Almost Ready to Go

Superficial

In just a couple of days we're heading to Lincoln City for Brian's family reunion. Ever since we received Marcus's little green reunion onesie in the mail, I've planned on posting a picture of him in it and saying something like, "We're headed for fun!" or "Be back soon!" But I just don't feel up to it, and with the way I'm feeling today, all that happiness wouldn't be real.

I am having a tough time. It's been a very hard summer. We've had a lot of fun, and I really don't have anything substantial to complain about, but it's been hard all the same. It's been hard living in the Claypool's house. (Not the Claypool's houe specifically, just someone else's house.) I'm so thankful to have had a place to live this summer, especially since we were kicked out of our rental house when it sold. This is the nicest place we've ever lived in, but it's not easy living in someone else's house. I spent the first few weeks living in fear that we would destroy something. Then I blew up the kitchen. A pan exploded on the stove top, sending shards of glass flying around the room. Where the glass landed, the linoleum melted. Once the shock of all that wore off, I figured we couldn't do much worse, so I stopped worrying constantly, which helped. It's also helped so much that Casey and Shaille are being so wonderful about the whole thing.

Brian's schedule has been hard, too. We've been taking him to clinic and picking him up, and that's really not a huge deal, but it's made planning and making dinners difficult, because sometimes we would drive 25 minutes, spend up to 45 minutes waiting for him, then drive another 25 minutes home. We've been eating dinner late, going to bed late, and getting up early, and it's taken a huge toll on us. We're all tired and cranky.

We've also been back and forth on our plans for the next rotation. That has been a huge emotional ordeal for me. We went from putting our stuff in a storage unit in Richland, because Brian was going to Tacoma alone, to buying camping chairs and folding tables because we were going with him, to taking back the folding tables because he's going alone again. I really feel like this is a good decision. Once we made up our minds for good, housing fell right into place for both of us. The kids and I will be living in one of Brian's parent's rental houses, and Brian will be renting a room from one of the bishops in Tacoma. I know it's going to work, and half of me is excited to be moving back home, but the other half of me is so sad that we'll be away from Brian for so long. I know that military families do it all the time. I know that we'll have both his family and my family there to help us. I know we'll be able to see him sometimes on the weekends. I know all of those things, but it doesn't make it any easier.

And I'm sad to be leaving Oregon! We've made so many friends here, and we've made so many good memories here. We really have loved living in Forest Grove, and I know we will miss it and the people here so much.

So basically I'm just stressed out and cranky, and I'm just having a gloomy day. I've been happy for the kids, but I've kind of been throwing a pity party for myself while I've been cleaning and packing. It's just a rough day. I've just got to suck it up and get through it, then I should be fine tomorrow.

Oh My Gosh - This Poor Kid

So yesterday I was being lazy on the computer, and the kids were having a great time in their bedroom. Alyssa and Ethan were playing fort with the bunk bed, and Marcus was laughing right along with them. All of a sudden I heard Marcus screaming, so I ran into their room, saying, "What happened to Marcus?" The only problem was that I didn't see Marcus, and he had stopped crying for a moment, so I didn't hear Marcus either.

I ran downstairs, yelling, "Marcus! Marcus!" and wondering how I could let my baby disappear like that. Crazy scenarios were running through my mind: the kids left the back door open and he crawled off the deck, he crawled to the bathroom and climbed into the toilet. Well, he wasn't downstairs, so I ran back up and asked Alyssa, "Where's Marcus?"

"Right here," she said, and I found him on the floor in their bedroom, being sad, but not crying or screaming. I picked him up, and I noticed flecks of blood all over the right side of his face. After washing him up, I just found one little cut on his cheek, but then about an hour later, a lot of other little cuts showed up all over his face.

When I rescued him from whatever it was that attacked him, I looked around the room, and there was nothing harmful in the area, so I really don't know what he could have done. My only guess is that we have a foot scrubber the same size as the accumulative injuries, and maybe he wacked himself in the head with it? I have no idea. I'm also wondering how I didn't see him when I went to rescue him. I have no idea how that happened.

Obviously, he's okay. His face looks much better this morning. Half the cuts have healed already, if that's even possible. I can't believe this kid. I think he's going to be our injury kid. He's been to the emergency room twice. He's swallowed chunks of tin foil. And he's not even a year old! I think we ought to take out some seriously great health insurance on this guy, because if things continue as they've gone so far, we'll need it.