Upside - Down Frowns

We've had a tough couple of days here in the Turk household.  I've been pretty down in the dumps about it until just this morning.  Oliver and I were watching "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" on PBS, and they had this song on about when something goes bad you have to turn it around into something good.  I was singing along, thinking about how good I am at this particular lesson until it kind of hit me that I wasn't.  This is one of those gifts I do not have.  I do not turn things around when something goes amiss, I dwell on it and blame whatever it is (the weather for a rainy picnic, the day's schedule for a hungry tummy, Doug...just, Doug) on my depression.  I use the serious word for this (depression), because it's the truth: I don't just get upset for a few minutes, I spiral downward and get depressed rather easily.

I realized that I really need to start changing that about myself.  Doug tends to do this too (sorry for calling you out, love), and having both of us in this "glass half empty" kind of lifestyle is definitely not a trait I would like to see O possess.

To this end, I'm going to use this post as my catcher.  Turn all those frowns that we've been having upside down.  Ya hip to it? 

• Last night, Ollie got the flu.  I stayed up with him most of the night while Doug ran over to the 24 hour drugstore in Eden Prairie to get supplies.  Poor guy is doing much better this morning, but we're all a little sleepy.  Blessing Catch:  I think that he was sick for such a short time because he got the flu shot (well, the prime - he was supposed to get the booster after the 17th of October and we haven't gotten to it yet), so thank goodness for that.  I'm also happy that I don't have a job and was able to stay home with him.  Even though I feel horrible that he's so sick (there is nothing fun about not being able to help him other than hold him and point hsi head over the toilet), he's very snuggly and it is definitely making me feel more useful than I have in a long time.  Oh, also we both got to wear sweats all day and watch TV.  Hello gold toes!
• I have lost my voice.  Started coming down with something on Sunday afternoon, but it didn't really hit until yesterday morning when I said Good Morning to Doug like James Earl Jones.  Sexy.  Blessing Catch:  Since I love to hear the sound of my voice, the less words for me to say, the better off everyone is.  Although healing is proving to be challenging in a family that's used to saying, "EH?!?" even if they've heard what I said.  Dang Castanzas.
• Oliver's started throwing some mega tantrums.  It's pretty unreal: he knocks his head back, arches his back and screams bloody murder, no matter where he is.  He's 17 months old, so it may be the beginning of the terrible twos, but I think it's more a combination of that and the many changes going on in his life.  Blessing Catch: He hasn't yet hit his head on anything sharp or gotten a concussion.  These tantrums may mean that pretty soon he'll start talking and letting us know what he wants so we don't have to guess.  Also, for whatever reason, the changes he's enduring aren't halting his development!
• Oliver may be getting used to being treated like a royal by his grandparents.  :)  Blessing Catch: The three of them are getting to know each other very well.  Doug and I are trying to keep it on an even keel though, so hopefully by the time he moves into his own house he will know that spoiling is only allowed at Ba-Pa's house!
• Some of Oliver's molars have come in. Screaming and crying was the norm for a couple of days.  Doug had to sleep in his room one night.  Blessing Catch:  While we still have some time to see if he will be missing the same two teeth as his mama and his Aunt Courtney, at least he has these to chew.  And it's nearly over.
• Doug's feeling a lot of pressure from his job, me and life in general.  We have been a little short with each other.  Blessing Catch:  We're learning to compromise and in the end, hopefully we both feel like we're being heard and understood.
• These roads are taking a lot of getting used to.  When last I drove, I lived in towns where directions were based on location identification (turn left at the Wendy's and continue on until Van Dreer's farm).  Now I'm actually using an atlas AND a Garmin.  Streets change names midway through, there are a trillion Frontage and service roads, all the freeways end in -94, merging terrifies me and some streets don't make any sense (35W and 35E are north and south streets?  Really?).  Blessing Catch: I get so proud when I find that I know where I am!  I don't need directions to visit my sister and our friends, since I know how to get there already!
• I'm a little lonely.  Making friends when you're a stay-at-home mom with a sometimes car is a little difficult.  Blessing Catch:  I already have a bestie (shout-out Emily!), and she's introducing me to all her friends, who are fabulous people.  Not to brag, but one is already a Facebook friend and another asked me for my digits.  I said not to brag.  I got to go out with the girls a couple of nights ago and it was really, really fun.  My new hair lady (who is AWESOME) wants to set us up with a cool young couple that she knows. Yay! 
• I have noticed that my sarcasm doesn't go over too well here, though (sounds like I'm a snob or am complaining) so I'm going to have to make some adjustments to that.  I curse like a mutha-effing sailor too, which is probably shocking and off-putting instead of pleasantly endearing as I like to think it is in NYC. I'm a little nervous that if there is someone in the world who is a complete contradition of me, I'm going to find them in this state of "Minnesota Nice."  Blessing Catch:  If it helps me to make and keep friends, I'll do it.  Maybe my sense of humor could use a little growing up.

So...there it is.  My attempt at turning this past week of negativity into something good.  I actually feel a little better.  Maybe that's what Daniel Tiger was hinting at - that turning around a brief setback would make you feel pretty cool along with making people less apt to slit your throat.  Sounds good to me.  Have a great weekend and remember - glass half full!