I know him as an absolute cuddle-bug.
A Mama’s Boy.
A little guy who lives for Friday night sleepovers with his big sister and little brother.
A sweetie with Lightning McQueen sheets.
A total love.
And yet…
…even I would have a little trouble not shaking in my boots if I had to line up against this game face.
Woke up this morning to Baby Monkey singing in his bed.
Went upstairs, crawled in to snuggle with him and was joined by Monkey in the Middle.
Came down for breakfast and Monkey Girl came to join us.
They all sat together, looking at “Eye Spy” books together, laughing and talking.
If this is the precursor for my week, we are in for a GREAT time!
I’m feeling grumpy and unsettled tonight, and I can’t quite put my finger on why.
My Facebook status last night was “Too busy tonight. Doctor was running an hour late. Now everything is behind. Grrrr…”
A friend commented that it must have been a really bad day, because I don’t usually post negative things.
I thought about that comment and realized that he was right.
I am pretty darn happy with my life.
But, this week, I’m off.
Life is just kinda off.
Granted, it’s been a very busy week.
On Tuesday, I had to get Monkey in the Middle to football, then get to choir, then not home until later, all after working a full day.
On Wednesday, lots to do around here in the afternoon, then Back to School Night for Monkey in the Middle, which was great, but we didn’t get home until 8:30, smack dab in the middle of a thunder and lightning storm, which meant that the monkeys were up until around 9:45.
On Thursday, I had a doctor appointment, which ran an hour late, (and which gave me conflicting information from my regular doctor appointment) then had to race to get Monkey in the Middle to football, drop he and the other monkeys off with Real Man, then race home, brush my hair, and head to a different Back to School Night, where I was speaking to the crowd, and didn’t get home until 8:30.
Tonight, I was looking forward to just chilling.
I taught piano after school, picked up the monkeys and headed home.
I planned on making cavatelli and broccoli, relaxing, watching some tv with Real Man, playing board games with the kids.
Ahhhh…
Then I got a phone call that someone is coming to look at the house tomorrow.
So, instead, tonight I’m doing all the laundry, getting it put away, having Real Man and the monkeys help clean up the entire house, vacuuming, etc.
Tomorrow is flu shots and Monkey in the Middle’s football game, and saying things like “Hey, don’t touch that…someone is coming to look at the house.”
Add to that Oprah’s current complete reversal in her support of teachers, and I feel like I’ve been through the wringer this week.
It takes a village, but if something isn’t working, it must be the teachers?
Is that it, Oprah?
Ugh.
So, I’m just feeling beat up, exhausted, and grumpy tonight, and while I had hoped to come here and write something witty to take me out of the funk, it’s just not happening.
So, forgive me, but Mama said there’d be days like this, and we all have them.
I’ll be back with the wit tomorrow, I think.
For tonight, I think I’ll just wallow.
I figured that, perhaps, it was time for a brief pregnancy update.
I’m feeling great, just wearing out a little earlier at night.
Due to the diabetes, the baby is measuring about a week and a half ahead of schedule, yet due to my thyroid, I haven’t gained enough weight.
So, strangely enough, I am now eating two lunches and everything in between.
I feel like all I do is eat, but I’m making my best effort to make sure that what I am eating is healthy.
The monkeys continue to be excited.
Monkey Girl continues to hope against hope that this is another girl monkey.
Monkey in the Middle keeps reminding me how huge I’m going to be by February.
Baby Monkey keeps rubbing my belly and whispering things that I can’t hear. Conspiring against me, already, I think.
Today, the monkeys are coming with me to the doctor to hear the baby’s heartbeat.
Please, let them get us in in a timely manner.
Anyway, that’s the story so far.
Life is good.
This helicopter probably cost about ten bucks.
It is the most used toy in this house.
However, not simply in it’s original form.
Baby Monkey spends the majority of his time attaching things to his helicopter and “rescuing” them.
Apparently, this afternoon, my shoe was in need of rescue.
I kid you not when I say he could play with this helicopter and go around the house with Monkey Girl’s chinese jump rope wrapped around it, rescuing things.
He also has a little plastic slab thingy for when he has to rescue action figures and dolls.
If it’s just an object, it gets tied up and the helicopter takes off.
I think we might just skip Christmas this year.
Who needs more toys when you’ve got the helicopter?
Last night was perfect.
We had been to Monkey in the Middle’s football game, where he played a phenomenal game.
Ran the length of the field for a touchdown.
Made a few tackles.
Was blocking like a brick wall.
Great game, and although he never shows it, he was proud of himself.
Afterward, we told the kids that we weren’t going to make a habit of it, but we would take them out to Wendy’s.
So, we go.
And there we sat.
The kids eating and talking and laughing.
Sharing the last scraps of fries with each other, and breaking up Real Man’s chili crackers, so that they can all have some.
They were quizzing us on the trivia questions that came in their kids meals and laughing.
Baby Monkey had food on his shirt.
Monkey Girl kept knocking things over, as she usually does.
Monkey in the Middle was talking WAY too loudly.
It was perfect.
I looked around at Real Man, the love of my life, and those kids who I love more than they will ever know.
And I thought, this is it.
This is what some people look for their whole lives.
And, to an outsider, it may look messy and loud.
But to me…it is perfection.
Anyone want to join me in a little Fiddler on the Roof sing-a-long?
Tradition…tradition.
No one?
Crickets.
Anyway, for those of you uneducated in the ways of 1970’s Broadway, I will now continue with the story.
When Real Man was a kid, his Dad made homemade pizza every Friday night.
For a long time, when we lived in our second house, we had the same tradition.
But, the bakery where we bought the shells was on the other side of town, and as the brood expanded, it was just a little much, and the tradition faded.
Lo and behold, they opened up a new bakery/deli RIGHT HERE in my town.
They sell the shells we love, along with the sauce and the cheese.
And so, as of last week, Friday night has once again become homemade pizza night.
The tradition continues and oh, it is so good.
Baby Monkey and I hit the pharmacy on our way home today.
Normally, when we go to the pharmacy, the little guy is face to face with the candy counter, as we wait.
Now, that alone has always intrigued me.
Wouldn’t you think they would sell fruits and veggies at a pharmacy?
Encourage health?
But then, I guess they’d be out of business if everyone was healthy.
I digress.
Anywho…
On the way to the pharmacy, Baby Monkey was saying that they have a lot of Berenstain Bears books at Pre-K.
I mentioned that we have a lot of them, too.
He said he loved them and wished the library would re-open so we could get more.
I said, “Um, the pharmacy sells Berenstain Bear books.”
“WHAT???”
I said, again, “The pharmacy sells Berenstain Bear books.”
The kid was dumbfounded.
He had never ventured past the candy and the toys to notice the book racks.
So, I waited in line, he picked a book, we paid and left.
On the way out the door, he turned to me, book in hand and said, “Mommy…books are WAY better than candy.”
Ahhhh….
Rule #1: Don’t tell any of your children that the flu shots are coming. Because, you may think that it’s okay to tell your oldest, most responsible child. Yet, the truth is, because she is so responsible, she will think it is her job to prepare her younger brothers for their flu shots, a week ahead of time, thus giving your middle child a week to perseverate and build his anxiety.
Rule #2: Do not schedule your flu shots on the same night as football practice. Even if you can make it to half of the practice, odds are, you are going to have to pull him from practice while he’s on a successful streak and getting compliments from the coach like, “…and our all-star quarterback…” Oops, time to go honey.
Rule #3: If your children stop mentioning the flu shots for a day or two, don’t assume that they’ve made their peace with the shots and are just being mature and ready for the shots. Odds are, they’ve actually forgotten for a moment, and the worst possible thing you could do would be to say, on your way out the door to football practice, “Let’s go! We don’t want to be late for practice, especially since we need to leave early for shots!” This would probably lead to a round of crying and hysteria about “Does it hurt? How big is the needle? I don’t want to leave football practice! Mom! He pinched me! I just wanted to show him how much it would hurt!” while your older, responsible child, who started it all in the first place, a week ago, will just continue to read her book as she walks out to the car, completely oblivious of the little boys melting into little puddles of tears in the foyer.
Rule #4: Even if all of these things happen, and somehow, you get to football practice on time, get the boy to leave football practice early, actually get to the doctor appointment with a few minutes to spare…well, let’s just say that you should probably check your appointment card twice to make sure you have the right Wednesday night and that you are truly supposed to be getting your shots THAT night and not the next Wednesday night, when you can’t go anyway, because it is your middle child’s Back-to-School Night, so you need to call to reschedule.
If you can follow all those rules, getting your flu shots this year should be a breeze.
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