Well, all the family/holiday stuff is done.  Thank goodness.  It was, in turn, fun, exhausting, teeth-grittingly aggravating and all the usual family crap.  I have heard people say that they love spending time with their families; that they have the best times at family get-togethers.  I am incredibly impressed by people who say this.  Obviously, somebody did something really right in those families.  I won’t be so naïve as to think that this might still happen with our families’ older generations, but perhaps me and Keen can manage to keep things enjoyable for our kids. 

On that note, the day started off well.  Lots of sitting around.  Schoolhouse Rock playing on the DVD. We were alternating between organizing left-over Christmas stuff and being utterly lazy.  Good times, I tell you. 

But then I noticed something.  A pull at the ear.  Another.  Two hours later, after the kiddo woke up from a nap, the ear looked red.  Still… no fever, no crying or apparent discomfort.  Another hour later and it was still red.  OK, that was it.  I took him to the clinic. Caught the ear infection right at the beginning.  Whew!  (*wipes sweat off brow*)   

I think Keen was a little bemused at my lightning quick reaction.  “Are you sure he didn’t just clunk his ear on something?” Keen asked.  Yes, I was sure.  I’ve just done too much daycare, known too many kids over the years, I KNOW what the red ear means.  I even vaguely remember the last ear infection I had as a kid.  They suck (with a capital exclamation point).  And I neither wanted to wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of a kid in pain, nor let Chance experience it if I could help it. 

So now I consider the crazy holiday weekend officially closed.  (“Although we are alone, I lock the door.”)  Sorry family, the kid is sick, we’ll have to visit later.  After we all recover.    

          – the weirdgirl

P.S. Friends still welcome to stop by. J 

P.P.S. Happy Birthday, Dani!