Let's recap

WHEW! These past 5 days have been insane! You know you want a recap. You know you do.

Brady left on Thursday to go back up home. He had to get in some more training on a semi before taking his test on Friday for his CDL license for work. On Friday, he was going to go to the NASCAR race in Joliet with some of the guys from work - they had box seats in some private room. Neither of us are fans, but it was something fun for him to do with the guys outside of work, and he knew he'd be getting tons of free stuff from Motorola. He was also going to go to the race on Saturday, then come home on Sunday. All this meant that I was going to be home with the kids all by myself for 4 days. And since we had a busy weekend planned, I was less than excited to go at it alone.

Thursday night, Grayson still had a fever and didn't sleep longer than 2 hours at a time. He wouldn't eat or really take a bottle. It was a really rough night. His fever finally broke around 4:30 a.m. and I felt relieved. This soon faded.

Friday, although he didn't have a fever anymore, G was still irritable. He still had a low appetite and was just in a pissy mood all day. I was trying to get some cleaning done because we were having guests over on Sunday, but all he wanted was to be held or be near me. I had wanted to get my grocery shopping out of the way, but that didn't happen either.

Friday night he slept for a few hours before I had to bring him into my bed to sleep with me. He never sleeps in our bed because he thinks it's too much fun to try to jump on Daddy. It worked out good that Daddy was gone, and we actually got some real sleep that night. Of course I had to put Spike in her box in the kitchen. Her kennel is next to our bed, and with G waking up every now and then, she kept thinking it was time for her to get out and play. So I thought it'd be best for everyone if she slept in the kitchen.

When we woke up on Saturday to the rain (I love days like that!) I realized that the berry picking meetup was obviously cancelled. Although we'd been looking forward to it, I was sorta glad. I had a house to clean and errands to run, and this just gave me more time.

Grayson was in a good mood, and Ella was still asleep at 8 a.m. when I walked into the kitchen to find Spike sitting in her box next to a pile of shit and piss. What a way to start the day! So, although it was raining outside, I carefully got her out on her chain without getting any crap on me or the floor. B just built her a dog house, so I felt just fine sending her out in a downpour. Plus I was pissed off (no pun intended).

After getting the floor cleaned, the kids fed and packed up, we finally left the house around 11.

We had to take the garbage into town. This is usually B's job, but since he was out of town.....(did I mention that I had to mow the yard on Friday, too?). We don't pay for garbage pickup because B has a dumpster at his office that we use. So every few days, he loads up the bags in the back of his work truck and hauls them off. Well.....he failed to do this before he left, and the stench of this stuff was gagging me all the way to Champaign. And I felt bad for the kids having to ride so much closer to it than I. (I drove as fast as I could over there, and Febreezed the car when we got home).

We then went to Sam's Club. This was the first time I'd taken both kids there without B. It didn't go to badly. If I have to do it again, I will stick to the regular carts. I thought E and G would like the big kid seats on the special carts. E kept buckling herself in, then wanting to be unbuckled. G kept standing up and trying to escape. I was very excited, though, that I got to use our new checks from our new combined checking account! I'd been waiting years for that pleasure!

We then decided to go to Wal-Mart. I just wanted to get in and get out, but that never works. We were able to find what we needed in reasonable time and I was impressed that there were no major meltdowns from the kids...until the checkout.

G wanted out of the cart, and Ella couldn't stand in one spot. I handed the cashier a blank check, knowing that they just print them. She asked me for my license, typed my number in and handed it back. She then gave me back my check and a piece of paper and said, "You check is declined," and just stood there. "I'm sorry?" I said. She repeated herself. I knew that there was no way this was possible, and had I been thinking clearly (i.e. no screaming kids or a long line behind me) I would have told her to try it again because she probably entered my number in wrong. Instead, I whipped out a credit card and told her to put it on it. I was pissed off!

I got the kids in the car and went to the gas station. I was on empty and had only $5 on me. I was gonna write the check for $20 over the amount so I'd have gas money.....we see how well that worked. So $5 got me a gallon of gas - just enough to get me home. Seriously? Who buys $5 in gas these days?

After I got on the interstate, I called the 800 number the cashier gave me. The woman on the phone got all my information and told me that there was no negative activity against the checking account. No shit! She asked me if I was still at the store, and I told her no, that I had to leave and was forced to charge my purchase. She said that if this happens again, to stay at the store and get the cashier on the phone so they could get an approval number. DUH! I knew that. I was a cashier for many years. Why the fuck hadn't I done that? I was now cursing myself out! Then I shifted blame to the cashier for probably knowing she could've done this, but instead just standing there like a moron waiting for another form of payment. I actually screamed in my car as loudly as I could. The kids looked confused, but then went back to watching Nemo.

So Saturday afternoon, I was able to get most of my cleaning done, which made me happy. Sunday was our big day. We had about 20 people coming over and I really wanted things to go smoothly. As mentioned in a previous post, my gatherings never really work out, so I was impressed that more than 3 people attending my "Water Works" party.

Around noon, I called B and asked him when he was going to be home (on Saturday he told me he'd be home before everyone came over at 3:30). He said he was getting ready to go golfing. I was speechless. I started to cry. Not only was I running on fumes, but I had just gotten horrible cramps a few hours earlier, and I still had a lot to do before everyone arrived. He asked me if I needed him and I told him yes. He said he'd come home if I wanted him to. Of course I told him not to. I didn't want him being pissed off that I made him come home and then him just be a jerk the rest of the afternoon. I told him just to get done ASAP and hurry home.

I didn't have all the food prepared by the time the first guest rang the doorbell, but it was ok. Everything else was good-to-go, and the moms and dads didn't mind watching my kids while I finished up. I think the total head-count was 23, including me and E and G. We all had a lot of fun and I was glad I got to spend time with people who don't live in my house. For the first time ever, I had more people in my backyard that R and J did in theirs! I felt so cool! The kids played in the pools, sandbox, and on the swing set. Ella was so sad to see them go, that she actually cried for about 30 minutes. "I don't want you to leave!" she kept saying. "Momma, why do my friends have to go?" I tried to reassure her that we'd see them all real soon.

B finally showed up around 6:30. I was a little angry with him, but I realized that I had pulled the meetup off without him, and that made me feel good. Tired, but good. (Plus he had won a new phone for me, so that helped - a MOTORIZR Z6tv!)

Today, B took Spike to All Creatures Animal Hospital so she could be spayed and microchipped. It was really nice to not have to deal with the puppy all day. When it was time for me and the kids to leave the house (we were gonna run a few errands before our meetup) the car wouldn't start. I had failed to put gas in it Saturday afternoon when I got back to St. Joe, and since it was in our driveway on an incline, the car thought it was bone-dry.

I called B to see if we had any regular gas in a can anywhere and he said to check the shed. There was less than a gallon, but I put it in the tank. I then put the car in reverse and let it roll to the end of the driveway. Ella was freaking out in the backseat because she was hot and she didn't understand why we weren't leaving. I waited a minute for the gas to register, then tried to start the car. It started! W00t! I drove the 1/2 mile to the gas station and filled up the car - $76 worth of gas!! WTF! What is the world coming to? But that's a rant for another day.

We now didn't have time to run errands if we were to be on time to the fire station for our meetup. I'd kept it a surprise from Ella, and after 5 minutes of guessing, she got it! We went to the Urbana Firestation and had a tour. There were so many families from C.A.R.E. there that I'd never seen before! The kids got to sit in the firetruck and have their picture taken. Grayson didn't want to get out, and on the way to pick up Spike, Ella told me she wanted to be a "Fire Woman" when she grew up.

We met B at the vet's office to get Spike. She has pink stitches and has a cone on her head. I've never had a pet that has had to wear a cone before. I want to laugh every time I look at her, but I contain it! We brought her home then went to dinner, Sam's Club (not my idea), and PetSmart (also not my idea). Apparently after a major surgery, everyone needs some new chew toys.

The kids and B are asleep, and I now have to go dope up my dog and put her in her kennel for the night. I think I've been sitting here typing for an hour. Carpal Tunnel is going to set in soon.

Wow. This post is really long. Good for you if you stuck through it all the way to the end! You get a gold star for the day. And maybe a few more for the rest of the week, since that's how long it has probably taken you to read it!