Independence Day

Our holiday was quite busy. It was a mixture of good and bad. We started off by participating in our subdivision parade. It was fun, but I hadn't really intended on being in it - only taking the kids up the street to watch. But the neighbors were going to be in it, and their little boy had one of those little cars, and Nicole rode with him. So it wound up not being that bad just pulling Jake in the wagon. At the end of the parade route, we get to an empty lot, and the firetruck that led the parade hooked up to a hydrant and gave the kids a massive sprinkler to play in.

Unfortunately, it was just too hot to hang out, and certainly too hot to haul both kids all the way back up the hill. So I called Rob to come rescue us.

Both kids were pretty worn out just from being in the sun, so we got home, got Nicole some lunch, and then when both kids were napping, we resumed clean-up. That's where things started to go badly. Rob had another seizure while we were cleaning up the kitchen. I was there, and managed to keep him from getting hurt. Jake was up by this time, and I think he could sense that I wasn't quite right, because he just started screaming for no reason (like I needed that on top of an unconscious husband). Anyway, I eventually managed to get Rob on the floor and then started working on Jake. Luckily Jake was calmed down by the time Rob woke up (it usually takes about 30 minutes).

He didn't want to go to the hospital, and he didn't want to cancel the party. So he just rested up until the time the guests were due. I asked my dad to do the cooking, and I asked our friends to be in charge of the fireworks. Rob was extremely wiped out, and wound up being pretty nauseous before the night was over, but the party went on without him, just as he instructed. The kids swam, and played in the back yard; everyone ate until they were stuffed, and then we all ate home-made ice cream (courtesy of my grandma) while we watched the pyrotechnics show.


I called in to work today, so I could stay home with him. We haven't heard back from the doctor as to what we should be doing about the medication. So until we've changed something, he's just as likely as yesterday to have another seizure.

This is so draining...

So Tired

Whew. I've had about all I can take for tonight. The last two days after work has been nothing but rushing around trying to get the house picked up and ready for our annual July 4th bash. And now, with the list not even half marked off, I'm giving in. I was going to get all of the food prep ready, including getting hamburger patties made and tomatoes and onions sliced. But my eyes just aren't holding out. I guess most of what's left can be managed tomorrow. Luckily we have until 4pm to finish up. I think the day will begin with LOTS of coffee. :-)

Realistically, I shouldn't complain about any paid day off of work. However, I don't think any holiday setup sucks more than one that falls on a Wednesday. You have no time to prepare, and no time to recover. You spend the first half of the work week looking forward to the day off and trying to figure out what needs to be done in the evenings, and then the last two days tired as hell.

How many days until Labor Day again?

I know tomorrow will be a good time. It always is. We fill the little kid pool and put out all of the water toys, and most of the people mill around outside and watch the kids splash around. Then we'll fire up the grill and everyone will eat entirely too much. Then we'll have the homemade ice cream that Grandma brought, with some of those sugar wafer cookies. Then Rob and his buddies will haul out a truckload of fireworks, a butane torch, and a fire extinguisher and saunter out to the far edge of the yard like a bunch of ghostbusters. The rest of us will find a comfortable spot near the house and watch while the whole neighborhood puts on a collective show. Some of us will come in early and try to calm sleepy and frightened babies, and others will come in just because they're bored.

But when it's all over, it will have been another fun-filled holiday.

Off to bed.

I miss my kids!

So Saturday, after the party, I parted ways with my kids so that they could spend some time with their grandma.  She even offered to keep them two nights, so that we didn't have to make another trip out on Sunday to go get them, and she'd bring them back Monday when we were home from work.  That was great, because I figured I could spend all day Sunday getting ready for our annual July 4th bash. 

Now, not only did I spend most of Sunday scrapbooking (so I didn't make a bit of progress preparing for the party), but now I miss the kids terribly.  It was awful.  I'm 8 months behind on my scrapbooking, and gosh durnit I was going to get organized and start getting caught up.  But this caused me to spend probably what totaled 6 hours yesterday looking at pictures of the kids, which covered Jake from birth to now, as well as lots of pictures of the two kids playing together. 

And now I can't wait until they get home.  I still haven't gotten anything done for the party, and with them back home, I won't make much progress either. But at least I won't miss them any more.