Public Service Announcement

Public Service Announcement

Please use extreme caution when you are untangling strands of lights.

If you're not careful, the plug, as seen here:

...can suddenly take on a life of it's own and fly up and take a chunk out of your eye.

You may then be sick to your wimpy stomach when you closely examine your eye in the mirror. You might feel slight panic when your husband tells you that it looks like you have a piece of glass in your eye. Because you know it's not glass. It's actually several layers of your eye somehow pealed back.

Then you would have to ignore your important and long to-do list that you just made for the day and instead spend 4 hours in the ER. Because of course this can only happen on a Saturday of a three day weekend.

And you would feel kind of dumb sitting in the ER with all those people who have crazy serious injuries. And want to randomly tell someone, "Yeah...me? I have a little scratch. Just thought I'd come get it checked out."

But then you're glad you got it checked out when you may finally hear the doctor say, "Oh wow. You really took a chunk out of your eye. All things considered...you're really lucky...if that had been just even slightly to the left and hit your pupil instead...."

Oh, and it would hurt. Like...a lot. But luckily your little boys are so sweet and can say a prayer for you and it could suddenly not hurt so much.

But luckily, if this did happen--apparently eyes heal amazingly fast. The human body is truly amazing. So life goes on.

But there may be lasting negative side effects--like the fear that strikes your heart when you see Christmas lights or even just plugs thereafter.

And yet, the side effects may not be all negative. It might make you wonder in the future why that to-do list seems so critical all the time, yet when a little injury happens, it can suddenly all be put on hold. No longer a priority. It might make you wonder how often those "critical" to-do items could be put on hold to do things that really matter. Like sitting down to play with your kids more or just playing more Mad Gab with your son (see next post).

End Public Service Announcement

(Please note--The images pictured above are not the actual items referred to in the public service announcement--but do carry a certain likeness that will assist you in recognizing the items in question.)

Mad Gab

Have you ever played that game called Mad Gab? This one?

They give you things to read from a card to your team and your team has to try to figure out what the phrase or word is? Like here's an example on their website:

DEW WINO HUE

You just keep saying it fast and trying to figure out what the phrase is. In this case--the answer is:

Do I know you?

It's hilarious because if you're the one reading it--you know the answer and you keep trying to say it in different ways trying to change your inflection and help them guess it. Over and over. And it sounds SOO obvious as you say it...but it is hard for everyone who is guessing. You wonder how on earth they cannot be getting it and it's really funny. Because they're saying it too. But just don't realize it.

Anyway.

Caleb is a good reader and absolutely loves reading and spelling! But have you ever noticed how helping your kids learn how to read is just like playing Mad Gab? As I listen to him sound out words--it seems SO OBVIOUS what the word is! And it's funny because sometimes I say, "Yeah! Good job!" when he sounds it out. Only to realize that he hasn't figured it out yet--even though it sounded like he had just said the word.

A real life example of Caleb learning to read?

Around

ahh rrrr ow unnnn duh

He says it over and over again.

It totally sounds like he is saying the word "around". Over and over. He just doesn't realize it. I can't help but giggle. Maybe more than I should.

It's fun playing mad gab with my kindergartener each day as he learns to read. :)

The Perfect Storm

Ugh. How can you move less than 10 miles away and have it disrupt your life so much? Crazy.

Our move. It was crazy busy. But you already know that. Next!

Chris's work schedule. He hadn't traveled for work for a couple years. But all the sudden--we moved and then he was out of town three out of four weeks for work. Which normally--wouldn't really be an issue. He loves to travel for work, gets to do fun things that he loves doing for work and sees people he loves to work with that he doesn't usually get to see. So that's not the issue.

So we move--then Chris travels for 3 out of 4 weeks.

Caleb starts a new school. First day--total success! Phew! That was easy! Second day--hmmm...we seem to be missing our old school, teacher, and friends. Third day...Not so good. His new teacher (who is totally awesome by the way) is out for a day or two that first week. The next week, Caleb gets croup. Like a really bad version of croup. He had fevers for 9 days. Kid was mIsErAbLe. And hAtEs taking medicine. Fight. Every. Time.


So we have a house full of boxes, the boys are sleeping in new rooms, Chris is traveling, Caleb is not liking his new school, and then he gets croup and he will not take his medicine without a big struggle.



Then Carson gets croup. Sigh.

But at least he loves to take medicine. :)



So we have a house full of boxes, the boys want their old house back, the boys just want their dad, I just want their dad, Caleb is not liking his new school, and then he gets croup and fights me several times a day when it's time to take medicine and then Carson gets croup (but at least he likes to take his medicine).

We miss our old neighbors and friends. The new neighbors are awesome and have all come over to introduce themselves and they all seem great. But it just takes awhile to make friends.

So...we have a house full of boxes, Chris is gone, Caleb is not excited about the new school--not that it matters because both boys are sick and we miss our friends.

But we also miss our friends at church. In our church--the congregation we attend is based on geographic boundaries. So we changed congregations. Again--everyone has been so incredibly nice and welcoming!! It has been so awesome and I have been so grateful. Heck! We had two dinners delivered from friends at church within 48 hours of moving in! Seriously! Everyone is so nice. But it takes awhile to make good friends. And...we miss our really good old friends.

So...we have a house full of boxes, Chris is gone, Caleb doesn't like school, and is missing a lot of school, both boys are sick, we miss our friends in our neighborhood, and we miss our friends at church.

Usually--my boys are the best of buddies. They have their moments where they're not...but not really. But after we moved? Wow. It was awful.

So...we have a house full of boxes, Chris is gone, Caleb doesn't like school, and is missing a lot of school, both boys are sick, we miss our friends in our neighborhood, and we miss our friends at church and my boys are suddenly mean and fighting with each other.

Are you starting to see our perfect little storm? ;)

The bottom line--I totally underestimated how much of an adjustment this would be. It really was the least of my worries. Because there were SO MANY other things to worry about. The move seemed like the end of the stress. But in reality--it was the beginning of a whole new level of stress! Each time I dropped Caleb off at school and saw those tears streaming down his cheeks, I just wanted to take him and run and never look back. SO NOT like him! It seriously felt like my heart was shredding into a million little pieces. Or when I watch him walk into his church class on Sunday and shyly sit there instead of making all kinds of mischief with his buddies from our old congregation...I just want to whisk him away and go back.

I expected that it would be a little adjustment for the boys. But really--I didn't even consider that it would be an adjustment for me. I like meeting new people. I thought it would just be fun. And it has. But it has also been strangely hard. I feel like I did when we first moved to San Antonio. Homesick and unsettled and just kind of blah. And I don't like that feeling. I'm not used to that feeling.

We have been so so blessed. We have a house that we totally love. Everyone in our new neighborhood has been so nice. Everyone in our new church congregation has been more than nice. Caleb's new school is heads and tales above his last one. Like really--night and day. And I just absolutely love his teacher. Chris gets to work from home a lot now which cuts out his 30-45 minute commute. So how can I feel blah? That's the part I don't get. It seems so ungrateful. Is this normal?!? Tips? Advice?

Scoot over Caleb. I feel like joining you. :)

I don't want to make it sound like we are all just here moping around and depressed. That's definitely not the case. I guess it has just taken me by surprise. I wasn't expecting to have so many moments where I felt like that. Heck--I didn't really expect to feel any moments like that. And I understand now that it is just going to take time. And things are definitely finally looking up. Caleb seems to be settling in at school finally. Carson actually adjusted the quickest. And the boys are mostly best buddies again. We are meeting people. And it has been fun to spend a lot of time together as a family and just refocus on what is really important in life.