March Updates....

Yes, another month escapes me.  My house is a mess, mail is stacked on our table, and we are struggling to get over a series of misfortune.  March was filled with illness, in fact we are still recovering.  Kannon had pink eye, a 7-day fever, and a rash.  I didn't fair any better with pink eye (which I got twice) and strep throat.  One day Dale lost his job the next he had it back. Clark got sick.  Dale got jumped at the bus stop. I rode the bus to work three days in a row carrying two kids on my hips because no one bothered to move. Oh, and our fish died.  Seriously, everything that could have gone wrong in March did go wrong.

On Saturday, Kannon had a 105 degree fever.  As he laid helpless on the couch, refusing to move, eat or drink.  I saw life flashing before my eyes.  I had meningitis as a child and my parents waited anxiously for me to pull through. I started wondering if Kannon had meningitis which led to a whole other kind of thinking.  I felt guilty for not being there during the day.  I thought, morbidly, what if he didn't wake up?  I kept praying that Kannon would be strong and I begged for it to go away. A couple hours later Kannon woke up fever free.  I feel like Kannon's body was trying to tell us to slow-down, stop, and remember what we are here for.  We are a family.  With all this Dale and I decided to make some changes.

1) I am going to work part-time.  I want more time with my own kids--period.

2,) The kids will no longer be at my preschool.  We found a part-time Montessori school in Ballard that is half the cost.

3,) We are going to Florida in May to visit family and reflect, rejuvenate, and recharge.

4.) We are going to exercise more.  We are an active family and spend all our working hours on our feet but we need more.

5.) We are going to spend more time with the dog.  Yes, our dog, Emma, has probably been the most neglected of all.


Alas, its almost April.  Spring?  New beginnings? Strength?  I am asking for all these things.  We were really tested last month and all the lying in bed with illness gave me time to think.  I miss the kids.  I miss living joyously.  I miss surrounding myself with passionate people.  Now is not time to focus on the negatives but rather lift our spirits with optimism and hope.

So, if you are waiting for a post-card, birthday package, current photos of the boys, please give me just a few more days to get myself organized. In the meantime, who have you hugged today?