Our normally healthy happy household is under yet another illness. Upper respiratory. Give me vomit any day. I hate respiratory as a nurse, and I hate it as a Mom. There is nothing worse than watching a patient or your child struggle to breathe. Ventilators always made me nervous when they would alarm at the hospital. The stories I could tell, about Ventilator patients and the reasons for their constant alarms. As a nurse, I hated running into a room, and seeing a purple or gray faced patient who couldn't breathe.
Anyhow, last Sunday, George woke up, unable to breathe. The horrendous noise he made, as he tried to drag breath in and out, was truly terrifying. I had him on his nebulizer in moments, and watched his fingertips change from blue/gray to normal again. back to the Doctor's he went, where he was diagnosed with a left ear infection and given more albulerol for his nebulizer. I have had that nebulizer for almost 9 years, and never once used it before this year. Thank God we had it on hand.
George seems fine now, as in; he can breathe, but, we seriously need to kick whatever bug that's hanging around our household.
Yesterday morning, the bug caughtup to me. I've been relatively healthy all winter, but, the sore throat and cough hit me. By this morning, it hurt to breathe in or out. Because of this yucky feeling, the housework I had faithfully kept up with and onto a schedule, fell apart. All my family needs is 4 hours with Mom out of commission, and, we are back to square one.
This morning, Joe wandered downstairs dressed for school in a too big pair of pants, and a shirt tucked into them.
"Joe. Un-tuck the shirt... that's not really a 'tuck in' kind of outfit, bud."
"I cannot. My pants will fall down."
"Where is your belt?"
"Turbo ate it."
"You should really put on something else, then."
"I cannot. I do not have anything else." (NOTE: I skipped ONE LOAD of laundry this week. There is no way that all his pants were in that one load sitting next to the washer.)
"Joe. Try looking in the drier. I didn't fold the laundry last night; you might have a pair of pants in there."
"There is not."
As I ran out the door for work this morning, I saw the little martyr loading the washer with the laundry. Someone, someplace, has probably heard about my neglect today. However, it did dawn on me, that this now makes three children capable of doing the laundry, and I really need to exploit that....
Illness aside, it's been pretty busy around the old homestead. And, with somewhat better weather, the kids have been outside more, doors and windows have been opened, and, the quest for a paint color has finally come to an end. I have decided for sure, what the colors will be for the exterior of the house.
This week, I had to be up in Buffalo for 2 days for training. (Shout out to all my friends from 8-D/5-C!!!! I MISS YOU GUYS!!!!) Anyhow, on the way home, tucked into some trees, is this beautiful house. I LOVE this house. I have coveted it forever. Well, ever since I noticed it after driving to Buffalo several times a week, when I worked there full time, anyway. Some day, that house may come up for sale, and I will probably not be able to afford it, and then someone else will buy it, and I will be all devastated.
I love this house. And the colors. And everything about it. And, I decided that I REALLY loved the colors enough, that they would look wonderful on MY house, too! I went to Lowe's. I went to the Home Depot. I tried to "guesstimate" the colors, but was never quite sure.
Awhile back, I put it out on Facebook: Is it okay to stop and ask, or not? And people seemed to think it would be okay. (It wasn't THEM getting the police called for suspicious activity....)The first day this week, I ALMOST stopped, but, lost nerve. I had to get home, anyhow.
The second day I had to drive by it, I stopped. And, before I could lose the spine, hopped out of my vehicle, tried not to look threatening, suspicious, or psychotic, and look all mom, nurse and respectable.
I rang the doorbell, and waited nervously. Until a lady came out, holding a bag of Craisins, and inquired as to my presence, and then I opened my mouth, and began to babble. She kept popping craisins into her mouth, as I rambled on this entire convoluted story about how much I loved her "Freaking house" and how mine looked like a dilapidated, run down, haunted ruin, how I USED to work in Buffalo, but now I work in Olean, but I live in Franklinville, and the drive is much shorter now, but I really really missed Buffalo, and oh my gosh, listen to me, but, anyway, I really really think you have the most beautiful house ever, and it's not like I am asking to BUY it or anything, I mean, really! HAHAH! Anyhow, if you don't think I am a psychotic monster - which i am not! Oh wow! - do you know the names of the colors you used, and can I take a picture?" I babbled for what seemed like forever. Just everything. I spilled everything but my dress size and social security number. And she just kept eating craisins, and listening with her head tilted and her eyebrow raised. She told me the color of the body of the house, and allowed me to take pictures. (Which turned out awful, and, funny enough, I had just spent TWO DAYS learning how to take decent pictures, so I could be qualified to do dermatology telehealth...) and then I just about ran back to my truck, thankful to have the entire humiliating experience over with. When I Googled the color, it popped right up. And that is the color it will be.
I am not announcing it however, as I do not want anyone telling me it's wretched, like the last time I produced color swatches. (I would like to take this moment to point out that, the person who pronounced the last color selection as "wretched" was my older sister. Who is getting married next month, and who picked her wedding color from the color of her manicure......) So. At the end of the day, I just need the weather to stay decent and clear, and the resident person in the midst of a Beard Identity Crisis, to be motivated, and to go buy paint, and then maybe my home will start to look pretty again. One can only dream.
In less than two months, one sister and one brother are getting married. (Thrown in there is also Joe's First Communion, Kaila's trip to Washington DC, Kaila's 13th Birthday, and Joe's 9th Birthday...) I am the Matron of Honor in my sister's wedding. My poor sister. What began as a casual back yard affair, has turned into a formal shindig at a park, and not even a shadow of her original plans. I asked her once, if this is even what she wanted, and she just wailed "I am just trying to keep everyone happy!!" Poor thing. The groom's side of the event has been there assisting her with everything, and thus far, my presence has only been requested for bridesmaids dress shopping. It was pretty traumatic for everyone. Not one of the people involved wanted to try on dresses in front of anyone else. Words were said, tears shed, and tension was high that day.
Tomorrow is "Gather in the park and decide on decorations" day. There is this lady, introduced as "Nicole from Sears" who seems to have become unofficial wedding planner. Her husband, it seems, is in the wedding party, and she is not. Something she pointed out (A. LOT.) on dress shopping day - I think Nicole from Sears wanted to be in the wedding. Since she is not, however, she is the reason we went from casual to formal. She said she saw my sister's dress, and decided that there was no way a casual wedding would work with that dress. Since my sister is still a trifle aggravated over the Dress Shopping Fail, tomorrow had better be full of happy bridesmaids (The other two don't like each other...) and better attitudes all around than Dress Shopping Day. My own, included. Admittedly, I was also not thrilled about trying on dresses in front of half a dozen people I had never met. Asking a group of women to display every insecurity they have by trying on clothes in front of each other - women that have either never met or hate each other - is a recipe for disaster. Since no undressing is required tomorrow, I am hoping for the best.
Last time we were all together, Nicole from Sears didn't like many of our ideas for decorating, so hopefully she has lots of ideas and things progress smoothly tomorrow.
That's all the excitement around here for now. Have a great weekend! I am headed home to fold laundry and find my poor neglected kid his pants.
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