Grouchy Mom

Practicality: FAIL

His name is Zeke, and he's a 9-week-old Lab mix.  He's incredibly sweet and is the "lickiest" puppy we've ever had - Faith says he must be part lizard!  We're all infatuated with him.  If you're counting, yes, this does bring the total to three (3) big black dogs.  (Well, right now Zeke is just potentially big, but you know what I mean.)  And yes, we are a little bit crazy.  But you knew that too, didn't you?

New things on the horizon

    Remember all my talk about things happening too fast?  Yeah, well, one of those things is Luke getting his first learner's permit.  Yea verily, my eldest child is driving a car now.  Just typing those words makes my tummy do a little flip, but I have to admit that he's doing really well.  Until today he's done all his driving with his dad or the driving instructor, but he sweet-talked me into letting him drive us home from town a little bit ago.  Luke's a cautious type and he pays attention to what he's doing, so I think he's going to be a good driver.  It just seems so strange to see him behind the wheel!  What happened to my baby boy?
    And speaking of babies....we got some exciting news yesterday: my sister is pregnant!  Yeah!  We're all so thrilled.  I ran around all day squealing "I'm going to be an aunt!  I'm going to be an aunt!"   Now we're just praying for a safe, healthy baby and mommy.  Oh, and I'm on the hunt for some cute baby sweaters to knit....any ideas?

I blinked

    Last week was one of those weeks where I was in constant motion.  Every single day I had somewhere to go for something or other - some days two or three places - and yet I have very little recollection of the details.  I blinked, and boom!  It was over, on to the next stop, thank you very much and come again soon!  The one thing I'm sure of is that none of my busyness involved housecleaning....sad but true. 
    Do you have times like that?  Times when you're just so busy that everything blurs into a big stretch of "run run run" and you're always exhausted but you aren't sure why?  I hate that!  It really bothers me to not have time to think about what's going on.  Getting caught up in the whirlwind of  go go go just sucks the life out of me.  I like going places and doing things, but I prefer to do it on my schedule, not one that's imposed by someone else.  (Why, no, I didn't enjoy my time in the workplace at all, thanks for asking.)  Maybe it's just my rebellious streak, but I can only take that sort of pressurized schedule for so long and then I start snapping.  That's one big reason that I've never minded being a stay-at-home mom - there are never two days the same when you have  kids!   Still, sometimes life dictates a stint in the pressure cooker, and when that happens I try to put on the big-girl undies and do my best.  However, let it be noted here that I don't like it!  Waaaaaah!  
    ...ahem....where was I?....
    Anyway, out of last week's craziness there were a few fun things.  Luke is driving now (eeeeek!  Did I just call that fun?), which he is VERY excited about.  We had several people drop by to visit with Seth and see how his recovery is progressing, which was great.  And on Saturday, Faith and I drove to Fort Wayne to do a last-minute demo gig at Glasslink.  We had a nice time just hanging out together and hitting a couple of our old favorite spots around town.  I also sold a few beads and was asked about possibly coming down to teach a class or two!  Yeah!  So all in all, I'd have to say it was a good week in spite of the constant motion.  But this week, I want to stay home.  Yeah, I know...we'll see how long that lasts.  But a girl's got to dream, right?

Didn't want that anyway

    So last week I was enjoying my heat and hot water like any right-minded housewife would, and youngest son came up to me and announced "I have a bellyache."  No fever, no nausea, just an ouchie tummy, so I sent him off to bed and didn't worry about it too much.  Until he came knocking on my bedroom door an hour later, still complaining.  We got him settled down and he made it through the night, but come Friday morning I knew something was Not Right.  He wasn't running around, was barely eating, and - most frightening of all - wasn't talking.  When Seth doesn't want to talk or eat, well....let's just say the red flags go up pronto.
    I called the doctor and they got him in right away (our office is pretty good that way) and after looking him over, the doc sent him for a CT scan - "STAT".  By this time he was scared, and I was pretty sure I knew where everything was headed.  Sure enough, they came back and sent us straight to the hospital with "acute appendicitis" on the paperwork.  By 9:30 Friday night Seth had had his appendix removed and was rather drunkenly thanking his nurses for saving his life.  (They thought he was really cute.)  Thankfully the appendix hadn't perforated and they were able to do the surgery with a scope, so he was released on Saturday.  The first couple days he was really sore, but now he's moving around very well and is definitely getting back to normal.  (translation: he won't stop talking)  Guess he didn't need that ol' appendix anyway!

The winter of my discontent

    And it came to pass that on the last day of the first month, which is January (the most foully cold month of the year save for the second month which is February), the boiler of our house did give up the ghost once for all.  In its dying it also leaked forth much rusty water, so that the basement floor shall hereafter be rust-colored and nothing, no nothing can make it clean again. 
    When the boiler died we felt much sorrow and vexation of spirit, and also of bank account, for lo!  boilers cost much, and we have hungry children to feed...all the time.  However, we had a wondrous document called a "home warranty" which restored our hope, until the speaker for the warranty did dash our hopes upon the rocks called "beyond your coverage limits".  Thus were we cast adrift to fend for ourselves, and we were much afraid. 
    After a little time we raised up our heads and began to search for another boiler, for our house was cold and also we had no hot water for washing of clothes or dishes or grubby children.  (Also the dogs began to stink mightily, for they found many dead things and rolled in them with gleeful abandon.)  And my master and husband found boilers, but some cost far too much, and some were of strange make, and some did come from far, far away.  But at last he found a boiler that did fit our house, and he therewith ordered it straightaway, and found a man wise in the ways of boilers to install it for us.  And we rejoiced, for we thought that soon we should be warm and clean again.  Oh, vanity of vanities!  Yea, verily, there is no quick fix under the sun.  My master and husband wrought mightily, and the worthy installer did also, but still it took all of February (which is the second month and is also foully cold) before the boiler did sit in its place.  And even then we had no heat, for the distributor did send us a natural gas boiler instead of the propane boiler which we did need, and we had to then order an adapter kit, which we do believe was delivered by camel.  Lame camel. 
    But yesterday, the telephone rang and lo, it was the installer guy, and he quoth "I'll be there today to get it running!"  And so it was, and there was much rejoicing in the house of Grouchiness.  And today all are clean, kids and laundry and dishes, and one dog smells better (but the other one is still waiting) and everyone lived warmly and cleanly ever after.   The End.