Whirlwind

It's the season when the days fly by. Can't keep up. Behind at home. Behind at work. Being behind at work doesn't stop me from taking a weeks vacation in addition to the 'closure days' - but it did make me go in yesterday when I was supposed to be off. The closure days are WONDERFUL 'cuz you no noone else will be there, either. So what needs to wait will wait - and noone will care. LOVE THAT!

AND I caught the cold going around our house - last week was H. This week, B. was hit and had to keep going since he had finals all week. Yesterday afternoon, after I left work, it started. Sore throat, achy, headache. Lovely.

We leave for Disneyland tomorrow. We opened the Santa package left under the tree last Monday (when he was in the neighborhood for H's school performance). I always forget the camera - their faces were priceless. First the realization that we're going to Disneyland - then the absolute rapture/shock that we're going TOMORROW. They are over the moon excited. And are trying to help us get ready. We'll take the dogs to the kennel this afternoon and be packed up and ready to walk out the door (hopefully) tomorrow morning fairly early.

My sister K. is doing OK. Yesterday was their 33rd wedding anniversary and it sounds like it hit them both very hard. She is doing the best she can - one day at a time. She's learning to do so many things she's always relied on M. to do - de-icing the cars, the sidewalks. Grocery shopping. Little things that M. has always done and now it's all up to her. But she's doing fine - she's a tough cookie. I'm sending her a package of stuff for Christmas - spoiling her this year 'cuz she deserves it. She ALWAYS deserves it - but this year especially. Wish we lived closer so she could spend some of her time off with us. But she wants to tackle this 'being alone' thing head-on - so she's spending her 11 days off alone. Friends to see, things to do. Sleeping when she wants to, crying when she needs to. She'll be fine.

More soon - probably not until we get home from Disneyland. The 2nd surprise for the kids will be revealed when we meet my sister P. and her husband at the Rain Forest Cafe tomorrow night for dinner. The kids have NO IDEA their beloved aunt & uncle are joining us from Arizona - and are going to be even MORE excited when they see them. I can't wait and WILL have the camera ready for those shots!