Sorry I’ve been M.I.A. lately but we’re still sick. Actually, Jamie and I are what I call The Functional Sick but the kids are definitely The Dysfunctional. I.e. Delirious Hadley professing she wanted to “tip-toe up to the sky.” And then when poor Bode woke up after a hellacious night (details to come) with his eyes so pussy he couldn’t open them and screeched out as if to say, “What da fweak–I’m blind!!!!!” I had to chuckle as I wiped him down and he proclaimed his restored vision a modewn-day miwacle.

Needless to say, last week was rough. Another huge storm hit and we were quarantined indoors the entire time. This put a major dent in my plans to meet with a personal trainer at the gym. That same man who was going to miraculously help me melt away 100 pounds in 3 weeks before our cruise. Hey, it happens on The Biggest Loser, why not here?

Jamie’s mom mercifully took the kids for a few hours on Saturday so Jamie and I could have some time away from snot-laden misery. We took advantage of all our new snow and went snowshoeing. We also dropped by the local car dealership to test drive our vehicle of interest. And because there’s no better way to spend a Saturday than scaring the crap out of seedy car salesmen as I careen down the mountain 100 miles/hour on slick roads.

After being barked at by ma honey to slow down, we started talking the talk with Rico. We went in there with the intention to look at used models, knowing we couldn’t afford a new SUV. Until we fell in love with a 2007 car color. Suddenly, Rico’s talk of the alleged new leasing policies sounded like a possibility (and I’m looking for any recommendations on pros and cons of leasing new versus buying used). In the end, we’ll probably just buy used. But then again, I just don’t think I could go through this life without an Aberdeen green vehicle.

Last night was one of the worst with the children due to their horrific coughs. I had a church meeting at 6:30 a.m. so Jamie graciously offered to take the Bode night shift. Until he coughed all night. After listening to the kid wail for hours, I finally relieved Jamie and stayed up with Bode until 4:30 a.m.

I had every intention of skipping the meeting but ended up dragging my exhausted rear out of bed 1.5 hours later. I’d like to say it was because I am just that good and that I am duly motivated by my Christ-like heart. But noooo. It was because I had a dream that I had slept through the meeting and when I woke up, Jamie made me watch Austin Powers over and over again.

And so my friends, sadly enough it was The Spy That Shaggged Me who duly motivated me to fulfill my church calling. Kinda puts a new twist on WWJD, wouldn’t you agree? Maybe Hadley isn’t the only delirious one around here….

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog

Finally, a spare moment! We’re slowly settling back into life after the chaos of Christmas. We had a grand time but having 10 people crammed into my childhood home was ambitious, especially when 40% of said people are under the age of 4. Suffice it to say it wasn’t boring. But it wasn’t exactly restful, either.

We celebrated Christmas #1 prior to flying up to Canada (which Jamie detailed on his blog). Christmas #2 wasn’t quite so smooth sailing when Jamie’s flight got canceled due to Denver’s blizzard. He eventually made it to Calgary a few days later on Christmas Eve. From then on, everything went pretty smoothly. Well, as smoothly as a Christmas with yours truly can be.

I was exceedingly bummed The Great White North was devoid of white because my favorite activities include cross-country skiing with my dad, sledding down the gully behind our house, and skating for miles on the local lake. I prayed and prayed for snow and finally, miraculously, the snow flew and I could almost taste all the delicious outdoor Canuckian activities.

And then I got sick.

Because that is what I do every stinkin’ year I go home. This is not an exaggeration. Just ask my mom because she complains about it. At least it was a cold and not the Norwalk Virus, which has slammed us every other time I’ve brought Jamie to Calgary. The highlight a couple of years ago was watching my dad (the only healthy one) follow us around the house with the bleach bottle. Oh, and the time I threw up on myself in the bath tub. OK, those were more like lowlights.

So, while I wallowed in my sickly self-pity, everyone else participated in the activities I longed to do.

It wasn’t all bad, mind you. Besides my illness and later infecting my children on the flight home, the trip was grand. I saw some childhood friends, went on a date night with ma honey, traipsed all over Heritage Park’s 12 Days of Christmas in glorious sub-zero temperatures and slept in until 8:30 a.m. thanks to those darkened mornings in the northern latitudes. Oh, and took about a gazillion pictures of all the cousins like this one in an attempt to get just one keeper. And do you think it ever happened?

The flight home had its challenges but my real reward was when I walked in the door of our house. Remember my “slacker” hubby who camped out with his compact fridge in front of the television during his snow days?

Well, I’m sure he still did that. But on the Saturday after his flight was bumped, Jamie secretly steam cleaned all the carpets and gave me an early birthday surprise: a beautifully cleaned and freshly painted bedroom, something we have been talking about doing since we moved into the house almost three years ago.

Which begs the question: do you mourn his late arrival in Calgary…or pray for more blizzards in the future?

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog