This week has been absolutely crazy.
For starters, there was no school Monday. And I don't know why, but whenever there's a break from school, it's total chaos at our house. It's like a HUGE BREAK in the routine, and people go a little bit nuts. Also, there was our usual half-day on Wednesday, plus a half-day on Friday (for homecoming), so things were just not going as planned.
Also, Blayne started her new job this week. She and Thaddeus have been hired as a mother's helper one day a week, and they are so very cute with their new found responsibilities. It helps that they are getting paid as well. My kids are so very desperate for cash, it's pathetic.
Of course, Daniel and Taylor are annoyed that some people are earning actual money. I'm trying to get them little jobs here and there, but let's face it, 8 and 9 year olds are limited in their money-earning options. Plus, I mentioned that they could like, fold people's laundry or something, and Daniel said, "Wait, WORK?" as if he was just going to go visit someone, somewhere, and just be paid for being there, because it's an honor to be in his presence. Ey-yi-yi.
And I am FINALLY going to be able to get my observation hours in this week, so I can be a substitute. I want to work a few days a week, and start giving the kids an allowance. I'm reading the book, Money Doesn't Grow on Trees, and I really like the system that is suggested inside. Of course, it has to be slightly updated, but I am very much in agreement with whole agenda. And just by subbing one day a week, I will have enough money to give people their allowance. I'm planning on giving people their AGE in money. Which means that I will need to have $38 a week to split between the people. Then, when they are invited to a birthday party, THEY can pick the present and pay for it. And they will stop asking me for everything under the sun. I think I'll make pay-day Saturday at noon. So all your work and chores have to be done. If they're not, too bad so sad, no cash for you. I'm not even going to get into the whole "I did some of my jobs!" thing. No work, no pay... simple as that. I figure everybody will not get paid at least once or twice, and that will be oh so sad, but also, oh, so helpful for the whole life lessons thing.
OH! And Taylor had a little accident this week. She fell off something at school, and gashed her head open. The nurse called and said she thought Taylor needs stitches. Of course, this call was made about 30 minutes before I was scheduled to pick up Daniel and Blayne from school to go to their eye appointments. AND, I had just gotten home from the grocery store, where they were having a case lot sale. So I had CASES and CASES of canned food in the back of my car.
So I brought in all the refrigerated stuff, then slammed the trunk shut, and headed off to pick up Taylor AND Daniel AND Blayne. And Daniel had just received his cello that day! So I had three kids, three backpacks, one cello, one trumpet, cases and cases of beans, and one bloody mess.
Did you know that there is not an urgent care here in Los Alamos? Yeah, that's super nice! And inconvenient! And the doctors office doesn't really "do" stitches, so I could go to the ER... for $200.
Hell to the NO.
So I took my sweet Taylor to the grocery store, and we bought steri-strips and liquid bandage.
Then, I had her lay her head in the car, while I cleaned up the gaping hole. Now, she could have had three stitches. The gash was definitely gaping, with the wonderful subcutaneous fat poking out. and you know, SKULL. Foreheads are too thin people. So I have Taylor laying in the car, while Daniel is freaking out about the possibility of blood on this NEW CELLO, and I'm just trying to wipe up the blood with my little alcohol wipes. (Because I keep alcohol wipes in the car... because this isn't my first rodeo. You would laugh hysterically at the emergency kit I keep in the car at all times.)
At any rate, I got Taylor cleaned up, then I glued her head together, then I bandaged it up. All in the parking lot of our wonderful little grocery store in the space of 20 minutes. THEN, we headed across the street to get our eye exams.
Blayne is getting new glasses. Daniel is also getting glasses. He is basically blind in his left eye, and his right eye has been compensating, but I was horrified at how poor his vision was. No WONDER he has problems reading. HE CAN'T SEE THE LETTERS. You guys, it was seriously SO BAD. So Daniel is going to get glasses, and I feel like he will suddenly be amazing at reading and writing and so forth! You know, as soon as those blasted glasses get in.
While all of this was going on, Taylor was trying on glasses; pair after pair after pair. Then, she wanted to have an eye exam too! So she pushed her face in the little visor machine and when she pulled away, her dumb forehead was bleeding and I said in my "I'm going to kill you, but people are watching, so I'm going to smile while I say this" voice, "STOP. PLAYING. WITH THE GLASSES. YOU KEEP TOUCHING YOUR HEAD. GO. SIT. DOWN."
So we get all the eye exams finished, we order our glasses, and we leave.
We head back home, where I get to clean up Taylor all over again.
Did I mention that Troy was out of town? Because he was. Because LIFE.
So I lay Taylor on the kitchen table, because that's where the best light in the house is. And now I have to clean up the blood again, AND, I now have to gently pull the stupid glue that didn't work out of her would. Which made it bleed all over again. And it hurt. Because I was pulling GLUE off of her GAPING HEAD WOUND.
And dear, sweet Taylor kept jerking her hands up, which opened the wound. Then she would try to look up, which opened the wound. Then she would start to talk, which moved her eyebrows, which opened the wound. So I told her to put her hands under her bottom, and to shut her mouth, so I could stop the bleeding.
Then, instead of the "liquid bandage" (which is total CRAP. Never use it. It doesn't even work. You might as well put Elmer's glue on the injurty). So I got MY special glue, because I have my own private stash of glue (and tape, and scissors, and such.) and I used THAT instead. It's a wonderful gel super glue, and it is amazing.
So I didn't let Taylor move, and I used my very nice glue, and I put a thin line across the top of gash. Then I gently squeezed her skin together, and held it there until it stuck. Then I put another layer of glue on top, just for good measure. Then I got the steri-strips, and I placed them ever so tightly over injury. It looked great, and since that's all they would do in the ER anyways, I felt very good about the end result.
Of course, NOW it was time to get our stuff together to go to First Lesson Night for band! So I cleaned up the table, and our medical supplies, then Thaddeus and Blayne packed up their instruments, and we ALL headed over to the middle school for instrument-specific instruction.
An hour and half later, it was way past dinner time, and every one was miserable, and even though I had gone grocery shopping JUST THAT MORNING, there was no way in hell I was going to be able to make a dinner fast enough to please the masses.
So I stopped by a little pizza shop, and they just so happened to be having a special on large pizzas! So I got two, and we headed home.
When we pulled up to the house, people took their instruments up the stairs, (25 stairs. There are 25 stairs from our car to the front door. It is STUPID.) while Daniel and Taylor and I popped open the trunk and began to bring in the rest of the groceries.
And that is pretty much how the rest of the week went.
I DID withdraw from school. It was just too much. And I feel so PEACEFUL about the decision. It's like a giant weight has been lifted off my back. I felt like I was failing at everything. I need to study! I need to clean! I need to memorize these laws! Time to make dinner! Plus with church, and the kids school, and doctors appointments, and just, LIFE. It was too much, and I could. not. do. it. all.
I can't even explain how good I feel about this decision. It's like I can finally breathe again. I didn't realize how much stress I was under, until the stress-or was gone. I Just. Feel. Good.
SO.
This coming week should be slightly less chaotic. However, you never know what exciting things may happen!
Also: I have a new life plan that is going in to effect at 5:30am tomorrow. I will let you know how it goes! I am excited, though, because you know I love a good plan and checklist!
