Thursday, February 25, 2010

Doldrums... and cake!

It has been one of those weeks... you know? Those weeks. Where everything is just off.

I have had headaches and the beginnings of a UTI which I am (bravely? stupidly?) trying to stave off without having to take a round of antibiotics. It requires imbibing insane amounts of water and cranberry extract and other herbs and such. I think it has been mostly successful (the other possibility, of course, is that it turns into a kidney infection) but it has left me feeling just blah...

The kids, for part of the first part of the day (when I have had headaches), watch too many movies. I would totally feel guilty... if I had one extra ounce of energy. The rest of the day they spend fighting, bickering, arguing, and whining alternating with crying. Most of the time they get a long fine, play nicely, share... apparently it is just the week I don't feel good where they fight like cats and dogs and whine like... I don't know... something that whines a lot. Even with movies, now they fight. Nico, who has never paid any attention to the television, is suddenly enraptured by the movie "Cars" (typical, eh?). That is the only movie he wants on. G likes variety (which sadly enough includes "Happy Feet" which is the creepiest movie of all time). Nico puts on Cars and then G exchanges it for a movie she wants and the battle ensues. They even fight over who is going to turn it off: "I do it." "No, I wanna do it." So I grit my teeth and make sure everybody gets a turn.

The weather has been just weird: Sunday was sunny and close to 75 degrees, Tuesday it snowed and didn't get out of the 30s... just another typical bipolar winter in Texas, but it is just so confusing.

The hubs and I are spending all of our free time doing random odds and ends around the house that we should have done years ago: towel hooks for the bathroom, a new coat of paint on the trim (crappily painted), exchanging electical plates that were shoddily painted over to save the extra two minutes it takes to remove. All of these little things, that we now find don't take all that much effort to remedy and that we could have enjoyed for us. Now it is just to sell the house. I hope we have learned a lesson in that.

I have had zero patience with the hubs. I have had to bite my tongue and say sorry on numerous occasions. As we are saying good night, I tell him he still has to love me and he says, "Yep, it's in the contract." That's right, it's part of the deal. I am sure he wishes he had read the fine print.

The icing on the cake comes tomorrow, where the kids both have check-ups that involve shots. I posted a while back about the horror of getting G shots. I thought it would get better as they get older, but it has gotten worse. I normally go alone, but have informed hubs that his attendence and help will be required. I told G today that we had to go to the Dr. tomorrow (I couldn't decide if knowing in advance or a surprise ambush was better). "For me?" She asked. "Both you and Nico." "For shots?" "Yes, honey." ...commence flailing, wailing and gnashing of teeth. I even borrowed a friend's advice of offering up a stuffed animal first to get shots to ease the anxiety. "Maybe we can take puppy, and he can get shots first." "NOOOOOOO, I don't want puppy to get a shot, it hurts." Well, at least she is empathetic, right? I fully expect an outright rebellion tomorrow. I have promised a sucker, which G calls "ladypops" instead of lollipops, which is so cute.

But, things are looking up...this weekend there will be real cake, because someone is having a birthday (more to come). I am thinking of making a lemon layer cake from America's Test Kitchen (pictured below)--I love lemon, so fresh. I have wanted to make it for a long time, but then last minute I found a recipe over on Smitten Kitchen for a chocolate cake with raspberry filling covered with a chocolate ganache... sounds so good!



Decisions, decisions...I find when I can focus my energies on planning something delicious, everything seems rosier.

6 comments:

mosey (kim) said...

Lemon is lovely, but chocolate? from smitten kitchen? With ganache? That's my vote. Either way, save me some. ;)

And since I think I might have been the one to suggest the stuffy getting the shot first, try this advice from English hubby, which he used to practice on his little sisters: when the shot goes in, pinch G somewhere else really hard and then say "See? The shot doesn't hurt anymore, does it?"

Okay, don't try that. Ehubs was notoriously nasty as a big brother.

Hope it goes well!

Phoenix said...

My week was crappy as well...I might give that cake a shot :)

Danielle said...

Hey, I got rid of a UTI with herbs once. It was Juniper something or other. It helps fight bacteria. And I took cranberry capsule that prevent bacteria from adhering to your bladder. You probably know that though...Anyway, I hope your self treatment works for you. It sucks taking antibiotics!
As for the lemon cake, I wish I had a piece right now. It is my birthday after all. Doesn't that give us a good excuse to eat cake? :)

Maggie May said...

something is in the air. more people than not are saying they are feeling wrong, irritable, snappish, cranky, morose even. your husband sounds cute :)

Robin said...

Isn't it the worst that kids have that innate ability to sense when you're vulnerable (aka sick) and proceed to behave badly knowing that you'll let a lot of things slide that you wouldn't normally?

To make it even worse they turn around and say/do something sweet like not want their bear to get a shot and call their lollipop ladypop (not sure I spelled that right).

It's almost 11pm and I was thinking about going to bed. Now I'm hungry for cake. Drats.

Bex said...

I was feeling exactly the same way, as were many others. I think it has something to do with winter's dying gasps. We are all ready for spring!