MOM-ents: Long Winter Naps

December has to be one of my favorite times of the year. 

I love having parties and plans taking up my weekends (and weeknights, in some cases) and watching my kids interact with family and friends and seeing their happiness.

I love putting a show that I like on in the basement and hiding down there for hours wrapping presents while my husband chases the kids around upstairs. 

I love drinking coffee all day long and keeping the Christmas tree lit just because it makes me feel good.

I love when the Christmas cards outnumber the bills and love finding the “perfect” present for people.

The downside of winter, however, besides the miserable cold and dreary days and stack of ATM receipts is that it is cold and flu season.

With the exception of one overnight stay at the hospital with Ryann last year, my kids have been pretty healthy and they are excellent patients.  So when Ryann complains of a stomachache Matt and I instantly go into disaster relief mode.  With the sound of one gargled cough we can both be out of bed in our “save the carpet” anti-vomit gear and Matt can have Ryann over the toilet in no time flat.

So with back to back Christmas parties this weekend we were really feeling in the Christmas spirit.  I had plans to take Ryann (and Matthew, even though I hate dragging him around to things he won’t remember-judge me all you want) to the Sunday for their “Creatures Great and Small” exhibit but she woke up early complaining that her stomach hurt so all of our plans for the day were immediately smashed.  We set her up on the couch with a beverage and the Disney channel and she instantly went back to sleep.  For the day.

I would never wish for my children to be sick at all, but except for the disgusting amounts of bodily fluids that we need to deal with, a part of me does enjoy it because it is the most cuddly time for them.  With two kids that are constantly on the go, snuggles are getting fewer and farther between and never long enough as far as I am concerned.

So spending my Sunday morning reading on the couch next to my baby girl is not nearly as fun as what I had planned (for her anyway, I could read all day), but it was what she (and I) needed.