Friday, November 29, 2013

Spin Cycle

You know that moment when your washing machine goes click and then the drum starts to speed up and soon there is the speeding thump thump of the spin cycle squeezing every last drop of water out.....

Yup.

My life.

This week.

Spin Cycle......on repeat.

You've heard it all - confirmed complicated fracture requiring immobilization of David's arm, Lindsay had what now seems to have been a nasty allergic reaction to iron in a multivitamin and was in pain and miserable, the camera malfunctioned - the big camera....as in will not take a photo.....black screen of death, my AGM (aka Annual General Madness), dealing with 20 false alarms on the alarm at the new centre and some ongoing significant building issues there, Spanner had a moment and caused a scene which upset Allan, and 420 million other small details that must be attended to.....right.now.

By Thursday morning we were a family in the dumps.

Sounds pathetic for a family on the eve of a grand adventure..... but it was the truth.  We gathered at the bottom of the stairs, as Allan and I were about to leave for work, and stood in a group hug and said a prayer together....we all hung on for a few moments after "Amen".

And things have looked up since then....Lindsay is detoxing well from the vitamins that nearly killed her (this "Irish overstatement" is an inside joke - right Mom?), the camera is under warranty and it turns out Nikon is the only company ever who doesn't have to ship something "out east" to get it fixed and they are "pretty sure" it will be good to go by Thursday....and David gets to stay in a removable splint over a plaster cast because I dared to question the Orthopedic surgeon....and ask him to consider alternative treatment given the circumstances... that Dr and I have "history" and it was a much more difficult emotional encounter than I expected....thankfully Allan was at the the other end of a text message to give me some perspective and love!

Friends have been so caring, offering meals, bringing cookies, My Mom and Dad have been rock stars helping with the kids and meals and advice....

It's T-minus 1 week and I would not have imagined how stressed I would feel - I counted on my planning to get me through but the emotional stuff blindsided me.

Again.

I am so emotionally stupid at times..... I just don't always see it coming .... I live so much in my head.

Usually it's just me who is anxious and (slightly) uptight but I see now that travelling with teenagers who are aware of everything, who know much of the cons as well as the pros, who think and wonder and
are a little worried at times....they need emotional support, confident and organised parents.

This is not like taking 5 year olds to Disneyland.

This trip WILL be amazing and we are SO excited to see friends and family there but it is work to travel, harder work to travel to places unknown, high-ish risk, so completely outside of the kids life experience.  To be prepared and yet flexible, to cover the bases at home and have sufficient resources to enjoy the trip fully.

And we are feeling all that emotion on top of the drive to get so much done here, work, marks, homework, house cleaning, Christmas prep, packing etc.

But in a great way this week of adversity (really minor adversity on anyones scale) has brought us closer together - has tightened up that little family unit - perfect timing to be so connected as we will be in close quarters for 30 days coming up.....

As the washing machine spin cycle is whirring along you hear that click.....and the immediate slowing of the drum........slower and slower......

I am sure I am about to hear that "click"...... as we start to coast towards the boarding call to the plane one week from today.

I do have one last prayer request .....that coming snow storm.......please be small, and short-lived..... deal?

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