I got home this afternoon after spending the weekend at the ocean with my bookclub gals. We rented a house that’s located right on the beach and man did we have a view! The house was beautiful and the experience was amazing. Wehad acomfy house with enough bedsfor everyone. There was a cozy fireplace andmore liquorthan people. All that equates to agood time in my book.
I can’t leave out the weather. I have visited the ocean more times than I can count and have NEVER witnessed the kind of weather that we were dealt over the past couple of days. We had torrentialrain. We had hail. We had beautiful, glorious sun. We had thunder. We had lightning. We hadwinds.Weeven had a tornado!
All in all, we had an amazing time shopping and gossiping, drinking and marveling at the splendor of the sea.
And then I got home.
I literally waltzed out of a dream andwas plunged headfirstinto chaos. My daughter Avery, her cousin Sophie and their friend were vandalizing my front room with Bratz dolls, their faces painted with dollar store makeup and perfume so heavy it hung in the air like cigarette smoke in a bar.Jack was standing at the keyboard, toe-tapping tohis favorite song “Girl from Ipanema” blaring out of the speakers with the swagger of a nightclub singer.
Myimmediate headache prompted me to enforce myGod-given role as the mean mom and send the kids that state law does not require me to care for home with the hope that I could settle in for some peace and quiet with my family. Until Jackson started coughing. Gut-wrenchingly. You know how kids have this amazing ability to move from “completely fine” to “seriously sick” in a matter of seconds? Yup. After a quick call to theon-call doctor it was off to Urgent Care we went to imbibe in our annual dose of a local citizenry “reality check”.
After a surprisingly short wait we were ushered into an office, Jack received a quick check-up anda nebulizer treatment was ordered. Oh. My. God. I sat in that chair and wrestled my child like a country boy wrestling a greased pig. Jack squiggled and squealed and screamed and cried. Jer held the mouthpiece in front of Jack’s tightly closed lips while I anchored his head in my hands, sweat pooling in my armpits awaiting its destiny to dampen my grey t-shirt. Lovely.
Not much later we were sent on our way with a”watch him closely” diagnosis and a prescription in hand. To help ease his coughing fits I just spent the last 20 minutes in our handcrafted version of a sweat lodge (i.e. shower stall) with frizz-prone hair which has now just gone to hell. I’m anticipating a midnight car ride with the windows downin my not-so-distant future.
You ever have one of those days?Gheesh.
Love to all, in health, Mindy
Awww…Mindy I feel your pain. Been there, done that. Countless times. First, isn’t that the trouble with vacations? You have to come home. And I swear on my honor that my children got croup every single fall until they were six. And then, Sean even managed to get it when he was ten and I didn’t even think you could do that!!! Know that I am totally with you in thought doll. Hope he’s better soon.
Sooo jealous about your weekend though.
♥Spot
Thanks Spot! My kids have been generally healthy so I count myself lucky…but, that being said it plain sucks the big one to come home from a wonderful and restful weekend to all that shiz-nit. Thanks for the kind words and I think he’ll be making a full recovery! =)
Mindy
I want an ocean within driving distance. Heck, I’d take a mountain or a desert or anything other than flat prairie. An ocean is my first choice though.
So sorry about Jack! I spent more time than I care to think about in ERs and with nebulizers when Hayden was little. If it makes you feel better – he did outgrow it and hopefully Jack will too.
Until then – hang in there!
I’ve got to say, it’s pretty darn cool having an ocean, the mountains and the desert all within about 2 hours from home. We’ll be hitting the desert in about 3 weeks and I CAN’T wait.
I had to do the whole nebulizer thing last year but he’s quite a bit stronger now. My biceps hurt this morning from holding him down yesterday. =)
Mindy
Oh, sweety, that sucks. I got to take my 2 weeks of vacation for maternity leave this year. The baby’s been on a nebulizer for 3 weeks now, and I’m finally getting him off of it, so I know how you feel. It seemed to be easier if we just waited until he was asleep and hold that thing in front of his face.
Ah, poor baby! They are resilient little things, it’s just so hard to see their little bodies going through anything! Jack actually fell asleep AFTER his neb treatment…from sheer exhaustion following the mondo tantrum he threw at Urgent Care. =)
Mindy
OMG!! I am sorry to hear about your afternoon and evening…. Jeremy did good to stay with him when he could have gone motorcycle riding! I thought about you often last night, I hope Jack is doing better today!
I returned to a grouchy husband, he did not get any sleep as the dogs do not like him,,,,not my fault,,, but am glad that we have not gotten the crud yet.
Hang in there, if there is anything I can do to help, please don’t hesitate to call!
Sure did have a great weekend with everyone
Wendy
Thanks Wendy! Yeah, I think it was a good call with Jer staying home. Jack was just so puny acting I think he would have been crying for mommy and daddy…and THAT would have been fun for the girls.
Poor John! He’s getting no love from the dogs, huh? They took full advantage of his vulnerability with you gone? Smart little puppies!
We did have a good weekend, didn’t we?? Thank you for your offer of help. I would definitely take you up on it if I needed it! You’re a good friend! =)
Mindy
I am so sorry that you had to come home to that yesterday. I sure hope Jack is feeling better. Sure did have a great weekend!! Hope you get some sleep.
Love Val
Thanks Val. Jack just fell asleep on the couch (so unlike him) and I might catch a few Z’s. I had an awesome weekend and am already looking forward to the next one!
Mindy
Poor Jack and Mom. I hope he gets to feeling better soon and maybe you will get another ladies weekend soon too!
Ah, thank you! Ditto to both Jack getting better and the ladies weekend!! =)
Mindy
Well, at least you got to have a nice time before you had jump back into your mommy combat boots!