Tuesday: I left home more than an hour early today so that I could stop by the poll and vote. There has been a lot of hype around this election cycle--and for good reason! Yikes. I wish, at times, politics didn't interest me as much as it does. I also wish we didn't live in such a place and time as America in 2022--but I wouldn't want to live in a different country either. It's just that so much has happened in the last 20 years or so ... most of it completely against what God wants for people. Anyway, I was motivated to vote and I DID.
[It is now Wednesday morning and I am pretty sure every single person I voted for did NOT win ... sigh; worse yet, the proposals that I opposed also went through.]
Good thing my happiness does not depend on which candidate or issue won or loss. With the Lord, I am always on the winning side.
"Who in all of heaven can compare with the LORD? ... Powerful is your arm! Strong is your hand! Your right hand is lifted high in glorious strength. Your throne is founded on two strong pillars--righteousess and justice. Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants ..." (Psalm 89:6,13,14).
In spite of voting, Tuesday's schedule remained as the prior ones have been. Callaghan was very happy to see me! Miss Jen says that he has a built-in clock and gets himself ready to go at about 10:55 every week and waits at the door for me. Cutie! When Jen opens the door to me, the first thing Cal says is: "More car?" Yes, dear. Grandma Carol has a LOT more cars all over the place at her house just waiting for you!
We picked Erin up from pre-school and drove to my house. Erin still has quite a cough (so does Cal) and looked super tired. She didn't fall asleep enroute to my house, however, and was ready to play when she go here.
Cal was super pleased because one of our little red engines was repaired this week. Erin discovered LAST week that it had a little button and a small speaker that indicated it should DO something. It turns out she was correct; however, the batteries were dead. I replaced those batteries -- they are those special little round batteries, #357 Energizers. Erin and I put the new batteries in together and when we pushed the little button, the train made a little "toot-toot" sound. That was it for Cal! It was his favorite thing for the rest of the day.
I found a little bin of lacing cards and foam shapes up in my closet last week when I was cleaning it and got it out today for Erin to play with. I was surprised how pleased she was with the whole process. She stuck with this activity for 20 minutes straight!
The kiddos also cooked up a bunch of yummy food for me today. It was an intense project as both of them wanted to use the little stove at the same time. I had to deflect Cal (he is NOT easy to deflect either!) a number of times and give him substitutes--which worked most of the time, but kept me frantically trying to keep up with which of the two were not sharing or who had which toy first, etc. We managed, and I got served a bunch of very interesting food!
Cal is not one to be pushed around ... no way ... he is one tough little cookie. Go Cal!!
They did have fun looking at all of the fake food and pretending to be chefs. I'm glad I have so much of this stuff for them to play with.
Erin is quite the little chef. She just enjoyed herself hugely getting all of the plates and cups out with matching spoons.
Erin has such a dear little heart and I love her to pieces.
Before we knew it, it was time to get Aidan from school. Erin and Cal fell asleep on the drive to his school. Aidan, who is not a quiet little person, woke both of them up upon entering my car. In his defense, though, it is rather awkward to get that middle seatbelt fastened in that narrow space--it could hardly be avoided that we would wake them. However, they did not wake up happy! They woke up super crabby. Oops.
Thankfully, the drive to their house is not a long one from Aidan's school. Once home, we all played pretty well for the first hour or so. Brendan came home from school, ate his cooked apples that I had warmed up for him, declared that he couldn't find his homework, and then ... we all went to the basement playroom to play. Things were going quite well until Aidan was building a train layout with TWO trains and Cal and I were building a layout (separately from Aidan) and Cal grabbed NINE train cars and got them all lined up and moving on his track. Aidan discovered the obvious discrepancy in fair numbers, walked over and grabbed two of Cal's trains, hoping it wouldn't be noticed. Ha! No way, no how. Cal was completely UNDONE over it. We tried to negotiate a settlement, but Cal was not going to have any of it, began crying and that was the beginning of ... the next hour of .... less than happiness.
Erin had been lying down on the big bean bag in the basement because she truly didn't feel well. When Cal began crying, she started complaining of an ear ache--holding her head and crying. Hmm. So now there were TWO crying. When Erin cries and attempts to explain her dilemma, her words are difficult to understand! I told Erin I would take Cal up to the main floor to eliminate his "noise" from her ears, but that only made Cal more upset. We did go upstairs but he kept crying to go back down. Meanwhile, 5 minutes went by and Erin came up the stairs crying even harder about her ears. At about that time, I got a text from Kelly asking me to have Aidan ready for an appointment--she was on her way--and could he be ready to leave the house with her right away? Yikes. I called downstairs to Aidan, who had been left with all the trains. Would he come when I called him? A miracle! Aidan actually came when called. Since he has started Kindergarten, he has gotten more and more ... noncompliant--at least for me. I have to work on this with him somehow. Aidan came upstairs after a few minutes, and even got his shoes on. We found his coat and he was ready! Cal's crying and Erin's crying increased throughout the process of me getting Aidan upstairs.
Did I mention that I had a sore throat and a pounding headache myself?
Just when I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown (this is an exaggeration), I looked up and prayed OUT LOUD: "Lord! Please help me! Please have Dylan and Kelly come home quickly!" Just then the door opened ... and it was Kelly and Dylan! I'm afraid I was found to be quite beside myself and I wasn't very ... in control at all. I really do not like it when that happens! Kelly greeted her little ones but then had to leave with Aidan. They had come in with pizza, so we got some of the kiddos eating--which did stop Cal's tears--but not Erin's. Thankfully, Dylan was not on his last nerve at all and the two of us handled the situation, Cal and Brendan ate, Dylan got Erin some medicine and tucked in upstairs in her bed, and then Dylan ate. I had a nice visit with Dylan and then I left shortly after 7pm.
When I got home, I texted an apology to Dylan and Kelly, about being so blunt and frazzled as they came home tonight. They were very sympathetic, and I don't think they hold it against me at all. They reminded me that life can be overwhelming at times! Yes! Love them so much.
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