Half and Half

Half our day was really great... the other half? not so much.

We all woke up eager and excited this sunny morning because we were going to Emily's pool to swim with our friends! The kids have been talking about it all week. We were actually ready an hour early because everyone was so excited. We loaded all our gear. Is anyone else flabbergasted by the amount of stuff required to take two young kids to the pool? It blows my mind every time as I fill the back of our minivan, but it was completely worth it!
The kids were all wonderful and played and swam to their hearts content.
There were lots of smiles and laughs all around.

After we left the pool, things started falling apart piece by piece. We changed our clothes and put Carter into a dry suit to head to swimming lessons. I tried to reschedule Julia's dentist appt on the phone and of course their office was on vacation. Then I tried to call the peds office to make her lab appt for tomorrow and they were at lunch. When we got out of the car Julia climbed into the stroller and tried to buckle herself. Suddenly she was screaming and had taken the tip off her finger in the clasp- poor thing- bleeding everywhere. As I'm trying to settle her, my phone rings. I flipped it open and it literally broke in half! It was now two, instead of one. With the screen completely detached it was totally useless. So much for phone calls.

While Carter was in his lessons, Julia and I were happily playing cards in the hallway. A group of elementary age girls walked by and blatantly and loudly were making fun of Julia and calling her 'weird'. It was the first time this has happened to her so far. Lots of people stare and some ask questions about her baldness- we've grown accustomed to it, but no one has teased and mocked her. It just broke my heart because she had to hear it and feel it. I wanted so badly to take it away, but I couldn't. She looks pretty pitiful today. Her swollen face has now bruised from her lip up to her eye. I tell her every chance i get how beautiful she is and I pray she knows it in her heart.

We left swimming with two exhausted children. Julia happily went down for a nap. Carter of course refused, though it probably would have done him (and me) a lot of good. I took a quick shower, hoping to feel rejuvenated and even put on a dress and earrings. Maybe things will start looking up now. Not so fast. As I walked in our bedroom, I discovered the cat had thrown up all over the floor on my side of the bed- yuck!

When Julia woke up, we went to meet Daddy to hopefully remedy my phone situation. In the time it took to drive the 10 min over there, Julia managed to pee from her chin to her knees. Now what?! I had no extra clothes in the car, so I changed her diaper and put her in a jacket we found in the trunk. Oh my! After we found a phone, I took her Target to grab a new outfit, so we could get some dinner. The kids were starving. Why is it that any other day I could have found a dozen choices, but today we couldn't find anything? We finally put together something cute and inexpensive and headed out- dressed this time :)

It's been one of those afternoons, but we have persevered through. No one lost their temper, no one had a break down, and we are all asleep or heading to bed hoping for a good day tomorrow. Julia goes in for her weekly labs in the morning. She seems to be be doing well so far, so we are praying for no surprises.