Holy Cow - bring on March!

Here it is, in the last days of February and I am finally able to get back to the blog. This is my first week of normalcy in ages. The year so far have not been a stellar one!! Bear in mind, I realize no one's been in the hospital, or worse, and I'm thankful for that, but it still was a time I'm hopefully through with!

January started in recovery mode - the holidays were in fact a very depressing time for me. Second year without family for Thanksgiving or Christmas, and then the friends from NYC that we supposed to be in town, got snowed in at JFK! So with enough booze and food to feed 20 people and not FIVE for the holiday week, we got through it. Few folks stay in London for the hols - they are off to visit one side of the family and then the other in the country and then when they are in town, they are having quiet family time or getting together with childhood friends. Lots had said "oh, we'll have you over Boxing day or for drinks" but I remember and understand how it is when you are surrounded by family and close friends over the hols, there is little room for more. So, when school FINALLY started 7 January after four weeks off, I was so ready to get back to normal life! The week before we went back to school, we all had colds which started major sleep disturbances Libby (ie up 3-10 times a night), then Klaudia our au pair, left to Poland to do exams for the month, the very day my DH Eugene left for Hong Kong. Whilst he was away, I incurred my first ear infection of adulthood (horrid pain - was bleeding behind my ear drum) following by sinusitis. The next two nights, Libby was up all night being sick - I went through three pajamas one night -, then night three, the other two started!! I will NEVER forget the night. TG we have two toilets on the same floor and I was able to run back and forth between Chloe and Mia, rubbing backs, soothing, coaching - and for half the night, doing this with Libby in my arms. Eugene finally did return and was greeted by a fully awake house at 6am of sick children. I'm sure you can imagine the amount of sick laundry and sheets there was, made worse by the fact that K was away! Libby continued to have the worst diarrhea for the next eight days - so bad had to throw tights away as soaked from waist to toes!! It just went on from there - heat and hot water out in the house after a light blew (somehow this is connected). Chloe got sinusitis as well. The only miracle of the month was that Euge and I didn't get it!! So house bound for weeks and then sleeping for days and weeks on end in 45 minute snatches does not help ones' mental health or ability to cope in the world. Plus now I've endured about six weeks of social isolation. So it was good bye January, bring on February.

Come Feb 1st, I was so happy that a new month was starting, and the promise of back to normal life, and we did have about a two day break of no illness, then I noticed red bumps on Mia's torso - chickenpox! Mia was a star and was mostly cheery and enjoyed being home and hanging out, watching TV and helping me in the kitchen. So again, can't go anywhere and even got temporarily booted out of the baby playgroup I started as they didn't want their babies to get it yet (although Libby didn't have it -yet). So more social isolation.

Then Mia OK for a week, Klaudia comes back (YAY - although was a bit of scare there as she was not sure if she'd ever had chicken pox) and then it's Chloe's turn. Holy cow. Holy cow. It was awful. A) because she's older B) because she's Chloe. It was so bad. She had it EVERYWHERE. Including the palms of her hands, bottom of her feet, and in her THROAT. She was in so much discomfort. But of course, I couldn't touch her and put cream/gel on. I drugged her 24/7 for about 5 days with ibuprofen and antihistamine, but it still was so so bad. The TV generally distracted her, but sometimes nothing could. She barely ate - after a two days, managed to get her sip smoothies with a straw. There is something to be said for getting it young. Holy cow it was bad.

Then, as you might guess just as Chloe was on the mend, Libby got it!! She was a bit feverish for a day or two and did have tons of spots but generally didn't even know she had it. The big problem with her is that she'd been house bound for almost two months!! And was dying to get out!

But, since Libby got it, that meant that our much wanted ski holiday in Germany had to be cancelled (can't fly with pox)! But, again, better to get it here than some little village hotel in the German Alps! Euge did take some time off so we got to do some day trips - staying outdoors for the first part.

Euge is in Switzerland all week, but I have made up for lost time and have been out Monday, Tuesday AND Wednesday of this week! At least last night I was in bed before midnight.

Will post photos in separate post! I'm amazed if anyone reads all this!