Daddy's day

Jesse actually said this morning that the birds in the trees were all singing Happy Daddy's day -then while we were doing last minute yard stuff in the unbeleivable for this time in the morning heat he ate the blueberries (handpicked wild no less) I had set aside for his father. Now he is on time out and I am taking a moment and then we leave for 2 weeks (I packed this morning).

Disney World -the happiest place on earth. So how do you ask people to pray you survive it or explain bursting into tears every time you try and talk to Guest Services (... to find out about handicap access -oh, clue) ? After a week moving my mom back into her house (thank you big sister for joining her for a few weeks), cleaning, organizing, floating in the raft tied to the dock (full disclosure) rushing back for a student's final presentation and packing (this morning remember?) now I get to take a 20 yr old who has an uncanny talent for getting lost, a 5 year old (enough said) and the 25 yr old with the crutches that broke yesterday and are now cobbled together from old spare parts (you get the idea of the sort of thing we keep in our basement) to Disney World while Daddy relaxes in all day meetings. And while I don't hesitate to send out mass emails asking for prayers for hospitalizations I thought it wouldn't go over big this time. Is there special coverage for "vacations"? Now I am not asking for sympathy because (in my heart) I know I don't deserve it but if you could all laugh at me and maybe get a few friends to laugh at me too (if you know my dear college daughter and can picture her lost in Disney World it will help) maybe that will get me through because I will be too embarrassed not to pull myself together and smile at Mickey.

Oh and the biggest reason I don't deserve sympathy can be seen here walking on the beach with the time out boy. Dad's are pretty cool.

his heart's fine

Actually so is mine according to the cardiologist...so far... but the bp and cholesterol all need to come down and now this .... (if the link doesn't work it's a news flash that studies now show short people have a 50% higher heart disease risk) http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100609/ap_on_he_me/eu_med_short_people_heart_problems . Really I think it would be easier to grow taller at this point. (And if any one reading this had been picturing me as tall and willowy you just go ahead).

Staying at the beach would work. Who knows how tall you are when you're lying on a beach towel? Yesterday I awoke to my mom making her way to the living room with her walker to tell us the 23 yr. old had come in late and then been on hand when the 25 yr old had a seizure to help him into bed and she hadn't slept all night and then the 5 year old woke up -too late if you know what I mean in terms of changing the sheets again. (and in case you didn't know at least 2 out of the 4 things mentioned are normal boy behavior, but wait -I'm going for 3 out of 6). And then the 23 yr old overslept what turns out to have been an important appointment but I ignored his alarm knowing he'd let us sleep through the seizure. Also you might not want to sign even a minor citation with a smiley face. So still at least a 50% normal life I'm thinking.

surf

Funny, but for 3 days I had no anxiety "attacks". Just me and the beach and the 2 guys who are still all mine. And the one who felt guilty about it being a working (mini) vacation didn't mind the clothes and jewelry I found in the cute little beachy artsy shoppes (shops might be Walmart so the spelling is key here). Even the time Caleb's crutches washed away in the surf and we had to have new ones expressed to the nearest pharmacy (because it's not like the shops (or shoppes) at the beach stock child size fore-arm crutches), and just use the one meanwhile that his dedicated father had found out in the breakers, I relax on the beach. It must be the assault on your senses by the slamming, banging waves, and the wind all over, and the sunlight even on an overcast day and the heat and the smells and there's just no room for anything else.

Then we came home and 1)I brought some sort of the whole right side of my face is swollen ear infection with me 2)Caleb had not done any kitchen work while we were gone which is his one real job 3)my mom was feeling too 92, grumpy and miserable, enough that she was bothered that I had new stuff and a teapot for my sister but only leftover oysterettes from a restaurant for her 4)many emails awaited re: various academic type meetings and advisees etc. 5)some worker guy pulled out a perfectly gorgeous lavendar and sprawling rosemary at my mom's house before they decided they didn't need to cut through that wall after all and 6)I was reminded that I am mad at several people all named Bob. Caught in all those waves... but wait 1)penicillin and vicodin 2)a repentant reformed Caleb, well no not quite, but he did try hard to catch-up and apologised 3)my Mom told me about the grumpiness due to the oysterettes so I could laugh with her -and admitted they were good oysterettes after all 4)my advisee graduate student told me I was "awesome" 5)maybe we saved the lavendar and I'm cooking with the rosemary and afterall the work is finally getting done and 6)... nope, still pretty ticked at the Bobs. Surf's up. Everybody jump in.

And I think I want a convertible for my 50th birthday even if I couldn't actually take either the 92 or 5 year old in it.