Present

The pot on the stove is simmering. Last night's dinner was a roasted chicken, with brussel sprouts (oddly..my girl's favorite vegetable) and stuffing. Today, it will be transformed into chicken soup, minus the stuffing. Although stuffing soup would really please Olivia.
Everyone in this house has been sick, for two months now. One gets better, another one is taken down. I have left all of the cold medicines out on the kitchen counter. They have become part of the decor. Today, the baby woke up, and sounds like a seal, when she coughs. If the soup doesn't cure us all once and for all, I am unsure of the next course of action. All of our hands are red, and chapped from hand washing, and anti-bacterial. I disinfect surfaces three and four times a day. We never stop hugging and kissing, so I suppose the closeness we all share is to blame.
Time is ticking. We have over a week to respond to our foreclosure notice. It needs to be in legal speak, which we are not fluent in, nor can we afford. I have visited some websites that show how we can respond, without paying a lawyer. I feel like I am back in middle school. The big book report is due. Looming. I have not yet read the book. I keep putting it off, finding more important things to do. Last week, David and I were going to dedicate Sunday to dealing with it. Yesterday was Sunday, and the baby was not feeling well, and I was still sick. Without saying a word about it to each other, we put it off. I don't want to deal with it. I know David doesn't  want to either.
Yet, yesterday was a great day. We all curled up, and watched kid movies, and ate Pringles. Molly cat napped. The girls stayed in their pajamas. Actually, we all stayed in our pajamas. We watched Ramona and Beezus. David and I held hands under a soft blanket, and were amazed at the similarities of our life, and the movie.
They had three girls. So do we. The dad was laid off from his job. So was David. They started struggling with bills, and fighting. So are we. Boy, are we. They feared losing their home. That is the daily fear here.
Of course, the obvious difference here, is that in the end, the movie had a brilliant happy ending. Everyone got what they wanted. They got to keep their adorable Craftsmen style home. The Dad got a new job. A job as an art teacher. He left the corporate world to pursue his true passion. The girls didn't have to move away as they feared. The movie wrapped itself up, with a big, giant bow stuck on it.
My chicken and water in the pot is beginning to smell like it is coming together. The water has changed to a nice shade of yellow. Olivia just remarked how great it smells in here.
This is all I ever wanted.
 Bow, or not.