October 23, 2009

Ever get into a week...or month...that just seem crazy busy? You feel like you are just constantly running and doing things, yet your 'to do' list doesn't seem to get much shorter and at the end of each day you hit this wall and suddenly your brain quits and forces you to head to bed before it forgets where bed is and how to walk up a set of stairs? That kind of sums up my life lately. Let's just look at the past few days.

Wednesday: Volunteered at school from the start of the day until 11:40. Lunch with my Becky, and then I watched my niece from 2-4. Then it was supper, dealing with the kids (which is an everyday thing, but still...some days exhausting) and getting them off to bed, and trying to get some things ready for the following day as Kalli was suppose to have a field trip.
Thursday: Volunteer at school from start of day until 2 (Kalli's classroom until 11:40 and then Library until 2) The field trip was canceled which totally bummed out the kids, but it allowed me more time in the library and therefore I learned that I now have more 'jobs'...I can now check books in and out, shelf books, and shelf read if I run out of crafty stuff to do. :) At 2, Trina dropped off Kaitlynn by me at school and I had her overnight.
Friday (today): After getting the girls off to school, and feeding Kaitlynn breakfast, I headed to my mom's to pick her up. We had a blast going to the DMV, the store for a quick trip, and then to my 11:00 appointment. From there I dropped my mom back at home, dropped Kaitlynn off to her mommy, and then went to school to volunteer in the library til the end of the school day.

Yes, I am thinking about just putting a cot at the school and living there. It has something to do with the fact that I love helping and that I also like the fact that there are real adults there all day that I can talk to and it gets me out of cleaning all day. :)

Tomorrow doesn't look much better either, actually. We are helping out at an event called the 'Hiss and Howl Halloween Hullabaloo' (try saying that even twice fast) that is put on by the no-kill shelter that Andy and I go to every now and then to walk dogs, Happily Ever After. Andy, the girls, and I have to be at the event starting at 11:30 and then until it is over at 5. Of course the most fun part is that we will have a dog for a day...which I'm sure is a mistake because I'll be hearing about it for the next several days from the girls. The dog that will be 'ours' is a shih-tzu named Rosie. Trust me, there will be pictures in the next post.

No promises that the post will be up tomorrow though as after we are finished at the Hullabaloo we are pretty much heading right over to the Gamblers Hockey game. We got very reasonable tickets through the girls' school and it is Family Night which means $1 hot dogs and sodas. Andy figures that by the time we get home it will be about 10pm and we will send the girls right to bed. And I'm sure I'll follow not far behind them.

I love this go, go, go that I've been doing and keeping myself nice and busy, but it also feels crazy like because I have to keep my planner at hand so I know where I'm going next.
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Drum roll please.....

Tonight was a HUGE night in our little family. We went out to dinner and then to walk around the mall. While there we stopped in several places to look at stuff and anytime we passed a jewelry store I would ask Cassie if she wanted to get her ears pierced...something I have been asking her since Kalli got her ears pierced over a year ago. Cassie's answer is always no.

Tonight though I pushed a little harder showing her earrings that she could get and asked why she didn't want them. It all comes down to being scared and worried about the pain. I told her that it only hurt for a little bit and that being scared about something unknown is normal. Then came the part that had me hurrying to get papers signed and things paid for. Cassie asked me if I would hold her hand. I said that I would and she replied with "ok then...I'll do it"

She picked out the earrings that she wanted since I told her that it was completely her decision. I showed her the ones that she could pick from (the higher grade ones so they don't contain nickle...not sure if she is/will be, but I'm allergic to nickle) I pointed out some green ones since that is her favorite color, but she pointed to a pair that were a very pretty blue and in the shape of a flower. Upon looking closer, I saw that they were actually her birthstone (December) with a diamond-looking stone in the middle.

As they got everything set up, her ears cleaned, and the placement dots there were tears, but she kept taking nice deep breaths and holding a bear they gave her to hold. When they were ready, I squatted down in front of her and held her arms telling her to take a deep breath and they counted and pierced both at the same time. She cried and said that they hurt/itched. They showed her a mirror and she said that they were pretty through tears. After her bravery she definitely deserved custard so we headed to Culvers.

By the time we got there she was all good and I think the ice cream really helped. Seriously...custard fixes most everything.

Once we were home for the evening she played as if nothing had happened and while brushing her teeth she kept checking her ears out in the mirror. And the sweetest part?? When I was tucking the girls into bed tonight, Cassie sat up holding her blankie under her chin and said with a smile that went from ear to ear, I'm pretty. "yes you are", I responded. She always has been beautiful, but starting tonight, I think that she will feel more girlie pretty. And to a tween...that is important.