Last week was not my favorite for a number of reasons:
1. The kids started school for the year. I know that many Moms all over the world sent up a collective “Hallelujah!” and I may or may not have sent up a half-hearted, “Woo?” (I did not get NEAR enough beach time this summer), but I do love me some routine. What I do not love is making school lunches. I will give the kids a bath and fire them into bed and look forward to (finally) sinking into the couch and then remember that I have lunches to make. Sandwiches with no peanut butter and fruit (leathers) and granola bars and putting them in lunch kits and cleaning up yet again because didn’t we just clean up the dinnertime mess TWO HOURS AGO?
2. I caught a stomach bug. There was no vomiting involved (I’m sorry/you’re welcome) but my stomach was in knots and I was scared every time a burp bubbled its way up and I lived on a diet of toast for two days.
3. Matthew went hunting for mountain sheep. On a mountain. OUT OF CELL RANGE. For TWO DAYS. While I was HOPING I WOULDN’T BARF.
3b. Maybe barfing would have felt better. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t.
4. While he was gone I had the joy of balancing school drop-offs and pick-ups with child care drop-offs and pickups for Miss Emily and dealing with work and house stuff and life stuff and trying not to bow to the porcelain throne and/or cry from the weight of it all.
5. Upon arriving home, Matthew had the same feeling-barfy/non-barfing virus that I had and spent Thursday night dry heaving and all day Friday napping/helping me get ready for the weekend.
Our weekend plans were to attend our church‘s Family Camp at Green Bay Bible Camp. Based on the week we had, the thought of packing up and being social was not high on my list of “wants”. However. Having paid for the weekend already and having a husband on staff means that attending was pretty much mandatory. Insert grumbling (HERE).
He and I had talked about the camp the week before and I had asked him if any of our friends were attending. He hadn’t seen the list and by the time I got everyone to bed each night it was too late to call anyone and so I thought maybe we’d be stuck making small talk with people we barely knew. I told him how much this was a barrier for me and (ten years later!) he finally realized that I truly am an introverted extrovert. Better than twenty years later, I suppose.
The thing is, we pulled into camp and saw some of our favorite people. The sleep was horrible, yes, and the food was mediocre (though WAY more kid-friendly than last year), but the chance to sit over breakfast/lunch/dinner/playground supervision with some of the people I’ve known for years (including Karen, my roommate from before I married Matthew) made the weekend so much greater than I had thought it would be. I left wanting more. More time with these people, more chances to sit and catch up, more opportunities to cast our responsibilities aside and just talk.
As for the children? They had a good time as well. Just don’t let their expressions fool you.
I’d blame it on the rain (early ’90′s reference there) but we all know those expressions are the result of their Mom asking for JUST ONE nice photo of the three of them. At least nobody was crying or picking their nose.
Sunday may have been overcast with some drizzling rain, but the two preceding days were full of sunshine and also, teeter-totters. They may be banned on school grounds everywhere but there where three of them at the camp playground (hence their draw). If you lost sight of your kids, odds are they were on the teeter-totters.
I may not have been looking forward to the weekend after such a rough week but it held far more good than I had anticipated. It felt good to unplug and to plug in, all at the same time. All I need to do now is catch up on my sleep and I’ll be golden. Ish.
Hehe … we call them “seesaws” instead of “teeter totters” although your name is pretty cool! Might have to steal it!
We normally have our church family camp in October but have postponed it until March next year … Rob & I organise the whole thing, so I’m kind of relieved to not have to think about it for a few months! But still love getting together and hanging out with our church family in a totally different setting, it’s SO therapeutic! Glad you enjoyed that aspect of your camp.
Hope your tummy is all better now too!
.-= Hannah´s last blog ..Inspiration =-.
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angella Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
It is!
We call them “seesaws” as well; we use both. But “teeter totter” is more prevalent.
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I am glad your stomach is feeling better… That is the worst feeling, especially if it drags on….I have no kids, so I can’t related to school starting for them, but I agree, summer flew by way to fast. Where I live, every weekend was pretty perfect, but still, there was definitely not enough beach time. Is there ever? The temperature here plummeted this weekend, and rather than enjoying the sun yesterday, I spent the day huddled in a sweater!
.-= Hilary´s last blog ..Still daddy’s little girl… =-.
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angella Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
I cracked out the sweaters last week. And the socks and shoes.
*sob*
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It sounds like a wonderful weekend (sans Non-barf) but I especially LOVE those last three pics of the Munchkins, too stinkin cute!
.-= Rebecca´s last blog ..I Fell In Love =-.
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angella Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Thank you.
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Rough week indeed. I am bummed that we weren’t able to go, and that we will probably rarely be able to in the future due to apple harvest. Boo!!
.-= Amanda Brown´s last blog ..One- Two! =-.
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My father-in-law has spoken at family camp at Green Bay a couple times. I’ve heard it’s GORGEOUS.
Glad you had a great end to a not-so-fun week!
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Yay for a great end to that week!
.-= Kami’s Khlopchyk´s last blog ..To Find A Soulmate =-.
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I’ve been battling a stomach issue complete with much nausea since May. No, I’m not pregnant haha. I went and saw the GI specialist and apparently it’s what happens sometimes after an infection takes over your body. I’m re-stabilizing.
Anyway, last night had a lot of the same symptoms again, and I was heavy praying that I wouldn’t barf and that I could just fall asleep. Today’s a new day, so hopefully a good one. What a DRAG.
I’m happy that you were able to unplug. When I saw your tweet last night, I was a little jealous. ‘I wanna unplug’ I said.
P.S. I am SO wish you on the introverted extrovert. I’m an extrovert when I am around people I know, and I am one when I need to be, like at a wedding when I’m the photographer. But other times, I’m as introverted as they come.
xoxo – here’s to a better week!
.-= Laura Radniecki´s last blog ..I Heart Faces – Vroom Vroom =-.
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I have never commented before, but I love your blog. It just seems like you have such a wonderful life, with your kids, your family, your little town – I envy it all. Thanks for putting it all out there for us to read, even strangers like me. Hi from North Carolina! Hope this week is better than the last!
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I always enjoy it when I have a good time in spite of my crabbing or expectations to the contrary. Glad you had a good weekend!
.-= sizzle´s last blog ..Shop Til You Dropkick Someone =-.
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My brothers and I had to make our own lunches starting with grade 1. But maybe you could make a whole whack of sandwiches on the weekend (or one evening during the week) and throw them in the freezer, ready to be taken out the night before?
.-= Meg´s last blog ..30 Days – Day 03 =-.
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Awwh, I’m sorry it was such a crummy week, babe. But so glad the weekend redeemed itself (and your stomach!). Today is kicking me in the face, big-time. I’m totally kicking back, though.
.-= Kerri Anne´s last blog ..“Can you move” “Only my lips” =-.
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Noooooooo! Now that song’s in my head! AAAAAAAAAAAA!
.-= Victoria´s last blog ..Pete and Re-Pete =-.
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(And by “that song” I mean the rain one, not the bay one. Except now I have both. Alternating. Double Aaaaa!)
.-= Victoria´s last blog ..Pete and Re-Pete =-.
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Sometimes I wish I had kids because on those weekends, I totally would have stayed in and been a hermit. And usually when I suck it up, I have a great time.
.-= Kristabella´s last blog ..They Say It’s My Birthday =-.
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I always fight the vomiting too, even though I usually feel better after. Sorry …
I love teeter-totters.
It’s great to hear you had a good weekend. It’s usually the occasions that I am not looking forward to, that often pleasantly surprise me. Maybe it’s the low expectations?
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