The Terrible Awful WEEK

When Brett got into the mini van Friday evening after a 4 day conference in Texas, these were the words of welcome he received:

"You will pamper me until I feel better.  You will clean the apartment top to bottom.  You will find a babysitter and take me on a date when I'm better."

Now, I know it wasn't Bretts fault that Kembry was sick and unresponsive to antibiotics.

I know he didn't leave the window open on purpose so that when I tried to close it, it came down on me like a crazy Kamakazi, break my finger and partially (fingers crossed, pun intended) severed my tendon.

I know that neither he, nor the sweet and amazing woman in my ward, could have predicted that the Urgent Care would be closed, or that Chloe would wake up with a horrible cough and stridor, and not be able to breathe.

Or that I would spend the next three hours getting my broken finger attacked by a wailing, tortured baby receiving a shot, a breathing treatment, and another shot.  Or that my "Mommy Terror Levels" would reach "Code Red" as the doctor kept saying Chloe might need to be hospitalized.

While my husband partied it up in Texas.  And didn't return my phone calls or texts.

How on earth could any of us predict that I wouldn't get much rest that week, and hence be susceptible to the Flu.  103 temps were running in our family last week, apparently.

And I know Brett would have loved to have helped the continual flooding from our kitchen sink, had he been here.

So, at the end of the week, I've never been so mad at the man I married eight years ago.

He had no way of knowing.  Poor guy.

Now, I'm off to bed while he takes care of the rest.  I've earned a nap.

Gratitude Day 6: Haircuts

It's the Sabbath.  We're quarantined.  Flu, strep and croup.

Yesterday I forced my Beatles to get haircuts.  I didn't even know there was a boy under that red mop.  He looks so handsome.

Oh, and Brett, too.

I miss having Marilyn down the road to trim their hair every five minutes.

Gratitude Day 5: HE'S HOME!

Brett's home.  I'm in bed.  We found a house and are holding the keys in our hands.

But most importantly, Brett is HOME!!!!

Gratitude Day 4: Uuuuugh

Today I am thankful for Tamiflu and my bed and Cohen.

And 103 temperatures that aren't 104 temperatures.

Hey, it's the little things.

Gratitude Day 3: Being Humbled

This will be a short post because I'm sans a finger for the next two weeks, and it's a wee bit difficult to type.  How do people sit and look at the keys all day?

The last Sunday we were in our ward in Utah was a fast Sunday, and one of my good friends bore her testimony, which was a real treat because she's really quiet and doesn't do it that often.

She talked about how grateful she was for our ward, because of all the help they had given her and her family.  She said she felt like a burden on us.

And all I could think was, "I only got to help her twice.  I wish I would've done more."

She wasn't a burden on us at all. She gave us opportunities to do what we should be doing: serving each other.

Well, that's all fine and dandy for me to think those high thoughts when I was on the giving (albeit minor giving) end of things.  I had family to help me whenever anything happened.  I didn't really need help.

Well, last night I did.  And it was so humbling to let go of my pride, the "I can do it all myself because I'm so freaking awesome" attitude.  The Lord brought me to my knees and sent angels to minister.

And I'm thankful for that humbling experience and for those angels.  And even though I understand a bit more about what my friend said about being a burden (and it doesn't feel good) I know I'm stronger and less prideful because of it.

So, lesson learned, Heavenly Father.  Please stop the plagues now.

Gratitude Day 2: Many Things

Originally, this post was about my gratitude for technology.  It knows no bounds.  I love technology lately.

But, today, I'm grateful for so many things.

Like, the CVS Minute Clinic.  Free.  Fast.

I'm grateful for modern medicine, and the speed strep test.

I'm grateful for antibiotics.

I'm grateful for Ibuprofen.

I'm grateful for Wendy's and their Frosty's.

Can you tell what kind of day I've had?  And it's just getting started =)  But it's okay, because of all these conveniences, what could have been a really stressful, dangerous situation has turned into a quick, low key, stay-home-from-school kind of situation.  I like those situations.  I like nap situations, too.  I think I'll take myself up on that.

Let The Gratitude Begin!

It's that time again.

A month of gratitude.

Today has been peaceful, for the most part.  It's not now, but it never is in the evenings, and that's okay.  I guess. =)

Chloe wants to go to bed, but I'm refusing on the grounds that I just don't want to wake up at 5:30 in the AM.  She disagrees.  But I'm bigger, so I win =)

Today I am grateful for my children.

I'm alone with them for the next 4 days.  Outnumbered, 3 to 1.  Sometimes I think Kembry counts as two.  Luckily (unluckily?) Kembry and I are sick.  That really limits what we can do.  It also eliminates my feeling guilty for not doing anything.

What?  I'm sick.

*Cough Cough*

I'm grateful I have three beautiful, (semi)healthy children that are always (usually) healthy.  I mean really, when all the other kids are getting sick, mine are laughing their way to the candy bank (daddy's side table).  Nary an ear infection visits the Neff's, nor the flu or the sniffles or the run's.

They make me laugh.  They make me cry.  They make me clean.  They're good for me. I'm good for them.

And who knows...one day they may be smitten blessed with little angels just like them.


Amen.

Dear Future Chloe,

Today you dumped out my entire purse.

And wallet.

Again.

You're super cute and super annoying all at the same time.  I don't know if I want to hug and kiss you, or tie you up.  Either way, I can't keep my hands off you.

I hope in the future I get a call from you informing me you've lost yet another debit card because your 15 month old child couldn't keep their gruddy mitts off your stuff.  I'll smile and say you deserve it.

And now I'm off to figure out where the heck you stashed my last debit card, and pray that you didn't throw it out the window.  Or in the poopy diaper bin, because, yuck.

Love,

Mom

It's Scary, My House

Sometimes I wish I was a little bit more of a clean freak.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I love when my house is clean.  I would just rather someone else clean it for me =)

My house is a disaster zone.  It's all dressed up to scare people for Halloween. It's been worse, sure, but today, with Brett out gallivanting with the young men, and Chloe throwing tantrums every forty three seconds, I'm just gonna sit back and ignore it.

Ignore the cereal crushed on the floor.

Ignore the cockroach eating the cereal crushed on the floor (kidding, but this does happen in AZ all too often).

Ignore last nights dinner on the stove.

Ignore the Lego embedded in my foot.

Ignore that Cohen is wearing long pants when it's 4 million degrees outside.

Ignore that Kembry's hair isn't done, and that she's wearing cowboy boots two sizes too small with a tutu.  (Actually, it's kinda cute.)

I'm just gonna put my feet up and play the poor picked on wife when Brett comes home.  Maybe I can guilt him into cleaning.

Yeah, probably not.

Happy Saturday Halloween!

Brett: Kids sandwiches are made.

Me: Were they made with love?

Brett: They were cut diagonally if that's what you mean.

In fact, that's exactly what I meant.  <3