Can I come out yet? Is it safe??

Happy New Year!! Yay!! Thank you Lord!!

Maybe, just maybe, 2007 will be better than 2006 was for me personally.

To end my year of seemingly endless mishaps and annoyances, I ended 2006 not in a giggle and a flow of feather boas like I started it with the girls, but rather, with a cough, a sniffle, with a bottle of motrin under my pillow, stuck in bed with strep throat.
What started out as a minorly swollen gland on Friday night I woke to two minorly swollen glands on Saturday. We decided to take our trip to the middle of the state for our extended family's Christmas plans as planned anyway, about a 3 hour drive.
I should not have gone. I spent Saturday in a house full of extended family, some of which I've not seen in 4+ years, in a recliner, somewhere between sound asleep and coma-tized. I was in the chair for the better part of the day. I felt horrible for exposing my family to my foul temper and my sick throat. We left mid-afternoon, and arrived home about 7.30. When I crawled into bed 10 mins later, my trusty digital thermometer said my temp was a whopping 105.7. I downed some motrin, some vicodin, some cold meds, and off to la-la land I went. I slept fitfully all night long, and in the morning while my temp was about 101, I called the doctor. He diagnosed strep throat over the phone, and my husband went in Sunday afternoon to get the scrip. After two full days in my room, by Monday evening I was SO much better, and today, Tuesday, I'm 90% better. My throat has a minor swollen-ness to it, but other than that, I'm back to normal.
For those who have never had strep, I don't recommend it.
For those who have, you know the pain. And don't fake it. Take off the mask. Admit it. It hurts.
Sunday night I found myself alone in my room, crying into my hubby's pillow, because I was in such pain. I was berating myself for being a wimp. For staying in bed all day. I was angry that I could not force myself to snap out of it, and to get better. I AM MOM! Hear me ROAR! Or meow, rather, and hoarsely at that. It was bad.
Monday brought minimal healing, and by Monday night, I had such room-fever, was SO bored, that I played a game of solitary Memory, planned the exact ways I am going to paint my room, and found myself staring bleakly at episode after episode of the Twilight Zone circa 1960 on the SciFi channel. Talk about desperation :)
Today, since mommy has been absent from their little lives for two whole days, my children are finding it necessary to make mommy be extra active. I've even had the voice to shout at them once or twice today. I've also had the voice to sing some praises too.
Thank the Lord this happened over a weekend, and a holiday weekend at that. My beloved husband was here to take over the duties for a couple of days, solo. My house is not in pristine condition, but then, even when I'm in charge, let's not pretend that it's a palace. Coming downstairs this morning was one of those moments of "So I really AM needed! Yes! I knew it all along! Who else is going to take out the recyclables? Pick up the son's underwear from the middle of the kitchen floor? Have the kids pick up the toys? Actually wipe off the table between play-do time and meals? ME!! Yay!!"
And so we're off and running again, back to the normal grind.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<