Some time ago, I began posting about our adventure of my husband working the night shift. I realize that I let this go and neglected to continue posting updates. Recently, this season has just come to a close for us and I thought I'd take this opportunity to look back and recap how it went.
The first, unedited thought that comes to my mind is: Basically, working the night shift sucks. Pardon, my stellar eloquence, but sometimes "sucks" is the best word you can use to describe something. ;)
Of course, it didn't all "suck", there were some good parts too. Arvin did get to bond more and play with our daughter in the afternoons when she got out of school. That was special. While he didn't necessarily manage his original plan to be home and make coffee and make the school lunches after work each day, he was able to take Thomas to his 7:30 AM class often, which helped a lot. And the road he helped resurface looks beautiful. It's so smooth and pretty! I am so proud of him and the work that he does and how God helps him do the right thing every single day. He is an excellent provider. Arvin also managed to take advantage of his schedule to make time to go running with the dogs more often, which is a powerful time for him not only for physical conditioning, but spiritual as well. It's good for the dogs too.
Now for the flip side.
One of the reasons that Arvin wanted to do this job was to gain the experience of working in an urban setting. Most of his previous work had been on rural highways and he wanted to learn what it was like to work in town. He also wanted to work close to home since he's mostly had to commute over an hour both ways just to get to previous job sites. And he truly wanted to work locally so that he could give back to his own neighborhood, the place where he calls home. All very noble intentions, I think. Ok, so now he's got this experience under his belt, and let's just say that he's not exactly going to jump up and own begging to volunteer for it again. ;) When you are working up in the mountains "somewhere" you are avoiding something you simply can't avoid in town...PEOPLE. And people like to complain. About everything. Especially road construction. Even people you like, people you love, even people you're related to. Can I just say that people do have very valid complaints, but added up, it can really take a toll on a guy. He's ready to fade into temporary obscurity for awhile and just do his job without so much public scrutiny. (Although, I'm very proud of him. He never lost it once. And look at that road! We can point to it and say "You did that!")
There were a couple of things that happened during the project that just made our hearts skip a beat. Just awful things. For one, there was the call one Saturday morning that a man had a fatal motorcycle crash within the job site. We were on the way to our kids' soccer games when he got the call and Arvin was seriously worried and concerned and upset that this accident was somehow the result of the ongoing road construction. It was a very grave worry for him and his supervisor. After investigation, it was revealed that the motorcyclist involved was speeding excessively, attempted to pop a wheelie and had been under the influence. Such a sad, sad story and a miracle that his was the only life taken. In my opinion, it just goes to show that you cannot legislate around people's foolish choices. You can take precautions and do all the right things, but you cannot prevent stupid. (Remember this is my opinion and does not reflect anyone else's, not my husband's, not the state.) I wish that man did not have to die. I wish he'd made better choices so that he could live to ride again another day.
Another thing that happened was an echo of what I would say would be one of my worst nightmares. A highway worker was struck and critically injured by a motorist. This young man was working for a sub-contractor on a separate job within the parameters of Arvin's job. His crew was set up properly with all the correct safety measures in place. The night they were working, this man was standing on the sidewalk doing his work when a car careened out of nowhere, smashed thought he cones and stuck him! If not for the rapid response of his coworker administering CPR and the response of emergency crews he may have lost his young life. Last I had heard, the man was out of critical condition, but still very serious and his family was moving from the initial panic of "What just happened?" to "What now?" As far as the driver is concerned, I have only heard that she's had "issues" in the past and I do not know what, if any, repercussions she will face as a result of this. I am just shaking my head. I still don't understand. She almost killed a man and yet there is no word on what happened, and why, and weather or not she'll suffer consequences for her actions.
"Slow for the cone zone" indeed! Cones cannot protect highway workers. Neither can hard hats or reflective gear or all the signs in the world. This is a perilous job when the only thing that can save you is the good judgement of a human being! I am passionate about this: When you drive through a construction zone SLOW DOWN!!! THAT IS MY HUSBAND OUT THERE! I love him and I want him to come home! He said he kind of "gets used to the traffic". He said, you take precautions and then you just do your job. Well, I don't know if I can ever just "get used" to it. But thank God, thank God, THANK GOD that no matter what, God is Faithful! He will protect Arvin. He will bring him home. And if not...if someone chooses to booze it up...if someone chooses to do drugs...if someone chooses to speed....if someone chooses to pop a wheelie...if someone chooses to just plow though the cones...MY GOD IS FAITHFUL. In Him I can trust. In Him alone.
On a personal note, this schedule has had an effect as well. At the beginning of this journey we were warned that Arvin would be tired from working at night. I believed it, but I also wondered, "How tired?". I thought it'd be interesting to see since tired seems to be a way of life for the man. He just goes and goes and goes. I am amazed at his work ethic and stamina. But when he's done, he's done. Put a fork in him! Well, turns out that this level of tired brought out something new indeed. And it's name was "Cranky"! Whoooo boy! I won't go into details, and quite frankly it's not important and I don't even want to relive it all, but I can say that I understand. After all, sleep deprivation is a number one tactic in the torture of POW's and I can see why. Someone sleep deprived just isn't thinking clearly and you can't blame a person for not being themselves. I am SOOOOO GLAD that Arvin's night work is OVER. He's awesome and I am ready to have him back! :)
No more sleeping diagonally in the bed! The creature of the night has returned! Let the sun shine in!
Monday, October 24, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
What I Did This Summer
I can't believe it. This is our last day of Summer Vacation. School starts tomorrow. It's been a great Summer and tomorrow a whole new phase of life begins as Thomas starts middle school and Norah goes into first grade. Sounds so cliche, but where does the time go? My "babies" are growing and changing and there is not a dang thing I can do about it. Without my permission, time marches on. And this is the kick off to a busy season of all the demands of school and soccer...and life. And in the midst of all this, Arvin is working nights. So I wonder what this will look like for our family routine? I guess I'd better master some crock pot ideas so that dinner will be ready and warm well before the busy rush in the evenings. The middle of the day, when Arvin's sleeping and the kids are at school will be relatively quiet for me. The hours between 2:00 and 9:00 PM will be crunch time for me, I guess. Sigh.....It will be good. The safety and security of routine will settle down around us like a soothing blanket of fog and all will be well. I'm ready...I think.
I'm taking the time today, on this last day of Summer Vacation, to look back on what a great summer it truly was. And since it's all a blur, I grabbed our calendar off the wall and I have it in front of me to spark those memories.
Let's see...Let's start with the last day of school! Thomas's 6th grade graduation was neat. I was so proud of him. Seven years at one school is a gift for him from my heart to his, even if he doesn't realize it. I so want to give my kids stability. And it's paying off because Thomas is flourishing both as a student and a person. Dominique was here to celebrate with us. That is always a treat. Talk about a flourishing person! A daughter of my heart. And Norah had her Kindergarten "graduation" too. What a sweet memory maker. It is such a milestone to go from a little kid to a "grader". ;) Although, at the time, my mother-in-law was sick and we really worried about her. That was no fun. She works too hard. Glad Dome was here to make her go to the doctor. She recovered though, praise God.
The next week, Thomas had his annual eye exam where he learned that he needed to now wear his glasses full-time. This did not go over well. It was really rough for awhile. He was afraid it would change him, how he looked, and even how he played. I could understand and my heart ached for him. I even offered to wear my glasses full time in solidarity. But eventually, time and the prayers of many helped him adapt to his new reality. He wears his glasses faithfully now without complaint. And he looks so good in them!
Two days later, he went off of the youth group camping trip where they got to fish and swim and shoot GUNS! He had a blast. Ha ha, had a blast! No pun intended.
Oh yes, and then there was the Sunday where I think my Pastor lost a few marbles because he actually asked me to...well, I guess you'd call it "preach" though I hesitate to call it that. But I did speak on something God had been burning in my heart for awhile and that was a message of encouragement for our county and city. Oh boy, that's a whole other blog post. But I have to say, I love where I live and I think there is a lot of good that goes on here and I really wanted to proclaim it to my church family and I hope that God spoke a word of encouragement to them that day.
So Thomas was barely back from his camping adventure when he was off to baseball camp where he got to go and be coached and play ball with a local team of college-age ball players. It was an awesome opportunity for him and he learned a lot and had a great time. As part of the registration fee, we were given a bunch of tickets to come to their ball games and we went to three along with different other people each time and it was a blast! We will for sure be making the ball field a regular summer tradition from now on! What great memories.
July rolled around to the annual church BBQ & picnic, which was lovely as always. I could just lay underneath those leafy trees and feel the warm breeze drift over me forever. I love my church family so much.
The next day was the 4th of July. We had just got in the car to go to our friends' house to set off fireworks and were maybe a half a block from home when Norah asked for a mint. We keep them up front in the console. The mint tin is kind of difficult for her to open so I usually pop it open and hand it to her so she can pick her own mint. This time I didn't open it for some reason and just passed the tin back to her. Evidently, she was going to take matters into her own hands, or shall I say, teeth. Because next thing I know, I hear her brother screaming, "NORAH BROKE A TOOTH! SHE'S BLEEDING!!!!!!" I pull over quickly, put the car in park, double check that I put the car in park, rip off my seat belt, jump out of the car, open her door and see blood!!!! She's crying hysterically, I'm yelling, Arvin's yelling, it's chaos. I had a tissue in my hand and I'm screaming, "WHERE'S THE TOOTH?!" And Arvin's yelling, "IT'S IN YOUR HAND!" I look in her mouth, I look at the tooth.....and the root is all neatly reabsorbed.....and it dawns on me.....this is no crisis. This child has simply lost her first tooth. I show her. I explain to her and to all of us, that this is okay, this is normal, this was actually supposed to happen. Everything is okay. She is growing up. We, all of us, just weren't ready for it. It came totally out of the blue. There was no ceremony, no warning, no tradition of the wiggly tooth. Just BAM! Completely and totally without my consent or approval, a major change had come and my baby had changed. And it was all just so shocking, and so wonderful and so sad all at once. We half laughed with relief and as we resumed our drive, behind my sunglasses, I half cried with the heart of a mom who's broken heart needed to get up and keep walking to the beat of time that yields for no woman. It was great. And so completely unfair.
Tooth count for the summer: Norah lost another one a couple of weeks later and Thomas lost three later. Five teeth total. And I didn't approve a single one. Something tells me I don't have as much control as I like to think I do.
So next up for Mr. Thomas was a day trip to the water slides with the youth group. Another fun-filled, action packed day!
This was not to be a lazy, hazy summer for him because next up was his 12th birthday. Instead of a birthday party, we took him to see his favorite professional baseball team play their arch rivals! It was a perfect trip! We ate ate all our favorite restaurants, we had a great ride on a ferry to and from the game, and our team beat their opponents 5-0! Couldn't ask for a better time. Memories.
Went to a quilt show. I could write a whole sermon just based on quilts and I am in awe of how much goes into making these works of art. Went to a jewelry party and spent too much money. Why do I like bling so much? Again another sermon because Heaven is COVERED in gems and I guess I just like that sort of thing! ;) Checked books out of the Library with the kiddos. Thomas and I are now into Sasquatch and we even looked for books about that as we are now firm believers that Big Foot is real. ;) I checked out a book about Amish quilts too. This is my Amish summer. I ordered a lot of Amish fiction on my Kindle and loved every word. Something in me is craving a simpler life. Kind of a funny contrast with my innate craving for bling, huh? Yes, I know I'm messed up. Perpetual tension. It is --or it will be--well with my soul. The first step is admitting you have a problem. Some days, I don't think I have a problem and then other days I AM the problem.
Our big family adventure for the summer was a trip to visit Arvin's sister and family. We had such a good time. It was the "perfect" amount of everything, sun, relaxing, swimming, shopping, eating, laughing. It was...just...great.
And of course, it was a double-play for Thomas again as he didn't even make it home from that trip. As soon as we pulled into town, we dropped him off for an overnight slumber party camp out for his best bud's birthday party. Our son we pooped!!! Too much fun! He cannot say that he was bored this summer, that is for sure!
We celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary this summer as well as six years at our current home. Thank you God. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
The days in between all the "big stuff", the kids slept in, watched cartoons and movies, played in the back yard, did workbooks that I forced them to do, had fun outside with a little plastic kiddie pool, climbed the tree and just had fun. We had a couple of play dates. We met friends twice to go swimming at a local park that has a little dammed up river. I got a tan for the first time since I was a teenager I think. Felt great. :)
It just felt great. I think that could be the theme of the summer.
I never want anything to come to an end. The last day of school I get all nostalgic and don't want it to end. The last day of summer vacation is here and I don't want it to end either. And I guess it's good that I don't get a vote because if I did, then nothing would ever change and new memories would not get to be made. This is going to be a great new season in life. New adventures made better by the experiences of the past. We're all growing and changing and learning and thriving. Thank you God. Thank you God. Thank you God. Thank you God. You never change, you never fail.
I'm taking the time today, on this last day of Summer Vacation, to look back on what a great summer it truly was. And since it's all a blur, I grabbed our calendar off the wall and I have it in front of me to spark those memories.
Let's see...Let's start with the last day of school! Thomas's 6th grade graduation was neat. I was so proud of him. Seven years at one school is a gift for him from my heart to his, even if he doesn't realize it. I so want to give my kids stability. And it's paying off because Thomas is flourishing both as a student and a person. Dominique was here to celebrate with us. That is always a treat. Talk about a flourishing person! A daughter of my heart. And Norah had her Kindergarten "graduation" too. What a sweet memory maker. It is such a milestone to go from a little kid to a "grader". ;) Although, at the time, my mother-in-law was sick and we really worried about her. That was no fun. She works too hard. Glad Dome was here to make her go to the doctor. She recovered though, praise God.
The next week, Thomas had his annual eye exam where he learned that he needed to now wear his glasses full-time. This did not go over well. It was really rough for awhile. He was afraid it would change him, how he looked, and even how he played. I could understand and my heart ached for him. I even offered to wear my glasses full time in solidarity. But eventually, time and the prayers of many helped him adapt to his new reality. He wears his glasses faithfully now without complaint. And he looks so good in them!
Two days later, he went off of the youth group camping trip where they got to fish and swim and shoot GUNS! He had a blast. Ha ha, had a blast! No pun intended.
Oh yes, and then there was the Sunday where I think my Pastor lost a few marbles because he actually asked me to...well, I guess you'd call it "preach" though I hesitate to call it that. But I did speak on something God had been burning in my heart for awhile and that was a message of encouragement for our county and city. Oh boy, that's a whole other blog post. But I have to say, I love where I live and I think there is a lot of good that goes on here and I really wanted to proclaim it to my church family and I hope that God spoke a word of encouragement to them that day.
So Thomas was barely back from his camping adventure when he was off to baseball camp where he got to go and be coached and play ball with a local team of college-age ball players. It was an awesome opportunity for him and he learned a lot and had a great time. As part of the registration fee, we were given a bunch of tickets to come to their ball games and we went to three along with different other people each time and it was a blast! We will for sure be making the ball field a regular summer tradition from now on! What great memories.
July rolled around to the annual church BBQ & picnic, which was lovely as always. I could just lay underneath those leafy trees and feel the warm breeze drift over me forever. I love my church family so much.
The next day was the 4th of July. We had just got in the car to go to our friends' house to set off fireworks and were maybe a half a block from home when Norah asked for a mint. We keep them up front in the console. The mint tin is kind of difficult for her to open so I usually pop it open and hand it to her so she can pick her own mint. This time I didn't open it for some reason and just passed the tin back to her. Evidently, she was going to take matters into her own hands, or shall I say, teeth. Because next thing I know, I hear her brother screaming, "NORAH BROKE A TOOTH! SHE'S BLEEDING!!!!!!" I pull over quickly, put the car in park, double check that I put the car in park, rip off my seat belt, jump out of the car, open her door and see blood!!!! She's crying hysterically, I'm yelling, Arvin's yelling, it's chaos. I had a tissue in my hand and I'm screaming, "WHERE'S THE TOOTH?!" And Arvin's yelling, "IT'S IN YOUR HAND!" I look in her mouth, I look at the tooth.....and the root is all neatly reabsorbed.....and it dawns on me.....this is no crisis. This child has simply lost her first tooth. I show her. I explain to her and to all of us, that this is okay, this is normal, this was actually supposed to happen. Everything is okay. She is growing up. We, all of us, just weren't ready for it. It came totally out of the blue. There was no ceremony, no warning, no tradition of the wiggly tooth. Just BAM! Completely and totally without my consent or approval, a major change had come and my baby had changed. And it was all just so shocking, and so wonderful and so sad all at once. We half laughed with relief and as we resumed our drive, behind my sunglasses, I half cried with the heart of a mom who's broken heart needed to get up and keep walking to the beat of time that yields for no woman. It was great. And so completely unfair.
Tooth count for the summer: Norah lost another one a couple of weeks later and Thomas lost three later. Five teeth total. And I didn't approve a single one. Something tells me I don't have as much control as I like to think I do.
So next up for Mr. Thomas was a day trip to the water slides with the youth group. Another fun-filled, action packed day!
This was not to be a lazy, hazy summer for him because next up was his 12th birthday. Instead of a birthday party, we took him to see his favorite professional baseball team play their arch rivals! It was a perfect trip! We ate ate all our favorite restaurants, we had a great ride on a ferry to and from the game, and our team beat their opponents 5-0! Couldn't ask for a better time. Memories.
Went to a quilt show. I could write a whole sermon just based on quilts and I am in awe of how much goes into making these works of art. Went to a jewelry party and spent too much money. Why do I like bling so much? Again another sermon because Heaven is COVERED in gems and I guess I just like that sort of thing! ;) Checked books out of the Library with the kiddos. Thomas and I are now into Sasquatch and we even looked for books about that as we are now firm believers that Big Foot is real. ;) I checked out a book about Amish quilts too. This is my Amish summer. I ordered a lot of Amish fiction on my Kindle and loved every word. Something in me is craving a simpler life. Kind of a funny contrast with my innate craving for bling, huh? Yes, I know I'm messed up. Perpetual tension. It is --or it will be--well with my soul. The first step is admitting you have a problem. Some days, I don't think I have a problem and then other days I AM the problem.
Our big family adventure for the summer was a trip to visit Arvin's sister and family. We had such a good time. It was the "perfect" amount of everything, sun, relaxing, swimming, shopping, eating, laughing. It was...just...great.
And of course, it was a double-play for Thomas again as he didn't even make it home from that trip. As soon as we pulled into town, we dropped him off for an overnight slumber party camp out for his best bud's birthday party. Our son we pooped!!! Too much fun! He cannot say that he was bored this summer, that is for sure!
We celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary this summer as well as six years at our current home. Thank you God. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
The days in between all the "big stuff", the kids slept in, watched cartoons and movies, played in the back yard, did workbooks that I forced them to do, had fun outside with a little plastic kiddie pool, climbed the tree and just had fun. We had a couple of play dates. We met friends twice to go swimming at a local park that has a little dammed up river. I got a tan for the first time since I was a teenager I think. Felt great. :)
It just felt great. I think that could be the theme of the summer.
I never want anything to come to an end. The last day of school I get all nostalgic and don't want it to end. The last day of summer vacation is here and I don't want it to end either. And I guess it's good that I don't get a vote because if I did, then nothing would ever change and new memories would not get to be made. This is going to be a great new season in life. New adventures made better by the experiences of the past. We're all growing and changing and learning and thriving. Thank you God. Thank you God. Thank you God. Thank you God. You never change, you never fail.
"You're the God of my days
the King of my nights
You'll never leave me
You are faithful."
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Mother-ish
Let's leave the Cone Zone, take a little detour from the construction, for a bit while I share a story that happened in the car today. It's just one of those things that I need to self-therapize on a little and perhaps edify not only myself, but other mothers as well.
First, today's Scripture:
First, today's Scripture:
"We know what real love is because Christ gave up his life for us. And so we also ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters."
1 John 3:16 (NLT)
Well, my littlest child, my sweet Norah has graduated from Kindergarten today. It was an awesome year for her and she had a great teacher. Mrs. Barrera made a special memory binder for each student and handed them out at a special Kindergarten promotion ceremony. The front page has a snapshot of each student on the very first day of school and the last page has a picture of the student sometime at the end of the year. At the bottom of the page is a little bit of an interview of the child. My name is _____. I am ___ years old. In Kindergarten I learned _________. And so on. The last line is really special. It says, "When I grow up I want to be a _______________________." And what did my daughter say?
She said, "When I grow up I want to be a mom and wash dishes."
Oh, how this delighted my heart! :) I was deeply honored that she must be witnessing my life as a mom and somehow, along the way, I have made the job look very appealing. Being a mom is, at least in this season of my life, the very reason I breathe in and out all day. I am glad that my daughter sees my joy in this and at least for now, in her Kindergarten innocence, wishes to someday follow in my footsteps.
Well, today was also a very special day for our son, Thomas. He is in the 6th Grade and has had his special 6th Grade Promotion ceremony where the students are honored before going on to middle school. Grandparents and Uncle and Cousins were all in attendance to celebrate. We picked up my mother for the ceremony as she is disabled and could not drive herself. We were in the car on the way to the graduation when I was sharing with her about Norah's cute little memory book and the funny quote she had at the end.
"When I grow up I want to be a mom and do dishes." I smiled.
My mom was a bit different in her approach.
"Oh no! Somebody's gotta educate her a bit! Not a mom! She's gotta be something like the President!! Anything but that! It's such a thankless job!!! Mothers are never appreciated. Never ever appreciated."
And on.
And on.
And on.
And each word was a thoughtless kick in my gut.
I tried to smile. I tried to consider the source. I tried to deflect and maybe perhaps defend..."But I was proud of her. I think being a mom is the best job on earth...."
And more about being unappreciated. Un-thanked.
Now, anyone who knows me or knows my mom might have some insight into this particular situation. The sad fact is, in a very brief summation, that I know that my mom has had a very difficult life for many different reasons, some of them her own choice and some of them tragically not. She is, for all her faults, a walking (albeit barely) miracle. It amazes me that she still calls earth home. And I know that she loves me very very much, in her own special way.
But she is not "Mother-ish". She is not mature. And she has a very difficult time thinking beyond her own comfort and needs. I have a hard time shopping for an honest Mother's Day card because so many of them talk about a mom that gives and does so much for her children. She has bent reality around herself. I search for cards that simply state the truth: that I love her. I love her for who she IS and not who I wish her to be. I had to leave my wish behind a long time ago.
And yet, I praise God for who she is because it has compelled me to be the mother I am today. I say this not in a hateful, disrespectful, vengeful way, but in a truly honoring way. I honor my mother by being a credit TO her. I am able to look back at things and evaluate how I want to interpret, extend, or change them for my own kids.
I want to lay down my life for my children.
And I do.
Every single day.
I am not a mother for the accolades. I did not give birth so I can be thanked. I do not do the zillion things I do each day for the appreciation. I do not demand recognition. Nor do I complain when it doesn't flow like water.
To be "Mother-ish", you live beyond yourself. You pour yourself into someone else. You think beyond your needs. And you do the same thing, day after day after day, because of how much you love that other person. Every single thing I do as a mom has extremely critical, eternal consequences. Every mundane errand. Every daily chore. Even those dishes. It all weaves a tapestry. It all composes a song that beats in the heart of the child, "You matter to me. You matter to me. You matter to me."
I drive my kids to school because they matter to me.
I vacuum the living room floor because they matter to me.
I fold the laundry because they matter to me.
I get up early and pray for them...because they matter to me.
I love them. I would--and I do--lay my life down for them every single day.
I know that my mom didn't MEAN to hurt me by her words. I HOPE that she didn't mean to imply that she hated her time in raising children. I HOPE that she was merely being supportive of my little girl's future and trying to be encouraging in so far as she can be whatever she wants to be in life. I am ASSUMING that my mom didn't mean to imply that I am wasting my life by investing myself in mothering. And I am REMEMBERING my own mother's life, the experiences and the times that shaped her point of view. And and am TRYING to interpret her words through a filter of LOVE.
Because EVERY DAY is Mother's Day.
"We know what real love is because Christ gave up his life for us. And so we also ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters."
1 John 3:16 (NLT)
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Dirty Laundry
Just a few minutes ago, I was folding a load of laundry. It was delicates. This included my um...delicates, of course, as well as a few precious contributions from my sweet daughter such as a sweater dress and a few embellished t-shirts that I wash inside out so they maintain their adornment. Today's load featured a special guest star. It is a highly reflective, specialized work shirt that belongs to my nocturnal road working husband. Yes, the fellas from The Village People would be jealous. It is an extremely visible neon green and has reflective strips to accent this fashion statement. On the tag, it actually tells you to wash it in cold water AND to only wash it 25 times. After that, it is done. You can no longer use it as a safety garment. I find that interesting. (Or as our daughter pronounces it, "insteresting".) I thought it'd be neat if they had a tag or tick system inside of it so you could mark the number of washings. I have no official clue as to how many times I've washed this shirt. I know it's well under 25, so we're good. I think. Hm....well, if you hear a story on the news about a brown man being used as a speed bump one night, then you might know what happened...his wife failed in her wifely laundry duties.
Anyway, my dearly beloved hubby was up after a pretty good morning's sleep. This time I think it was 5 to 11:30-ish or so. And he was sitting here watching TV while I was folding this load of laundry on the sofa next to him. I joked that his work shirt was so bright that the other clothes in the load were scared of it. We chatted about the limit on the washings and he said something to the effect of, "Yea, I try not to put it in the laundry to much. I think I've worn it like four times since it's last been washed, but last night, we were doing sewer work and it got dirty so I thought I should put it in the wash."
Ummmm.....sewer work????
Floating around with my.......delicates? With my sweet little daughter's sweater dress???
Really?
Niiiiiiiiiice!
Anyways.....other than THAT, things have been going quite swimmingly. I think we're getting into some sort of a routine. We're trying to plan our vacation for this summer. That is all up in the air still, but should have some sort of direction soon. His poor boss broke her ankle and has to have surgery tomorrow! :( She has to cancel her own vacation that was coming up soon. That's a bummer. Our vacation dates basically depend on whatever is agreed upon between her and Arvin....so stay tuned for scenes from the next episode of "As the Ankle Turns".
Anyway, my dearly beloved hubby was up after a pretty good morning's sleep. This time I think it was 5 to 11:30-ish or so. And he was sitting here watching TV while I was folding this load of laundry on the sofa next to him. I joked that his work shirt was so bright that the other clothes in the load were scared of it. We chatted about the limit on the washings and he said something to the effect of, "Yea, I try not to put it in the laundry to much. I think I've worn it like four times since it's last been washed, but last night, we were doing sewer work and it got dirty so I thought I should put it in the wash."
Ummmm.....sewer work????
Floating around with my.......delicates? With my sweet little daughter's sweater dress???
Really?
Niiiiiiiiiice!
Anyways.....other than THAT, things have been going quite swimmingly. I think we're getting into some sort of a routine. We're trying to plan our vacation for this summer. That is all up in the air still, but should have some sort of direction soon. His poor boss broke her ankle and has to have surgery tomorrow! :( She has to cancel her own vacation that was coming up soon. That's a bummer. Our vacation dates basically depend on whatever is agreed upon between her and Arvin....so stay tuned for scenes from the next episode of "As the Ankle Turns".
Friday, June 3, 2011
Hit & Miss
Well, the rain has still been doing its thing. Which is normal, actually, for this time of year. We, as a community, tend to forget this fact. We think because the calendar says "June" that it should be all sunshine all the time. But let us not forget all the graduations and weddings that happen with eyes cast on uncertain skies!
So this has meant that, for Arvin, this week has been rather hit and miss, work-wise. He's mostly worked days this week. He did work Wednesday night and was home by 5:00 AM. He slept maybe 2 1/2-3 hours and then was up the rest of the day, working some. Needless to say, he was very happy to be reunited with his pillow last night. We were laughing together yesterday because it seems like this new schedule is anything BUT a schedule. It is just work whenever, wherever, for now at least.
Anyway, that's the update for now. Not much to report other than it was kinda lonely without him the other night. I can see how that will be a long haul later. Oh, and there are a couple of events coming up this month where I am going to have to get the nerve up and ask someone to watch my kids for me when I have to go somewhere. I hate doing that. I just don't like asking for help. And I wish for my kids that they could just stay in the comfort of their home. But we do have some very wonderful, awesome grandparents and I know that when they watch our kids it's not just helping us out, but facilitating a wonderful life-long bond between them. So it's okay. I just need to get the nerve up to ASK. :)
So this has meant that, for Arvin, this week has been rather hit and miss, work-wise. He's mostly worked days this week. He did work Wednesday night and was home by 5:00 AM. He slept maybe 2 1/2-3 hours and then was up the rest of the day, working some. Needless to say, he was very happy to be reunited with his pillow last night. We were laughing together yesterday because it seems like this new schedule is anything BUT a schedule. It is just work whenever, wherever, for now at least.
Anyway, that's the update for now. Not much to report other than it was kinda lonely without him the other night. I can see how that will be a long haul later. Oh, and there are a couple of events coming up this month where I am going to have to get the nerve up and ask someone to watch my kids for me when I have to go somewhere. I hate doing that. I just don't like asking for help. And I wish for my kids that they could just stay in the comfort of their home. But we do have some very wonderful, awesome grandparents and I know that when they watch our kids it's not just helping us out, but facilitating a wonderful life-long bond between them. So it's okay. I just need to get the nerve up to ASK. :)
Monday, May 30, 2011
Rain Again
Rain, Rain!
Go Away!
Come again another day!
The beep of the cell phone beckoned from the hall closet while I was torturing Arvin with a mutual session with the diabolical Jillian Michaels. After we survived our workout where one moment Jillian was telling us that we should "really be feeling alive" and the next moment she said that we "should be begging for death", Arvin limped over and checked his voice mail where he learned that another night's work has been canceled due to rain. I wondered if construction workers are made of sugar and Arvin gave me a mercifully and uncharacteristically brief lesson on the fine line between being able to work in the rain and not being able to work in the rain. Needless to say, he'd prefer to at least get some work in because putting it off now only means longer days in the future to make up for it, but deciding to be optimistic he said he is happy to be home with us.
Folks have asked how Arvin is adjusting to this new schedule and the best we can so far, is we don't really know yet. :)
Jillian must not have been very hard on the Arvinator, because he talked about taking the dogs out for a run later. Funny! I'm off to lay in the fetal position...
Go Away!
Come again another day!
The beep of the cell phone beckoned from the hall closet while I was torturing Arvin with a mutual session with the diabolical Jillian Michaels. After we survived our workout where one moment Jillian was telling us that we should "really be feeling alive" and the next moment she said that we "should be begging for death", Arvin limped over and checked his voice mail where he learned that another night's work has been canceled due to rain. I wondered if construction workers are made of sugar and Arvin gave me a mercifully and uncharacteristically brief lesson on the fine line between being able to work in the rain and not being able to work in the rain. Needless to say, he'd prefer to at least get some work in because putting it off now only means longer days in the future to make up for it, but deciding to be optimistic he said he is happy to be home with us.
Folks have asked how Arvin is adjusting to this new schedule and the best we can so far, is we don't really know yet. :)
Jillian must not have been very hard on the Arvinator, because he talked about taking the dogs out for a run later. Funny! I'm off to lay in the fetal position...
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
90% Chance of Confusion, I think, I dunno, I can't remember...
What's today? Day Three? Or Day Four? Or by now, it's the eve of Day 4. I have a feeling I am not going to keep up with the numbering the days thing. Like Arvin is at this point, I am losing track of what day it is. He said he is already finding himself telling people to "Have a good night", even if it is daytime. :) This discombobulation has me wondering if we were ever really combobulated in the first place.
I was planning on having posted a bit earlier than this, but this has just been a very discombobulating 24 hours actually. Arvin woke up around 1:30 yesterday after a good solid stretch of sleep to find a voice mail from the contractor that they were cancelling that night's work because there was a 90% chance of rain. Well, shucks. NOW what do ya do? A half dozen phone calls later and it was what it was. He stayed home and we looked out the window wondering when that rain was going to come. Turns out, we'd have been waiting a long time because it didn't come really until the wee hours and we both imagine that they'd have been able to accomplish at least most of their work for the night. Ah, but that's how these things go sometimes, I suppose. It was nice to have my man snoring beside me last night.
Both Thomas and I suggested to him that he might want to maintain his schedule as much as possible and stay up as late as he could, but when the pillow beckons, Arvin is not one to resist.
Then the funny thing was that he had a meeting called by his boss for today at 1:00. I said, "Doesn't she know you work nights?," rather cheekily. Evidently, this "nights" thing pretty much means whenever, wherever, and be ready to work basically 24/7, as needed. Oh, and the days you work might be flexible too because now that they didn't work last night, they may add an extra night tomorrow night. I can sense that this is going to be lots and lots of fun. That is if you totally like living with an uncertain fate. :)
But there are perks too. Yes, I can hear my Dad in my head, "Like a paycheck". Yes Dad. But also time...Today, Arvin got to come along on Norah's class field trip to the High School's Agricultural Fair. It was lots of fun and great that he got to be there and share the memories. We were assigned the sweetest, best behaved and most lovely foursome of little girls in the class (God Bless that teacher!) and we didn't lose a single one! We watched log bucking, archery, and fishing, and got to pet cows and horses and bunnies, and we got to look at pigs and sheep and all sorts of critters. I was impressed by the high school students running the demonstrations. They were very smart, kind, prepared, and knowledgeable. Their parents and teachers must be very proud.
I had an eye exam today and Arvin was also able to be home to watch Norah while I went to do that. I have taken her along with me to that appointment several times before, and it's very do-able, but not particularly easy for either her or me. So it was a blessing that she got to stay home and play while I took care of that.
A recipe called "Loaded Potato Chowder" and whole grain rolls were for dinner tonight and when it was time to say good-bye, that sinking fog sensation did not roll in...the one that echos "this is too hard". That was good. That was a blessing. But it's relative, "I hate good-byes" did whisper in my brain. Why did that pop in? He was just going to work, that happens all the time. And I remembered that little bit of myself, from way back, and why it is that I flinch at good-byes, why I hate watching the last episode of anything, why I cried even when I left a job that I really wanted to leave...When I was a little kid, I packed and moved a lot. And having stability really meant a lot to me then and obviously still does today. So sometimes even packing for a much anticipated vacation or saying "Have a good day at work honey", gives me butterflies. But only sometimes. God has done quite a healing work in my life in that area and will be faithful to complete it.
I didn't come across a Scripture verse today that seemed to just pop out out "nowhere" and soothe my mental hiccup. So I will offer instead one of my favorites, one of many, that reminds me of my husband as he works tonight on the highway:
I was planning on having posted a bit earlier than this, but this has just been a very discombobulating 24 hours actually. Arvin woke up around 1:30 yesterday after a good solid stretch of sleep to find a voice mail from the contractor that they were cancelling that night's work because there was a 90% chance of rain. Well, shucks. NOW what do ya do? A half dozen phone calls later and it was what it was. He stayed home and we looked out the window wondering when that rain was going to come. Turns out, we'd have been waiting a long time because it didn't come really until the wee hours and we both imagine that they'd have been able to accomplish at least most of their work for the night. Ah, but that's how these things go sometimes, I suppose. It was nice to have my man snoring beside me last night.
Both Thomas and I suggested to him that he might want to maintain his schedule as much as possible and stay up as late as he could, but when the pillow beckons, Arvin is not one to resist.
Then the funny thing was that he had a meeting called by his boss for today at 1:00. I said, "Doesn't she know you work nights?," rather cheekily. Evidently, this "nights" thing pretty much means whenever, wherever, and be ready to work basically 24/7, as needed. Oh, and the days you work might be flexible too because now that they didn't work last night, they may add an extra night tomorrow night. I can sense that this is going to be lots and lots of fun. That is if you totally like living with an uncertain fate. :)
But there are perks too. Yes, I can hear my Dad in my head, "Like a paycheck". Yes Dad. But also time...Today, Arvin got to come along on Norah's class field trip to the High School's Agricultural Fair. It was lots of fun and great that he got to be there and share the memories. We were assigned the sweetest, best behaved and most lovely foursome of little girls in the class (God Bless that teacher!) and we didn't lose a single one! We watched log bucking, archery, and fishing, and got to pet cows and horses and bunnies, and we got to look at pigs and sheep and all sorts of critters. I was impressed by the high school students running the demonstrations. They were very smart, kind, prepared, and knowledgeable. Their parents and teachers must be very proud.
I had an eye exam today and Arvin was also able to be home to watch Norah while I went to do that. I have taken her along with me to that appointment several times before, and it's very do-able, but not particularly easy for either her or me. So it was a blessing that she got to stay home and play while I took care of that.
A recipe called "Loaded Potato Chowder" and whole grain rolls were for dinner tonight and when it was time to say good-bye, that sinking fog sensation did not roll in...the one that echos "this is too hard". That was good. That was a blessing. But it's relative, "I hate good-byes" did whisper in my brain. Why did that pop in? He was just going to work, that happens all the time. And I remembered that little bit of myself, from way back, and why it is that I flinch at good-byes, why I hate watching the last episode of anything, why I cried even when I left a job that I really wanted to leave...When I was a little kid, I packed and moved a lot. And having stability really meant a lot to me then and obviously still does today. So sometimes even packing for a much anticipated vacation or saying "Have a good day at work honey", gives me butterflies. But only sometimes. God has done quite a healing work in my life in that area and will be faithful to complete it.
I didn't come across a Scripture verse today that seemed to just pop out out "nowhere" and soothe my mental hiccup. So I will offer instead one of my favorites, one of many, that reminds me of my husband as he works tonight on the highway:
"Go out! Prepare the highway for my people to return! Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders; raise flag for all nations to see."
Isaiah 62:10 (NLT)
Amen!
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