A Long Few Days

This week has been a busy one for us. It was the last week of the library activities :( and also the week of The Fever. Erin has had a fever, up to 103 for the past few days and nights. Just a fever and crankiness. The pain reliever/ibuprofen has been making her sleepy and gassy, an unthrilling combination. So I have walked a few miles on the carpet the past few nights, in between baking under our Eskimo comforter and reconstructing Ian's homemade tent over his bed at 4:30 after it collapsed on his head. Then he needs a drink, to pee, etc and then the baby cries again. Thus my career of being semi-nocturnal evolves.

Chris has been helping, sleeping like a log through all the disturbances and then getting up at 7 or 8 with the kids and letting me sleep in. Until it's time to get up and go to the library for the 10am shows. So I think my middle name starts with an L, but don't bet on it.

But that's all over now. The fever persisted through this afternoon, but she's sleeping beautifully in her crib now. At least until I get in bed.

Tonight is the Annual Westville 'Settler's Day' Rodeo. Yet here I am, home with the kids. Happily ensconced in our house, close to the new dishwasher and the air conditioner. Chris is on duty, happily heckling traffic offenders. (Note: Side effects of exhaustion include speaking nonsense, dreaming about starring in a broadway musical and speaking entirely in alarmingly astounding alliterations)

The garden is doing wonderfully, as is the garter snake who lives there. We thought the cucumbers were starting to die off, but they are still producing cucumbers that could double for javelins. The squash is picked off for a day or two. The okra is picking up and I have been forbidden from picking any more green tomatoes until they ripen. Grr. The peppers are a loss this year. Some kind of exotic beetle has taken over. They gather by the dozen on one leaf to sit, munch and reproduce. If you flick them off, they congregate on the plant next door and continue.

Our family went swimming in our pool yesterday. I am a redhead with a gazillion freckles, so Chris got our beach umbrella out and stuck it in the ground next to the pool. It put half the pool in the shade, so Erin and I sat happily in the shade while Chris and Ian splashed and caroused in the other end. We had fun. I wore a bathing suit for the second time this year, as well as enough sunscreen to spot from space.

Chris got his new boots today, so he is very thrilled. He was in an incident a week or so ago where he got called to a house where there had been a stabbing. When he got there, the victim was holding a rag to his head. When he moved the rag to see if the bleeding had stopped, the blood spurted out in a continuous stream until Chris and the other officer got the guy to keep it on there with pressure. Evidently his temporal artery had been punctured. He almost died in the hospital and needed transfusions. In the process, Chris's pants and boots were hosed in blood, so we had to get new ones. Naturally, they were backordered. But they got here today. Yay.

Also got the kids' birthday presents in the mail yesterday. They are in the closet in the box it came in. I predict that Chris will beg to give it to them early, at least 4 times before the birthdays come around.

In other news, we are checking into pre-k for Ian. Can you believe that school starts on August 7 here???

For some reason, I remember school starting the last week of August, or in the early 20s of August, and ending in June. What happened???

Oh and for an extra charge, "Cruze Night" and burnouts will be on my birthday! Wail of indignation and frustration! Arrrrgh! One more reason to absolutely loathe the Burnouts!

The police department is still chiefless. Everyone is wondering what will happen. We are still praying to get outta here. Also still looking for another job. Moving to FL seems to be another "no." Or at least a "no, not now." We can accept that, but it is still disappointing. All doors seem to be closed, so we're sitting here, waiting on God.

More news. Last night, every car on our street was broken into and change/cell phone chargers/purses/wallets/checkbooks were stolen. We were the only car that was left alone (and the police cruiser). Thank you Lord! Boy are we thankful that we locked everything up last night. We will continue to do so. Police are actively pursuing all leads and stopping everyone walking after dark as they are considered suspects! Just in case you're thinking about walking around here after dark, that is. :)

Oh, and that's me doing the Hokey Pokey at the Library Party "Going Buggy" last week. The first one is me dancing with a group of little girls. The one right here is where Chris tells me that I'm embarrassing Ian, please stop. "Hey!" I protested. "At least I'm dancing in a group!" He didn't see the cute little girls dancing with me. And he wouldn't dance either. The library coordinator/head librarian, my friend Sue Ann, snapped about 4 pictures of me doing it. At least she gave me 4. She could've taken a roll. Hm. She DID mention blackmail. Oh well, it'll take a lot worse than this to blackmail me! See me shake it all around? 'Cause "that's what it's all about!"