Stressed Much?

I've mentioned the overwhelming amount of events going on through this month. So far I'm handling it well(?)! Except for a few glitches.

My husband has a tendency to set things down and forget where he put them. This tendency has morphed into a habit of epic proportions this past month. We have three keys to the truck. He never knows where he last used any of them. Occasionally I find one and put it on my keyring, but when he needs the truck, he can never find his key or his spare, so he just takes the one off my keyring. And then, of course, no one can find it later.

I'm not much better. I went to a sale and bought several shirts this weekend. This morning I was searching for the green one to wear to work today. I couldn't find it anywhere, and was really getting frustrated. It finally hit me that the shirt I was looking for was the one I decided not to buy after all. No wonder I couldn't find it in my closet!

Two weeks to go. This week, in addition to work, cooking and houseguests, we have to finish (start) decorating for Vacation Bible School, finish washing all the laundry the boys brought back from camp, clean the house for the church group coming in on Saturday, and host Luke's graduation open house on Friday night.

Oh. I also have to finish (start) writing the lines for the skit that runs through all five days of Vacation Bible School, and coordinate the million and one details that haven't been handled yet.
Breathe... Breathe...

The Good Neighbor Hodgepodge

Yes, I know. I never call or write anymore. You're feeling neglected. I get it. But since I've nothing else for you to read, why don't you sit back and cruise through the hodgepodge? Then leave a comment and click on this link to head over to Joyce's and see what the rest of the hodgepodge world is doing? There's a good cyber neighbor!

1. In what way are you your own worst enemy?

Hmmm. Perhaps by patronizing the few blog readers I have until they no longer return? Would I really do something so self-destructive? 

2. Jacques Cousteau's birthday was Monday, June 11th...ever been scuba diving? Is that something you'd like to try? What's your favorite 'under the sea' creature?

I've done snorkeling, but never scuba diving. I believe claustrophobia might get in the way of me enjoying scuba diving. And my favorite under the sea creature is Aquaman. 

3. On a scale of 1-10, how comfortable are you in and around the water? (1=not at all, 10=very) Do you know how to swim and if so how and when did you learn?

I'd give it a 10 in the shower. I'm very comfortable there. 

4. What's something you do to motivate yourself to tick an item off your to-do list?

Cleaning the house is always on my to-do list. Nothing motivates me more to tackle cleaning than knowing that we're having company. We have two guests coming in tonight, and staying for 10 days. The day they leave another dozen are coming in and staying for a week. Apparently I needed a lot of motivation. 

5. What makes a good neighbor? Are you a good neighbor?

After years of watching Mr. Rogers while growing up, I can confidently say a zip up sweater and a pair of sneakers makes a good neighbor. I have neither. Draw your own conclusions. 

6. Who loads the dishwasher at your house? Is there a right way and a wrong way?

No one loads it until I tell them to because apparently no one is motivated by a sink full of dirty dishes other than me. Since it's that hard to get them to do it, I can't afford to be picky about the way they load it when they finally tackle the job. 

7. You know it's summer when_________________________.

This one stumped me. It's always summer in Florida. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Random thought? RANDOM THOUGHT?!?!?! Did you read my answer to #4? In addition to all that company, I also have to plan a graduation open house, and plan and coordinate Vacation Bible School. The dozen guests are coming down to help with VBS, so they're actually staying with us the week we're having VBS! There is not room in the blogosphere for all my random thoughts! Here's a random thought: what was I thinking!?!?!


 

Breathe...Breathe...

I never got the Lamaze thing down very well. I know after six kids I should be an expert, but I think I set my expectations too high. They said it would make you cope with the pain. Somehow I translated that to get rid of the pain. Big difference. Especially when it didn't do what they promised, never mind what I hoped for.

When we were blissfully ignorant parents-to-be for the first time, we attended Lamaze classes and faithfully practiced at home. Unfortunately, I never did get the breathing patterns down right. At least, that's why I'm chalking Lamaze up as a giving-birth-coping-mechanism-failure. Terry, on the other hand, took to coaching like a natural. I think it's because the term coach conjures up some mental image of sports. Or maybe he just naturally likes to be in charge and tell people what to do. At any rate, my our birthing experiences were marked by his rhythmic chants:

"Breathe...two...three...four; breathe...two...three...four..."

It never worked very well for giving birth, but the concept has stuck with me through the years. I think I would have studied and practiced harder if I'd realized that Lamaze isn't just something for the labor and delivery room. It's a coping method needed throughout my life as a parent.

*When the kids would scream because they were about to get immunization shots ...

*When I sat at the health department for hours, wrestling six screaming kids while waiting to get immunization shots ...

Breathe...two...three...four; breathe...two...three...four...

*When I had to wash Stephanie's hair four times to get all the clumps out after she and her brothers had a mud fight ...

*When I picked up the pieces to the last remaining music box in my collection, after the kids had broken all the others through the years ...

In...two...three...four; out...two...three...four...

*When I sat through a competition performance and hid my own anxiety because I had to calm down the ones who were performing ...

*When I watched all six kids jumping on the trampoline at the same time--and coming within centimeters of smashing their heads against the edges numerous times ...

*When Matt informed me that he wanted to invite a girl he'd met twice to come stay with us for a week during VBS ...

*When Matt answered my "why" question with, "Because she's hot."

*When Luke kept waking up during the night because he was having nightmares about snakes ...

Take a breath...two...three...four...and now another...two...three...

*When Joel was diagnosed with meningitis when he was six days old ...

*When Matt accidentally electrocuted himself with a 220 plug while we were living in Uganda ...

*When Stephanie had to have surgery because we discovered she'd been walking around with an inch long piece of toothpick buried in her foot for over a month ...

You can do this...three...four; another breathe...two...three...four

*When I taught Matt to drive ...

*When I taught Stephanie to drive ...

*When I taught Luke to drive ...

Get back in your lane!...two...three...put your blinker on!...one...two...

*When I visited the emergency room with Nicky for his broken collarbone ...

*When I visited the emergency room a month later with Paul, who needed eleven stitches just above his eyebrow ...

*When I visited the emergency room a month later with Joel, who had broken both wrists ...

We can get through this...three...four; they'll be fine...one...two...

*When my firstborn said "I do" to the girl of his dreams ...

*When my daughter told me she was dating a wonderful man who is studying to be a missionary ...

*When Luke started looking at college options ...

In...two...three...four; out...two...three...four

Who knew Lamaze would come in so handy? It's gotten me through all these momentous (and sometimes dangerous) life moments. Like tonight when we go to Luke's high school graduation ceremony. There'll be pictures and smiles, celebrations, memories and a diploma. And underneath it all you may hear my coach murmuring,

You can do this...two...three...four...you'll make it through this...two...three...four...