Cousins, Peas, and Crisp White Sheets

This past week we took a trip out east to visit Marc's family. It was a week full of splashing in the kiddy pool and sprinkler with the cousins, playing with Amish neighbors, and snacking on fresh peas from the garden. I mean, need we say more? Let's just say that Marc had it good growing up.

We also took a mini trip to visit our old stomping grounds in Washington, DC. It was great to connect with my school kids who affectionately greeted me and soaked in Ben's smiles and high fives. We escaped the 100 degree heat (no joke!) by checking in early to our SH-MAN-CY hotel with crisp white sheets and marble table/countertops and bathroom flooring. Ahhhh. Promptly, Ben hopped on one of the beds and fell into the mountain of pillows. Marc and I took turns going out with friends while Ben could stay happily playing in the pool. Not a bad plan, eh?


Our time in DC felt like coming back home. So much of how I view education and real life is based on what I experienced in DC. There's a tug to go back and be a part of all that again. It was very special to me that the class that I taught the last year I was there, wanted to spend so much time with me and remembered the fun things we did their year in second grade. They remembered Marc coming on field trips and we called him "Mr. Hot Dog." They talked about the songs we sang and the books we read. After being home with Ben and having my teaching career at a standstill, it just about brought me to tears to know that I really did touch these kids and they remember our year together with fondness.

Anyway, we're back after surviving a few long flights and experiencing a cooler 20 degree difference. It's back to packing up our house and rocking our world this next week once again.

Saving Moments

When life gets overly tiring and stressful, there are also those moments that make me stop and laugh a bit. This child of mine is at an age where just about anything he does is worth recording.

Here are just a few:

I discovered Ben in this moving box singing to himself with giggles every so often. He was feeling mighty clever to have hidden himself so well!

Apparently when I lifted the flaps, I made the party stop. Oops!

Ben will make a tower out of anything that is stackable--blocks, bulky books, play-doh containers, tupperware, etc. Banana slices apparently fall into that category as well!

The Guts to Ask

Why is it so hard to ask for help? I don't mean to sound like a self-pity party, here, but I've been stuck in pretty difficult conditions these past 6 days.

Here's the scoop:
1. Marc is working his 6th day in a row of a 7-day work shift.
2. We leave for PA/DC on Thursday until the following Friday.
3. Tagged to #2, we close on our new house and move on the Wednesday after getting back and Marc will go back to work until the day of closing. I've been packing up our house while Ben takes his naps.
4. Ben's been taking 30-minute naps.
5. Ben's sick with one of those change-in-weather colds and can't sleep at night, because he's coughing, poor thing!
6. As a result of Ben coughing, he wakes himself up and stays up at 4:30am and I'm the lucky one to get up every time since Marc has to work with people and be alert as possible. This has been 3 mornings in a row.
7. Oh, and our neighbors upstairs decided to place their kiddy pool right outside our windows, so Ben can hear and see the kids playing while he's suppose to go down for a nap. I kindly asked if they could move it (before they even filled it) since Ben will be sleeping and the reply was, "I put it here so it could be in the shade." Ummm... sunscreen and a hat??? I'm not getting into it.

A couple days ago, I was in tears on the phone with my mom, because I'm so overly tired, stressed and upset with my supposedly-really-compassionate-and-thoughtful neighbors. She said she would drop what she was doing to come down and help, but I told her to stay home. WHY DID I DO THAT?!?!??!?! Is it admitting self-defeat? Do I not want to inconvenience someone else for my needs?

I start rationalizing, "ah, it's not THAT bad" and then I'm still miserable. No one is benefitting from this.

Now that it's a few days later, Ben is getting better slowly, we're getting a little more sleep, and my mom is coming tomorrow for the day.

Does anyone else have this hard of a time asking for help?