On the Mend

It's been awhile since I sat down to blog, and normally I'd say it's because I've been so busy, but this week, that's really not the case. Between working three jobs and spending time with Charley, I'm generally running a million miles a minute, and every once in awhile, it catches up with me. I've always had issues with allergies, but I rarely get sick. I credit my career, working with children who expose me to germs on a daily basis, for my fairly strong immune system. However, with my schedule being as busy as it is, stress, and lack of sleep, there are times when I pick something up. And that's been my last two weeks....

The problem I've always faced, when I pick up any kind of congestion or upper respiratory bugs, is I can never seem to get them to go away. When I woke up two weeks ago Monday, congested, feverish, and with a headache, I figured it would go away in a day or two. Well, the fever, and headache went away within a day, and on Tuesday I felt much better. But as the week went on, the congestion got worse, and by Sunday morning, one side of my face was swollen and I couldn't hear out of my left ear. Awesome. I went into a Minute Clinic, found out I had a sinus infection and double ear infection (my first ear infection in about 20 years, I might add), and got on some antibiotics. I was certain I'd feel better quickly, but it's been a week now, and while I feel physically fine (woohoo!)I still can't hear. I actually didn't mind that at school last week, though... It made it easier to tune out the intentional noise-making. Ha!

While I've mentioned that my life is busy, I neglected to add that when I'm busy, Charley is busy, too. And last week, it caught up with her. I knew she would inevitably pick something up, because when there's only one parent in the picture on a daily basis and that parent gets sick, it's almost impossible to prevent a child from catching the bug. Charley wasn't hit terribly hard (thank goodness), but she did come home from school with a fever on Tuesday, and one would've thought I'd taken the world away from her when I told her she couldn't go to dance if she was sick. She stayed home from school on Wednesday, which meant I stayed home, too, and I'm actually kind of grateful for that, because it gave me a chance to finish up some work.

By Thursday, Charley was feeling much better, and ready to return to school. I might be able to entertain and educate pre-teens all day, but apparently I'm just not that entertaining to a 4 year-old. Anyway, Thursday and Friday were long days, but they passed quickly. Thursday evening we went to dinner at a long-time family friends' house, and it was wonderful. Charley and I ate the best meal we've had in a long time, and enjoyed some great conversation with friends that might as well be family. It was just what I needed. On Friday evening, Charley and I went to Family Fun Night at my school. That's always interesting, because the kids are so thrown off when they see me with my OWN child. They were excited to see her, though. They hear about her all the time, and I'm sure it was fun for them to see her in person. After she loaded up on sugar, paraded around talking to all of my teacher-friends, and had her hair dyed pink and purple, we finally headed home (where we immediately washed out the hair dye, I might add...Ha!).

Today was a pretty good day for the most part. We ran errands, and did chores around the house. I did just have a "Lindsey Moment," a few minutes ago, that's probably worth sharing. Charley and I were sitting on the couch, and I got up to go to the bathroom. Before going in, I put a pillow in the microwave (one of those pillows filled with rice that holds heat...amazing), and went to open the door. And it was locked. Apparently Charley had locked the door from the inside, and shut the door. Awesome. As I tried to unlock the door with various objects, including a bobby-pin, a nail, and a wine opener (all fails, I might add), I turned around and noticed that my pillow was on fire in the microwave. "Crap!" I shouted, kind of proud of myself for not letting a more offensive 4-letter word slip out, and I opened the microwave to put out the fire. I blew out the fire, then looked at the pillow. Charley had wrapped one of her metal necklaces in the pillow, and I hadn't noticed it when I put it in the microwave. Awesome. It really felt like one of those movie moments that never happens in real life. But it did. And while I was annoyed at the time, I also realize that it was totally hilarious. So, now I sit here on the couch, in my living room that smells like burnt fabric, and I still can't get into my bathroom, because I'm not exactly "handy," and couldn't jimmy the lock. Figures. On that note, I think I'm going to bed early tonight. Ha! Have a great weekend everyone!

A Week of Memories

After a few long weeks, things finally started to settle down a little bit this week. Well...either that, or I've just become used to a faster pace and I'm getting adjusted. But in spite of a little bit of craziness it was a pretty good week. Work was kind of unpredictable, because there were a lot of special events going on, but with that there were a few opportunities for me to see my students in a different light, and that was nice.

Probably the highlight of my work week was a ski trip to Trollhaugen with the 5th and 6th graders at the school. Getting ready for the trip, I was a little bit nervous. I haven't been skiing in almost 20 years, but I wasn't really nervous for myself. There were a couple of students I was a little bit concerned about, for a variety of reasons, and I was just keeping my fingers crossed that everything would go okay. It's such an independent field trip set-up, and the kids have a lot of freedom, which can be both positive and negative, so I was a little bit of a worry-wart, but excited at the same time. Anyway, Friday morning,  I put on about 8 layers of clothes, stopped at Target on my way to work to pick up some snacks and an extra pair of gloves, and headed to school where buses would be boarding at 8:15. Some students were already at the school when I pulled in, and there was a degree of excitement in the air. I bundled myself up, helped get the kids loaded on the buses, and prepared myself for a long day.

When we pulled into Trollhaugen, the kids could hardly contain themselves. We all filed into the chalet, picked up our rental boots and skis, and headed out to the slopes. Considering how challenging it was for me to shove my feet into the boots, I was impressed at how quickly my students were outside, taking their required ski class. The instructors were fantastic. Every child was involved, even the ones who needed one-on-one help, and I was pleased. It took me awhile to adjust to being on skis, but once the kids got out of their class and actually got to start skiing on their own, I went with them, and that's when it really became fun for me. One of my students who avoids most things physical, and isn't terribly coordinated, came up to me and said, "Where have you been, Ms. P? I've been looking everywhere for you! Do you want to go down the hill with me?" So, I followed him to the line for the chair lift, and off we went. I've never seen myself as one to be afraid of heights, but I definitely had forgotten about how high the chair lift is, and how there aren't any bars or anything to keep me from falling off. Again, I was fairly confident in my own security, and ability to survive the chairlift without falling to my face, but I was nervous for a couple of my students who could easily be distracted by a squirrel running by, and plummet to the ground. It didn't help that the student I was riding the chairlift with found it necessary to demonstrate how to get off the chairlift, leaning forward while we were at least 20 feet above the ground. Anyway, I survived the chairlift and had a fantastic time hitting the slopes with the kids I work with every day. It was such a wonderful experience, for the students, and for me. It went better than I could've expected, and as we rode the bus home, I was exhausted but content. My kids had done so well, and I was thrilled for them. We got back to the school just in time for the students to pick up their things, and catch their buses home. When they left, I started thinking about my weekend, and what I had in store...

One of my friends had texted me at some point during the day, and we started talking about Valentine's Day. Clearly, I'm single, and quite frankly Valentine's Day has never really been my thing. I remember when I was 19 and dating someone for the first time on Valentine's Day, and I was hoping for something special that evening. I was disappointed when he went out of town with his friends, instead of celebrating with me. The next year, my boyfriend at the time came over to my place for dinner, which I was excited about, but before we even ate, he got violently ill, and had to go home. ***He passed that illness on to me, a few days later, and it was miserable. Not the best of memories for me. The following year, I was on my way back from picking up the Valentine's Day gift I'd bought, and I got into a car accident. Again...not the best memory. I think that was the day that I just said, "Forget Valentine's Day. Let's just do something on a different day every year." Ha! Honestly, I think my issue with Valentine's Day is that there are so many expectations, when you're dating someone. For guys, I imagine there's pressure to get the right gift, or make a grand romantic gesture. For me...and potentially other women... there's an external expectation that a significant other will MAKE that romantic gesture, and the day will be filled with flowers, candy, gifts, romantic meals, and PDAs. And for me...that's never really been what I wanted on Valentine's Day. Yes, it would be nice to have someone do something special for me, but for me, something special could be as simple as a card or a message telling me how they feel about me. Little things mean more to me than anything else. I'd be as happy with an evening in, a bottle of wine, and some small gesture to indicate that a man put thought into something I might like, as a night on the town, a bouquet of roses, and a fancy meal. With all of that said, though, as I talked to my friend, I realized that even though I didn't have Valentine's Day plans, that I could make some...with Charley.

I left the school after the ski trip (exhausted, and with noticeable hat hair...), and went straight to the store. I got Charley a new dress, tights, and some fancy new boots. I picked her up from school, and told her I had a surprise for her. I took her home, pulled out her new dress, and told her we were going to get ready for a fancy Mommy-Charley date. I fixed both of our hair, put on some make-up (lip gloss for Charley), and we put on fancy dresses. I stood there, looking at the two of us in the mirror, convinced that I would never forget that moment. We'd spent time together, being completely girly, and we looked like a million bucks. I slipped on a pair of high-heeled boots I'd purchased in Italy nearly a decade ago, and we headed out to dinner. After a day in ski boots, I'm not certain the heels were a great idea, but it really was fun to get all fancied up and go OUT. Dinner was great. We even ordered dessert (which we NEVER do), and then we walked around the mall for a bit. As Charley ran ahead, I watched her, smiling. As she ran back to me, after getting several yards ahead, an older man stopped me and said, "She is just adorable. I've got 4 girls, and she is just the cutest girl I've seen in years." It was very sweet. Naturally, I think she's the most adorable girl in the world, but I think what made her stand out last night was the fact that she was all dressed up and SO happy. She was glowing.  I was drained by the time we got home, but it was totally worth it and I'd do it all again in a heartbeat.

This morning, when Charley woke up, I gave her a small Valentine's gift. She looked me in the eyes and said, "You're very sweet, Mommy," and kissed me on the cheek. That was all I needed. And today, for the first time in a long time, it really has been a great Valentine's Day. On that note, have a wonderful evening everyone, and a great rest of your weekend!

Who Gave Her Permission to Grow Up?

I'm seeing some evidence of cupcake eating...

After one of my most challenging teaching weeks in a long time, I was really excited for Charley's birthday party this weekend. I knew I had a lot of prep work to do, because we were out of town last weekend, and I never got a chance to clean during the week. So, I did some picking up on Thursday night, but got started with the real deep cleaning pretty much right away when I got home on Friday. Cleaning for parties is always a bit of an ordeal for me. I want my house to look PERFECT when people come to visit...Especially people in large numbers! So I really spend a long time scrubbing, vacuuming, wiping down counters, etc. Friday evening was no exception. Charley fell asleep around 7:30, which gave me plenty of time to get things set up, with no distractions. By the time I finished, my place looked nice. Very clean. I should've taken a picture, because I stood there, looking at my finished product, well aware that within 24 hours the cleanliness would be a thing of the past. Ha!

Yes, this hat exists. Yes, she keeps flipping the braid over her shoulder.
Thank goodness I decided to keep her hair short! 

Saturday morning, we really didn't have that much to do to get ready for the party. I'd finished most of the grunt work on Friday night, so we had quite a bit of time to relax on the couch and take our time getting ready for the day. Charley chose her party dress, and actually let me do her hair. It was kind of a fun little bonding experience. A couple of people came early with some extra food and decorations, which was so kind and very helpful. Charley could barely contain her excitement.  She had her eye on the pretzel M&Ms that sat on our table ALL morning, but I'd told her she couldn't eat them until guests arrived. The minute the first guests walked through the door, Charley made a beeline for the candy bowl. She really is my child. Ha! When people started coming, I looked around my house and wondered if I had enough space. Within minutes, people filled the kitchen and living room areas, and sounds of kids running upstairs filled the entire house. It was overwhelming, but so much fun! From people I grew up with, to friends from our old neighborhood in Minneapolis, to new friends I've made in the last couple of years, I was amazed by the number of people who came to celebrate with Charley. The adults chatted and ate, while the kids ran around upstairs (coming down to get candy, of course), and it was great! After opening presents, the kids went back upstairs to play Jungle Limbo (one of her gifts), and kept themselves busy until it was time for everyone to go. It's nice that Charley is at an age where she and her friends can play by themselves for periods of time, without supervision, and keep themselves busy without getting into trouble!

Nap time?

At one point during the party, someone asked me if the 7th was actually Charley's birthday. "No," I replied, "It's the 8th." Which lead into a story of how 4 years ago on the 7th, I was told that I'd have to be induced due to low fluid levels. I remember going into the hospital that night, both scared and excited, knowing that I'd be leaving with a baby in a few short days. The nurses hooked me up to monitors, started an IV, gave me some medication to get things rolling a little bit, and then told me to get a good night's sleep, because I would likely start labor first thing in the morning. For all of you future mothers, if you're given the option to be induced at night, DO NOT take it. I didn't sleep at all that night. I was by myself in a hospital bed, hooked up to machines, so I could only move a certain amount without accidentally moving the monitors. But that wasn't the bad part. As I tried to relax in my room, and prepare myself for what was about to happen, all I could hear was the screaming, yelling, and wailing of women in labor...clearly in excruciating pain. Let's just say, it wasn't exactly reassuring. I think there were several times that night when I wondered if I could just have my baby without actually having to go through labor. As it turned out, I went through much of the labor process, but ended up having a C-section late the following day. Although the process of getting her here was a pain to say the least, it doesn't matter, because she's here now, and I can't even remember life before Charley!

Charley's new headband...Thanks, Alysha!

Anyway, back to Charley's birthday party. After everyone left, I scanned the house to survey the damage. I was pleasantly surprised. The kids had picked up after themselves upstairs, and most of the food had been consumed. I found that all I really had to do was clean the kitchen and pick up the toys Charley had received. Lucky me! Charley fell asleep on the couch at 5:30 and slept through the night. It was incredible. I'd like to personally thank all of the people who contributed to her exhaustion! Overall, it was a great way to celebrate Charley's big day. We'd planned to go shopping today, but Charley woke up with a bit of a cold, so we've opted to stay in. She's wearing an Elsa hat and high heels, trying to do the limbo, at the moment. Ha! As I'm sitting here watching her, I find it hard to believe that she's already 4. She's growing up so fast! I really don't know where the time has gone. I told her she has to stay 4 forever, and while I know that's not possible, I kind of wish time would slow down a little bit. On that note, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!