What is a holiday without germs?

So the boy woke up this morning with a sore throat. A super sore throat. He usually pops right out of bed and is the cheeriest of the cheery in the morning. Not so much today. He got up as usual, but immediately said that his throat was not feeling good. Well, why should it? We drugged him up with lots of good stuff and sent him on his way. No fever meant he could enjoy whatever holiday fun was going on today. Fast forward to 2:45. The boy climbs in the car and says, "I feel so awful." Crap. Once we got the girls from their various activities(and had to deal with G's hurt foot from some tag/chase mishap), the boy and I started on a journey to find someone to look at his throat and get him help so he wouldn't miss his field trip on Thursday. We went to Walgreens and saw that they were so booked that no walk ins were allowed. A poor mom sat in the waiting area with two boys who were draped over their chairs like wet rags. Bless her heart. There looked to be like 8 people in the queue waiting to be seen. NEXT! We started to another Walgreens and I called our pediatrician's office. Double booked for the foreseeable future. NEXT! THe hub sent me the wait time for Little Clinics in nearby Kroger stores. We found one that was not completely overrun and stayed there. Our wait was a good two hours, but thank the good Lord for the ipad and people watching. One frown father and son pairing left after being seen and came back to the receptionist to buy ground lamb, sausage and some amoxicillin. Okay. That was a little weird. A girl and her father left after she was diagnosed with the flu. She had rocked back and forth in the waiting room, coughing and aching and suffering. Every time my boy got a hand even near his face, I batted it away. "Put those paws in your pockets!". I don't consider myself to be a germaphobe, but I do not want to have flu in this house. Another family came with their two children. THey settled in for the long wait by letting their two boys lay ON THE FLOOR OF THE CLINIC RIGHT WHERE THE FLU GIRL HAD BEEN COUGHING ALL OVER THE FLOOR. It bothered me a little, if you can't tell. The boy was finally seen and I asked for his prescriptions to be sent to our usual pharmacy because, honestly, I couldn't bear to watch kids on the floor of a sick clinic any longer. I dropped the boy off at home and went to get the meds. Of course there was a wait and, oh my goodness, the poor woman with the two dishrag children was still there and they were still draped. She looked defeated. After I wondered around the store for 30 minutes and had not heard my name, I went back. The girl forgot to call me and got the boy's meds. As I was leaving, I saw a couple sitting across from the poor mom. They were sloppily and loudly making out in the waiting area in front of this poor woman and her kids. The boys, still so very sick and weak, stared with wide, fascinated eyes. Mom looked like the camel who just had that last straw placed on her back. She looked murderous at this grossly misplaced PDA. She started to rise and walk ove to them and I got the heck out of there. It was about to get ugly.

The boy is sleeping as is the rest of the family. I am sitting and still marveling at the weirdness of people in public. Making out in front of flu patients. What the what?!?


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Check another thing off the list

The Christmas concerts are now in the books as they say. While I can mark another thing off the list, the aforementioned list is not getting any shorter. What up with that? Oh well. It was beautiful and meaningful as always and fun to play in, but I am glad it is over.

On a completely different note, let me tell you a little story. I went to The Guitar Center today. I really probably shouldn't mention their name, because I don't really want them to think I am endorsing their store. So whilst at the store, I was looking for implements of percussion for my oldest. I won't say what, because she looks at this mess of a blog from time to time to see what her crazy mother is up to during the day. Anyway, I was looking at some things and not being helped or acknowledged in any way and a woman came in to the area. She was purchasing an acoustic bass guitar, drumsticks and a new drum for a drum set, so naturally the employees flocked to her like moths to a flame. I get that it is the holiday season and fa la la la laa and all that, but I was a wee bit annoyed. It had been a good 20 minutes I had been waiting with cash in hand looking at the exact item I had reseached with not one bite from an employee. So I watched the transaction take place. An offer of an $8 extended warranty of some sort was offered. For an instrument, $8 dollars is a steal I felt. The lady asked, "Well. How good is this warranty? I mean like if my son throws it against the wall and it breaks, will it cover the damage?". Throw what I thought, but the employee asked my very question. "Well he might throw the drum or the sticks against the wall...will it cover that damage?". I stood, mouth open, in the djembe section wondering who on earth would ever feel comfortable admitting their child would throw a $300 drum against the wall. Whatever he said satisfied her question and she made her purchase and left. My hopes were up that I was going to get help, but my hopes were in vain. The employees chatted it up over the counter while I waved my hand and said, "Excuse me? Excuse me?". I finally left, stopped by a manager who asked if I had been helped to my satisfaction. I kindly said no, nicely refused his offer to make it right and left the store. I found what I was looking for an hour later from the people at Lane Music who wanted my business and gave me a great deal.

All is well. Night is upon us and my bed feels very comfy. I must go and prepare for slumber. Night all.

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Cold campers are home

The campers are home and thawing. The girls had to get cleaned up, thawed out and back out the door to church for the Christmas concert. The hub was absolutely amazing and had them all scrubbed and ready in plenty of time for their practice times before the big show. I think it is a fair statement that we will all sleep well tonight...at least I hope we will. The concert was nice. I got to be a youth for the evening as one of our friends fell prey to "the strep" as it is called here in East Tennessee. It is kind of akin to "the Kroger" or someone is going to "the Target". I played next to my oldest which was interesting. I consider myself a pretty good sightreader, but she got tickled and got the choir director tickled. I screwed up a faor amount, but fortunately they couldn't hear it in the back of the sanctuary. Thank goodness.

I'm going to snuggle with some children and get warmed up before our quickly approaching bedtime. Night all.


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I miss my heartbeats

I know I speak of how I am burnt out and need a break, but I really do thrive on their energy be it negative or positive. The house seems so quiet without them. I had our early childhood ministries Christmas party this morning while the hub took the kids to camp. While we didn't have a huge turn out, I feel that the little ones we did have enjoyed themselves. After the party was over and cleaned up, I went home and waited for the hub to arrive. We went all over town trying to find the perfect last few Christmas gifts without having any luck. As we discussed, the great thing about our kids is that they have never been ones to run through a store saying, "Gimme this! I want that and that and that!". I appreciate it very much, but sometimes you sure wish they would throw you a bit of a bone. Anyway, we looked and looked for something perfect for our oldest. We called and talked to percussionist friends of ours to see if we could find something in that vein. We got several "You need more cowbell!!" jokes. I answered with a "She'll come practice it over at your house!". She occasionally reads the crazed rantings of her mother, so I will say no more other than today we had no luck. We did find teacher gifts, so there's a plus. There was a conversation at one point about what kind of beer would pair well with silver dollar pancakes. We had gotten to the punchy stage by that point.

Tomorrow brings with it day one of our church choir Christmas concert and the whilwind of a week begins. I just am anxious to have all three of our heartbeats back i the house. The quiet is deafening and driving us crazy.


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Let it go....

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. I love it...the excitement...the anticipation...the wonder of a baby king...the beauty of the music...being so in awe as to "Fall on your knees...oh hear the angel voices"...all of it. But right now I am filled with anger...filled with just plain old rage. Selfishness and cruelty that zap that wonder and awe right out of me...and I hate that I have allowed it to happen. I am so tired, as a mother, of having to say to my children that it'll get better, that these things will only serve to make you stronger. Then I go in my own room and have a meltdown away from their ears. I have to tell myself that like a mantra, praying that it will be true and that their souls will survive it. We are sending them to Christmas Camp tomorrow at their normal summer camp location. I think they welcome the break from normal life to go to a true retreat from the cruel world.

I am going to finish packing them and pray that they can come back refreshed and strengthened by positive love and Christian friendship. Otherwise I think we are going off the grid and will never be heard from again. Both sound great right now.


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Music of the season

Tonight was S's Christmas concert for band. I was a band kid myself and I loved it, so I enjoy every second of the concerts. Sure there are a lot of squeaks and missed accidentals, but it is all part of the learning process. The new director was very kind and humble in his praise for the kids. S certainly enjoys him and appreciates his teaching and leadership. I still laugh that at my very first band concert we played the theme to "Dallas". Yes, I totally just dated myself right there. My brother's 8th grade band played Toto's "Africa". Again, dating us.

I love to watch my girl play the marimba, the snare, the cowbell if she has to. I love that she beats stereotypes and is not a little blonde girl who plays the flute. I love that she gets to hit things and work her anger and frustrations and pain and love and sorrow in a beautiful, loud and musical way. She's a great girl...and I am so proud of who she is.




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They did it

As I predicted, the children got me in the Advent/Christmas spirit with their beautiful worshipful singing. They all sounded great. My son's group started the tears and they never stopped after that. I was just so moved by how transforming not only the message of the season is, but also humbled by the healing power of music. They were all equals up on there signing. G and her friends who are made to feel different or less than by peers because of their differences were transformed by the the power and message in that music. The love and light of Advent was bright and shining and beautiful on each of their faces. It broke my heart to see...just a gift. And I was so very grateful to Ms. K, their director. She expects nothing but the best from these children and she gets it. I think it was their best musical yet. Hands down.

I am worn out and going to bed. Tomorrow is my oldest's band concert and I am so excited to hear what they have prepared for this year so far. Wonderful children and husband and family. My cup overflows.


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