A Big, Long Day

Here's a summary of my day:


5:15 a.m. - Up


7:20 a.m. - Out the door; drop Kevin and the twins off at their school; hustle back to our neighborhood to drop Joey off at his school


8:45 a.m. - run home to have Lilah go potty, feed and change Finn and put myself somewhat together so that I don't look like I just rolled out of bed (because even though I was up at 5:15, there is no time whatsoever to do anything with myself in the morning, it's all about controlling the chaos and getting the kids out the door on time)


9:30 a.m. - drive across town to appt. at ENT doc for Finn


11:10 a.m. - We are finally actually seen by the doctor; our appt. was at freaking TEN O'CLOCK. Yes, we were kept waiting for an hour and ten minutes.


11:25 a.m. - The doc is done with us; I rush back across town to pick the twins up from preschool by noon


12:10 p.m. - Home; make lunch for the girls; feed and change Finn; try to put him down for a nap, but he's having none of that


12:45 p.m. - Leave to pick up Joey from school, as he has early release all this week


1:10 p.m. - Home with Joey; eat sandwich as quickly as possible; decide it's too late for Lilah to go down for a nap, and she won't sleep anyway since she slept for about 20 minutes in the truck; try again to put Finn down for a nap


1:50 p.m. - Leave for Joey's parent/teacher conference


2:40 p.m. - Home from Joey's parent/teacher conference


2:45 p.m. - Leave to pick up prescription for antibiotic for Finn who was diagnosed with a double ear infection and a sinus infection by the ENT


3:30 p.m. - home from the drug store; get Finn up from nap; fail at first attempt to give him first dose of antibiotic (even after trying the 100% guaranteed fool-proof method of administering oral meds to babies as per the ENT); succeed at second attempt (sort of); feed and change him; throw a load of diapers in the wash; break up fights; deal with random tantrums; wonder how soon I can crawl into bed and perhaps not get up for a few months.


And here I am.


A few things in more detail:

Finn has a double ear infection and a sinus infection (did I already mention that?). More on that here.

Michael also had an appt. this morning after his radiation appt. with the doc who will be performing his surgery, and honestly, I am freaking right out about all that. Michael is going to have to have not one, but TWO surgeries, separated by a few months. Both will require that he stay in the hospital for a number of days and there will be a recovery period after each, during which time he won't be able to work. His first surgery will take place the week of June 29.

He will definitely be in the hospital over Joey's birthday, and there's a chance he will still be in the hospital for Finn's first birthday. There is no way to finagle the surgery taking place at a different time - according to the treatment protocol, it must take place during that specific week. So I am really, really sad that the boys' birthdays are going to fall by the wayside - especially Finn's first. I had envisioned having a big celebration marking Finn's first year in our lives and inviting all the people who rallied around us after he was born. I suppose we could still do that a couple weeks early. I am also stressed out beyond words over how I am going to manage on my own while Michael is in the hospital and recuperating, and more than that, how we're going to manage financially with him off work. Freaking out.

I know that ultimately, the focus is on Michael getting well, and whatever that takes, so be it. I guess the doctors have given us such a positive outlook, though, for his pulling through this, that at the moment, I'm just feeling stressed out, and even pissed at all the ways this whole thing is creating upheaval for all of us. Wonderful wife, me, eh?

~~~

So, on to the positive: Joey's parent/teacher conference was terrific. I LOVE his teacher. She is one of those teachers that you wish could be your kid's teacher every single year they're in school.

Anyway, he's doing really well. He got a perfect report card, and his teacher said that he is working far above grade level. In fact, she said that he could easily be placed in a GATE third grade class right now (he's in first grade; GATE is the program for gifted kids), academically. However, emotionally and socially, he's a first grader. She's concerned about him being placed in in a second grade class next year with a teacher who will challenge him, and she has a teacher in mind whom she is going to request that he be placed with; however that teacher may be let go with the budget cuts going on. If that happens, she wants us to keep in touch with her and she said she would personally make up extra work packets for him to keep him challenged, even though she won't even be his teacher anymore. She's just really concerned about him falling between the cracks. It means so much to have a teacher that concerned and involved with your child.

Not only is he doing stellar work academically, she said that he's just a really good kid. He's everyone's friend, he gets along with everyone, he has a great attitude, and he loves to help other kids in his class.

It's funny, because she ended our meeting by saying to me and Michael, "Good parenting!" And it just makes me laugh, because I really don't think we deserve the credit for the way he is - I think he was just born that way.

Anyway, I'm very very proud of him.