First Sign Of Spring

Rumor has it it's spring. I have yet to see any proof. It's very cold outside, there is about a foot of snow and ice on the ground, and it only just stopped snowing. I planted bulbs last fall, but they have a long way to go. And not a single robin has been spotted in these parts, just a few geese earlier this week.

There is hope, though. I looked out the window a few moments ago, and noticed a little head sticking up from the snow. The chipmunks are up! He, or she, had dug a tunnel through the remains of the ice castle that Ryan and Lola built, and sat there, quietly looking around. He seemed somewhat confused by what he saw, and after a few minutes went back into his underground home.

I'll toss out some homegrown sunflower seeds for them. The birds are not too keen on them and it will be awhile before the grass is back.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

I just shipped Lola off to school, two hours later than normal. Our school district started with a two hour delay because of the cold. Schools were closed all day yesterday in the UP and I am sure they are today as well. I had never heard of Cold Days before, only Snow Days.

It was 14 below this morning when Ryan left, with a wind chill of 25 below. For the folks back home who are complaining about the cold, or lack thereof - another Elfstedentocht just bit the dust, that's -26 and -32 Celsius. Brrr!

Today's high will be a balmy 7 degrees (-14 C). It sure is pretty though, the bright blue sky and the sun reflecting on the snow. If only I could stay inside all day.

Sick Bay

My baby is sick. My poor little girl is running a fever, throwing up, and starting to develop a nasty cough. She was up quite a bit last night, and has slept for most of the day today. To add to her misery, being sick today means she is missing the root beer float party at school. I promised to make her a root beer float at home but that only partially made up for things.

I feel for Lola, really I do. Of course I do, I am her mother. But the thing is, I am supposed to be the patient today. Yesterday I had oral surgery. There is an infection raging in my jawbone and it's threatening my teeth. Due to the loss of bone, they are at risk of falling out. To end the infection, the bone was scraped clean and bone grafting material was inserted. My gums were then sewn back together and some kind of dressing was applied.

My head now hurts very much as you can imagine. The painkillers I was prescribed aren't up to the job. And though it's not the most pain I have ever felt, it is in my head and that seems to make matters worse. To add insult to injury, I am starting to look like a chipmunk on the left side of my face. But instead of nursing my aching head, I was up half the night nursing Lola and cleaning up vomit.

Sigh. Life is not fair.