TToT – The Non-Routine Routine
My disappearance this week was not intentional.
In fact, I had all sorts of great ideas planned for this space – and most were actually in a semi-written state. But somehow the first week back on routine went a little awry and I ended up with a cold to boot. Two of the five school days were delayed starts due to the cold/snow/ice here and two evening events were cancelled or rescheduled for the same reasons. So our week back on routine was anything but.
I got pretty cranky about the whole thing. I didn’t feel well. I only exercised one day – the Cats used the treadmill more than I did. Things that were scheduled did not go as planned. Chores were not done, projects were not started, posts were not written…my list of things that irritated me grew far longer than any list of thankfuls. All of a sudden it’s Friday and nearly time for the TToT so I figured I’d better adjust my attitude and find the positives in my list of irritations.
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Let’s start with my cold was just a cold, didn’t get horrible, and was not the flu. That’s actually a big positive for someone with my compromised immune system. A year ago, that would have turned horrible. Now I was able to pump in the home remedies (I swear by that “sick tea,” I tell you), get some extra rest, and stay out of the super-cold. The Hub took Zilla to school two days, which gave my lungs a break from the temperatures. It makes a difference for me. I count five in there alone.
And then, after all my efforts to stay well and warm? We sat in an ice arena to see Disney on Ice Friday evening and it was REALLY cold. Please don’t say things like “well, duh.” We saw Frozen on Ice a couple of months and that arena was not nearly as cold as this one. Maybe I’m just lacking experience in this department and a “well, duh would be warranted.” Whatever is true, I’m thankful that so far, the two hours in the cold arena don’t seem to have undone my efforts at keeping my germ to a minimum.
I should probably note that the ice show was a pretty cool last-minute opportunity. We found out on Thursday afternoon that we could go for a ridiculously low ticket price for a Girl Scout night outing. So thanks to the troop leader for moving so quickly on something we found out about at the last-minute.
A comfortable spot in bed. I am a terrible sleeper. I can sleep like the dead when the opportunity presents itself. But most nights, between rolling my snoring Husband over, checking on Kidzilla, and trying to find space for my legs among the three Rotten Cats on the bed, I do not sleep comfortably or well. So the other night when I rolled over and landed in a perfectly comfortable spot undeterred by either man, kid, or cat, I was so delighted that I actually made a happy little sigh of content. Out loud. More than once. It was awesome.
Slippers. I am thankful for good slippers. Let me tell you something about hardwood floors. They are cold. Like a lot cold. I happen to have rheumatoid arthritis that affects my feet and ankles when they get cold they hurt. So I’m pretty grateful for good slippers. And a couple of Rotten Cats on the bed will always work as a good bed warmer. Rather than a photo of my unmade made with cats, how about this one where Cat One pretends he wasn’t just drinking my coffee? I’m pretty sure they drink my coffee. I’ve stopped caring that their little noses sniff around my mugs. Is that bad?
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Good blood work. Can’t lie – I fully expected my numbers to be way bad and get a full on lecture from my doctor this time. But actually she was pretty pleased. Did I lose as much weight as I had hoped? No. Could one or two numbers be better? Yes. But overall things look good and my blood pressure was perfect. She said something like, “clearly this new life agrees with you” and said I look great. Yup. So one more time let me say I’m thankful to have moved on from that very stressful and unhealthy job situation and so thankful for all the factors and people who made that possible.
I’m going to tag Kidzilla in for two this week. She had a terrific week in school, despite all the disruption to the schedule for delayed starts. She earned the top rank for awesome school behavior and attitude this week (finally – the poor kid has been striving for this all year) and was so happy I think she floated for the entire afternoon.
Thursday we got a call that she won a coloring contest! Back in December we had some time to kill between school dismissal and haircut appointments so Zilla and I grabbed a snack at a Friendly’s across the street. Zilla dropped her picture in the contest and was convinced she would win. I warned her that she should probably not expect too much, but she remained confident that her picture would be the best. So I guess the power of positive thinking and decent art skills paid off for her because this afternoon we’re going to claim her prize. (This is not her winning artwork, but one of my favorites from her recent efforts. How stinking cute are those reindeer?)
By the end of the weekend, I’m going to be thankful that the Christmas decorations are put away. We have enjoyed the full span of the Christmas season, for sure. Now it’s time to remove the tree. Even the Rotten Cats are ready. They’ve tired of curling up in their kitty cave.
Now they have started playing a strange game where they race underneath it, tag another cat, and a different one races out. Time to go.
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How has your first full week of 2015 gone? What has made you happy and thankful this week? You know the drill…share ’em or link ’em!
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I can almost hear you talking to me through a stuffy nose. I’m glad you didn’t get the nasty flu that’s been going around. Not sure I could drink garlic tea, but maybe if I felt bad enough. I’m a fan of Vicks on the soles of my feet with socks. I need to sleep well to function normally. I sighed that sigh with you. Looking forward to next week and some sparkly shine.
No flu here (fingers crossed) so far! The tea really doesn’t taste much like garlic. I only notice it if I use super-huge cloves, but I really don’t mind it. Zilla actually likes it.
Nothing makes me happier than an empty bed for just me. No matter how much I love them all, they sure do take up sleeping space!
Our schedules were all jacked up, too. Preschool was cancelled, high school was delayed, and elementary school was normal schedule. Unlike you, though, it all really helped my life seem a bit easier. Except for the gym part. With the youngest at home, I only made it there once.
Stinks that you have yet another illness.
Congrats on the good numbers. The changes you have made are really making a difference.
With so many grade levels to balance, you guys must have your hands full in bad weather – especially when it’s not quite bad enough to just flat out close everyone.
I’m pretty much past the illness – it was a pretty minor cold and relatively short lived. For me, that’s something. Such is the life of the weak immune system. But my last two rounds of blood work show some definite improvement in those areas, so I’ll take it. A small cold is a major victory!
I hope you are feeling better! My boys started back to school on Wednesday in crazy cold temps as well but (oh, I am so very thankful!) no cancellations. The district did give their new “late start” policy a try on Thursday though. I am undecided whether or not I like it. The whole day just felt off because of it. Of course, the boys didn’t exactly complain about being at school 2 hours less than normal. Love the artwork you shared in the post and congratulations to your daughter in winning the contest!
The late starts definitely throw the days off, but not having to drive in the slippery mess is helpful. Although one day, Zilla’s school was delayed for the kids, but not the staff so my Husband had to go on time. Stupid. I would never want the job of the school administrators, though. Those decisions are horrible to have to make and no matter what they do, somebody is unhappy.
Yay for your blood work and that you stayed within cold territory. Me, I got a call this morning from my doctor to tell me I have strep on top of the flu. Isn’t that wild? But it explains my steadily narrowing throat. Now I’ve got amoxycillin to go with my tamiflu.
But back to you guys. What a tremendous week for Kidzilla! Yay! Way to go! Contest! Behavior! Maggie gets that whole dot system, too. She once got purple but couldn’t remember why.
Yes, my cold is all but kicked thanks to that miracle tea and good sense.
Strep??? Oh wow, that is terrible. Strep is just awful. Take those meds and get yourself lots of sleep. As I recall, it’s the only way to beat it.
Zilla has had a remarkable week in so many ways. Hoping it carries her straight into next week with a really strong start.
Congrats to Zilla for winning! How awesome is that! Love the picture you posted! Especially the reindeers look great! Also for the good feed-back from school, especially since she’s been working on it so hard! I hear you regarding not sleeping well. Calvin has been an awful sleeper this last week, and if Violet invades the little bit of my bed I still have, my night is done for.
Yay for a good visit with the doctor and the good results. Keep it up!
Have a wonderful weekend, Lisa!
I particularly like the reindeer picture. She’s using techniques she learned in her school art class. The teacher is amazing and I’m so impressed that Zilla has taken so much away from classes. She took some summer classes with the same teacher. And we’re so thrilled for her great work in school. That has been a huge goal for her and she was so happy!
Hoping for some warmer temps here in the coming week…all the cold does is make me want to hibernate.
Happy week to you!
WELL DONE KIDZILLA! That’s so awesome that she won a prize! Good for her 🙂 And WAY more brilliant on the awesome behaviour award. That’s a big deal.
I do love that you’re able to be thankful for slippers and your cats drinking your coffee all in one place. What a wonderful world this Blogosphere is.
YAY YOU with your great report from the doc. Fabulous stuff 🙂
Zilla says “awww, thanks!”
Slippers, cats, and coffee all in one place is a lovely way to spend some time. Add a book and I’m not moving for the evening!
Good doc reports are a glamorous thing in my life. 🙂
Hehe sounds like you need to get a bit more bling in your world if a shiny report from the doc is all the glamour that’s going! 😉
No, believe me…with a chronic illness, a good doctor’s report is awesome! 🙂
[…] 2. I am thankful for the love and panic of good friends ( 🙂 ty lisa!) […]
ZILLA, ZILLA, ZILLA!!! AWESOME!!! That kid can draw! I love the first picture . REALLY good artist! Hope you cont to be flu free and immunity stays your friend my friend! Congrats on the healthy numbers!
Thanks! I’ll pass the awesome on to Zilla in the morning. NEVER wake a sleeping Zilla…
I love that she has this drawing bug. I draw really good stick people. But she has taken these animal techniques from the art teacher and is really running with them. I may have found an illustrator for my books…hmm.
I love my healthy numbers. Proof that I was, for real, allergic to school! 😀
I love that your Dr. could confirm that the new lifestyle is agreeing with you! Further proof you are on the right track.
Yes, I loved that. I kind of wanted to say, “well…duh.” But I was too busy smiling like a lunatic. 😀
I’m glad you just have a cold and it isn’t (hopefully) going to linger like that last round of sick you had.
You sleep JUST like me, minus getting up to check on a kid, since at 15 and 19, the most I do is send them a text now and tell them to GO TO SLEEP. Snoring husband? Check. Cats at feet? Check. Isn’t it funny how we’re willing to be uncomfortable to accommodate sleeping cats at our feet, but let that husband SNORK one too many times, and it’s kick him ’til he rolls over.
Ruby habitually drinks out of our glasses. She can stick that head waaaaay in a tall, insulated tumbler. She doesn’t like diet coke, but she does like ice cubes, so if she can get to them without getting diet coke, she’ll go for it. Water only? No stopping her. When we take her with us to my parents’ house, she is particularly fond of my dad’s water glass, which he always has on the table next to his chair in the living room. When he gets up for any reason, he puts a piece of paper or something over the top of it to deter her.
Yay on the good blood work! I had a funky reading on mine this week and had to go back and give more. Still haven’t heard the outcome, but I think I’m okay. And yay for Zilla getting her top ranking in behavior and attitude. She tries so hard!
Okay, that Santa and reindeer picture should be made into a Christmas card. Seriously adorable!
I don’t think we have any lingering germ. I feel OK, aside from the utter hatred of all things winter.
I will hold my pee for an hour to avoid disturbing the cat that sleeps on the side of me, but you’re right – if that Husband makes even a little snoring sound I will roll him over and shove till he stops! Not sure how the poor husbands rank lower than cats in the sleeping hierarchy.
Hope your blood work is OK – I had some funky thing on mine in the spring that made me have to repeat but it was fine.
I was thinking I might make that into a card for next year – I love the reindeer! It would definitely work.
Cats are weird. Mine have seriously breached our rules about how much I will allow them to touch me. I’ve lost the battle.
Sounds like and overall good week, Lisa! As I guess they all are when we focus on the blessings instead of what wasn’t to our liking! We received a phone call last night inviting us to the OU basketball game because a friend’s friend had extra tickets. We don’t follow any sports, but we decided to be spontaneous and do something different – and thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing. One of the highlights was the Lotte Dog show at half-time – they were the winners of America’s Got Talent Show in 2012 – loved them even more in person! It would have been nice if the team had pulled off a win in our honor, but the overtime and down-to-the-wire-outcome suspense made for an exciting game.
I can get sucked into the negative just as fast as anyone else, Shel, so I have loved doing these Ten Things of Thankful posts for however long it’s been now. It makes a huge difference – and I’ve made some good friends, to boot!
I am nothing even close to spontaneous. I hate surprises and I don’t do unscripted very well. But I’m learning. A year ago, I would have turned down that last minute Disney thing, simply on the grounds of lack of planning. But it was fun and Kidzilla loved it – turned out to be a great surprise treat for her after such a great week! My sister went to a hockey game recently, just because someone had a ticket or something, and she said she quite enjoyed it. You just never know what you might enjoy unless you try it!
Home remedies for colds rock.Love that. and yes so glad it did not turn into the flu.
As I’m sure you know, keeping any germ at bay is a huge success! Besides, the flu just sucks. Period.
I want to try making elderberry syrup but do you think I can buy elderberries anywhere around here? Negative.
The picture of the reindeer is lovely.
Keep warm and have a wonderful week.
I think those little reindeer are so cute!
Have a great week, too!
Well… don’t you think, ‘Disney on Slush’ would have been a little boring (getting a good visual on how it would look…like when we were kids and you slid (without skates) on slush covered ice…and then tried to see how big a footprint you could make, jumping up and landing on both feet…. why, yes, I can stop anytime I want to!!
lol
Hope your cold is a short-lived cold
See, now I think Disney on Slush would be quite entertaining!
The cold seems to have passed, but I’m treating myself as though it’s still here – can’t hurt to be a bit over-preventive.
OH Lisa, I’m SO glad your cold was ‘only’ a cold!!! And that hubs helped with rides to school to give you a break from the cold. I love that your doc appointment went so well and oh how our mental health SURELY affects our physical health…
You cats are precious… and my husband snores so loud I have permanently placed him in the guest room. I can’t SLEEP!!! We’re cool with it. Just sucks when we travel though. I’m glad you found your comfortable space at least one night!!
I had a great aunt and uncle who had separate rooms. I thought it was odd but on this side of marriage I get it. No matter how you love someone sometimes sleep styles and patterns just don’t mesh. At least the Hub rolls over willingly. Most of the time!
Good health is worth a lot of things! I’m so glad your cold has been kept at bay and I have your sick tea recipe open in another tab to check out when I leave here. I hear ya about hardwood floors and the need for good slippers. It’s been SO cold here too, and any way I can get warm is a good thing. I have the same sleeping set up as you, only mine is a Hubby, two dogs and a cat. Cats are so pesky in the way that you want to move but feel bad moving them because they are so comfy and gosh darn cute. Congrats to Zilla for all her accomplishments this week! You must be SO PROUD of her, deservedly so. Stay warm there and have a wonderful week!
That sick tea is still my favorite cold remedy!
Those dogs must take up an awful lot of room. I’m amazed at how much of the bed three cats consume and ours are pretty small cats.
We are very proud of Zilla – she had a wonderful week and we’re hoping to see more of that this week. Of course, today schools closed because of the icy conditions, but we’ll get there eventually!