Living on West Tulsa Time

this week was so nutty.

Monday, I planned on keeping myself up and going. I wanted to get projects done just to clear them from my mind. While I was trying to sew, Eddie decided to get up and get moving himself, leaving the baby running loose to attack me at the sewing machine. Attack he did.... little E likes to reach under my blouse and tickle me. The moment he picked to tickle me caused me to break a needle in my machine and smash my fingernail beneath the broken shaft. My fit of pain sent the boy scurrying for protection and when he couldn't find Eddie he threw his own fit. Of course I corrected Eddie...Don't leave the baby unattended when I'm sewing....Don't leave the baby to cry just so you can do something you should wait until the baby is in bed to do.... I managed to finish 2 of my projects and supervise Eddie's project too. He was frustrated with me though and clearly showed it physically as well as verbally. I tried really hard to stay up beat about it. I did have to go to bed to deal with the emotional aftermath. I counted on Eddie waking me when he left so I could shower and prepare to peel out of here when he returned with the big boys. I don't know if he didn't or I just slept through it. So to add to my emotional stress I was rushing to not only prepare for my den meetings early but shower and dress to make it to a doctor's appointment I could not miss.

This new doc says most of my tummy trouble comes from not having a gall bladder. What makes it worse is 3 of my medications and the way I stress out over things. He knows that 2 of my medications will cause dizziness and nausea which is why I've had to lay down when I get stressed too. Okay, we'll plan on eliminating those medications as well as taking an interior look at my system with an upper and lower GI. I have a month to prepare..... booo.

I return home to find my boys so grounded they can't go to their den meetings. I opt to stay home with them instead of trying to teach Eddie's den lessons. We have the normal, screaming, slamming of doors, kicking of walls and throwing of toys when the boys don't want to return to their rooms while I'm on the phone with dil, Kelli. I get the baby off to bed, and G-man moved to the living room which has been rearranged to grounded mode. Eventually Tiger goes to sleep, G-man is full of food and Eddie and I can migrate to our room. We talk about the den meetings, the phone call, the groundings and our plans to Tuesday. We manage to get to bed.

Tuesday, I didn't get anything done I intended to do. I was still dealing with the aftermath of the groundings and homework trouble so I was still upset and so ready for bed time Tuesday night.

Wednesday was going to be different. G-man was going to get a pass on any late papers from the previous 2 weeks of absences and snow days, Tiger was going to get out of the house again and the baby was being so sweet and cuddly things just couldn't be bad. Then the pharmacy refused to refill Tiger's good manners medicine until this morning...the boy needed to take it at 7:30 this morning and the pharmacy doesn't open until 9!!!! G-man "forgot" to do a page of homework Monday night and was once again grounded plus he had already lost privileges for leaving dirty night clothes in the floor. Tiger wanted all the attention at homework time, which isn't unusual but he also didn't want to follow directions. Finally I get homework, and snacks out of the way. Tiger goes to play, G-man goes to make a mess with Legos and little E hangs out with me. Eventually, Tiger's playtime is infiltrated by the mean boys. One mean boy points a bb gun at Tiger's face and Tiger aims a foot at the boy's groin. Big brother mean boy goes on the attack and Tiger is sent home for the evening for being the only mean boy...huh? nooo, that can't be right but in Tiger's emotional mind he has been banished forever. I hug and rock him then when he's ready to tell me the story I let him move away and tell me. Okay, the kid got in trouble for aiming below the belt which hacked Tiger off. His retaliation was to start screaming mean things at me and the baby so now, I'm not only stressed but feeling emotionally spent. I still have 20 minutes before I can leave the house to go get Eddie and head to church. Tiger is still spewing venom on the trip across the river view road. He's also within reach of the baby to torment the poor boy.

I'm screaming by the time I get Eddie and I realize I need to buy gas before heading to the church which will put my bus route behind schedule too. Once Eddie returns to the jeep after fueling, I'm in time saving route driving mode and I don't want to talk. I just want to concentrate on my driving. Eddie's in control of the brats in the back.

I whiz into the parking lot and scurry to my van smarting off that Eddie made the boys lock the jeep then realizes he's locked the baby's one and only cup in the jeep as well, um, oopsie

As I start preparing the van to leave I notice one of the elder/deacon/guy in my Sunday School class approaching the passenger side of my van with a quizzical look on his face I look back to see him speaking to one of our younger guys who has just as much responsibility in church and realize I can actually see and hear them. A window is gone. Okay, I can't drive this van. Where's the key to the other one? I borrow a key from my favoritist youth minister and I zoom off to pick up my route. I'll interject here that my cell phone isn't working so no one has been able to warn me about route changes and such since I left the house at 5:15. I go to pick up my first kids and I suddenly get overloaded with kids. One apartment is responsible for rounding up 10 kids. I don't have any room for more. I have to return to the church drop off this crowd and go back for my others and just check on those kids I don't usually pick up in the same neighborhood. I pick up my route and a few others and make it back to the church. I'm visibly shaking by this time. Once I settle down a little, I manage to get a hug from Eddie and spill my guts to one of my mentors, husband and a young adult on my route. I should have been up setting up craft tables instead of whining and listening to commiserations.

Either because I was wired the kids are all wired or because I'm wired the kids seem more out of control last night, I just couldn't seem to get the kids to leave me alone and listen to the teacher. Then they were argumentative when I repeated the instructions again and again.

I thought things would be so much easier when I returned my kids home and got back to the church. However the children's minister, my ally in all of the route confusion, has to re load my poor patched up van and take off in it himself because his keys to the spare van are missing.

I would say the night couldn't get any worse but it did. Words were said, feelings were hurt and I finally had to break down and meditate just to get some of the stress out of my body. I did manage to sleep well though this morning was just as stress filled.

I still had to keep the un-medicated boy home from school which also led to keeping G-man home too. Tiger in irritation mode sitting next to the baby is a bad combination if you want to have a good drive anywhere. When I finally get to the pharmacy....the prescription is still not filled. Tiger doesn't want to take it with water when it is filled. I'm grumbling about them taking 40 extra minutes to actually fill the stinking prescription and I'm in no mood to fight with Tiger again.

Eventually, I get the good manners medicine in Tiger. G-man and Tiger unloaded at school and I return home. When I get the baby out of the car seat, he's asleep. In an unusual sequence of events instead of waking or flopping backward to avoid my shoulder I got the ultimate cuddle. Awwwe, that made it all worth it.

I've still had a few fumbles here today. There's a missing cup, the brownies are thicker than I like them. I still have to wrestle the scooter out of the garage so the repair guys can have it. However, I'm on a chocolate high. I think I'll be fine. I have even managed to skip that energy sucking nap so far....

posted by Debbysewn @ 9:36 AM