Weekend Adventures

     Yesterday was Lexi's 9th Birthday. We do not take Birthdays lightly in our household. And, somehow, I managed to have an entire weekend off, so, Lex took complete advantage of this. Beginning with a sleepover after school on Friday. Carrie, the little girl who spent then night, was a complete sweetheart, and seemed to roll with the craziness in our household - esp when my sister and her kids came over. I had the brilliant Pinterest idea, of having a bunch of kids over, to decorate cupcakes. In the Pinterest pictures, all these little girls in cute dresses and hair bows and aprons, are smiling charmingly as they decorate perfect little cakes. How cute is THAT? I could do this. So, 8 children, 2 dozen cupcakes, several different colors/flavors of frosting, and assorted sprinkles later, we were ready to begin. The kids couldn't wait. It was a fiasco. Frosting and sprinkles were flying, fingers and knives were in mouths, arguing over toppings ensued. Cross that off the list of things to ever try again. Curse you, Pinterest.

     The morning after the sleepover, I had my first home care case, for my second job. I had my homecare nursing bag ready to go, scrubs on, and directions professionaly written on a paper towel. The directions to this home seemed clear enough. So, I confidently set out 15 minutes early, promising I would be back home in no time. This house was nowhere. It was supposed to be on a main road, and even my GPS was stumped. Where it SHOULD have been, was vast fields. So, I Googled the patient's name and address - OH! The address was off a number! Okay, I knew which house it was. So, I arrived at this house, which seemed earily quiet. Ummmm. Okay. In orientation, we were told to just knock and walk in. I had also been told there was a dog at this house. Well, there was a dog. So, I knocked and walked in. "Hello! Anybody home?" Nothing. There was nothing. No sounds anywhere. Just a dog, who seemed anxious to give me a full tour of the home, and show me where any silver and valuables might be. I stood there awkwardly, calling out, and almost positive I was in the wrong place. But, what if I wasn't? What if I was? What if some outraged homeowner came charging thru the door, brandishing a shotgun and threats of arrest for illegal entry? What if my patient was actually sleeping in bed, and I needed to wander around and find this person? What if this was the wrong place? What if it wasn't? The dog didn't seem to know, either. I stood there for a fews moments and pet the dog, and decided this was probably not the right place, and I should probably leave, and hope I didn't get stuck in the driveway.
     After 30 minutes of searching for this home, I finally called the agency I work for. They called the patient's home, and then myself, and I discovered I had been next door to the home I needed to be at. You know, the one with NO house numbers? Right between two homes with COMPLETELY different numbers? That one. Okay. So, I finally get to this house, and a very nice lady comes out and tells me to 'park over there!', so I park over there. Then she tells me to 'park over there now, instead.'. Which puts me off the driveway, and completely stuck. This first job was totaly not going well. I get out of my truck, and I was informed, "Oh my goodness! Are you okay? You look exhusted!" (I get that a lot lately. WTH? People look at me regularly and tell me how awful I look. How do I change the way I look?) In I go, where I have the sweetest patient and family, who are all just so nice, and another dog to pet, and it went well. My patient says to me after; "I hope you can go home and rest a little. You look so tired!" Sigh.
     When I went outside, in the hopes I could unstick my truck, the patient's family had dug it out, and put ashes under the tires, and it pulled right out. I could not stop thanking them. At this point, I felt like such an idiot. Lost, breaking and entering, stuck, late. I was awesome. One of the family members came to me and said, "Whenever I have needed help, the Lord has always provided me with someone to help. Glad I could pay in forward. And, you look like you could use some help. May the Lord be with you - you really do look like you could use His help." I gulped back tears at this point. I must really look pitiful and exhusted.

     Sunday, the actual day of Lexi's birthday, kicked off with the Birthday cake for breakfast tradition, followed by church. Growing up Catholic, we went to church every weekend, and some of my best childhood memories were of Saints' Peter and Paul Church, in Arcade. We go to Saint Philomena's in Franklinville now, and this church has some pretty strict requirements for the kids' religious ed program, and one of them is that the kids have to be in church EVERY weekend. Which usually falls on Jasin, as I happen to work just about every weekend. "Now you will see how bad they are in church!" he informs me. Well. They really weren't all that bad. "How did you keep George so good?" "I told him to behave, and I would buy him M&M's."

     We had promised we would take Lexi ice skating. She has been on this ice skating kick since before Christmas. I had my doubts about how we would all fare thru this. Althletes we are not. I like reading, gardening, nice walks, occasional bike ride. Jasin likes naps.... kudos to the parents who have kids in every sport, activity, class and social activity ever. Athletics has just never been our thing. Nor has balance or flexibilty. I really was mentaly prepared for at least one injury.
     After lacing everyone up in skates, we wobbled out. George and I lasted less than one minute, before we decided this was not even a little feasable. When I was 15, I went skating once. I glided around with minimal issues. 20 years later, and this was the arena of death. George and I stood on the sidelines, sharing a bag of Skittles, and watching people fall. It was the most completely entertained I have ever seen him. Little bodies were constantly slamming into the glass seperating us from the ice, as frantic little kids with terror stricken faces, skated out of control, with no idea or ability to stop until they hit walls and ice. "Look Mom! Here comes another one!! Are you okay kid?" He would yell. It was awesome. And, Lex had a good time, too.
     The next stop was shopping. And, here is where I get aggravated. We so rarely get to all go anywhere as a family anymore, due to work schedules. There are 6 of us. This is NOT an obcene number! So, the glares and the looks, and the eye rolls we recieve, when people see us, is getting old. Especially when it us employees of businesses we are at. At the checkout at Wal Mart, our cashier was so put out, because we were in her line, with a cart load of groceries and all these children. She did everything but throw our bags at us. We have this excited little girl, who announces it's her birthday, and is thrilled she has a handfull of money that she is spending on dolls and accessories, and the cashier was beyond rude. We had the same service at dinner, as well. When did kids become such a trial? I hear other parents mention they have this problem in public, too. Ah well. Overall, it was a nice weekend, and Lexi seemed to enjoy her 3 day bash.

     On a personal note, I am so thrilled to announce I ordered a new stove! Can you say 'Hellooo 5 burners??" So excited! Now, if I can just save enough to re-do the entire dreadful kitchen......
     Also, I type this as I continue to fight the conflicting guilt and excitement of a trip to NYC in April with a friend, to go see The Phantom of the Opera. I am such a huge fan, and really needed to go see this show. It's a one day trip by bus, and, I am hoping, worth the guilt of being away from home non-work related, as I am gone so much as it is, and the further guilt of mentally listing all the things the money could have been better spent on. And then I recall the sheer length of time that I haven't had a break of ANY kind, and, I try to justify it that way. It's going to be a crazy day, in which we spend approximatley 9 hours actually IN the city, and almost 16 hours just traveling round trip - but, I will be responsible for no one. No kids, patients, driving, telephones, laundry, meals, housework, paperwork - nothing. Throw in some wine, and it will be perfect :-)
     Have a great week!