The Nutcracker

Last night Robby and I continued a tradition by becoming "fancy" and seeing The Moscow Ballet's Nutcracker. Each year I am surprised by Robby's reaction to the performance. At this age he prefers to spend his time in front of a computer game shooting robots, or learning about the intricacies of World War II battles. On the surface the ballet appears to be the opposite of his typical interests, yet  he loves it. 

Although I appreciated the performance, my joy comes from watching Robby's reaction. His eyes fill with awe as the dancers jump and twirl through the air. He is particularly fond of the contortionist type dancers, holding his breath with each move and enthusiastically applauding at every opportunity. He was so caught up in the moment that he let out a few "woot woots" after a particularly impressive strength demonstration by the dancers. 

Today will be spent baking cookies, wrapping gifts and finishing the holiday preparations. We aren't traveling this year, yet the list of things to do seems to be never ending.  Of course, most of the chaos at this point is self-inflicted simply because I enjoy baking holiday treats with the kids. 

How Did He Do That??

Last evening I kissed the boys goodnight and headed out to get my haircut. Leaving the house sans kids is so rare that simply being alone transforms the most mundane chores into a getaway adventure. Being able to listen to my own radio station has become a luxury.  And yes, it has occurred to me that my markers for excitement have been skewed by having kids. 

This morning Timmy waddled out of his room earlier than normal, tugging and pulling at his diaper. Thinking that he was in a rush to use the potty I quickly pulled off his pants and unfastened his nighttime diaper. As the heavy diaper fell to the floor, I simultaneously felt my hand splash with warm liquid as I heard what sounded like a water balloon splatter on the floor.  Everything below my knee was drenched (including my prosthesis which will hold onto the stink considerably longer than anything else.)

It took me a moment to realize what happened, and even longer to clean it up, but apparently Scott had put Timmy's diaper on inside out last night. The waterproof outer layer acted as a balloon, collecting a night's worth of urine waiting to drop. Scrubbing the floor, I kept trying to figure out how he managed to put it on inside out? It was definitely not the best way to start winter vacation.

I cleaned up Timmy and then moved my efforts to the floor. I still don't know how he managed to put the diaper on inside out. Talk about a special talent! Hopefully this morning's diaper snafu isn't an indication of how the rest of our holiday will unfold. 

Last Day of School

Happy last day of school for 2017!  Scott and Robby have been counting down to today since the first day of school.  With nearly two weeks off for the holiday, I think they are both more excited about starting vacation than Christmas Day.

While Scott and Robby are enjoying their last day at school, Timmy and I will be running around trying to secure last minute gifts for teachers and assorted helpers. I blame traveling to San Francisco for my procrastination, but in reality I think I have just been lazy. Today I'll be paying the price, literally and figuratively.

After today our family will jump into full-blown festive chaos. I have some cleaning help coming today so that we have a clean slate, but I have no illusions that my house will remain presentable by the end of the holiday break. If the past is any indication, I'll be waving the white flag within four days.

The boys have been counting down to today but I think my holiday is January 3. the day everybody returns to school.

Unpredictable

One of the most frustrating things of navigating an autoimmune issue with a child is the uncertainty. We never quite know when a flair might occur and what symptoms will manifest. By most accounts Timmy appears physically healthy and strong, but those close to us realize that wellness is a fragile state dependent upon a myriad of factors. I wish I could wave a magic wand and fix all of his ailments.

I feel guilty feeling frustrated and worried about his health. Compared to many children, especially those we see at Children's Hospital, I know that we are extremely lucky. Still though, it is hard watching your little one struggle to feel well.  He has such a happy disposition and just wants to be silly and play. I hate seeing him knocked down by his own body reactions.On Sunday night Scott and I noticed some welts forming on Timmy's legs.

Yesterday morning his extremities were covered with hot, red and apparently itchy hives. His body was in overdrive, and my sweet little boy was an itch riddled mess. Knowing from experience that activity only worsens the reaction, I did my best to keep him quiet and comfortable throughout the day. Instead of playing outside or going to one of his toddler play centers, we spent a lot of time baking cookies and watching the Polar Express.

By the time the sun was setting his hives were lessening in severity. I'm hoping that his medication will continue to work magic throughout the night and that he will be less spotted in the morning. If I could take this struggle away from him, I would do it in a heartbeat. Since that isn't possible, I'm going to keep pushing and fighting on his behalf.

ZooLights

After a nearly five hour delay plane delay, I finally arrived home late Friday night. So much for my plans of coming home in the early evening so I could cuddle on the couch and watch Christmas cartoons with the boys. By the time I staggered into the door I was travel weary, annoyed by people and ready for bed. 

A solid night sleep rejuvenated my holiday spirit, which was a good thing because on Saturday we headed out on a family adventure.  The boys only knew that they needed to pack an overnight bag and were reminded to grab both coats and gloves but were unaware of our destination. I love our surprise little getaways!  

After getting settled into our DC hotel we bundled up and walked a few blocks down the street to the National Zoo, which was beautifully illuminated for the season. The boys were in awe of the colorful lighted decorations. Even the tree branches on the colonial trees were covered with beautiful little twinkle lights. If you ever end up in DC near Christmastime, you really should visit ZooLights.  

Thanks to a Groupon I snagged on Black Friday, we enjoyed unlimited train, carousel and sledding rides. Needless to say, my youngest engineer was quite fond of the choo choo train. He and I spent a lot of time riding the miniature train while Scott and Robby explored other sections of the zoo. 

Timmy's delight with the train must have been evident because the Conductor took note and invited him to sit in the front of the train. My little guy's smile shone almost as bright as the holiday lights, especially when he was encouraged to ring the bell on the train. He was so excited he was practically giddy.  

After the sun completely set and the cold began to increase we headed back to the hotel for the night. Timmy quickly fell asleep, no doubt dreaming of driving the train, and we curled into our beds and watched Elf on television. (I planned the adventure so I was the one who picked the movie.)  

Our little getaway was the perfect way to rekindle the holiday spirit after a brief hiatus.