can’t get them to work to pick up snow for eating. Her stubborn solutions? She plops down face first on her stomach and sticks her face in the snow. nomnomnom. Not kidding. She would stay like that and grow frost-bitten if we didn’t constantly pick her up, and she doesn’t even care. Toddlers are weird.)

Our dog, Tia Maria? She LOVES it when we shovel. Because she thinks it’s a game in which she is required to catch every bit of snow in her mouth. See?

She waits intently and then leaps up and then waits intently again. She would also do this all day and never care how cold she is if we didn’t stop. Dogs are weird.

When Elsie was not face down in the snow, she was “helping” shovel. It’s very serious work, you know. Don’t mess with her.

The boys built a ramp on our outdoor play cube thingy with Daddy and then spent the afternoon sledding down it. Snow is heaven to these boys. They were happy, which makes me love the cold more than I usually do. I’m okay with it, it’s just that I prefer warm feet. And also, I can’t get to sleep if my nose is cold. I’m weird. Anyway…boys….

the happy

Just so you know, I almost died of a cold sore. Well, okay…I don’t really know that it was a cold sore…but it was some kind of sore that got infected, on my lip. The infection then traveled down to my lymph nodes. Sheesh. It’s not a good idea to keep an infection in your lymph nodes, so I was put on antibiotics–strong ones. I said no to the pain pills and told the doc (who I finally went to see after my lip was the size of a ping pong ball) I’d just take some Ibuprofen. He looked at me funny and said to call if it started to hurt more while the infection was making its way out.

Later that day, after taking the first dose of the antibiotic, I was writhing on the couch with tears streaming down my face and my whole body was shaking. Ibuprofen couldn’t touch the pain and Ryan was hovering over me trying to figure out what to do. You’d think a sore on your lip couldn’t possibly make you feel like you’re having a baby our of said lip, but you’d be wrong.

I got some pain meds. I got some relief. Then there were about three days of heat compressing while the infection worked its way out and PLEASE GOD LET THIS NEVER EVER HAPPEN AGAIN.

The weirdest things happen.

The day before I went to the doctor, I went to a Listen To Your Mother meeting with Galit and Vikki and Tracy. They had to look at my infected fat lip for FOUR HOURS. As the day went on I realized this lip thing was getting a little out of control, but there I was, sipping tea out the other side of my mouth and watching Vikki lick her lips in a concerned furrowed brow kind of way. I owe them each an apology for making them look at me. Seriously, people. It was terribly gross.

I’m better now.

Speaking of Listen To Your Mother, if you’re in the Twin Cities-ish area, you have until FRIDAY of this week to get your submission to us at ltymtwincities at gmail dot com.

You have a story. You can write it. Please send it in. All the information you need can be found at www.listentoyourmothershow.com/twincities 

Happy Monday, friends.