Hey Friends –
Friday was not my finest moment.
Have you ever had a moment when you thought — if it was humanly possible — your entire head could explode and/or pop right off ?
Yep, that was me on Friday.
First, some history. Last week was a test of patience and character in nearly every direction. With every turn and phone call, we received more disappointing news.
- Remember that little trip Jake took by ambulance to the ER in December? The medical bills are in, and after insurance, we owe $2000+.
- The “beautiful” icicles that have decorated the exterior of our house are not so beautiful after all. In fact, they were a foreshadowing of the major ice dams and leaks that would overtake our home. Our family room now looks like this:
- Thanks to the leaks in our home, my days are now filled with visits from home repair men, insurance adjustors, and contractors. For those of you who know my loud beagle Rocky, can you imagine the wonderful sounds of my home with every ring of the doorbell? Yes, lovely.
- John learned last week that our boat is ruined. It was stored in a heated facility, but the extreme temperatures caused the boat to freeze, crack, and the engine is now ruined.
Bottom line: to fix our boat = $9000. Bye bye boat.
Who knew this would be our final boat ride?!
I get that these are all #firstworldproblems. I’ve been trying to choose joy, and not allow my situations to impact my sanity.
love Valentines Day
Then came Friday — Valentine’s Day.
The day started off well. I made pink pancakes for all, and celebrated when everyone made it to school with their Valentine’s. Whew — peace.
Soon the phone rang. Sarah forgot her “secret pal” gift. Off to the elementary school I went.
An hour later, I received a text from Sarah’s teacher. Sarah wasn’t feeling well, and she probably had an ear infection.
Trip # 2 to see Sarah. The school had given her medicine and she was feeling better. She didn’t want to leave school, especially since it was Valentine’s Day. I let her stay at school (dumb choice for me).
Soon, another text from Sarah’s teacher. Sarah was not feeling better, and wanted to come home. Trip # 3 to school, then off to the doctor, & a drive-through at the pharmacy to drop off our prescription.
Have you ever had days were nothing at all like you had planned them to be?
Here’s where I about lost it, friends.
The pharmacy said to come back in thirty minutes. Knowing they can be busy, I waited two hours. I left my gang home alone so I could run through the drive through quickly and pick up Sarah’s medicine.
Imagine my delight when I arrived at the pharmacy to see five cars ahead of me.
love this from The M.O.M. Initiative
Still trying to not allow my situation to impact my sanity, I called home and let the kids know of my delay, settled in to the long wait, and then called my mom to fill her in on my crazy, disappointing week.
Twenty-five minutes later, it was my turn to approach the pharmacy window.
After kindly giving my daughter’s name, the lovely pharmacy tech said, “Oh, we’re just starting to process your request. It’ll be at least 30 minutes or so.”
Insert photo of me here about ready to explode.
My response: “I’m so sorry. I cannot come back in 30 minutes. I was told 30 minutes two hours ago. My daughter is at home sick, and needs her medicine. I’d like my medicine please.”
Insert big smile on outside, smoke and steam on inside.
Tech: “I’m sorry, mam. It’s not ready. What do you expect for me to do?”
Me: “I expect for you to give me my medicine. And I’m happy to wait right here until you do.”
Poor pharmacy tech. It wasn’t just the medicine, or lack thereof.
It was leaks + bills + sick kids + 101 inches of snow + work demands + overtired + wanting Diet Coke + medical bills + deafening dog + too many repair men + (fill in the blank).
Thankfully the tech knew I was close to a meltdown, and had my medicine within a few moments. But the incident was a huge indicator that my stress levels were at an all-time high, and I needed to tend to my frazzled, weary soul — and quickly.
What’d I do? I’ll fill you in more tomorrow (Good grief — this post is already long enough!)
In the mean time, please tell us how you are doing!
On a scale from 1 to 10 (1-low, 10-high)…how’s your stress level these days?
When was the last time you felt like you could explode?
How’d you handle your stress? I’d love to hear from you!
Thanks for stopping by *She Sparkles*! May your day be calm and peace-filled, and may any crazy, chaotic situations not impact your sanity, my friend!
Sweet blessings,
Cindy, I have so been there many times- In fact- My girls have given it a name- Mom;s “Ice-Throwing” level (trust me, it is a very funny story!) Have you read the book “Unglued” By Lysa TuerKuerst? We are in the midst of the study now, with our Single mom’s Group, and it is so helpful!
Oh Sue, I need to hear this story! Next time we’re together — please fill me in! 🙂
Now you have me curious….
xoxo
Your story resonated with me. I feel like our family has been in a time of testing recently. I got sick in December at the beginning of three weeks off work, followed by two surgeries the week before Christmas. Then we had wave after wave of snow and especially cold temperatures. We lost our internet for over two weeks, and the day after we got it back, our printer died. (I work primarily from home, so you can imagine what this meant.) My husband was in an accident that totaled his car (thank God he will be okay, but we are down one vehicle). One of my kids is on her second illness in the last month, and another is now sick as well. And finally, my oldest daughter, who has a one year old suffered a miscarriage in early December and got pregnant only two weeks later. She still has well over a year left before she’s due to finish college and has no job. I kept reminding myself that none of these things are life-and-death, and all will pass, but I am a bit overwhelmed by the number of things occurring. Throughout all of this, I am battling chronic back and neck pain issues. Right now, I’m really tired! I felt today like I was spiraling into the proverbial dark hole. Looking forward to reading what you have to say tomorrow…..
Oh Crystal, you are on my mind and heart today! Wow — you have been through a time of testing. I’m praying for you, asking God to sprinkle your path with tokens of encouragement. May He reveal Himself to you in very specific and tangible ways. May He restore you physically, emotionally and spiritually! Thanks for “acknowledging” how you are really doing. I love your “life or death” perspective. May you choose peace and hope in the midst of your stressful situation. You are not alone!
well, at least i know that i am not the only one that has those moments!
hopefully, everyone is feeling better now…sleep and sweets kinda help with stress …a little. 🙂
so nice to see that you are still “sparkling” here! yes, i have been reading since you started a long time ago…off and on.
Tonya — I like your “s’s” — sleep and sweets! Yes, they help! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by! “Sweet” blessings to you!
xoxo
Just learned this from my daughter. When you receive a medical bill, call them up and ask for a discount. If you call on the day you receive your bill, you get 20% off. If you wait a day or more, you get 10% off. It doesn’t matter whether you are rich or poor, you still get the discount. No questions asked. “Works for me!”
Wow, Sue — I had not heard that before. Great information! I’m gonna call on our medical bills today! 🙂
Lady, you might have been on the edge of a crazed moment but from the sound of it you handled it with as much grace as possible given the circumstances. I’ve certainly had those times when I’ve not managed to hold it together. You still sparkle even when the world tries to put a tarnish on ya. 🙂
you always keep it real. thanks for doing so. love you!