In the end....

Ah, the last day of school. I remember how exciting it was. We spent the morning cleaning out our desks and packing up our artwork that had been on displayed around the class like a Renoir. We had a nice relaxed school day, ate lunch in the cafeteria for the last time, and had a little bit longer recess. After that, came the goodies---cookies, drinks and treats brought by the parents, maybe a couple of simply in class games (Head up 7Up rocked) then hugs and heading home. Simple, Blissful...

Not now....Now the artwork and tools are packed up and brought home a week before school's out. The last day is an all-out BASH complete with rented waterslides, pizza, cookies, popcicles, and a mini-carnival. Seriously? Fields day was just last week and was complete with waterslides and games. It's not high school. It's first grade.

If we set this as the standard in first grade, what will be do for graduation? Space trip?

Overheard...

"Shoot Me! Hit Me! Sword Me! Fight Me!"


**Again, Abrielle. She really gets into her Lego Star Wars.

Overheard...

"I want to beat you up! Hold still so I don't have to work so hard!"


***Stop, don't call CPS. This was out of the mouth of Abrielle while playing Lego Star Wars on the Wii with Carsten

Insomnia (Only Partially Voluntary)

I'm tired. Very tired. I am by the end of most days, but yet I still stay up late.

"Why don't I just go to bed?"

Here is why:
1. I can do whatever I want to.....read, plan, waste time on the computer, stare at
the ceiling....and no one is going to interrupt.
2. Because sometimes tomorrow is so busy, I don't want it to come and going to sleep
seems to be giving in, declaring that today is over, bringing tomorrow that much faster.
3. My brain has not stopped yet, therefore lying in bed would be pointless.
4. In our apartment, if you leave the door open to the kids room, you can usually see all
three kids, peacefully asleep from the couch. So beautiful. It makes my heart feel like
it's going to explode and melt at the same time. It's the only time of day they all hold
still long enough for me to just gaze at them.
4. Sshhhh....hear that? Yeah, I don't hear anything either.......Peace.......Aahhhhhhh.......

I know that in the morning I'll regret it. I know that the dark circles are becoming permanent and the concealer is not working as well anymore. I know it will take twice as long to drag myself out of bed to the gym (if I make it to the gym in the morning at all....)

But for right now....

What I wanted to say.....

...why yes, dear Substitute School Nurse, I do understand what you are saying.

But you see, Carsten was diagnosed with Strep throat on Tuesday and started on antibiotics. Naturally, I kept him home Wednesday and checked him for fever throughout the day, a day that was 97 degrees outside and in out apartment where the A/C runs for hours without making the temperature drop more than a degree. Until it's fixed, I am not paying for it to run and I turn on the ceiling fans. "Sick" boys who are running tireless around the playing hide and go seek and giving his equally "sick" sisters piggy back rides will naturally feel hot. So yes, he was really, really hot at home yesterday, as he reports, but it was not a fever. And no, I am did not mask the fever by giving him Advil before sending him to school today. (Seriously.....)

And of course his throat hurts. He had strep. It looked painful. Antibiotics do no magically take away the pain, particularly when it's further irritated by vomit. And of course he couldn't eat his lunch today. Did you ask him what he ordered. It was Nacho day and he can't resist a Nacho, so I am betting that instead of ordering the soft Pasta as we discussed this morning, he ordered nachos. Hard, Crunchy, sharp pointed, Nachos. (Seriously...) What's that Carsten? You did order the nachos?

So yes, Dear Substitute School Nurse, I would like Carsten do be given a salt water gargle, some reassurance and sent back to class for the last 90 minutes of school. Tell him I'll see him this afternoon.

Afraid to answer the phone at work today...

11:00 am -- "Mrs. Gallini, we're calling to tell you Abrielle just isn't quite herself at preschool today. You don't need to pick her up, but we wanted to let you know."

12:00pm -- "Mrs. Gallini, Abrielle has spiked a temperature of 102.6F, has crawled under the teachers table and refuses to come out. Can you come pick her up?"

12:30 pm -- "Honey, the school said they couldn't get a hold of you so they called Papa. Carsten has a fever of 103.6F and they wanted permission to give him Motrin. We need to pick him up."

3:00pm -- "The kids are all asleep, but other than the fever, no complaints."

7:00pm -- "Honey, the kids are now both complaining of sore throats and have spots and gunk in their throats. What do you want me to do?"

7:30pm -- "Honey, I made it to MinuteClinic in Round Rock. They're running the strep tests, but Carsten threw up all over the clinic and Abrielle almost did. I'll let you know what the test show."

Drama always happens when Mommy has to work. My poor kiddos are so sick.

Today, I am so thankful for Daddy's who had the afternoon off, awesome colleagues who stayed late and didn't even flinch when my son vomited all over the clinic and everyone in it (Bless you, Lance!!!!), Motrin, Amoxicillin, soft waffles, hand sanitizer, apple juice and the RedBox.

Things that aren't funny.....

1. Boys who break one bone per year of school
2. Dogs who push boys off of the 2nd floor of the play scape. (OK, so that's a little funny...)
3. Boys who have a goal to break more bones than his dad (I believe that count is at 4 or 5)
4. Toddlers who face plant into asphalt the week they're scheduled for pictures
5. Little girls with BIG estrogen.
6. Apartment kitchens with no pantry.
7. Patients who get all of their medical advice from Dr. Oz...and apparently only watch the previews (Note to readers: occasional gas after eating at Chuy's is not diagnostic of colon cancer)
8. Letters that come 3 days after the deadline of being out of your rental house saying they've decided to extend your deadline until October.
9. Lawyer husbands who think # 8 is funny.