new year new us

No - just kidding.
New year.
Same us.
But that's good right?
Right?!
Please say it's right.









Punk was home for almost a month. But he's never home alone.
When he's home, so is K - his girlfriend. So is P - his best friend since sixth grade, annnnnnnd so are most of his high school friends for things like Christmas parties. Good thing we love them all.

For the most part we loved December, but winter break did include two unpleasant surprises.

First of all was a trip to the allergist for Punk. He's had rather severe eczema for 17 of his 18 and a half years, but he went to college for three months and it's gone.
Not "better".
Not "less bad".
G
O
N
E.

So we return to the allergist (whom we've seen at least four times - including twice to decide why the hell he suddenly needed an epi pen). Allergist says, "Oh - he's allergic to the dog."

The dog.
We've had a dog for 18 years.
He met the dog before we took him into the house for the first time.
He's been tested twice for dog allergies.
He's allergic to dogs.
Punk says he doesn't care. That he'll own three when he has his own house. Eczema be damned.

Unpleasantness number two was a rather intense mental health situation with one of our kids. Strangely, it wasn't a trip to a therapist that quelled it, but rather a round of Zithromax. We're still not sure what this means, one day one of our kids woke up and could not leave the house. There were tears just stepping into the driveway. There was panic getting into a car. There was weakness and shortness of breath stepping into a store, (which meant we had to go home without getting that 50% off TeaVanna - so I guess that's technically three unpleasant surprises). However, a day after a visit with a great new doctor, and two days into Zithromax - things were looking up. So far, so good.

Christmas and New Year's were beautiful.
Christmas Eve at home with Greek pastries and Danish muffins and American cheeseball.

New Year's at a hotel, with a pool and cheeseburgers and Twilight Zone, and a game we probably shouldn't have played with a seven year old present but did anyway. A trip to The Greatest Showman (some of us two trips) and a soundtrack that none of us can get out of our heads. A game night with two parents, three kids one boyfriend, one girlfriend and 36 fresh chocolate chip cookies wrapped it up.

2018  - you might just be alright.