I depleted my stash, but it was worth it.

I spent the better part of the day yesterday moaning and groaning because I'd awoke with a major crick in my neck. I was miserable from the moment my feet hit the floor.

Being that I can sometimes be a bit of a hypochondriac I near-about convinced myself I had meningitis, but thankfully a little bit of sleuthing on WebMD proved my fear to be unfounded and pointed me to the likely source of my pain being a strain in my neck muscles.

I wish I could say I strained my muscles performing an ultra-tough new workout that I've undertaken in this new year, but that would be a bold-faced lie. The real culprit is the fact I slept in the floor in Lola's room for a while the night before. Well, I didn't really sleep so much as I rested there while I waited, and prayed, for her to go to sleep. The fact I rested without the aid of a pillow has to have contributed greatly to me being unable to turn my head from side-to-side or tilt it backward for most of the day.

Lola, who really is an angel sent from heaven, (or at least I kept repeating this to myself as I begged God to help her sleep) has been having problems sleeping through the night for going on two months now. We've tried all kind of tricks - from letting her go without naps, feeding her a protein-rich meal before bed to purposely trying to let her burn heaps of energy at playgrounds all over the place - in the hopes that she will go to sleep and stay that way for several hours.

But, alas, nothing has helped. If anything she's gotten worse the cause for which I shoulder the blame. See, when Amelia was out of school for two weeks at Christmas I started putting Lola in bed with Jeff and I when she'd wake up at night. At first this little plan worked like a charm. She's drink some milk and then drift off into peaceful slumber between her daddy and me. However, she soon began to flop like a fish between us and slap us with her hands and/or feet as she attempted to find her most comfortable sleeping position.

I could have handled this aggravating but not earth-shattering turn of events because I can sleep regardless of the conditions. However, Jeff, who is such a light sleeper that the slightest disturbance wakes him up, banished Lola from our bed. But, by then the damage had been done. She was RURNT!

Lola loved sleeping with us and had begun to request we put her in our bed when we began her bedtime ritual. Since she's old enough to comprehend things pretty well, Jeff told her she would be laying down in her bed where she's expected to stay for the rest of the night.

So far, getting her in her bed at her bedtime has been pretty easy. But, she's still waking up in the middle of the night and requesting a transfer to the king-sized bed. Even though it's tough, I have managed to quash her requests and have put her back in her bed. But, in order to keep her from jumping the rail and escaping to our room I've been staying with her until she goes to sleep.

She's onto me, however, because she fights going back to sleep like the devil because she knows as long as she's awake I'll stay in there. Night before last I only had to stay with her for about 30 minutes before she traveled back to the Land of Nod. Those 30 minutes, though, were plenty of time for me to get my neck all kinked up by laying on her bedroom floor.

About midday yesterday after I'd certainly exceeded the recommended daily allowance for both Aleve and Advil I remembered I'd stashed a prescription muscle relaxer in one of my purses. While Lola was playing I got on a stool and plowed through all my purses in the top of the closet searching for this single tablet. I was so happy when I found it that I almost cried tears of joy.

Now, even though every doctor, nurse and pharmacist I've ever known say these pills are "mildly sedating," they knock me out like I've been popped in the head with an iron skillet. Therefore, I knew I'd have to wait until bedtime to take it. After everyone was settled in for the night, I got comfy in the bed, took my pill and was in la-la-land within 20 minutes.

I knew my muscle relaxer had done the trick at one o'clock this morning when Lola woke up and I was able to move my head without wincing in pain. It even worked so well that when I ended up sleeping in her floor - with a pillow this time - for the rest of the night I actually slept instead of hollering out in pain each time I tried to get comfy on the cold floor.

My worry now is that I'll reinjure my neck because I can assure you I haven't slept on Lola's floor for the last time. My girl is predictable that's for sure. Another injury would be unwelcome, but I'd really hate for it to happen knowing my stash is empty. The relief I received from that one pill was just short of miraculous, but I am afeared I'll just have a big ol' come-apart if I hurt my neck again and can't ramble through my purses in search of relief.

Music Therapy Thursday: Don't worry ...

This song has gotten me through some of the roughest times in my life. It's my go-to song when times are tough; but it, along with so many more of Bob Marley's songs, never fail to transport me in my mind to sunny days, bare feet, cold beer and cool waters to lounge in. After four days of being cooped up because this snow and ice that fell Sunday night is still on the ground, I am definitely dreaming of summer. Enjoy!

I'm going crazy. You're welcome to join me.

I am so over this snow and ice that is still covering everything outside our doors! I changed my blog background today to reflect where I wish I was. It would be soooo nice to be at the beach rather than stuck at home in this mess!

I do not know how people who live in areas where snow comes in November and stays until April cope. I would go completely berserk! Just this morning I was wishing we were wealthy enough to spend our winters in a warm climate so we didn't have to even think about getting snowed in for days.

The weatherman said this morning that we can expect the temperatures to rise enough by Saturday to melt the snow and ice. I was so happy to hear him say that I could of kissed the TV screen! However, that means I still have to suffer through two more days of being cooped up. UGH!

I am crossing my fingers that I make it. You'll know I didn't if the next time you see me I am wearing a strait jacket and drooling from my recent dose of Thorazine. 

So much snow!

Mother Nature showed out last night when she decided to drop about eight inches of snow on our area of the state. The girls were fascinated with the piles of white stuff that awaited them when they woke up.  Both Lola and Amelia's first word upon seeing the blanket of snow this morning was "wow."

I was just glad we didn't lose electricity. I lived through a bonafide blizzard in 1993 during which we were without power for five days so I was ecstatic to discover the electricity still on when I got up this morning. I learned the hard way that I had been taking electricity for granted for a long time and wasn't eager to be reminded that it really is a luxury.

I told someone earlier today that during the '93 blizzard I started to feel like I had woke up in an episode of "Little House on the Prairie" because me, my momma, two cousins and my grandfather were all camped out in his house using an old pot-bellied stove for cooking and having to chop wood to keep the fire in it going 24/7.

Additionally, water came to us only after we'd brought snow inside in giant bowls and buckets and allowed it to melt in front of the gas heater. It's really frustrating to take time to fill a five-gallon bucket with snow and only reap about a gallon of water. It seemed like we were constantly filling buckets trying to get enough water to flush the toilets, brush our teeth, wash our hands and eventually drink after we'd finished off the sweet tea, Diet Pepsi, orange juice and milk my grandfather had picked up before the storm hit.

Although we're stuck in the house for who knows how many days thanks to the roads being treacherous, this go-round with Mother Nature's winter weather is a cakewalk compared to 17 years ago so I don't intend to complain because I know the alternative is nothing but a big 'ol dose of misery.

Amelia and Lola aren't complaining either since they love playing in the snow. They're also grateful school is closed. Amelia wasn't too eager to go back after Christmas break so maybe these few extra days at home will revitalize her zest for education. Lola is just glad to have her sister home to play with her since she really misses her when she's at school.

And now for the requisite photos:

Really? The Happiest Place on Earth?

I been thinking a lot about Disney World lately, or more accurately I've been thinking about whether a trip there is really necessary for our family of four.

Thanks to a deluge of commercials on television during the Christmas break for this center of entertainment in Orlando, Florida, Amelia has asked no less than 3,496 times if we can go there one day. My stock answers are always, "We'll see" and "I'll look into it" both of which still pacify her. 

In the past, I've always imagined we would one day make the trek to the world Walt and Mickey built, but now I am not so sure. I've done some research on what it would take to get us there, and I am now thinking this trip may not be in the cards for us. It's not just the cost that bothers me, but the whole "Disney experience" that's being touted that I don't think I want to be a part of.

I was fortunate as a child that I got to go to Disney World twice. The first time, though, cannot be described as an amazing and wonderful trip because it came just after my daddy's funeral in nearby Christmas, Florida. 

My mom knew I'd always dreamed of going to the Magic Kingdom so her and her boyfriend at the time decided since we were going to be in the area that they'd swing by the park. Additionally, I think they thought a trip to Disney World might help to take my mind off having just lost my daddy to heart disease at the very young age of 43.

However, for me the whole experience was more akin to, "Hey, we know they just lowered your daddy in the ground, but let's go have a super-fun time at Disney World!" I was miserable the entire trip. My misery was heightened by the fact I was sharing this experience with momma and her boyfriend both of whom were mainly concerned with how long they would have to wait before being able to enjoy several adult beverages rather than making sure I enjoyed myself at The Happiest Place on Earth.

My second trip to the park came courtesy of the fact my high school band - in which I played trumpet - had been invited to march in an Orlando parade and spend a day at Disney World. This visit was much more pleasurable and I have lots of good memories of traversing Disney and Epcot with three friends. We laughed all day it seems even though we spent a good portion of our time there soaking wet thanks to a brief deluge that dampened our bodies but not our spirits. 

In the 20-plus years since I visited Disney World, the park has undergone a massive makeover to include Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and two water parks. By all accounts, it takes about seven to 10 days to see and do everything the parks offer. 

In addition, there are now opportunities to sit down and enjoy a meal with everyone from Cinderella to Mickey Mouse himself - however, apparently only the most diligent and dedicated parents can make these meals a reality for their kids because I've been told tickets to the most coveted meals are not easy to come by. I know one mother who started calling a year - 12 MONTHS - before their scheduled visit to attempt to get her kids on the guest list for breakfast with Chef Mickey and dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table.

Oh, I cannot forget to mention that the same mother spent a portion of that same year worried to death that she would be unable to get her girls an appointment at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique where they could be transformed into a Disney Princess by "fairy godmothers-in-training" the cost for which starts at $49.95 and tops out at $189.95! I don't pay almost $200 for a salon visit so I can assure you I will not be dropping that kind of cash on my kids!

While we're on the topic of cost, let me share what I was told by another person who made the trek to Disney with his wife and two children. He reported that he paid $800 per person just for park tickets and fast passes. That price, which totaled $3,200, in case you didn't do the multiplication yourself - just covered entrance to the place and the ability to move to the front of the line on rides. Nothing in that cost paid for lodging, food, souvenirs or those inevitable "extra" costs that pop up when you're on vacation.

I know for some people a trip to Disney World is a life-long dream for which they're willing to go into debt and spend hours on the phone trying to make sure their kids enjoy the total experience so they can brag to their friends about the mundane food they ate while seated with royalty or giant mice and the over-the-top salon trip they enjoyed the likes of which their mothers will never know; but, for me, I just feel our money and time would be better spent elsewhere.

You see, my idea of vacation is going somewhere that someone else is in charge of cooking and cleaning and where I can lounge around and be catered to rather than spend my time sweating while schlepping around with two fussy girls at a crowded noisy park at which I would have to ride almost every ride because my husband gets motion sickness just from watching a carousel go around and around. 

But, here's the kicker - I feel guilty and selfish for not wanting to provide my girls with the chance to go at least once in their young lives to a place filled with magic and whimsy. I know Disney offers some "budget-friendly" trips during which families can enjoy the parks without including the luxuries of character meals and boutique visits. However, I still find myself wondering if even that is worth our trouble.

I love traveling with my husband and girls and hope to be able to do it more as money comes available, but I have to imagine my girls' lives will still be rich and fulfilled even if they never see the Magic Kingdom. I'd prefer to take them places that offer something for everyone at a more reasonable price because, let me tell you, for the kind of money we'd have to lay out for Disney, we could in turn spend a very nice week at a resort in the Bahamas or on a cruise.

Our year in pictures