the sickness

Yesterday I was hit by an illness that came on like a freight-train and left again just as quickly. I woke up in the morning with a backache, and thinking that it was a result of bending over (gardening, washing the stinky dog, picking up too many children), I popped two tylenols and soldiered on. It got worse and I ignored it. I came in to work… and 20 minutes later I announced to my coworkers that I was a-goin’ home (this was at 8am). Home I went, straight to bed, and except to make a trip to the ‘loo I did not get up until 4pm when I had to take the dog out.

The worst time was in the evening when Richard got home with the girls and I could.not.get.out.of.bed. I could not help; I could not take care of my children. Being the super-mom that (I think) I am, this did not stop me from trying. I stumbled downstairs to oversee something (I think I heated up some leftover mac’n'cheese for Maja — most pathetic dinner ever, but she ate it) while Richard took Madeleine with him as he walked Emerson, I had the chills the sweats and began hallucinating (where am I? who are these people? where’s my mommy?). I went back to bed.

Near the end of the evening Maja arrived at my bedside and crawled in to bed with me and a book. Ostensibly I was to read her a story while Richard put Madeleine to bed. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t open my eyes. I couldn’t lift my arms. Thankfully Maja was able to ‘read’ the book to herself (it helped that it was a picture book) … and when she got to the end all I could say was: “can we read that one again?”

I do not know how single parents can raise children alone. What do they do when they get sick? I can’t imagine how I would have gotten through the evening if Richard had not been there. I can only guess that single parents have a different set of resources that they can draw upon — other family, friends.

no haul pictures

Sorry folks, I have no pics of my haul to share because I didn’t take any yet. Instead, here are some pictures of my beautiful children:

Madeleine’s face is covered in pear pulp.

cured by sheep and yarn

I was having a rough week last week. I admit it. And then Elyn showed up on Friday with Clare, my birthday was Saturday AND I went to the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. Yes, I spent my 35th birthday at the 35th MDS&W festival traipsing around in sheep related things: yarn, roving, lamb-related foods, and … sheep poop. It seems I cannot escape poop.

Anyway, there were sheep:

And more sheep:

And sheep being shorn:

And sheep being herded:

This was really neat to see. The sheep dogs were awesome. I want one to bring to the playground for child herding. Is that legal?

Tomorrow… pictures of my (small) haul.

welcome home

The other evening I was home with the girls trying to get everyone fed (it was Friday. The day of early pickup, doctors, dinner on-time, and Elyn pickup) and things were going ok… not terrible, just ok, when I heard the glorious sound of Richard’s keys in the front door.

Katia: oh, thank God.

Maja: mom, that’s not God, it’s Dad.

the daily grind

I was inspired by catalogrrr and her Walk to Work photo essay, so yesterday I did one of my own for my walk from work to home. Click the photo below for the slideshow.

I love walking to and from work. It gives me 15-20minutes 2x a day to think my thoughts. By myself. Sometimes the walk is therapeutic as it gives me some time to wind down; sometimes the walk is stressful as it allows me mentally stack up the million+1 things that need to get done or the million+1 things that should have been done. Either way, though, I think the walk is good for me.

Of course this morning I thought about a million things. And the question I keep coming back to: why does everything have to seem so complicated? Life is not that hard: eat, work, sleep. It’s all the extra stuff that gets in the way — all the deadlines and timelines. Take today, for example. If you work the day backwards, there is little wiggle room:

7:08pm : be at airport to pick up friend

6:30pm : leave for airport. I plan to bring Maja with me so that Richard can get Madeleine to bed at a reasonable hour; that means in order for Maja to be relatively pleasant we have to eat before we leave.

5:30pm : preferably have dinner ready and start eating.

between 4:00pm and 6:00pm : pick up plants from plant sale. I only had 2 choices for this — tonight and tomorrow. Tomorrow, though, is booked solid with an event that only occurs 1x a year. So, no flexibility there.

2:00pm and 2:15pm — girls have doctor appointments

1:15pm at the latest! — start drive to doctor. This means having them in the car and driving out of the parking lot. So, I have to be AT school at

12:45pm — be at school to pick up the girls. Gather sheets, clothes, bottles, etc. and get everyone/thing into the car.

12:30pm — leave work. In order to avoid being ‘charged’ a 1/2 day sick time I can only take 2 hrs off work… so that means I have to work a 5hr day. To leave by 12:30pm I need to be at work by 7:30am.

7:30am — be AT work. This didn’t happen. See? The day was shot to hell before it even started!

To top off the chaos, I didn’t remember last night about the appointments. So I had no snacks or activities packed for this afternoon — all that had to get done this morning amidst the usual morning chaos. This frustrated me to no end: how could I be so stupid?!? Probably because by the time all was finished last night I was too tired to think any further. Time for an overhaul in the organization department.