Yuletide is in the air...

Just thought I'd pop in and say hello. I actually have the computer during the day which never happens, so might as well take advantage of it. One baby sleeping, another is playing merrily - it's a Christmas miracle. Actually, it sort of is, as sickness has descended upon the household. The little girl I babysit was sick last week and Aleah seemed as though she wasn't going to get it. Just when I was set to rejoice in full force, Sunday came. = ( She had a fever and slept most of the day. Monday she had no fever, just lots of snot and a cough. Yesterday was perfectly miserable. She couldn't breathe well through her nose so everything was a mess- eating, sleeping, etc. Lots of crying. Something so pathetic about a sick baby. = ( Today she is still sneezing and dripping like a faucet, but is sleeping better. She sneezes, lots of snot comes out, I wipe it off her face, she screams as though being tortured... it's a fun little game.

In other news, um, well, I guess there's not much. We're gearing up for our big annual trip to the north land. Christmas these last few years have been odd in a way. For us it has always meant being really busy the beginning of the month, not doing a lot of Christmasy things of our own, and packing up for a long trip. And the last 2 years we haven't even managed to get any decorations up, which is sort of sad, but what's the point, when they'd only be up a week and then we'd come home and have to take them all down. Anyway, this year I've been thinking a lot about what next Christmas might be like. We have no clue where we'll be living, but likely we won't be gone a month at Christmas, and hopefully it won't take days of driving to get to where we need to go. More time at home, shorter travel to see family, maybe I'll even make some party mix or something like that. Anyway, we're both really looking forward to the madness of this semester being over and being able to spend time with family and friends for awhile. We're hoping to leave Saturday - you can pray for us on the roads if you think about it. We're heading to Iowa first, then Red Lake.

What else - I can't think of much. My car is at the doctor right now, which is rather sad. The fan belt is busted. As bad as it is to not have air conditioning blowing in December in Baton Rouge, it's way worse to not have heat in Canada. So a couple nights ago we had to take the car in. We could drop it off in the evening. I just share this boring story to let you know what a dork I am. It was actually pretty chilly here that evening - down in the upper 30s I think, maybe low 40s. I hated the thought of taking a sick baby out in the cold evening air. So I bundled her all up - undershirt, fleece pjs, a coat, hat, stuck her in the car seat and tucked a big ol blanket all around her just for good measure. As though a baby with a cold had never set foot outside their house before. We dropped the car off, she fell fast asleep. When we got home and I took her out of the car seat, she was drenched, drenched, I tell you, in sweat. ha! Maybe next time I won't go so overboard. Nice to know she would have been comfortable in Red Lake.

I just uploaded a pile of pics to FB and I don't feel like repeating them here. My apologies to the couple of you who aren't on there. Well, I don't know when I'll be back here again, maybe January? If so, have a wondrous Christmas. But I suspect I'll eek out a few words before then.