Pink

Hello. Yes, it's been a long time, but I'm back... and I must say, I feel a little bit like a stranger to this place.

Last week, I came down with a very ferocious bug. I was sick for a week with a decommissioning illness that prompted me to do some extreme WebMD and Google searches, in my more lucid moments, all in an effort to self-diagnose. (I was relieved to learn I did NOT have the bird flu.) But I wanted nothing more than to feel like myself again. To feel well. To have enough energy to put on socks.

It took a long time, but hallelujah, I'm back!

Now I'm getting caught up... and I may be on a bit of a cleaning terror. I've been washing and wiping every surface. I'm going to eradicate any virus that remains in this house, if not with household cleaners, then by will alone. If it weren't sleeting outside, I'd even throw open the windows and full the house with fresh air.

We are beyond ready for spring. I'm so eager for color that Ellie and I decided to paint her nails. It was a momentous occasion. I guess I have been one of those moms with the opinion that make-up, even nail polish, ear piercings and the like are reserved for double-digit ages.

Maybe that makes me old-fashioned... I just think that so many times those kinds of embellishments are designed to make others think or feel a certain way about our looks, more so than making us feel good about ourselves. Not the territory for my little girl.

Maybe it's my extreme need to add some color to our little world, maybe it's me relaxing my thoughts on appearance... the reason doesn't really matter I guess, because Ellie loves her new pretty nails. And I love that she's happy. On a side note, I've also used the new experience to try and gain an upper hand in the area of nose-picking. It's not a glamorous discussion, but my Ellie is no different than many kids her age. She spends a good part of the day with her right index finger in her nose. Awkward. Gross. Bad habit.

I had managed to convince her that if she had her fingernails painted, she could no longer pick her nose. Until today she's been pretty good about it... perhaps at least being thoughtful about her actions. At dinner time tonight I happened to notice that one finger is absent it's pretty pink polish... that finger just happens to be her right index finger. I hope it's a only coincidence.