so, what gives anyway?

My oldest got his braces off. He looks kind of strange to me...

and not just because this is so super close up - it's kind of weird to see him minus all that metal and signature green bands...
and before I got a chance to get used to the "look" he headed off to scout camp. I guess it will be awhile before we find out if he's MORE of a hottie now that he's got straight teeth? Remember the hussies at Lagoon who stalked my boy (who is ONLY 14)... at least I scared them off...

Last weekend we rented the wave-runners and spent some time at the local reservoir. The parents and older kids took those things up to top speed on the choppy waters and the kids... dug in the dirt...

but that IS some pretty cool digging they did! (for the record, I told my kids not to bring the garden shovel - they did anyway - little boogers... but it was fine in the end...)

While doing all this beachy fun - A few girls came up to me and asked for my sons' phone number... seriously. Is that bold? and no... I didn't give it to them... ummm, when I was that age I would have DIED before telling some boy's mom that I thought he was hot... ugh, what is the world coming to? (but for the record, I knew this family... good people, seriously... give me a few more years and you're more than welcome to call the boy... even if he does look a little weird to me...)

Aside from that, we had lots of fun... as long as you don't count the fact that the wind picked up and we were constantly pelted with little pieces of sand biting into our skin... ruining my contacts... making all the food a little gritty (is that good for digestion?)... and especially getting into H's bandages.

Oh yeah - suppose I should mention that H gave us another parental first last week - I was driving the 14 year old T home from a party lecturing him about how his actions (not calling home) affect the whole family... when the phone rang and Q lets me know that H has cut herself pretty badly (on a bed frame in the guest room) and we decided to meet at the hospital.

Did you know that they won't reserve a spot in line for someone who hasn't actually GOTTEN to the emergency room yet? Apparently they actually have to do the whole triage thing... blah, blah, blah... don't they know that we neurotic parents aren't ALL crazy?


Do yourself a favor and don't imagine that uncovered and gapping an inch wide... really. Here, this is plenty gross enough - she wouldn't let me get a pic of the injury prior to stitches... and I can't say as I'm real upset about it!


Anyway - after 6 stitches (including one ironically called the "mattress stitch") we were told we could go. Of course, it then took a few more minutes while I made sure I was in drivable condition. You see, I fell apart a little when Q first called - then pulled it together quite nicely when H arrived, while we waited in the waiting room, throughout the triage process, during the next waiting room phase, and sat with her laying in my lap through the whole irrigation/numbing/stitching process offering words of love and encouragement. (wondering all the while how my GIRL ends up with the only broken bone AND the only stitches in the family...)

I was a perfect mom. and then... they said we could go.

I didn't puke. I didn't pass out. Really. but I WANTED to do both of those things. Apparently I looked pretty bad because the guy (nurse/aide/whatever) offered ME cookies and juice... and handed my son a barf bag "just in case".

Haha - yeah, hilarious - laugh at my expense, it's fine... adrenaline makes me woozy, what can I say?

and then, in addition to all of this fun and floozy avoidance - I got a job offer. I've been a full time SAHM mom for... ummm... (Po, how old are you?) okay - almost 10 years. I wasn't looking for a job, really. and then BAM! I got approached by a friend/neighbor/pretty awesome chick who has a job that just might be ideal...

almost all of the hours are school hours - I'd actually be AT the schools some of the time - and those that aren't school hours I'd actually be able to take some of the kids with me for some of them, letting them participate in a pretty cool media literacy class... It'd be flexible enough that I could be there for M when needed, although it would be an adjustment for us all...

I've debated back and forth, and forth and back - and back some more... and forth once again... I've made it a matter of prayer - of fasting and prayer - and although I was "this close" to calling and saying "thanks but no thanks" at one point... it didn't feel right... Q and I discussed it again yesterday and had both had the same thought... so I'm giving it a go. I'm a working mom (well, I will be come August) and will give it a trial run... we'll see how it fares with the family and go from there... because unlike Jon and Kate, my kids REALLY do have to come first!

What else... I'll assume you don't want to hear about my new recipe binder? How about my new pedometer that I'm happy with when it's inaccurate by over counting but which I want to stomp into the ground when I realize I've just walked over 3 miles and it has only credited me with half that? The shopping trip for Q's new suit and the shirt I purchased on same trip that makes me look 3 months pregnant? How about the fact that kids tend to obey signs as written regardless of what they KNOW should be done?
And the fun that the kids had swimming in the pool, visiting with, and having a yummy dinner at Paula's with their grandparents?

I can't complain really - I've been a parent for over 14 years and this was the first time I took any of my kids for stitches... I've been bragging that it's the first ER visit all week but JUST remembered the time when Q had to run T-boy in for an asthma attack in the middle of the night... oh yeah... I guess we're not quite living THAT perfectly after all...