"Aunt Hope, is my silver tooth going to stay in for a long, long time?"
"Aunt Hope, will the Tooth Fairy still give me a dollar for my silver tooth?" (Note to self: apparently the Tooth Fairy gives a dollar per tooth.)
"Aunt Hope, can I eat something crunchy now?"
"Aunt Hope, Why do you wash your face?" (He asks me this EVERY SINGLE night!)
"Aunt Hope, Is Sunday a long time?" (Sunday is they day we go to church and he gets to see the puppet show.)
My nephew has what we call two holes in his teeth. A couple of weeks ago, I took him for his first ever dental visit. I just love, LOVE our pediatric dentist! She is wonderful with kids. It was determined that he needed quite a bit of dental work, so we scheduled him at the surgery center where he would happily dream away while they fixed his teeth. Today was the day!
He was so good…how many four year olds do you know that don't whine and complain when they find out they not only can't have anything to drink, but they also have to skip breakfast and lunch!?! He was great. We made a fun morning and he had me take pictures of his *hole in his tooth* before we headed off to get his new teeth.
"Aunt Hope, stop doing that with your glasses."
As I was doing nothing with my glasses, the only thing we had to go on was that he must have been hallucinating! Regardless, it was quite comical!
Six fillings, two root canals, two crowns and two hours later, he came out with brand new teeth! He didn't remember a thing except to say that he liked sleeping there and getting silver teeth. What a trooper! Of course, the minute we got home, he demanded a picture of his new teeth so that he could see them..and then crawled into my bed with a hand held mirror…so he can keep an eye on his new teeth.
And while we're in the picture taking mood….I managed to grab a great shot of a beautiful rose in my backyard today!
Hubby got paid today. That's a good thing…so in celebration, we headed over to Costco! We had decided that it was time to get the pups a bigger doggy bed to lie in during the day in the living room. I was not about to pay pet store prices, so we decided to look at Costco while we were there. We found a pretty nice navy blue one with a really soft pillow. I say this, because the Smart One walked all over Costco with the soft pillow bed on his head. He did this so that I could see where I was pushing the cart. I'm short, in case you didn't know that…and trying to see over a cart full of groceries and a doggy bed just doesn't work for me! (Bruce, if you're reading this, please try hard to refrain from sarcastic remarks and laughter!)
Anyway, we finally make it out of Costco with the Smart One carrying the doggy bed on his head. We get the month's worth of groceries into the van and then I go to climb in the front seat and drive away. Only, I can't…cause what happened next was too funny.
I'm not really paying attention to the Smart One beside me, because I am in a hurry and trying to get through Wally World before I have to pick up the next child from school. All of a sudden I hear,
"The view is great up here!" (Huh?)
I turn to my side, and there sits the Smart One, all seat belted in, sitting on a throne of a doggy bed! He was totally comfortable on his temporary throne! ha ha
He managed to lose his throne when we got home though. Roxy took one look at it and claimed it as her own!
Ever feel like you spend your entire life waiting on repairmen? If it's not one thing, it's another! When does it stop?
I sometimes think it'd be easier if we didn't have all of these things that keep us going everyday.
If I didn't have cable, we wouldn't need the cable guy. On the other hand, if that was the case, I'd also have no internet and I wouldn't be able to write this blog!
If I didn't have a refrigerator, I wouldn't need the refrigerator repair man. On the other hand, I wouldn't have cold food, either. Hmmm.
If I didn't have a washing machine, I wouldn't need the washer repair man, but then again, I wouldn't have clean clothes either…UNLESS…nah, too much trouble to load up laundry for eight people and take it the the laundry mat.
And so…we have to have those repairmen in our lives…which is probably the reason I have spent better than TWENTY HOURS of my time lately, waiting on them…and really..who has time to wait that long?
Take my washing machine. It was washing clothes just fine, but it kept refilling with water. I'm pretty sure that isn't supposed to happen. So I call the friendly Sear's 800 number…and I fight my way through their automatic answering machine thing because heaven forbid you'd actually get a real person on the line to help you…but that's another blog for another day.
So I work my way through, get a four hour window wait…and wait. The repair guy finally shows up, an hour after he was supposed to even be there, and *fixes* the machine. How, you ask? Well, because apparently a sock, caught in the flap of the front loader, makes the machine take water back in. Now, I think I'm a pretty smart woman, but that sure seemed kind of off to me.However, the repair man is convinced that this is the problem, so he heads off to his repairman land and I have a temporary fix.
Nope…because the next time I go to wash the clothes, the machine is full of water again. I drain, I pretend to ignore it and I continue on. But then, I realize it isnt' going to go away, and I am…and the thought of coming home to a washing machine full of stinky water doesn't settle with me. So…I do the whole hour on the phone trying to get a repair man out to my house again thing.
This time the nice repair man says it's the water pump..and he plays with it and leaves. Ok.
So can someone please tell me why the washing machine is able to pump the water out of the machine, but not keep it out? I mean, it SEEMS like a pretty simple thing, but I guess I'm too simple. So when the machine fills up with water again, I get to make yet another phone call.
This time, I wait my four hours..and then some…and then some…and no one shows up. OK then. So, I get to make another phone call. Hmmm…they'll send out someone more responsible. So I wait another four hours…and this repairman is probably really not wanting to deal with me at this point…so he just replaces the water pump and calls it fixed. I do point out that the pump seems to be working, it's only later that the water comes back in, but he's the repair man who knows what he is doing, right?
Until the water comes back into the washing machine again…this time with an error added to it. Now it won't even spin out the water anymore AND the water continues to come back in. So, we call the repair man again. He comes out and I'm not home, so my dear hubby gets to deal with him. Turns out there are three little socks in the flap again…so he states that is the problem, declares it fixed, and heads home. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, please tell me that didn't just happen!
Sure enough, the next day, the washer is full of water yet again. So, I call the friendly Sears man once again and try once again, to explain the problem and beg him to send someone out who can fix this once and for all. He promises to send someone out on Wednesday, between 8 and noon. Ok then…on Wednesday I wait…all day…and no one shows up. So I finally call them in the late afternoon, and they inform me that no, I had the wrong day. I don't THINK so! They say I'm supposed to have him on Saturday. I really don't think I'm crazy enough to mix up a Saturday and a Wednesday, especially when I'm just trying to wash my clothes!
So, Saturday the supposed good repairman shows up. I explain to him that I really don't think it's the socks, I don't think it's the pump and yet I get faulty errors and the water comes back in. He says he knows exactly what's wrong and will have it fixed in a jiffy. It's the valve system. It needs to be replaced. He says there was never anything wrong with the pump. (In the meantime, the icemaker in the freezer decides not to work anymore…I mean it makes ice, but you can't get it out. So I ask him if he can look at that, too, and he says that I have to call the Sears repair line and get a freezer guy out. Yeah, you've seen where that's gotten me!) So, he replaces the valve and goes back to repairman land.
On Tuesday, I come home to find a note on my door from Sears. It states that they are sorry to have missed me. Ok then…now they're coming out after the fact. On Wednesday, I get a call from the Sears repair phone and am informed that I missed my appointment. No, I don't think so. They tell me that my dear hubby has called them for an icemaker repair. Nope…that didn't happen either. We've both sworn off ever calling them again. We finally figure out that the nice repairman on Saturday must have put in an order for us after he left..only no one told us. 🙂 So, we reschedule the repair service for the icemaker today. (That's be Tuesday, almost a week later…cause they are busy afterall.)
And then….on Saturday, I'm informed that the washing machine is full of water again…and it isn't draining again…and it has an error again. No way, no how..I"m not making that phone call again! I really loathe calling that automatic Sears repair line trying to get a real person who can help you in person.
But this morning….I can't even get it to wash a load. The error starts right away. So now it's dead. And you can't turn it off, either..it's alive…and dead. You have to completely unplug it. So I make that dreaded phone call again…because at this point, I have to do laundry, I really don't have a choice anymore. And I go through the automatic phone repair thingy not understanding anything I say until it finally gives up and transfers me to a real human being. And she was actually a real human being. So I apologize up front and ask her to forgive me for sounding desparate and frustrated, but in fact, I am deparate and frustrated and all I really want to be able to do is some laundry.
She then states that the soonest appointment is Friday afternoon. But Ma'm, I can't be here on Friday, you see, because I have to be at the hospital all day for my little one's surgery. Ok, then, how about Saturday. Well you see, ma'm, I also can't be there on Saturday, because I have this training that I have to do; it's required by law, and so I just can't skip it. Well then, how about we make it for Monday afternoon. Well ma'm, that really isn't going to work for me either, you see, because I really need to do laundry before then.
She finally asks what will work for me. Really? You're asking me what works for me? Well, see, today would work out great since I already have to be here to get the refrigerator fixed. As a matter of fact, I think it'd be great if the repair man that is already going to be here could fix the washing machine, too. She replies that would be nice, unfortunately, he's not allowed to fix the washing machine. Ok then….well, how about tomorrow if they can't do today? That would work out great for me, you see, because I'll have someone here who can probably help during that four hours that I have to wait for the next repair man.
She says it's not possible. I proceed to beg…I mean really beg. I beg so much, I ask her if she could just get a supervisor and beg him like I'm begging her. She put me on hold…for quite a while…but when she came back, she said that they agreed to send someone out if I could be home between the hours of such and such tomorrow. Yes ma'm, I will be there, if you promise to send someone who will actually fix the washer!
Shortly after, the Mr. Repairman for the freezer shows up. He takes a look, and then states he's confused, because his notes state that the freezer is completely broken and won't freeze. Nope..but if that's what it takes to get a repair man out here, then I'll go with it…but in the meantime, can you make my ice maker work…and by the way…do you fix washing machines, too?
Alas, he tells me he's actually the air conditioner repair man who just happens to be fixing the freezer today. He knows how to fix the washer, but he'll get fired if he touches it. I try to bribe him and tell him I won't tell anyone if he won't, but he can't do it. He does fix the ice maker though. That's great, except I can't wash my clothes with an ice maker.
For other Sear's Fiasco stories, read these:
The past few weeks certainly have been. Yup, that's all I can say…they just have been. A recap if you will:
Three ER visits in less than three weeks; bronchitis, flu, sciatica, fractured wrist, dental stuff, school stuff, homework, drawing, hip hop, karate, visitation, numerous phone calls…the list goes on and on! The other day I sat down at 3:30 pm to finally grab a bite of lunch. I was happily slurping up my soup when I realized I forgot to pick up the littlest one from school! I quickly zoomed out of the house and made it just in the nick of time! 🙂
The kids send me text messages reminding me of their needs during the day, and hope that they've moved up on the list of things to accomplish today!
"Mom, don't forget this."
"Mom, don't forget that."
Sometimes they're just reminding me of stuff for me, because quite frankly, they know I may forget! B-boo continually tells me that she doesn't know what I'd do without her….she's right! She knows what I need these days before I do and will have it in the van as I rush out the door to the next appointment with the next kid. You just gotta love her!
And then there's just life. Honestly, many have asked how I am doing, and it's gotten to the point where I just look at them, really, because, how do you answer that question when you really don't even have the time to sit and think about how you really are? You just are. It's that simple.
What I do know is this:
I know I have an amazing God who really knows how I feel and who really will get us through this. He continues to prove that to us day after day.
James 1:2-3 says,
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
Faith is an amazing thing.
I know that I have an amazing family and that God is working in a mighty way in their lives right now. This comes with much hurt, many tears, and a love that is all encompassing. My children are learning to love in ways that I don't think even they thought was possible.
I know that I have an amazing support system through friends and our church. The outpouring of prayer alone is enough to humble us. This past weekend we had to go through 7 hours of Kinship foster training. We had children fanned out all over the city! Friends were showing up at our house early in the morning to pick up whichever child they were in charge of for the day and just took them and loved on them and gave them what they needed! Another took fluids and soup to my oldest son who was sick with the flu; she'd never been there but knew she lived close and knew I couldn't take care of his needs, so she did it for me. Amazing. Another child needed someone and made a phone call to one of our friends. She didn't hesitate, but jumped in her car and took care of the need immediately. Amazing.
We learned this weekend that these friends who are so willingly helping us are going to need to have their lives intruded on as well. They'll have to be fingerprinted and their homes will have to be inspected. I mentioned this to one of them late Saturday night when she brought back one of our children. She didn't hesitate at all, instead just said, "Sign me up!" Sunday morning at church, her husband was confirming that he was fine with the whole thing, too, when another friend and her husband piped up that they'd be willing to go through the process, too, so that they could be on the list to help out. Amazing that we don't even have to ask. In addition, another friend came up to me and asked what I need help with. I just kind of looked at her and smiled. I don't know what I need, remember? (ha ha) She took control and said she'd bring us a meal on Wednesday; a safe meal for my whole family because two of my children suffer from serious food allergies. Amazing.
I'm learning how to say "no" when I need to and "yes" when I ought to.
I taught a Bible study this weekend on being in the wilderness and looking at the peaks and valleys in your life and how God has, or is, bringing you through. We're in a pretty big valley right now and the mountain seems too hard to climb, but I can honestly say that I'm looking forward to it. There are moments when it seems too hard, and God will send someone amazing who just happens to call right at that moment and offer to pray for me (thank you, dear friend). There are also moments, when I realize just how much God is strengthening me, and so I continue on in Him, after all, He is Amazing!