november 27, 2011

to say that we've had a rough week is an understatement.  well...if we are measuring things based on whether or not we have a roof over our heads and food to eat...then we are doing swimmingly.  however, if we are judging based on small, little, stressful, very expensive joy stealers...then i'm your girl.

chad always says that trials come in threes.

i've always dismissed his pessimism and replaced it with my "always-willing-to-look-at-the-brightside/celebrate-the-small-moments-of-life-in-grandiose-ways-even-if-it-is-raining-on-us-as-we-tie-the-christmas-tree-to-the-top-of-the-roof-of-the-car" attitude.  after all...twinkly lights are in our near future.  and twinkly lights can fix anything.

accept when it's me against the house...as it usually is, these days.

my children take after their father and somehow didn't get my flare for the dramatic and magic.

colt usually gets frustrated right out of the gate.  and it's usually for a good reason...like aj making a scene and knocking a whole line of christmas trees over like dominoes...while everyone in the vicinity looks at us with that "wow...those parents have totally lost control of their lives" glare.  chase is usually running into walls and isle displays because he just could not abandon mario and luigi in their time of need on the ds screen to do something as trivial as pick out a tree.  aiden is usually trying hard to help...but gets distracted with the poor, little, charlie brown tree that is covered in mud and is already too far gone to nurse back to help and starts crying when we explain why we can't take it home.  and then there's annslee.  while she is busy knocking down things...she is screaming "me" and throwing herself on the ground out of frustration that we don't understand what it is, exactly, that she is wanting.

you will have to excuse me.

my  flare for positivity is slowly being replaced with a feeling of...

well...

whatever the feeling is called when you want to go to bed...pull the covers up over your head...and not wake up until the new year offers the promise and hope of a new beginning.

what happened to the joy...the hope...the magic of it all?

we went to celebrate thanksgiving at mom and dad's.  we got there super late due to a sibling squabble and the big girl's arm hurting her something fierce.

but when i saw these two lovely ladies...it sort of felt like thanksgiving.

my girl just wasn't up to par.

and quite frankly...after spending the previous evening in the ER and (not) sleeping with her arm resting on top of my body all night and therefore trying not to move at all...neither was i.

we had to jet before i even got to look through a black friday ad with mom and honey because i left her pain medicine at home and she was in tears by dessert.

now...i'm thankful and all...

but i'm not gonna lie.

i wasn't terribly sad to see this day end.

even though i wasn't shopping tomorrow, as planned...

friday was going to be a new day.  a fresh start.

not so...my friends.

trout ended up having to have emergency surgery during the middle of the night because he had eaten a ton of dirt and it ended up forming a hard blockage that got stuck in his intestines and caused them to start twisting like a balloon animal.  if we would have waited any longer to take him in...he would have died.

our choice was...so the surgery...or put him down.  the vet was able to open him up, remove the blockage, and put his intestines back together.  he should be fine.  however, that drained our adoption fund and the kids can forget about college...but...

whatever.

****

we will just make the best of things and head on down to the mall of the mainland "cheap seats" movie theater to take annslee to her very first movie...the muppets.

this will be a wonderful family experience...filled with love and the wonder that only movie theater popcorn can bring.

note to self...once the twizzlers are gone...annslee is, most definitely, NOT ready for the movie theater.

at one point, she tried to scale the seat in front of us while screaming as i tried to pry her grip from the seat.  apparently...she thought the kid in front of us had her twizzlers.

****

this morning...i woke up alone, and on the couch.  aiden has completely taken over our bed.  (her concern for falling out of her twin bed and onto her arm seems fair enough...and my resolve for anything other than letting her sleep in our bed is tired.)  chad had to head to church early, for work and i am waiting on a call from the vet so we can go pick up trout.

that's when i groggily looked at my phone and saw the date.

november 27th.

our 12th wedding anniversary.

do i dare hope for a day of loving celebration?

i'm a little cynical, at this point.

****

so...currently, the kids and i are watching a christmas movie on the hallmark channel.  the mom in the movie blurted out something about her son not believing in santa claus anymore and i started yelling and screaming, "OWWWW...OOOOOHHHHH...OWWWWWWWW...I JUST GOT A PAIN...OWWWWW!!!"

while grabbing my chest.  (in hind-sight...i probably could have come up with something better.)

that's when aiden thought i was having a heart attack.

i was just trying to block out the "anta-say ot-nay eing-bay eal-ray" talk.

colton caught it and calmly said, "i think she's just having a seizure" trying to make them feel better about the possible heart attack.

i looked at him...like..."REALLY????"

and said...

"i'm not having a seizure."

****

happy thanksgiving.

merry christmas.

happy  anniversary.

and happy whatever else is going on.