One of Those Days

It was one of those days, although the set-up for the day began last night while I read the girls the last chapter of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nihm. While I read, we heard a loud crash. I knew Andy was trying to figure out what was wrong with our garage door, and I was sure the bang meant he had finally been able to close the door, ungracefully.

When I joined him in the living room, the first thing he said was, “The garage door is broken, I could not lift it by myself, so tomorrow if we want to get out of the house, I am going to need your muscles to lift that thing.”

I forgot all about it, until this morning when it was time to go to school and Andy asked, “Are you ready?”

This is where I tell you that I am a wimp.

So Andy gets down and gets a hold of the bottom of the door, while I hook my fingers in the closest thing I can find to a handle. “Ready. Lift!” And I pull with all my might and Andy is able to get his hands under the door and I know I am pulling up as hard as I can but that thing is so heavy I am not able to hold it up at all. The fact that Andy’s hands are under the door makes me worried they will get crushed and I won’t be able to lift that monster up by myself.

We try again, and Andy knows I am kind of…useless.

“Okay” he reconvenes, “We are going to get something to use as a lever, or something that will hold the weight of the door so we can lift it. Once we get the first panel up, it should be easier.”

So we find this piece of wood and get it ready so that as soon as Andy lifts the door I can slide it underneath.

We have been out there for a while, and the girls are already late for school. We even wonder if they will have to stay home because we cannot open the garage door.

So Andy lifts the door, and I don’t know, I suppose adrenaline kicks in because I am telling you, my husband turns into hulk and he gets that door pushed all the way up.

“Okay hun, go get the keys and get the cars out” he says.

He is hulk, he is strong! Okay, I run inside to get the car keys. I open the van door first and the alarm goes off.

“Sorry” he apologizes, “I locked the cars yesterday when I thought I couldn’t get the door to close.”

I get the van out in the driveway, then run to the car. It is locked, and I realize I don’t have the right key, so I run back inside to find the key…except that I cannot find it.

I am running like a chicken with my head cut off, from room to room, lifting papers and frantically searching my pockets since I was the last one to drive the car. In desperation I dump the contents of my purse on the bed and realize somehow, there are crumbs all over…but no key.”

“Hun, I cannot find the key, I am afraid I left it in the car!” I run outside and tell him, while he is trying to find a way to get the garage door lodged.

He is awesome, he is not even a tad frustrated.

In resignation, I go back inside and think to move a plate on the counter, and sure enough, I find the key. I then move the car.

I take the girls to school and we are late. Their teachers are great and understanding. Then I go to the office to explain that the girls will be gone Friday and Monday and the secretary is well, not very friendly.

I am back in the school parking lot and I open the car. The alarm goes off. I think I turn it off, but it goes off again. Still, it happens a third time. As I drive off, I remind myself not to run any stop lights because I just realized I dumped the contents of my purse on the bed and my driver’s license is taking a nap.

At home Nichole is demanding. Once Andy leaves for work she wants soup for breakfast. Yes, tomato soup is her favorite, she makes a huge mess with it every time.  And it takes her about an hour to finish it. One sip at a time, watching sponge-bob, and I would ban that show if it wasn’t for the fact that she laughs so hard and I cannot resist that laugh.

When she is done, she needs a bath, like now. But first she needs to go potty, and it takes about 20 minutes for Nichole to go, one of the down sides of low muscle tone. She insists I hug her. This girl needs moral support to go poop.

She gets in the bath and she is happy to get ready for the day. She wants pink clothes and her hair to be beautiful. By the time we are done, it is time to go get the big girls from school. We are supposed to go to Minnesota for a few days right after school, but I had no chance to pack.

We get home and my mom calls, there are thunderstorms and hail in the cities, it will be a nasty day. I check the weather and I feel discouraged and stressed because I have to pack and I want to get on the road soon. So I yell at the kids and I call my husband so I can yell at him too.

Finally, Andy is home and I am not sure what to do. So I am a wimp once more, and decide to stay home, finish packing, and drive in the morning with no thunderstorms, rain, or hail.

I apologize to my husband, because I am really just out of line. I apologize to my girls, and Ellie reassures me “It is okay mom, we can go in the morning.”

And I am so thankful for my family and for their grace towards me.

It was just one of those days, when I react to what happens around me in a negative way and I make it all about me, but one of those days where my family’s forgiveness abounds and I feel lucky to have them.

Edited to add: Andy reminded me that we did not find the car key until I was back from school, and he did get frustrated with me for snapping at him, but he forgave me.

Adding once more: I went to bed really late last night, I don't think I can function happily when I don't get enough sleep.

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