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18 August 2013

Highs + Lows

One of these days we'll get the hang of the call weekend. You'd think after two years of dealing with these blasted weekends I'd just get used to them, resign myself to the shit factor, and get over it. But no. Nope. The one before this weekend was just a 24 hour Sat-Sun stint and wasn't tooooo TOOOO bad and I thought I could just use the momentum gained from that weekend and power through this one but lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place ever, does it?

So let me just walk future Grace through the high and low from this morning so she can look back, read this, and laugh and smile in two years when we've kissed our very last call weekend goodbye forever. And while I'm reminiscing hopefully I'll have the gall to write a letter to the inventor of the name of the call weekend because "call weekend" is very misleading as it sounds like something involving waiting at home for calls - which is nawt the case. It should be called, "work-your-ass-off-and-don't-sleep-all-weekend" or something solely involving curse words in all caps.

^^^ she only got to honk the car horn once and Bash did it twice and life is the worst of all time.

We'll start with the high that occurred after the low and saved me from calling up all my imaginary friends and throwing a pity kegger all day long. This is guaranteed to underwhelm the masses but it was a big moment for Sebastian's mom. I was changing Sebastian's diaper when I sneezed and he looked at me and smiled a proud-as-a-peacock-in-poop smile and said, "bwess you". Stop the orbit of the sun. I know - I couldn't believe it either. If you've ever met Sebastian you'll know that his regular vernac consists of about four words: mine, no, mama (if mama isn't home and he knows it), and dada (if dada isn't home and he knows it) so for him to say two words in a row is HUGE. I might not fail him in the speaking department after all! And yes I did about 99 more fake sneezes just to hear him perform his new trick and I clapped like a giddy 16-year-old cheerleader at a homecoming game every single time. The boy will be sentencing before we know it.

 ^^^ I wish I could be the mom that was always on top of the face crust but ... someday!!!

And the low. The kids all caught some weird 24 hour runny nose cold mash-up which I KNOW is the best kind of sickness because it's not a 24 hour stomach bug which always haunts me for weeks after and it's not a clingy cold that could turn into a cough that will keep everyone awake for nights on end. But still. The perils of a cool August include 24 hour colds, apparently. So Theo was the last to get it and he was an angry baby this morning. Angry ANGRY. He just wanted to be held and bounced and in my left arm while he chewed on my right thumb and if I deviated from that there was fiery hell to pay. After doing this for many, many hours and almost joining him in the thumb feast because I was selfish and hangry I started to put a smoothie together in the blender only to not be able to find the lid anywhere. There's not a doubt in my mind that it met its death by way of a trip to the trash by Sebastian (where also lies two electric toothbrushes and the bowl part of Julia's potty which is sort of essential to my life) but I just decided to make do with a frying pan as a lid. I don't have to tell you how well that worked out for me but I'll glass-half-full it with a pun and say that I'm glad half of it flew out of the unsealed part because!! I forgot ice and it was just warm banana yogurt slop that I still drank but at least I only had 6 gulps to conquer instead of 12-15.

Just count your blessings that I'm choosing to bypass Julia's announcement in the middle of her notnap that she, "frowed up" because I'm diagnosing it as isolated and hoping for the best.

I'd love to hear your highs and lows to get me through the last hours of the cursed weekend but I understand if you're busy S L O W L Y backing away from this blog forever for fear that I'll pelt you with more rounds of precious moments again and again. And again.

I understand completely.
 



60 comments:

  1. Husband has been on 12-hour night shift all weekend, and I'm losing it. Night shift means sleeping all day, which means fun times for me all night with the kids who decided that they no longer sleep through the night, and then fun times for me all day while he sleeps. None of that was clever or witty, but that's just where I'm at right now. Just the cold hard depressing FACTS.

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  2. My 19 year old son with high functioning Aspergers has refused to get a job since he graduated from high school 14 months ago. He's managed to sponge off of friends and family members and just went ballistic like... fear for my life angry because I won't buy him cigarettes. It's hard enough transitioning a teenager to adulthood but transitioning a teenager who doesn't deal in reality is like.... not letting Julia beep the horn twice. Tantrums aren't fun with toddlers and they're less fun with people who can shave. And vote. And buy their own DAMN cigarettes! Ok. I feel better now.

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  3. My in-laws were in town this weekend, and my husband is about 6/7 done with his fun-filled trip to Afghanistan, so it was AWESOME having two extra sets of hands at the 1.5 hour Sunday Mass...I pretty much kept whispering "go ask Grammy to read you a book" or "Pop-pop wants to hold you" every time my kids came over to my end of the row. And they bought it! Score.

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    Replies
    1. Mine spent 15 months over there two years ago. Hang in there, and thank you BOTH for your service!

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    2. I echo what Kris said!! (Minus Simon being in the military)

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    3. thanks! every time I start to feel sorry for myself, I think of all the army/navy/usmc wives who have to deal with much more frequent/longer deployments. Now those are some truly amazing women!

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  4. High: I took the kids to mass by myself because my husband was sick (3 yrs, 1 yr, and I'm 20 wks preg so I hate wrestling them) and they were actually good and we made it through the whole mass. Two minor outbursts but overall they were super good (considering how crazy they normally are). Low: my husband has been sick since Wed plus the kids have been sick since last Sunday (with fevers, then they were better, and now coughs). I am the only one healthy and want life back to normal soon! :) your weekend def sounds tougher than mine though! :)

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  5. High: My 10 month old learned how to share food and is really into it! It is so cute.

    Low: My 10 month old learned how to share food and is really into it! Lots of pre-eaten graham cracker coming my way...

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  6. High: Today I bought nursing bras.

    Low: Lucy screamed the whole time AND I forgot the nursing shield AND I freaking hate breastfeeding most times.

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  7. My three year old just saw Bash's picture and said that's his fwend.
    High: free gourmet Popsicles passed out after church, the banana pudding and salted chocolate were sooo good.
    Low: sleep deprived and no naps suck.

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  8. High: Got to hear Baby #4's heartbeat for the first time on Wednesday.

    Low: 3 doctor appointments, 1 hair appointment, 5 nights of VBS at church, 1 morning of babysitting for my sister's 4 kids, 3 days of dropping and picking up my 5 year old from Kindercamp, 7 nights in a row of Hubby working 7 am to 7 pm, and 1st trimester fatigue = 1 exhausting week!

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  9. High: Homemade cinnamon rolls!

    Low: John Paul puked this morning and then peed his pants during naptime in our bed. Cecilia spent naptime screaming about a hair in her mouth (waking Elizabeth) and needing to poop (waking Mary Claire). And, as usual, I got almost no sleep last night :( Sometimes I'm not even sure how I function...

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  10. High: Popsicles from Costco.

    Low: Three timeouts in a five minute time span. I'd say my method isn't working......

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  11. High: My 3-year-old son walked all over my house hand-in-hand with a friend's 3-year-old girl. (Think: pretty little thing with all these gorgeous blonde ringlets. And no brothers to wisen her as to the rough ways of boys.)

    Low: My boy then repeatedly sneak-attack tackled her like she was his normal wrestling partner - his brother.

    Also, I had to tell you that my grandfather, who is just about the world's most talkative person, was a very late talker. His dad teased that Granddad was the last to speak, but once he started, nobody could get him to stop. His sister still teases that Granddad didn't speak until he was three, but then all at once, he came out with something like: "Forheavenssakemotherwhydidyoudressmeinthisridiculousthing?!"

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  12. High: went to a wedding and indulged in an ice cold corona with necessary lime wedge.

    Low: even at catholic weddings you apparently have that one uneasy "aren't you not supposed to be drinking?" guest harshing your (not-even-close-to-) buzz. And yeah, someone said this to me.. out loud.

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  13. Babysat my best friends 11-month old and 4-year old ALLLLL weekend while she went on a trip with her husband (a MUCH needed trip)! So my high is that I survived. My low would have to be the not-sleeping. SO not used to that anymore.

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  14. High: hanging with family because Grace turned three


    Low: chaos, no naps, arguing with husband. I think it's time to throw the kids in bed and pour myself a draaaank.

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  15. Hi: sold house, finally found a new house.

    Low: Timing didn't work out so we just moved into my MIL's basement for 6 weeks while we are in limbo. Could be much worse. Trying to keep both kiddos and my screaming to a minimum since the condo shares a wall. We'll see how well that works. :)

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  16. High: Went to a minor league game as a family on Friday night, kept the kids out way past bedtime and they both stayed happy and had fun and it was all great.

    Low: The kids have coordinated their naps such that they are NEVER sleeping at the same time which means I don't even get 45 minutes to myself anymore until after their bedtime when I am dead tired.

    ~Allie

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  17. Ah. Children must have heard my thoughts.

    New low: kiddos sharing room. Hearing "daddy!" From the room we just left and then the babythatrefusesrogotosleeptonight cry. Sigh.

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  18. Hi: almost finished unpacking the house, we finally have a functioning car, I got to go to yoga, B did NOT work, I'm churning delicious things out of the kitchen again

    Low: baby still waking 36433 times a night at six months old and the novelty of sheer exhaustion has worn thin; we had to waste most of our precious Saturday picking up our coche from the podunk town it randomly broke down in two weeks ago.

    Not too shabby.

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  19. You freaking kill me. The bowl comment? I died.
    You kill me, and I die. Fab combo.
    My life wouldn't be the same without you.
    xxxxxxx forever and ever amen

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  20. The baby just broke my Kindle, so I'll count that as a high because the low is that I gave it to him to play with. Who let's me parent?

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  21. low the 2 year old broke my glasses, low the 2 year old took on average 3 hours to get to sleep each night, high we got rid of 2 bags of baby clothes to people who are expecting and another 2 to a family who just had twins. The house may still be a mess but we are 4 bags of clothing less and someone who needed them got them - and we got to hold two babies that together weighed less than mine did at birth.

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  22. That's so exciting that Sebastian said bless you!!! I can't imagine how fun that was to hear! :)

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  23. Highs: just spent a night away, no kids in a hotel room. And got to hit up a theme park/water park today with my awesome sister and brother in law for my belated birthday. Boy was it neeeeedddddeeddd.

    Lows: apparently 24-48 hours with grammie means allll the work we've done potty training is out the window. The 6 month old is afraid we will disappear again and can't let mama out of his sight, and the "i want grammie back" chants are about .1 seconds

    Hope you're getting thru these last few, i will be raising my glass to you and your suck call weekend! But yay for Bash's bless you!

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  24. I would never back away form your blog...never...ever...I am stalkerish that way.

    OK - high would be Court's 21st birthday and the fact that we actually got to have one. It was a beautiful day, even though it rained and she didn't have one seizure. Awesome.

    Low would be that while at the Shrine in DC I locked the keys in the van. Daddy was pissed, but AAA saved the day. That and chocolate cake.

    Phew...only a few more hours to go and your are DONE with call weekend!! Wahoo...let's throw a sleep party!!

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  25. Thanks for your great posts, Grace!

    High, I think I'm feeling my baby move for real now (19 weeks, baby #5)

    Low, my crock pot lid got dropped today (glass), and it's 14 years old, so probably not replaceable. I have dreaded this day for a long time because my crock pot is such a work horse and I don't think they make them the same anymore!

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    Replies
    1. I'm with you - mine is old and HUGE. I dread the day something happens to it, because I've never seen one made like that anymore.

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  26. Quite the opposite, your a funny chick, I'm glad I stumbled upon your little corner.
    Liv (Australia, another proud Catholic who uses NFP minus the planning!) xx

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  27. Highs: new baby! And Walter meeting his baby sister for the first time.

    Lows: everyone is exhausted and this momma is sore!

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  28. my children whipped me this past week. like absolutely had me rocking in the god forsaken corner while they ran laps of the house in the nude.

    it was not funny.

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  29. Ooh! We use to do this in college!! We sit around at dinner and tell our Highs and Low of the day! Ahh, memories!

    Lows: my 15 month old's continued 4:30am and 6:00am wake up calls. I haven't slept through the night in, oh, about 9 years!

    Highs: cooking dinner alone while my husband took the 4 kiddos on a walk/hike by the river.

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    Replies
    1. Oh man, isn't it funny how cooking dinner alone, without a clinging, screaming crowd now seems like a treat? :)

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  30. High: First 5k. Lows: return of the parasite which kept me from blogging yesterday so I'm ansy this morning. Want to write but I really need to get cracking on collecting more samples. Can we hold a joint pity kegger?

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  31. low: I'm having surgery Friday to remove an ovarian cyst. I don't know if there is a high.....

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    Replies
    1. I'm so melancholic aren't i? So many highs. Four daughters I love. A husband who is awesome. Chocolate in the cupboards. Air conditioner that works. Giving away free stuff on craigslist (it's not in my house!). School starts tomorrow. Good friends who brought us peony plants this weekend.

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  32. high: taking a day offfff from life and meals and everything to drive to the country and play in streams all day

    low: have paul run over my bag while parking in the country - all snacks were destroyed. and all diapers (ALLLLL) were covered in peach puree now. and still had to be used. all day. it was vomit inducing.

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  33. High - I think the packing is going well...
    Low - A three year old, a one year old, less than 2 weeks before a 2000+ km move to my husband's first pastoral charge and we HAVE NO PLANE TICKETS YET.

    Breathe. Breathe.

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  34. High: My 13 month old's first steps! :)

    Low: My 13 month old's terrible all over the body and face HIVES that made her look like a total leper and I couldn't even take her to church because I'd look like the worst parent ever (we took turns). AND she has decided that waking up every hour and screaming for up to several hours at a time is now acceptable night time behavior. Baby #2 due in 5 weeks respectively.

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  35. Julia looks adorable in that pic. I think sometimes the crying photos are the best ones. We had a no-nap weekend on our end, it wasn't bad but just a lot less productive that I expected.

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  36. From the past 3-4 hours. High: Kiddo decided to let me sleep in after his dad left for work. Low: ...because he decided to eat the contents of the sugar bowl that someone had left within his reach instead.

    Still debating the best way to get the sticky out of my couch cushions.

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  37. Low: My nine year old daughter woke me up Sunday morning (don't kids no that at least one adult would like to sleep in?!) by screaming in the bathroom over a "huge green bug with huge wings". It wasn't even as big as the tip of her pinkie finger! So after the epic battle of just trying to get her into the bathroom (she was holding up the line since she proclaimed she needed to go), I somehow convinced her to get rid of it if she wanted to. My poor husband was a frazzled mess. He was holding our two year old son while trying to stop her meltdown.

    High: Everyone did a really good job of picking up toys over the weekend. My daughter even read a book for twenty minutes without sighing loudly about it.

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  38. I shall write you an essay, cause thats what this past week has been worthy: laaaaast weekend (9th) we went away for our first trip to a beautiful mountain destination that wasn't the usual "trip to visit family".

    On the first morning of waking up there in heaven, Stella developed fever and gradually worsened, with vomiting and difficulty breathing, causing us to leave early to take her to the nearest hospital 3 hours away. Diagnosis flu and pharyngitis.
    Sunday swings by and Summer vomits non-stop in lieu of what seemed like the mother of all stomach bugs.
    Monday: Stella get the same stomach bug on top of whatever else she had
    Tuesday: I get Stella's weekend cold
    Wednesday: Niece nr 1 (who I care for in the week) gets stomach bugs and vomits everywhere
    Thursday: Niece 2 gets stomach bug as well, yay. More washing of floors, bedding, clothes bla.
    Friday: Summer gets the flu
    Sunday: I pull Stella back from a run to near death off the edge of the bed and she screams and holds her arm...another trip to the emergency room (1 hour away - our town doesn't have Xray facilities) only to hear the little madam staged an oscar winning performance in the catagory: "my mom ripped my arm off", where in fact it was diagnosis: muscle strain.
    We only got home at 9pm last night and we were buggered. This week had better improve or I might check myself into a facility for exhaustion...
    Lots of sympathies, Grace! We'll laugh about this someday, I guess. I hope. I pray.
    Sending you lots of love and light

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  39. High: Had a great weekend but some of them include Hannabert's newly found independence thanks to a step stool. "I get it mama."
    Low: Hannabert using his new independence to raid the coin jar to feed money into my gum ball machine and repeatedly using dimes which are the only coin that doesn't work so I have to use a knife to pry it out.

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  40. low: cracked car battery which resulted in lots of corrosion and a dead car.

    high: chipotle for lunch yesterday. doesn't take much to please me.

    hope you're monday is going well!

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  41. High of the weekend: Park with friends - 3 of my closest friends with kids and some of their spouses (mine works ALL weekend) met me at a park near my house even though it was a 30 minute drive for all of them b/c I lack a car.

    Low: Whines non-stop that morning and constant fights of who gets to leave the apartment building first and who gets to get in the car first and out of the car first and oh my, I wanted to knock some little heads together. Instead, involuntary naps for everyone!

    Awkward moment of my weekend: My 6 yo son asking me why I don't bare my chest for all to see. His exact words (out of the blue, mind you. I was fully clothed at the time) - "Mom, why do you cover up your nibbles? (aka nipples aka breasts)" Hope that cracked a smile :)!

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    Replies
    1. The getting in and out of the car was for church. Why do they always like to fight right before church?

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    2. "I wanted to knock some little heads together. Instead, involuntary naps for everyone!"

      This made me laugh out loud. I have so been there!

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    3. LOL. Thanks! If only my kids thought this was equally as amusing. Nope. They just whined some more, which confirmed their need to be separated from me for a solid amount of time.

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  42. High: waterpark + amusement park with my fam. Oh man, so fun.

    Low: Everlasting headache due to out of whack shoulders + neck. Chiropractor, please. Soon.

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  43. Oh, Grace! I hear ya, sister! I was also solo parenting this weekend (husband was traveling). The night before he left, our dog got sprayed by a skunk, then ran back into the house before we could stop him. In the one minute he was inside, he made the entire house REEK of skunk!! We had to sleep with all the windows open and all the fans we own going full blast. The next day, I was on my own. During the precious time when both kids were napping (when I normally surf the internet and sip smoothies... made in my blender with the lid on.. haha..), I spent those precious moments washing the dog again. Before he had even dried, he rolled in poop! I was so mad! He had to sleep outside and kept barking throughout the night. Oh, and did I mention that there was recently a break-in/rape in our neighborhood? So I had trouble closing my eyes, much less sleeping! All that to say... I'm GLAD my husband is back home!

    The high: My 5 month old finally rolled onto his stomach during his nap and slept longer than ever before. Hooray!

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  44. High: Mia started laughing this weekend, and now finally all my jokes get laughed at.

    Low: She had a blow-out during Mass yesterday. During the opening song. With no extra outfit for back-up.

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  45. High: having a nice uninterrupted phone conversation with a friend
    Low: discovering how my children had occupied themselves during this conversation...by emptying the entire contents of their dressers and burying themselves in clothes.

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  46. High: The sun is shining (it's winter in Aus), I'm blessed and have joy, there's cheese in the fridge, later today I will hang with my dear friend and cuddle my Godson.
    Low: I spent my last dollar on fixing my car :/
    High: My brother lent me money.
    Low: I am a full-time student and have no way to earn money.
    High: Not such a problem for the Lord - when I asked a priest to pray for me recently he pulled out $180 in notes and told me that if he didn't give them to me they would go to the next meth addict that knocked on the presbytery door.
    Low: I have over two months left of full-time study before I can earn a wage again.
    High: I am living in a very cheap place with awesome friends.
    Low: But then I will have to move and will have NO money to do so.
    High: "SERIOUSLY, when will you learn that I have access to ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD?!?! Fear not, little one." (God)

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  47. Here's another for ya, Grace.
    High: Date night at a swanky restaurant with friends.

    Low: Tire blew out 1 mi. from our house with just me and two littles in the car...so I kept driving home. Thankfully my husband already had an appt. at the dealership to patch the other back tire which had a leak. BUT the whole process took him 5 hours. I'm heading for the wine now...

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  48. My sister led me to your blog, and it has changed my life for the better (and I never use hyperbole). I'm also a resident's wife and it feels good to be in the trenches with women like you. This particular post had me laughing so hard that my husband insisted that I read [particularly the last full paragraph] out loud. Two more years + fellowship for us too.

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  49. I don't have a specific high and low...and I'm just IN AWE that, in general, as a parent you can have the most unbelievable HIGH and in a matter of 3 seconds it can turn into a horrible LOW!!!!!! lol!

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  50. I am about to lose my mind looking for things like blender lids and toothbrushes/shoes/items essential to my life that are probably lost to a trash can death!! I've always been terrible with losing things even before having a toddler and now it's just BAD.

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  51. I have a 4 week old. He's typically pretty good, but the past two days have been rough, he drinks 1/4 oz, then stops, then cries 2 minutes later for more. He does this for the ENTIRE afternoon/evening. I pretty much ignore my 4 year old, so when the baby fell asleep, we let the 4 year old stay up late to watch 'my dancing show' (SYTYCD). Baby wakes up from 1:45-5:15 crying hysterically (why?!?) and then 4 year old wakes up at 7:00 with a mean attitude because someone (doh!) let him stay up late the night before.
    The High?: Thank goodness for mothers. My mom took the baby today for about 8 hours. I baked cupcakes with the older one, took him to get a smoothie, and went for a hike. I am ready to conquer the night!

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