WOOLLARD HOUSE: August 2008

Alexander has nothin' on me today...So, for your entertainment and my need for some form of therapy, I will share with you my Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day (if you don't have young children then you may not know who Alexander is...let's just say his "terrible day" is a published book...mine-A BLOG.

Let's start from the beginning. I am being totally truthful here no embellishment...trust me. I don't need to.

I was awakened at 2:00 am to a barking dog (my own) then unable to go back to sleep. I moved to the couch. Why? My husband is fighting a cold and took NyQuil before bed. I think the entire village probably heard him snoring. Could that be what my dog was protecting me from? hmmm.
After getting the kids off to school, I took my doggie out to do his thing. When I noticed that the freshly painted picket fence that we have worked so hard on had developed either a very bad sunburn overnight or had previously been painted with oil based paint - we bought it used- for the latex paint had blistered all over it. Talk about frustrating, our solution. Deal with it next year.

I am preparing for a yard sale that starts tomorrow and everything that I have been able to get ready is piled in our entryway. Our house looks like a bomb went off because as I went through the rooms I made piles of what needed to go where and tried to somewhat organize cabinets etc.
Now, I am behind on getting prepared for the yard sale when my dear aunt; whom I love very much stopped in to chat. We enjoyed a nice visit but ... my yard sale is not ready to go and I am in panic mode.

So how does one deal with overwhelming work and frustration. Why, take a nap of course!
This was either my saving grace or the very time I could have used to do the things I still needed to do. But hey, I had all evening to get it done and the kids could help. WRONG!!!

After completing homework the boys went out to play football with some boys in the neighborhood. They had not been out there half an hour. I would look out every few minutes to check on them. I had just looked out the small window in our entryway and walked to the back of the house when I noticed a truck sitting outside on the road with no one in it and the door hanging open. So of course, I run out to see where the boys are and if all is well. It wasn't.
One of the neighbor boys had been running with the ball straight towards a tree, with all his might ,trying to outrun the boy that tackled him -just as he SLAMMED into the tree. He crumpled to the ground and the man in the truck just happened to be driving by and witnessed the entire thing. He was out of his truck on the ground with this boy and felt strongly we call 911. I didn't know what to do, he looked terrible...hadn't moved and was defiantly in a lot of pain. So I jump in the car and go to get his mom who lives about 3 blocks away. But as I was pulling out, I took another look at him and told this man to call 911. He stayed with the boys while I went to get the boys mom who had dozed off in the chair and didn't remember telling her son (who ask to come down while she was basically sleeping) that he could come down. So I am beating on her door in a panic and I tell her to come quick...her son was hurt, etc. To which she responds,"What? I thought he was in his room sleeping." Anyway, he went to the hospital in the ambulance and it was all very upsetting. He is supposed to be OK according to Brown Co Hospital and they sent him home after doing cat scans etc. But I still don't know...he wasn't answering questions correctly and his face had started to swell (he hit in the back of his head and on his back)...
Anyway.

That's not all. SO to sooth my frazzled nerves I turn to my addiction. Diet Coke. I had not had one all day, and for me that is huge. Guess what. ALL GONE. Brian took the rest to work and left the empty box in the fridge. AHHHHH.

Then, at 9:00 pm when I should be putting my beautiful children to bed we go hop in the car to get some tables for my yard sale from a relative. Yea-the car...So we jump back out of the car and into the truck, at which point I realize my husband has placed the paint sprayer we used on our blistered fence in the back and the seat was pushed up. No way was I fooling with that so the kids just sat on the floor board. As we were pulling out my sweet little puppy (I'm being sarcastic here) decided to push open the screen door that had not been properly latched and join us as we went to go get the tables. When we arrive to get the tables he jumps out and starts running around looking for something to chase and I attempt to load the tables while holding my keys. I set off the truck alarm. "You have go to be kidding me," I say to anyone who would listen then throw the kids back in the truck head home, and finally get them to bed.

So, I call a good friend on my cell to vent as I am taking the dog out one more time before bed. As I am going down the long list of terrible, horrible things that have happened to me today. Another neighbor's black lab comes running at Hank and I and the hair on his neck is standing up. He had gotten away from his owner and was jumping at us. My friend is listening on the phone while Hank and I are being confronted by this huge dog and Hank is being attacked. He is on his leash, and I am on the phone. I confess, I turned to my favorite little four letter word that those closest to me are privileged to hear when I am afraid one of them is hurt. ,I said, "sh*t". Then had to apologize to my friend for my French, who for some reason seemed to think after the day I had that one little four letter word was probably not the end of the world. Hank and I were not hurt and when his owner finally caught up to him and called him, he stopped. But...my goodness. What a day. And I don't have a single Diet Coke in the house. All I can say is "today was crazy, but God is good and He loves me," and to quote Forest Gump, "That is all I have to say about that. " I'm going to bed. adw

After spending 4 days in Detroit we made it home about 5pm on Sunday with mixed emotions. We had an awesome visit with baby bro and sis not to mention Miss Belle. Erica knocked herself out cooking and she had so many things planned. She was a wonderful hostess. And the awesome chocolate roll will be with me for at least a few weeks I'm sure. FABULOUS. Thanks you for an awesome weekend. We were blessed to be guests at the Knepper Inn (a.k.a. The gracious Barby and Craig Knepper home). We felt at home from the moment we arrived with accommodations that far surpassed our night at the Comfort Inn and Suites. Thank you Kneppers. Oh, and if you are wondering who B-dub is after playing Rock Band or Guitar Hero that would be my beloved. He really enjoyed the Wii. haha...

So now it's back to life...had to go get a few groceries for kids breakfast and lunches tomorrow, pick up Hank the wonder dog from his Aunt Constance's house, get kids fed, clothes laid out, back packs out and filled with over$150. worth of back to school supplies, -Next week I'll have to pay another $50. to the school for supply fees. What in the world is that for anyway? I have already purchased everything they could possibly need for school right down to the Kleenex and Ziploc bags? sorry just venting!-anyway, get baths and read a few chapters of Junie B. Jones and walk the dog before collapsing in the chair and ignoring all the laundry, dishes and mess.

But it was so worth it. Brian and I decided that it was worth a six hour drive just for the time we had with Belle who has never given "Umpapl Brian" a moments notice until this past weekend. He really enjoyed playing tickle monster, and looking at books with his favorite niece (on the Kirk side) and she even let him hold her hand and carry her, sealing the deal with a kiss on the cheek for him. I enjoyed much of the same. We are blessed.

Well, time for a quick bath and then sleep, 6am comes early. Love, Alyssa