Using Humor to Get Through

I know I've been needing to update this week, but it hasn't been the best of weeks. Not that I expect it to be the best of weeks or am going to whine and complain that everything isn't kosher or perfect (that would just be "life denial" lol), but it has been one of those more difficult ones.

First of all, the transition from the holidays back to work was really okay. The trepidation I have with work issues is more of a district-level concern of the district, budget woes, blah blah blah and some of the basic pain-in-the-butt relationships between teachers and other teachers and how people (in general) can get. As an Art teacher, it's more difficult to be seen and regarded as a "real" teacher through the eyes of other teachers. And while in good relationships, that can be a fun "joking around" thing, in other situations, it can get frustrating and rather depressing. But like I said, work this week isn't the real reason for this entry's title.

But some end of the week work challenges haven't helped either.

That said, motherhood and wifehood (I know that's not a word) has been my challenge this week. Of course Motherhood is a challenge within itself, I get that. Oh, do I EVER get that. And anyone that has met Christian gets that. lol However, do you just feel sometimes that fate or what-have-you SAVES things to happen all at once? Well, that's kind of the way things have been this week.

And just as a disclaimer. I'm not "complaining" about my children per se. They are my babies and I love them and I would have them all over again. I can't imagine life without them. It's just been "one of those weeks". So as usual, I'll add some more humor to it to hopefully make the point that "when it rains it pours".

This week (in no particular order):

1. On our first visit to the Queen Creek library (opened a few weeks before Christmas), Christian set off the alarm when opening an emergency exit door. The place was not evacuated, thank heavens, but because it never happened before, no one had a key or code to turn it off. If we left as soon as we found the book Mikelle neeeded for her report, it never would have happened. But I was stupid enough to go over to find teaching/artsy/ideas/fun art stuff for me to check out for reference/use in my job. Stupid me for trying to make the most of what should have been a simple library visit with 2 kids.

2. That same afternoon, I left my planner with debit card, drivers license, a couple bucks, everything else of importance, at the Florence Anthem Safeway (stupid me for getting milk because it was on sale for $1.58/gallon. I should have just kept driving!), and didn't discover it until a couple of hours later. Thankfully, they had it and everything was in there. But I couldn't pick it up until the next morning (it's 20 miles away, but right on my way to and from work). When I discovered that my planner was missing, unfortunately, I couldn't call right away to ask if they had it though, because I realized I left my cell phone on my desk at work. Petty things, but when they add up, it gets to a "pull your hair out" situation.

3. Mikelle and Christian were playing with a glittery string (that they jacked from my "off limits" scrapbook supplies in the den), tied it to the doorknob of my locked curio cabinet and tied the other half to a chair. Mikelle didn't realize that they way she pulled the chair would bring down the whole curio cabinet, until well, it brought down the whole curio cabinet. Sentimental items inside the cabinet came crashing down with it. Broken glass, various broken Precious Moments figurines that are symbolic and representative to important moments and events in our lives, breakable beautiful gift items, etc were broken. Some "survived". Some can be glued and "recover". Some are gone forever and some have to be replaced, as well as the glass shelves in the curio cabinet and the glass sides of the cabinet.

The good thing about this is none of the kids were hurt from the falling cabinet or broken glass. The other good thing is besides the stuff that broke that isn't replaceable, I think we'll only have to replace one Precious Moments figurine (the one we used for our wedding cake topper) and the rest can be glued.

The other good thing is when this happened, I miraculously remained calm and didn't implode. Maybe because it was such a huge disastrous thing, I knew the best thing to do was just "roll with it" and logically be calm, clean stuff up, and move from there.

4. After item#3, I shouldn't have to go on. But let me add about our Dachshund got pretty messed up this week. It started with him running out the front door like he always does, because that's the kind of dork he is. But this time, the next door neighbor's dog ran outside without permission as well. So an annoying dog situation erupted, right? More than annoying. Their dog wailed onto Simon and was literally was trying to kill him. The owner was just as surprised as I was. Their dog never acted like that before and these are great neighbors that have lived in their house almost as long as we have. They've had their dog for a long time as nothing like this had ever happened. So it fits that it happened this week.

The situation occurred because both dogs are idiots and kids opened the front door unnecessarily and let the dogs out. Christian opened our front door when he didn't need to and Simon got out. One of next door's kids opened their front door when they didn't need to, and their large dog got out. Next thing I know, Mikelle is running inside freaking out. It really scared her.

Chris was home (he's off on Mondays) and rushed outside to see the mom/owner of next door's dog beating on her dog to let our dog go. Chris scooped up Simon and brought him in. He had a few teeth/puncture wounds on his back and scratches on his tummy. The neighbors' feel really bad about what happened. I'm not blaming them per se. It's so obvious how it happened. Our neighbor mom was out in the carport trying to get some work done (another mom just trying to be a mom and accomplish tasks that need to be done) and her kids were inside messing with the dog and therefore, opened the door and he got out. Just like we were inside, but Christian found the need to mess with our front door because he's fascinated with the way the lock works. And from a subsequent conversation I had with our neighbor mom, they feel just as bad about what happened.

Simon is fine. He was all whimpery and stiff the next morning (as such injuries are really "sore in the morning" after), but by Wednesday, he was fine and his puncture wounds and scratches are healing fine.

However, we haven't had a problem with him running out the front door since. Hmmmm.....interesting. Hey, I'm not condoning the attack, but it might have been a blessing in disguise.

5. There's more, but these comics kind of fill in the holes that won't be included in "the list".

And I'm sorry if this next one offends anyone, but it pretty much sums it up and well, what can I say? It's the kind of humor that right up my alley. I know...I know.... :sigh:


Please let me end this entry by saying that I recognize and cherish the blessings in my life. Not just my family, but in a world where things are crumbling down all around us, we are blessed to have our jobs, health, home and each other. Maybe I should make a 12x12 layout of this saying and hang it up! No, not the "Fukitol" one but THIS one:

We May Not Have it All Together, but Together We Have it All