The Puddles

I stayed up to late making cookies (22 packages of cookies for Ben’s class to be exact).  I intended to get up early to finish getting everything ready for today but my body wouldn’t do it after only 4 hours of sleep.  So I got up late and hurried to get everything finished and ready. They all have everything that they need in their backpacks and they are dressed, but their hot breakfast was handed to them as they walked out the door and I didn’t double check that they matched (Ben walked out with a tall sock and a short sock on Tuesday.  I did catch that one.) or that their hair was brushed.

Of course, they all left late.  Then there was  me . . . Me in my pajamas running to the truck trying to get Chris’ attention before he runs over Madie’s lunch that she left in the driveway.  Chris getting upset that they are running late. Me walking in the house only to realize that Chris left his briefcase in the house, and then me running out the front door to try to catch Chris and give him his briefcase before he drove down the street.  And doing this on laundry day meaning that I ran to the public street in my ratty pajamas for the world to see.  Ugh.  I was running and praying that no one would drive down the street at that time, but that of course didn’t happen so I’m sure I was quite the sight this morning for ALL of my neighbors to see (including both neighbors who live down the street who were driving to work at that exact moment).

These are not the memories I want to remember in 20 years, but they are the reality of my life sometimes.  The laws of nature only allow this kind of morning to happen on the days that I am not dressed and ready to go before the kids.  So I can either lament about the morning or chalk it up to one of those days.   I’m choosing to chalk it up to one of those days.  So in the words of Scarlett O’Hara, “After all . . . tomorrow is another day!”  (Just say that line out loud with a southern accent while crying about your lost love for whom you hope to win back and you will get the sentiment!)  I think I just might crawl back into bed for a few minutes and restart my day.  Hopefully my new day will start better than this one!

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Ben and I are driving home and he says, “Mom, we need to eat something out of a can tonight for dinner so that we can try out your new can opener.”

“Good idea, Ben.  But there is salt in canned goods. I’m going to have to think about what to fix.”

“Mom, corn doesn’t have salt in it.  That sounds good to eat!”

So Ben and I came home and pulled out the new can opener.  Some one anonymously gifted me with a Tupperware can opener this weekend.  I have no idea who did, but I am so excited about it.  My current can opener (which is in the trash) is horrible.  I argue more with it and the children know to leave the room if I have to pull it out.  The lids never come off nicely.  Usually I’m pulling out some tool to pry the lid to the can open after I have cut it with the can opener.   This tool is so cool.  And it worked so nicely!!  We ate a lot of corn that night because I had to open several cans for the shear joy of it!  The best part of the evening was while I read the instructions, Ben managed to open the first can shouting, “It’s a miracle!”

So to whomever sent me the lovely can opener . . . thank you!  

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Ben is enjoying lunch in the new cafeteria in the new wing at TCH.  Ever since it opened, Ben and I look forward to eating something new there each time we visit for an appointment!  Today’s visit was with the hypertensive clinic.  The nurse took his vitals when we first walked in and Ben’s blood pressure was 86/39.  That’s not good.  I asked the nurse to take it again because he has never gone that low.  She did and the second time his blood pressure was 94/42.  A little better, but these numbers meant Ben had to stay longer while the doctor listen to each limb and rechecked his blood pressures multiple times.  When the doctor took his pressures the numbers were in the normal range again.  The doctor increased his meds last month and she was concerned that his pressures were too low now.  No worries.  There was a fault with the equipment or something.

So his numbers are looking so good  (when you add all of the daily numbers that we report to her each week) that she is going to talk to the cardiologist to see about weaning Ben off of one of his heart meds.  Hopefully Ben’s cardiologist will say yes and that will be one less medicine for Ben to consume each morning.  It was a good visit with his doctor and Ben did great with his blood draw so we got to head home earlier than we expected.   It was a good day.

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“Mom, you give the best hugs!” declares Ben.

“Really?”

“Yeah, yours are better than everyone else’s!”

Thanks Ben for making my day.

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Granted she was sick but I still had to take her in public to deliver children to their activities that afternoon. Crazy! But she loved it!!!

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She brought tears to my eyes listening to her. She sounds great! I can’t wait to hear her performance on Friday!

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Ben earned money by reading books at school. A car dealership in town offered it as an incentive. Ben came home and insisted on counting all of the money. In the second picture you can see the joy on his face when e realizes how much money he’s earned. He is pulling off his neckerchief just like I see daddy do when he’s had a hard day at work and he’s pulling off this tie. His teachers worked really hard to help him succeed in this project. Ben’s smile is thanks to them.

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He walked into the store and then saw this hat right away. He insisted that we buy it. I think he looks rather stellar! He thinks he looks really good in it too!

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Chris’s sermon on this day is always one of my favorites during the year. Whenever he gets up and sings in front of the congregation, it’s always a joy.

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