On the heels of Black August and Sam starting full-day first grade at a new school, we also started Sam and Jake's first soccer season. We've all spent two (sometimes three) nights a week and Saturdays at games and practice. The last games (not that I'm counting down or anything) are Oct 6-7. Here's my Silver Knight and my Green Goblin. (PS the Green Goblin wears his lucky bumblebee shirt under his jersey to every game - it makes him brave!
So, August 2009 will forever be known as Black August. In addition to turning thirty, Will made 5 trips to the doctor (including an ER visit), and I spent over $200 in doctor-related fees. UG! The last time I was in at the doctor, I asked if I could get a punch card - you know, four visits and the fifth is free? Here's the play-by-play:
August 4: After two weeks of grungy green nose, I took Will to the doctor - sinus infection.
August 6: On the way home from a bike ride, Sam crashed his bike into a tree limb that was secretly hiding a very large (about the size of a gallon milk jug) hornet's nest. Black hornets. Darth Vader Bees of Death. He got stung several times and so did I in our frantic run home. After immediately getting him some benedryl (to ward off the swelling) I went outside to help Steve with the bikes, etc. While gone, Will drank and/or poured the rest of the benedryl out. The pediatrician didn't answer the phone, so I called poison control for advice. They booked Will a room at the ER. Two hours later - the ER doctor confirmed that while caution was to be lauded, there was absolutely nothing wrong with him.
August 23: After another few days of fever, stomach pain, and general yuckiness, I take Will back to the doctor. They think he might have appendicitis. While he lays semi-conscious in my lap they do a blood draw and other yucky tests to tell us he has, instead, a virus. Lucky no surgery. Unlucky - no treatment.
August 27: After telling the boys to stay out of the closet in Uncle Stephen's recently vacated room, they all went (of course) straight for it. In so doing, Sam ran Will's pinky finger over with the mirrored closet door. Huge gash - all across the knuckle. I can't get it to stop bleeding, so we go into the doctor for a super-glue-ing and a blue splint. (see photo.) In addition, he was supposed to keep the dressing on (and clean and dry for three days). Needless to say, we had to get additional new dressing materials after his foray into the neighbor's recently delivered top soil.
August 31: After suffering from raging allergies, Sam rubbed pink eye into his eyes. Both. And then shared with the rest of the kids. YES!
Now you know why I went mysteriously Blog-silent.
*Note to all: this is a picture-less post. Not because I don't have pictures to post, just no time to post them.*
So my Mom often tells me to pay attention to those songs that randomly go through your head. Not the ones that were on the alarm clock this morning (don't ask me when the last time I used an alarm clock was - 4 kids, enough said) or the songs that you've absorbed into your subconscious from your children's preschool programming (Veggie Tales is a big culprit of this at my house). No, the songs that just arrive in your head, you find yourself humming and singing and if you're not paying attention come and go before you're even aware that they're there. (homophone.)
So, Friday afternoon I was freakishly cleaning my house. We'd gone for too many days of sick and tired, followed abruptly by an emergency call from my office. The house was a pit. So, freakishly I moved from room to room scouring. The crowning achievement for any and all who have ever been to my house was that I MOPPED THE KITCHEN FLOOR. On my hands and knees - with a scrub brush. It was a miracle. As I'm scrubbing, I realize I'm humming. As I'm humming, I stop to identify what I am humming.
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For those of you non-musical people, this is a song from The Sound of Music. It's the song Julie Andrews sings to Christopher Plummer after she decides she doesn't want to be a nun, she wants to be his wife, and the mother of his 7 children.
So now, as the dutiful daughter. Why was this particular song in my head, I wondered. Please note that at this moment of scrubbing all of my children were taking a nap, as was my husband, except Sam who was at school. As I pondered this random song, all I could think of was how true it was for me.
Despite all the young women's leaders who thought me impossible and washed their hands of me, despite all the horribly awkward and other totally punky moments in my life, I must've done at least five good things. For in my life I have four little people and one big person who are "standing here loving me, whether or not they should." As I pondered this random song, I suddenly, in the midst of my mopping felt very, very blessed.
Thank heaven for Moms.