Happy Birthday Bonnie, You Have Pink Eye!

Happy Birthday Bonnie, You have Pink Eye!
Originally uploaded by Bonnie_Williams

I'll admit, we've had a rough start this deployment. Erick had to leave about 30+ hours early. That threw me off a little, like someone pushing you off the high dive when you aren't quite ready yet. But we are getting on with it, the kids are bickering with each other a bit more than usual, but that is their way of dealing with it. Nothing too bad, it is just a lot of, "He's making fun of me, Mom!" or, "Mom, she's in my room and I don't want her in here..." Petty little fights, really.

So last night I was hanging out with the kids before bed. Joseph looks at me and says" You have an eye booger, Mom." I wiped it away, and noticed that my eye was very wet, full of a very big tear. I thought nothing of it until 5 minutes later I felt a wet eye once again. Once I looked at myself in the mirror, I knew what it was, Viral Conjunctivitis, better known as Pink Eye. Oh Boy! It had been going around school, but neither Joseph nor Lily got it. Lucky me! So I spent the rest of the night sewing my Halloween costume and wiping my eye. I set my alarm clock a tad bit earlier so I can be sure to get an appointment with the doctor in the morning. When I wake up, my eye is stuck shut -- I won't go into the details. One very warm washcloth later and I can see that my eye is almost swollen shut, I have just a little slit to look through. I wonder if I will be able to see to drive the kids to school (I was able to).

After all the shenanigans of the morning, i.e. kids taking too-long showers, rushing to eat breakfast, forgetting how to tie their shoelaces... I drop the kids off at school and go home to call my Mommy. I really needed someone one to talk with, and when you feel bad, who better than your Mom? She made me feel much better, she did her Mom magic that I guess I still need after these 28 years! So I went off to the clinic to hear what I already knew, I have pink eye. Yup. Thankfully the Doctor said Leah doesn't have it, and I will just get over it like one gets over a cold. So, as I walk toward the elevator and push the button to go down, I over hear an MP (military police) say "You all need to evacuate the building, we've had another bomb threat."

Oh sure, a bomb threat, why not?!

I took the elevator down anyway, since I had a big stroller, how else was I to go downstairs? While I was standing in that little elevator box, looking at baby Leah, I caught myself thinking, "What IF a bomb did go off while we are in here?" And then I thought about people who live in places with terrorists (like Iraq) and the mothers who live with bomb threats on a daily basis, as a part of normal life. What a way to live, what a different frame of mind they must always be in. I also thought of my husband, my brother Ed, and all the other Soldiers out there as well. They have to go live in that kind of atmosphere, the threat of explosions just a part of their day. That is true heroics.

Once I picked the kids up from school, things seemed to go a bit better. I had been planning a Halloween party for Joe and Lily. They asked me weeks ago, before Erick left. We thought it would be good for them, something for them to do to take their minds off Daddy leaving. I was glad to have something to do too! But now, with this pink eye, I don't want to infect my friends and their kids. I have decided to postpone it until Saturday, the day after Halloween. I hope people still come, and they don't think I have cooties! I won't be contagious then, and I think the kids will still feel like having Halloween-themed fun (I hope). So I printed out the postponed fliers and we took a walk to deliver them. Once we came back home, I checked Joe and Lily's backpack's for homework and there I found another birthday surprise: Joseph got in a fight and has detention tomorrow. Some kid made fun of Joe's socks and he pushed the kid instead of telling a teacher. And he also lied to me after school, because I asked him if the kids liked his "wacky" socks (today was "Wacky Day" at school...) and he said "Yup, they liked em', Mom." So there went his TV viewing for a week. I also had him write an apology note to the boy he pushed. On the plus side, Joe finally learned a math concept today!!! WOOOO HOOOOO!!!

This poor kid, he is surrounded by poor math-learners in his relatives. You might say he is genetically prone to have a hard time in math. I think he makes it harder in his head than it really is. However, a friend pointed me to http://www.mathfactcafe.com/ and he did several of the flashcards and worksheets. Best of all, he figured a short cut to math, the "counting up" when subtracting bigger numbers. He said, "Now I'll never need to use my fingers again!!" There you go, Buddy! You finally are getting it! Wheeeeww! --Birthday present #1

Lily saw how sad I was mid-day today. After the pink-eye fun, the bomb scare, the detention for Joseph, it was safe to say my 28th birthday was sucking (Actually, that would be an understatement). She saw me so, so sad while cleaning up the dog's poop in the laundry room - yes, the dog who is usually VERY good at going outside only, took a large crap on the rug (another b-day surprise for me!!) Lily came down with one of my necklaces as a present. Actually it was something Joe had found a few years ago, a metal heart with the word "LOVE" inside. He found it in a parking lot and gave it to his Momma - he was 4 or 5 at the time. Lily found the necklace I'd made out of it, and she "gave" it to me. She also drew a great picture - her and I with a huge butterfly and a huge bee. I love her pictures, I love to imagine the pictures coming to life and going inside them. I keep thinking her butterflies would sound like Bullwinkle the moose! She put a smile on my face. --Birthday present #2.

I thought I needed some time outside, and since the kids were playing outside, I decided to nurse baby Leah out in the front lanai (porch) with a book to read. There is nothing better for me than a baby at my breast who is falling asleep. Add to that a comfy round chair, a soft breeze and a good book = heaven. Leah fell asleep and I shifted her to the center of my chest, her face looking up at me. I could see her cheeks all pudgy and soft, while her baby lips were pursed like she was ready to give a kiss. And she gave me 20 minutes of this bliss, a sleepy warm baby and a good book to browse. --Birthday present #3.

I served dinner, served dessert. Gave the baby a bath and had Joe and Lily put pajamas on. I played a game of Ants in the Pants with them and tucked them into bed. I reflected on how my birthday started out awful, and didn't get much better through the day. But, I was able to find little bits of joy today. And I felt glad to have those little moments of happiness.

Then I got Birthday present #4 - Erick called. AAAAAAHHHHHH!! He is like the recharger to my batteries. He takes whatever is hurting me, upsetting me, bothering me, and kicks it to the curb. After hearing his voice, telling him all about the day, and hearing about his day, I feel ready to start again tomorrow. I feel ready to make tomorrow a better day, and I also feel ready to kick October to the trash pile! October has sucked majorly; bring on November!!!

Oh, it was great to read the comments, I do read them, and I am glad to know there are people who stop by once in a while and read what I write!! Thank you for reading me.