False Start

The holidays are over.  It is time to get back to work.  Ready... Set... GO!

No... no wait--

Pause that thought.

Ready... Set... GET SICK.

BLAAAHH!  We've been sickie-poo around here.  Just a nasty fever/cold, but the week has passed in an unpleasant blur.   We've all been afflicted-- here is the order of most-to-least severe:  Cannon, George, Elinor, Faith, Bethany, and Clark.  Abe and I have been sick too, but since we don't get the luxury of crying loudly and lounging on the couch all day, it is hard to accurately judge where we fit in the line-up. 

Ahhh, remembering back to happier/simpler days before the tears and boogers started flowing freely this week.

We still tried to chug through the school work, but it was no fun for anybody.  And darn it!  I was all ready for a great start to our new school semester.  Blaahhh.   All my plans--WASTED!  Well, now I'm just complaining--sorry.
However, it has been a while since I've had a good complaining post.  I think I shall indulge tonight. 

(Now would be a good time to stop reading this post).

Complaint #1
There is the NASTIEST inversion outside.  The air is filthy and with all due respect to my friends and family in the northwest who go months at a time without seeing the sun,  this is really reeking havoc on my already fragile mood.  I haven't been able to see the mountains for several days because it is so foggy-soup out there.  And need I mention that I have a family (including a baby) who are sick and need clean air to breathe to get better?

Complaint #2
We ran out of hair conditioner the other day and we picked up a bottle of super cheap conditioner to tide us over till the next big trip to the store.  I'm not really a conditioner snob, but they changed the formula for the super cheap and now it is SUPER HORRIBLE!  You may not think this is a big deal, but I've got a mane of hair myself and 3 girls with tons of hair to comb through, and it's just been very unpleasant.   For whatever it's worth-- I love Dove-- and I now HATE Suave.

Complaint #3
To help motivate my home schooled children to get there jobs/assignments/practicing completed in a timely manner each day, we have a simple little chart where they keep track of the days that they get everything done.  When they have 20 days, they get to go on a date with Mom or Dad.  They alternate between Mom and Dad. 
Clark and I have a date for lunch tomorrow.  Does it hurt my feelings, that although we're not sure what we're doing tomorrow, Clark keeps wanting to talk to Abe about what they are going to do on their next date?  Well, yes it does. 
Come on, man!  I know Abe is way more fun than me, but still.  I think I use to be fun.  Maybe when I wasn't buried alive in diapers, dishes, laundry, school work, cooking.  Okay, I guess if I ever was fun, it has been a long time and Clark really wouldn't ever have a memory of me being fun. 

Complaint #4
My brother's wife Misty gave birth to their first child today-- a beautiful baby girl named Aliyah.  I'm not complaining about this.  This is WONDERFUL news!  BUT I'M NOT THERE to hold her!!!!   I'm so sad.  Even if I was there I couldn't hold her-- because I have a cold.  But still, I want to hold her, and I can't. 

Complaint #5
I've run out of Dove Dark Chocolate in my freezer. 
It's for the best, since I shouldn't eat chocolate while I'm sick. 
I shouldn't eat so much chocolate anyway. 
Stupid New Year's resolutions.