A PLANNED OUT DAY....OR MAYBE NOT......

This week has been crazy. After the holidays and being gone, work was nuts. Monday I thought I would never catch up. Tuesday I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's not just work either, I am still getting things put away and reorganized after Christmas, catching up and following up on things for the foundation, and yes fitting plenty of time in to chase the things down the stairs that Cooper launches over and over again, and teach Raelynn how to spell and read because she is convinced she has to learn to read books to her brother. (She now knows me, dog, cat and the) I have been working late and getting up early and thinking I really needed days (and nights) to be longer. This morning I got back from teaching aerobics about 6:15am. I got the floors swept, laundry put away and Cooper's meds and food (drinks) ready for the day. Into the shower I went. I thought, today is the day I am going to get caught up at work. I had made a lasagna last night so I would come home after work put it in the oven and have time to spend with the kids before bed. My day was planned out and I was feeling good. Out of the shower and almost ready when I hear a cry from Raelynn's room, "Mommy!" I went running because it was very odd for her to wake up before I dragged her out of bed and the cry was troubling. As she was talking in a panic that she needed a drink I picked her up. She was burning up and shaking uncontrollably. I took her to the kitchen and got her a drink and was drilling her with questions about how she felt. Seconds later she told me just how she felt as the drink came right back up. Raelynn had the flu with a 103.2 fever! (Maybe 104.2, I never remember when you add a degree) And there went my perfectly planned day. Her shaking subsided about 45 minutes later but her fever persisted most of the day along with the puking. It amazes me how helpless and little they look when they are sick. I held her, I rubbed her back, I held her hair when needed and this little sweety says to me in this little puny voice at the end of the day, "Mommy, we got to spend the whole day together again!" How great was that! All week when she wakes up in the mornings we count the days to the weekend when we get to spend the whole day together. We celebrate Fridays because it is only one more day until we spend the whole day together. We have done this as long as I can remember. I love her so much! Throughout the day she would make me laugh. At one point she told me she thought she should get dressed (she was still in her PJs). I told her she didn't have to and she said it might make her feel better. She later told me that she thought she got sick because Daddy and I had tickled her too much the night before. I assured her tickling may make her potty her pants but it would not make her sick :). She was also obsessed with infomercials. She would surf channels and constantly stop at an infomercial. She would tell me all about it and how much it was and that you could make payments on your credit card. She also likes the weather and I think she told me the entire week forcast by the end of the day. It was all very amusing.

Prior to today, still loving her greatly, Monday night was a challenge. My Mom had given me money for a new coat for Christmas but with everything going on I had not had a chance to get it. So Monday after work we headed to Kohl's and I got a great new coat. As we were heading to check out I stopped to look at a watch. Raelynn was in the cart right next to me. Before I know it I hear breaking glass. I turn and Raelynn has pulled a make up tester off the counter and dropped it. I was mortified. I lecture her for minute because I have no idea what else to do and then get a sales clerk so I could clean it up and pay for the broken bottle. I ask Raelynn to apologize to the lady and she says nothing. I wait. Nothing. I ask again. Nothing. Really what do you do????? I apologize for her breaking the bottle and for her disrespect and rudeness. We leave and I give her the talk of a lifetime. Raelynn knows she is in big trouble and says nothing at all for a good 45 minutes. When Terry gets home I make her sit at the table until she tells him what she has done which takes over an hour. Finally she tells him and we go on with our night but no snack, no bed time story, just straight to bed. We talk in great detail at bedtime about what she did and did not do and how I was disappointed in her behavior and just hope that next time, because I am sure there will be a next time, the outcome is better. How do we ever know if we are doing this all right? I know, I will find out in 10-15 years. Then there is Cooper who I am sure will test me beyond anything Raelynn could even dream of. He is now on the go constantly and absolutely hilarious. He knows I like things neat and orderly so he messes up everything he can get his hands on. The other night he actually went around rolling up the rugs on the floor. He would then come and get me to show me and laugh! He launches any thing he can find down our stairs and then insists that someone go get it. He empties my cupboards nightly and touches decorations around the house only when I am looking! He has emptied the toilet paper rolls more than once and thinks the trashbags in the trashcans look better laying next to the trashcan rather than in them. He is a walking ball of orneriness and I love every second of it. I honestly can say I love being a parent. I love the daily surprises, I love the challenge, I love the constant strive to be better and think faster and imagine bigger. I received an email from a follower a few weeks back asking me if I was ever angry about Cooper's condition. When I read it I could only wonder what I would be angry about? We are the most blessed family! We have been give a few challenges, yes, but without them we would not be who we are or have the kids we have. Angry? No. Blessed and thankful? Yes!