Road trip

Well , We did it!  And, yes we are all still alive to tell about it.  Some of us are a little worse for wear and have the battle wounds to prove it, but overall we did well driving to Denver and back.  Oh and are there stories.  Let's start with just he mishaps of the 18 hour drive out there. 

We drove straight through hoping that the children would sleep through the night and my sister, the hubby and I could take shifts driving and sleeping.  Not at the same time .  It was a lot better than we all thought it would be and we all were in pretty good spirits.

Iowa was not very friendly though.  We somehow took a wrong turn.  We did eventually get back on track but not before hitting and killing a bird ( I do remember in driver's ed the instructor saying that the chance of hitting a bird is extremely low.  I think he lied. )  and having a semi, who swerved for a windturbine peice threw a rock and chipped the windshield.  Don't ask why, but I just found all of this rather comical. 

Nebraska was wet!  Which would not have been a problem except that the bird damaged the wiper blades, high winds and an unbelievable lightning show.  The blade we replaced with an extra that we happened to bring along.  And the lightning wouldn't have been problematic though it had a strobe effect and made our eyes feel a little buggy. 

We made it though , a little tired and ready to explore.  I will leave it here.  Hopefully, next time I will have the photos to help tell the rest of the story.  till then.

ALONE

That's right,  at this very moment I am all alone.  The hubby came home and took all the children with him for a walk/workout.  What is a girl to do.  Well.....

I went to the restroom with out anyone banging on the door.
I started to wash the clothe daipers.
I made myself a mug of sipping chocolate (that is what 55 degree weather in June makes you want).
I checked my email and facebook.
And now I am blogging. 

I should probably be sleeping.  There was not too much of that last night.   The X-man didn't sleep well and I vaguelly remember waking up and my hip hurting.  I really don't know what that is all about.  It doesn't seem to be bothering my now, but I do have a bruise there.  Perhaps it was some wild Supermom dream.

I spent the morning trying to get my baring and accomplish something, anything.  We ended up collecting three garbage bags of things for goodwill.  We collected all the Easter Decor. and we baked red velvet cupcakes with homemade banana cream frosting.  It really was an experiment  for the cupcakes I will be making and decorating next week for my sister-in-law.  I thought that they were quite good and the paring was nice.  My mother doesn't agree, but what does she know about cupcakes anyway .  I am not sure if I will use them or not.  I guess I have to test another half dozen or so. 

This afternoon we tackled the cemetary and it's monster weeds.  Great Gram did have the worst looking plot when we arrived and by the time we left,  I dare say one of the best.    I am going to leave it there for now.  We have big plans for tomorrow, breakfast at the farm early, and graduation party in the evening. I must keep my strength up.

Since the ground fell out

Since the ground fell out, I have been feeling a little drained and tired.  I have been tredding water and trying despirately to keep my head above the water.  Today I think that I started to get my footing back.

X-man behaved a little better.  Not so needy, slept from 10 until 4 this am.  He has not had tylenol and has seemed rather content.  I would not say that he is 100 percent yet, but I do think that he is well on his way.  The bruising is starting to fade alittle too. 

I had to get out ofthe house.  With the kids home it just seems that I am cleaning and recleaning constantly.  We made birthday cards for Great-Grandpa (he turns 81 Monday) and then loaded up the laundry, packed some sandwiches and set out for my Mom's.  We hung out the laundry.  Took a walk to the post office, only to find that it was closed for the noon hour.  That is one way you know for sure you live in a small town.  We just guessed how many stamps to put on Gr-Gramps cards and dropped them in the slot ( All the kids made their own and put them together in one large envelope).  Went back to Mom's for lunch and weeded the back garden and all the others that had been previously cleaned out and planted three weeks ago.  She just has too many to do all at once.  We ran some errands and got some more plants, and a few groceries.  Returned to plant the garden and took my laundry down.

For dinner I cooked pasta with some crusty bread.  I had hoped to bake my bread fresh, but had to settle for store bought.  I do feel as though I accomplished something.  At least there is one more garden planted and all the others have been maintained.  The children played outside and had a lovely walk, and we had a home cooked meal. 

Perhaps tomorrow I will tackle the last garden, plant at the cemetary (both Gr. Grams and my brother's need a little sprucing up) and fill out the parade permit for the race this year.  I would also like to get lists made for out trip to Denver.  There is only a week and a day before we leave.  Four kids and 17 hours of driving requires a little preparation.  Well enough for now.  Supermom is feeling as though if I talk to much more about what needs to be done that I will never get started. 

Just when I was catching my breath.

Let me tell you that on Friday, after a week of things going pretty well I felt as though ground had opened up right under my feet and swallow me .

Let me back track just a little.  The surgery went well and biopsy came back noncancerous. ( This we found out on Thursday.)  The plastic surgeon said we should give Abby's chin another 7 months to heal before we talk about surgery ( yeah!).  X-man was released from the GI's care on the count of him gaining some wieght and I don't have to be quite as aggressive with the feeding.  I gave my hubby the quilt, which he loved and we have even been able to use a couple of times, nice weather for May!  And he did spend most of the night after the surgery under it.  I had an eye doctor appointment.  All in all things seemed to be begininng to calm down.  As a matter of fact we planned to camp out in the new tent in the in-law's yard.

I got back from the eye doctor and picked up the rest of the family, the hubby had gathered the necessities, I had grocery shopped , and we loaded the car.  We got to the in-laws and began to unload.  Started to make dinner and the hubby started to deciphor the tent instructions.  Then the heavens came crashing down. 

The six year old picked up the crying baby and he quieted.  She was out the door before I could say anything and the next moment blood curtling screaming, Lily sobbing hysterically, and my hubby yelling thunderously.  Lily had tripped and fell with the X-man on the cement patio!  My hubby did not see it, but said that it sounded like someone threw a melon on the cement.  The Xman's head began to swell, Lily's elbows were bleeding and the hubby was angrier then I can ever remember seeing him.  Remarkably, I was calm.  I got ice.  I checked his pupils.  I assesed the lump and comforted Lily who was frantic.  ( it really could have happened to anyone of us including the hubby).  I called a family friend whois a pediatrician and got some advice.  An EMT,who lives down the street came over to look at X.  She said to take him in.  So off the the ER we went, I had to drive the hubby was too angry to see straight, still.  Any way, X is okay.  He has headaches, he has swelling, and he has to be watched very carefully for the next 6 days. 


Here is the quilt on our bed.  Yesterday I used the left over fabric to recover throw pillows to match.  Only cost me my time.  The quilt can also fit with the stripes vertical.





X before the fall.  His head is a little large and not as perfectly round. and he doesn't smile like this quite as much now.

 I guess I was fine until the next morning when I hadn't slept a wink.  (we had to wake him up every two hours, but he was up amost all night anyway)  I think it was at that point when I realized how lucky we were,  how fragile we are and how close we came to great tragedy.  I cried.  It is exhausting being strong for everyone else and I had been doing it for weeks.  The fall was just the final straw.  I just want to sit home and hold my kids and not talk to anyone.  May be not even the hubby, but I guess I have to let him in.