When It Rains.....

Things have been a little busy around these here parts. Everything you are about to read has occurred within the last week. Seven days.

*Found this little guy ON MY KITCHEN COUNTER. I know, I know. Wait, are you gasping about the spider, or the blue laminate?

He had weaved a pretty thick and large web around our cell phone cords and catch-all basket in the corner. Jakob had, of course, already left for work. The spider was a very fast little bugger, and my shoe-smashing aim when I'm scared to death is ridiculous. What to do? Boil two cups of water in the microwave and throw it on him, of course.

He scurried away from the first flood and hid in the corner. I had to pull the basket out in order to drown him with the second. He was stunned and turned on his back and I was able to smash him to death over and over and over again. I understand why passionate murders end in 20+ knife stabs. Something takes over and you can't stop. (I've been debating for three minutes whether I should leave the last two sentences in the post. Too graphic and unnecessary, but it is what I was thinking about when I couldn't put the shoe down.)

I gathered all the boys around me after that and we all gave each other big hugs. I was shaking. Unfortunately, the hurricane of water that killed the spider also flooded a few electrical outlets, causing us to not have power in the kitchen for a few days. No phone or home alarm system. But what are you going to do?

*Thursday night I was running errands when Jakob called me on the phone and could barely breath or talk. He was in so much pain, hurled over on the floor. Yowsers. I rushed home. He was passing a kidney stone, but we didn't know it. We made some phone calls and avoided an ER visit with lots of fluids, a heating pad, baths, and percocet. He was still cramping and in lots of pain for a few days after. We didn't know if he was still passing it or what, but it turns out it was just leftover swelling and cramping from the original. Very traumatic and painful.

But also one of those "wife tests" where I see how long I can go before I break out in my monologue about how no one takes care of the wives and mothers and if I was sick with a (fill in the blank), I couldn't stay in bed all day, I would still have to get out of bed and take care of the kids, etc. This time I made it 2 1/2 whole days. A record. I think it was because of that scary first night when we thought he was dying.

*On Saturday, Kobe attended a birthday party at a roller skating rink. Here is what I texted my family:

I'M AT A BIRTHDAY PARTY WITH KOBE AT A SKATING RINK. I WAS JUST GOING TO DROP HIM OFF SO I COULD GO HOME AND TAKE CARE OF JAKOB, BUT I'M GLAD I DIDN'T CAUSE I'M PRETTY SURE I'M GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE HIM TO THE ER BEFORE THE PARTY IS OVER. HE'S NEVER BEEN SKATING BEFORE AND IT'S NOT COMING EASILY. BUT HE WON'T GO DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT!

Fortunately, the big fall didn't happen until the party was almost over. Despite locking a wheel on each skate and renting wrist guards, damage was done. We toughed it through the weekend and got the exam, x-rays, and cast put on this week.

I knew it was coming. I knew the moment he put his skates on. But what was I supposed to do? Tell him to take the skates off and leave the party? Buy socks and skate around with him the entire time, possibly taking him down in the process because I don't roller skate? I felt completely powerless. The doctor said his wrist is fractured on the growth plate and cartilage, but that it should be fine. He'll reevaluate in two weeks.

*A few weeks ago we noticed some drywall bubbling in our basement. We scraped it off and have been trying to figure out what is leaking and where it is coming from. Then Monday I was greeted with this:

A mushroom like fungus growing out of it. Sick. Jakob started hacking away at the drywall to reveal lots of soaking wet insulation, wet wood, and mold.

We think that it is leaking from a pipe in the wall, which is so lucky because then our homeowners insurance will cover it. Because we are super-duper not handy and wouldn't know the first thing about fixing it ourselves. We'll keep you updated.

PS Our home was built in 2001. 2001! But I think it is aging in dog years.

*And on a complete sidenote, you guys should come visit us! We love visitors and have a nice, huge basement to house guests!

*Lastly, with four well-child appointments and all the sickness and injury in the last week, I have been to 9 different doctor's appointments in the last week. The copays alone total $250. Outlook on my end-of-the-year lasik eye surgery: Grim.

But let me go out on a high note. A few weeks ago I was walking through Home Depot when I saw a stack of beadboard. They were 4x4 pieces, and I'm guessing they were once full pieces with damaged sides cut off. There were 11 sheets and they had this written on the back of them:

It was - probably, but I'm still trying to decide - the happiest moment of my life. Forty-four feet of four foot high beadboard for $11. I can't make up my mind where I'm going to put it, but probably the family room so I can look at it most often.

Isn't life grand?!?