And I don't mean presents.  Or cookies.  Or even corned beef.  This has been a season of excessive sickness for us.  Abigail started out with the stomach bug the first part of the month.  Then Gracie.  Then Abigail got a random fever that lasted a couple of days.  Then I got the stomach bug.  Then Steve caught a miserable cold.  Then Abigail who added a fever.  Then Gracie.  Last night Abigail woke up moaning that her stomach was hurting.  Her moaning turned to sobbing.  A warm bath and some cuddle time with Daddy seemed to ease the pain, but a few minutes later she threw up.  She had a restless rest of the night, tossing and turning.  I kept The Polar Express on constant loop and it seemed to help calm her when she stirred.  She was awake at 6:00 a.m., crying again that her stomach was hurting and her fever is up.  So, I've had enough.  Enough.  Enough.  I'm calling in the big guns.  When the pediatrician's office opens in fifteen minutes, I'll be pushing redial and redial and redial until I get through.  I know it's probably just another round of the stomach bug, but I want to make sure that her cold hasn't turned into an ear infection.  Once again, we're canceling plans today.  Gracie had her first playdate at our house scheduled for today and she is, of course, crushed that it's not going to happen.  And we were supposed to go and have dinner with Steve's beloved Uncle Keith.  Steve will still go, but I'm thinking exposing the world to Abigail's latest illness is probably not in anyone's best interest.  But, we have lots of crafts and plenty more cookies to bake, so we're going to make the best of the day that has been given us.

Here's what Abigail looks like right now, only not quite as peaceful.  In this picture, she's asleep in my sister's arms at the beach.  She adores her Aunt Monie and I think right now, the only person other than me that she would let hold her would be my sister.



And speaking of excess, here is a completely different type of over-abundance.  While I was making cookies yesterday, the girls had what they call a "Diapie Party".  And let me tell you, Pampered Chef and Tupperware have nothing on Diapie Parties.  What they normally do is get all of the diapers out of Abigail's diaper holder and throw them up in the air and dance around like crazed diaper worshippers.  I don't know when this ritual started, but it's become some kind of thing for them to do when they can't think up anything else to do.  They'll be sitting in their room, quietly playing and Abigail will jump up and squeal.  "Hey!  Gwacie!  Less have diapie party!"  And Gracie is always willing.

Yesterday, they added a strange new element to their party.  After they finished throwing all the diapies up in the air, they decided to put them all on.  At the same time.  Here is Gracie wearing 10 pull-ups.  Yep 10.  My kids are nothing if not strange.