I have been remiss.....

....I got sucked into the fast paced, easy to post world of Facebook and have neglected this blog. As much as I am enjoying the instant gratification of Facebook, I'm finding I miss the different pace and level of thinking the blog requires. So, I'm going to try to get myself back into the discipline of posting more regularly.

If you are one of my Facebook pals, you'll know that Adam turned 3 during the trip to Las Vegas from hell. It is all going so fast!

I had sooo been looking forward to this trip. It was to be my first vacation that wasn't a trip to visit family with all the baggage that that entails.

Adam had a runny nose and cough for a few days, but nothing too bad. I, of course, got it, along with a fever of 103.7. But I was determined I was getting on that plane. Too much was at stake! Never mind the airfare and hotel, but there were the tickets for the 3 Manilow shows, and 3 other people coming along on the trip. Called the doctor for antibiotics and figured I'd kick it. HA!

The first morning I made it to breakfast, then about 5 minutes out into the gardens of the Flamingo before immediately having to go back to the room and lay moaning in bed. By this time, Adam had a fever as well and let me tell he, he is not the most pleasant sick person I've ever met. (For me, this is the hardest part of being a single parent -- being sick when he is sick.)

I did, of course, drag my ill self down the strip every night to the Hilton for Barry. I don't know how to explain this, but I think most mothers will understand the sentiment -- for the first time in a long time, I felt like myself. Just me. The show took me out of myself and centered me in a way I haven't felt in a long time. And I badly needed that.

So, basically I had 90 perfect minutes a day and the rest sucked big time. Adam had been very excited about Vegas - he wanted to see dolphins, jump in the water and ride in a boat. Once we actually got there, however, all he was interested in was the monorail ("the lil' train".) On Friday, Adam's 3rd birthday, the plan was to have breakfast and then head to The Secret Garden of Siegfried and Roy. Adam's plan, however, was to read the monorail all day. Thus, the start of the 5 hour temper tantrum from hell.

He cried and complained all through breakfast because we weren't on the monorail. After we finished, we took him for a quick ride, thinking that would satisfy him, but no! The umbrella stroller we took on the trip was too short for me and increased the pain I was having in my back from the coughing and fever, so my much shorter friend volunteered to push the stroller, apparently violating some unspoken rule that only Mama is to push the stroller. The screaming continued. Once we got to the Secret Garden, he decided he wanted to go back to the room and watch Madagascar. It was a nightmare. I very much like the Secret Garden and was determined to see it. I left little Mr. Pissy Pants with my mother and my friend and wandered off by myself for a while and enjoyed the animals. Of course, I coughed so hard that I humiliated myself by vomiting right in the middle of the Secret Garden. Bad day at Black Rock.

I can easily say that Adam's 3rd birthday was the worst behaved he has ever been and he almost drove me over the edge. I have a LOT of patience, but was just so sick myself and so exhausted. I badly needed to sleep and Adam simply refused to consider such a possibility. It was so nice to have other people with me -- as we hit the five hour mark in the nonstop misery I lost it -- completely -- and dragged him down the hall to my friend and explained that I was going to hurt him if she didn't take him. And she took him and let me sleep for a few hours.

After five days on antibiotics I was no better so on the advice of my primary care physician went to the pulmonologist who said I was in the throes of a "massive" asthma attack, which had been triggered by bronchial pneumonia. Sigh. Being newly diagnosed with asthma, I was unaware that I need to treat for asthma with every cold or cough I get. So, I have an inhaler and am on steroids and am just a little bit better, but still dragging and struggling a bit.

Adam is completely recovered and happy to be home and back in his routine. With the exception of Tulsa in June, I don't think we're going to be traveling for a while.