Michael Scott: TMI? Too much information. Uh, it’s just easier to say TMI. I used to say don’t go there, but that’s lame.
Can anybody please tell me why life has to happen ALL at once?? Anybody?
Next week Nathaniel and I leave for vacation to see his sister’s family and some old college friends. We will fly into Chicago (overnight), drive 6 hours to Lake Michigan, spend a few days, drive back, spend a few days there, than fly home to what we hope will still be our family of four. The kids will be staying in respite care with another foster family, and the mom has a pretty important hearing while we are gone. She has been told that they are going to request that the kids go home during this hearing. I am not entirely convinced, but the possibility is there, which means I am going to be kind of nervous for a few days of our little trip.
Not to mention, when we return, we need to figure out S’s kindergarten situation. She’s enrollled in a school right now, but I think it starts while we are on vacation, and there are just so so many details to take care of when sending a little girl off to school for the first day, that we might have to miss. And what in the world are we supposed to do while we wait and see if she is going to live with us next week or not? It is a little overwhelming. Wasn’t quite ready for this one.
Oh, and did I forget to mention the fact that our lease is up 5 days after we come home?? Give me just a moment to have a mild panic attack, please. So yesterday we began the unfortunate task of collecting boxes, tape, and wrapping paper. That’s about as far as we’ve gotten. I keep thinking that moving is always difficult but not that bad, and then I remember that we’ve added two small humans to our lives who require a ton of stuff, and consequently, a ton of boxes.
And while this move is going to be happier for us all (we are pretty sure we scored an amazing 3 bedroom home to live in, more details to come after we sign the lease on Thursday!), it does require moving there, so that kind of stinks. And I don’t care how frugal you are, there are always new things that you need to buy when you move into a new place that has new spaces, needs, and issues, or in this case, paint that I like, but doesn’t match our stuff. So, we are probably going to deal with that. And I really have no idea how I am going to furnish a 3 bedroom house, with a den, did I forget to mention that it has a den? It’s gonna be interesting to divvy up the furniture. I’ll be like, “okay, living room, here is your one couch, and okay, you can have a chair too, but the other couch needs to go in the den.” And, “alright, boy’s room, you really should have both of the beds in the bunk bed set, but right now, the girl’s room needs a bed too, so sorry ’bout that.” But my mind is getting carried away, and I am already dreaming of hanging the stockings on the genuine stone fireplace at Christmas, and eating breakfast out on our patio in the morning, and having Bailey make full use of the mudroom, and doing laundry in machines that aren’t energy efficient, and cooking on the gas stove, and having big pool parties in our backyard. Oops, I guess I let that one slip. Yeah, it has a huge pool/spa in the giant backyard. So you can see why we really want this house. Pray with us!
But, for now, we are packing, signing leases, enrolling children into school, meeting the people who will be caring for our children for the next two weeks, preparing ourselves emotionally that they may be with their mom when we get home, and running around like the sky is falling. But I feel kind of calm, and I haven’t the slightest clue why.
Speaking of running around, I ran some errands today with the kids. First we went to the mall because Sears was having a great sale on glasses. The last time I thought about purchasing glasses, the total bill came to close to $700 dollars! Woops. Sorry eye lady, please don’t be mad that I didn’t buy from you, but, well, my husband is a student. But if I want to make the most of my glasses, I need to also be able to wear sunglasses too because let’s face it people, we live in the land of eternal sunshine. Sooo, I thought I’d try again, this time with their fancy promo, and the total bill was over $500 less. How’s that for savings. Unfortunately, I had to deal with a sales associate. I do appreciate their candidness when I am shopping alone and don’t have a second opinion, but sometimes I feel like I end up just going with what they say looks good just so I don’t hurt their feelings. I know, I know. You don’t need to tell me how unhealthy that is.
But this girl sort of crossed the line between giving her honest feedback, and trying to find her new bff (best friend forever).
In between her answering the phone, and me telling D to please stop banging his toy trains against his stroller, somehow we managed to have this conversation:
EL (Eye Lady): “Wow, your kids are so polite and cute.”
Me: “Thank you.”
EL: “So, are they yours?”
Me (after a million thoughts racing through my mind): “yes.”
EL: “Wow”
After a few minutes:
EL: “So, just two?”
Me: “Yep”
EL:oh, I have one at home too.”
Me: “aw, how nice, how old?”
EL: “nine months.”
Me: “aw” (but really thinking, “do these frames really look good on me, or is she just trying to make a sale?)
EL: “do you want more?”
Me: “oh yes, we want a big family.”
EL: “Wow, I don’t know if I want any more than just one.”
Me: “mm, mhm”
EL: “So, are you guys trying right now?”
Me: (again with a million thoughts racing through my mind - should I say that this is none of her business right as she is calculating how much I owe for glasses, or should I not answer, should I explain the whole story and tell her that we are trying to adopt, or should I tell her no?): “err, yeeaahh.”
Maybe if I didn’t have the kids with me I would have been more interested in having a heart-to-heart, but like I said, I was trying to keep D from disturbing the whole mall with his train noises, and S was kind of butting in the conversation too, so let’s just save that chat for later.
And while we’re at it, next time, sweet, dear college aged checker at Target, you see a frazzled mom with two kids, and a cart full of diapers, and her cell phone is ringing, please don’t try to recruit her into your line, even if it seems like a good idea, because by the time she wrangles her cart around the oblivious people in front of her, to move up to your line, someone else will already be there at your check stand, and she’ll have to just wiggle right back to where she was. Take it from me, a mom chooses her lines carefully, and no amount of persuading or empty check stands can convince her that her spot in line is worth leaving. It’s a little like a piece of real estate.
Sooo, that was my day. I now have a little chef (not Ratatouille) begging me to make good on my promise that the two of us will bake chocolate chip cookies together. Better get to that since her bedtime is in, oh, 10 minutes!