Crazy Times

     Sometimes, maybe we need the crazy times, to really appreciate the not so crazy times.


     Throughout the last week, my house continues to smell like a skunk. And it continues to not be painted. Honestly, I think I will be so shocked when (if) it gets done, that I will not be able to process it completely. I actually dreamed last night that the neighbors left a long letter taped to the front door, outlining their collective reasons we should get our acts together and paint the house, and clean up all Bearded Man's projects in the driveway. And I was so happy, because I saw that it had started snowing in July, and everything would be covered with snow, thus giving me another 8 or so months to try and get things done around here.

     This past week, we  had a cat in the kitchen. I did not own this cat. It was not deliberately brought in by the kids. It just happened to wander though the back door.

     Then there was the bat. Lexi was sitting at the kitchen table, when Turbo began to bark. Lexi looked over, and there, hanging next to her off the table cloth, was a bat, approximately 6 inches away.
     The scream lasted through the entire house, and right out the front door. She sat cross legged on the front porch, hands folded, rocking back and forth saying "Ommmmmm. Ommmmmmmmm. Ommmmmmmm. Center. Relax. Calm. Ommmmmmmm."
   
     Within minutes, my children began to behave like refugees. Starvation set in, they were all certain they would die soon. They all needed to use the bathroom less than 5 minutes after vacating the house, and the need for cell phones, shoes, and various objects was iminent.
     A neighbor kid wandered over on her bike, and the kids excitedly told her about the bat.

     "Well. How would it make you feel, if you knew you were RELATED to the bat?" The neighbor kid asked.

     "What?"

     "Well. Bats are mammals, just like you! You are RELATED to bats!"

     "GO. HOME!" I snapped in exasperation.

I called my little sister, to see if we could wander her way for a few hours to kill time until Bearded Man could get home and get the bat. They are beyond what I wanted to deal with. Probably I COULD have, but, I didn't really want to. Sometimes, it's kinda nice, to pull the "girl" card.

     The Earth Mother has struck again. I hate her.

     This past weekend, I had the brilliant idea to go to the Amish and buy stuff. We ended up with a large box of peaches, sack of corn the size of George, and a book of Amish Home Remedies. (I had to stop reading that book, when I saw that the last ditch cure for hemorrhaging is a bible verse.)
     In the spirit of this, Bearded Man went out and bought a pressure cooker, 2 dozen canning jars and pectin. He's been trying to get me to can things for years now. My project today, is to figure out how to make and can peach preserves, and peach slices. I may need more peaches. It has also been determined we should get another big bag of corn, peas, broccoli, assorted berries, carrots, and a pig. To start with. We (I) am also doing canned tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, storing garlic, and making apple sauce, apple rings, and soup. This will either be amazing or a failure. Mostly, I am doing the peaches because I want the fruit flies they came with out of my kitchen.

     Today, I took George to the Doctor for his annual checkup and to get the staples out of his head. This past week, I took two days off of work, due to George.

     Beginning this past February, George would occasionally wake up out of a dead sleep, or first thing in the morning, unable to breathe. He would have a barking gasping cough that seemed to start at the toes. His fingers would turn blue, he couldn't draw breath in, and it would take hours to get his breathing back to normal again. We have the nebulizer ready at all times, for when this happens.

     Visits to the doctor were not helpful. It was recommended we try over the counter allergy medicine, and we were given albuterol for nebulizer treatments. His lungs were always clear by then, and he was always the very picture of good health. With every episode, it was becoming harder and harder to bring him out of it, and taking several hours before his breathing was normal again.
     This past week, he had several nights of these episodes of waking up unable to breathe, with high fevers and that barking cough. And always, within 3 or so hours, he seemed fine again.
     Today at the pediatrician, I insisted something was wrong. I told her about the blue fingers, the breathing issues during sleep, wondered about sleep apnea, allergies, but, SOMETHING was wrong with this kid, and it's getting worse.
    
     I watched her face, as she listened to George's heart.
     
     And then she listened some more. And I just KNEW.
 
     In the medical world, sometimes you need a poker face. And sometimes you can't find your poker face. And today, she did not have a poker face.



      So. Friday morning, George and I will be headed to the hospital for an EKG, an Echo cardiogram and an Xray. His tonsils look fine, but, she figured we would check the adenoids while we were at it, too.

     I came home and listened to George's heart. And, it's a definite odd sound. But, sometimes, it can mean nothing. Actually, lots of people have odd heartbeats with no problems. Just hoping George is one of them!

     I suppose things are meant to happen. How a person deals with the rough times is really half the battle. I have found this past few months, that I talk to God a lot more than I think I ever have collectively in my life.

     And, I work out. A lot. It's an amazing stress reliever! It has really been an amazing outlet for everything! The working out has become a personal crusade. Not only is it a wonderful sanity saver, but, I really needed to have that movement, with such a sedentary job. I found that, sitting at my desk for such long periods was causing horrible knee pain. In talking to other people, I found that they have this issue, too! One friend recently had knee surgery, because of it.
     So, I now get up at 5 am, and I walk with Turbo and a friend. And we do hills.

      And, on my lunch breaks I walk as much as possible, adding as many hills as possible. And I do Zumba 3 days a week. And do kettlebell workouts when I can. And, I am signed up to do 2 races! Both within the next 6 weeks. One of them being a mud run with lots of obstacles. Not sure how physically ready I am for these races, but, I don't think I will die, either.
     And, I can squeeze into my old jeans again! Not gonna lie, all that work went right out the window today after the George news. I took him to McDonald's. We stopped going there probably 9 months ago. Then I bought cookies. And I didn't work out. I will start again tomorrow.

     That is the news in out household. It's been pretty crazy lately! I am ready for things to settle down now. Here's hoping the next post is a little more upbeat with lots of good news!