Six months ago:
Irina, my step-mother: And Dasha (her youngest daughter that my dad had a hand in raising) sent us the most beautiful flowers for your father’s birthday. I don’t know how she managed it from Canada.
Me, making a mental note, Must figure out how to send gifts to Russia.
This Christmas:
Me, sending an extravagant clearly-US basket to my dad and step-mom. With a big card. In Russian. From Gordon, Ilona, and the girls.
Email: Basket delivered!
Skype: Crickets. Crickets. Crickets.
Me, the next day through Skype messaging: Dad, did you get korzinu? (Basket.)
Him: Oh yes! Great basket. So many American goodies. We were very puzzled and have been trying to figure out who would send us an American basket.
…
I can’t even.
#
Kid 2: I took two at home tests and I have COVID. I ruined Christmas!
Insert a long period of time when when both daughters were despondent, one was in despair because Christmas is the only thing she was looking to this year and “I want my sister to open my gifts and be happy, damn it!” and the other ridden by guilt. Angst and more angst, suggestions of delaying Christmas to New Year from me met by scorn etc. Me, hiding the extreme spike of anxiety by sheer will and assuring everyone that it will be fine while trying not to think of worst case hospitalization scenarios.
Kid 2, facetiming and waving a piece of paper.
Me: Yes?
Kid 2: I went to get professionally tested. I had COVID before. I knew this was not COVID. I don’t have COVID, but they are pretty sure I have the flu, because they have multiple cases of the people with the flu getting a false positive for COVID in our area with the at home tests.
Further research:
How accurate are at home COVID-19 tests?
NBC Chicago
Home tests will miss some infections and in rare cases mistakenly indicate an infection. One popular test misses around 15 out of 100 infections — these are called “false negatives” — and gives a false positive result in about 1 in 100 people who aren’t infected.
If you took an at home test, you might want to double check.
#
There are mice in the wood pile.
Mutilated mice count: 3.
Keeping Tuna inside game – Tuna 3, Us 0.
Reserve of emotional fortitude I have left to deal with gifts of disemboweled mice on the kitchen table: Zip.
#
Number of outdoor cat feeding stations and houses the deer now smashed: 4.
I am at my wits end. We’ve tried wood. We’ve tried plastic. The last house they stuck their heads in to get the cat food, their heads got stuck and they panicked and smashed the house on the ground.
I am so done.
#
Zero words for the last two days. This morning I slept in, because apparently I really needed it. I have resorted to Russian tea preparation. Normally I drink it without anything in it, but right now there are about 3 Tbsp of raspberry preserves and some honey in the Christmas tea. It’s medicinal. I don’t care how many calories it has.
Thank you so much for all of the gaming suggestions. I am going to try to make some words happen, and then I am going to get my grocery delivery sorted, and then I might look at Timbertown.
Calico cats always have to do it THEIR WAY!
Hope your week looks up!
Thanks for the great snippet! Love InnKeeper series!
I have seen outdoor cat houses made from tires. They have plywood circles over the openings, top and bottom with an opening for the cats cut into the sides. Several can be fastened on top of each other. I think your deer might have a problem breaking those lol. I think metal could be substituted instead of wood to make them even more deer proof.
Please explain Russian tea prep. ….sounds interesting for debriefing post work????
On the deer issue. Try deer level bird feeders with dog food and bird food available. That way they don’t have to hunt to eat
But did you read about Jorts the Cat? That would be medicinal, too. (See comments and links in previous post.)
Now I will have to google Russian tea with jam. Because I love tea. (That coffee stuff is just nasty!)
Russian tea with preserves, yum! I like cherry preserves. Желаем счастливого Рождества вам и вашей семье.
It seems to me that 99% of being a parent is keeping a calm, straight face, while screaming, crying, gibbering, and/or foaming at the mouth on the inside.
No suggestions. Just sympathies and ghost hugs if you need one.
You tried everything possible. I hope the tea helped!
May you all stay safe this season.
Okay, this may sound crazy. I have a cat who will drink from a running faucet or my glass. For obvious reasons this is less than ideal. So I bought a cat water fountain that is powered via USB plug. I had it on the counter next to her favorite sink for two months. She would look at it. Then me. And demand water from faucet. I finally gave up. I took the fountain apart, washed it all and was trying to figure out what to do with it. The cat is suddenly very distressed. Turns out she was a closet fountain drinker. I promptly reassembled and filled it and all was right in the world. (Btw she no longer hides her fountain drinking) ….the point of sharing this story is your cat may be willing to enter the fenced area to eat…but only if you don’t know. Maybe a web cam might help? Good luck!
Holidays can be stressful…especially with sick children. Your tea sounds so good! Definitely going to make!