This week

So, we are all "alive and kicking" still (as one of my dear friends loves to hear). This has been one of our tougher weeks. I'm getting used to Steve's school schedule after, after having a few weeks off from single-parent evenings. But this semester, there are only two days per week, plus one partial, where he leaves for school about an hour before the kids' bedtime. So, it's not so bad, and not quite as hectic in the evenings as in past years.

My kids were little troupers, though, on Tuesday when I managed to miss the first step while carrying laundry down the stairs. I flew down head first, managed to grab on to the railing, of which the metal support promptly snapped in half, and barely managing to pull myself upright before hitting the ground, found myself wedged between the opposite wall and the railing doing the hurdler stretch. Suffice to say, I was doing everything in my power to not cry and scare the kids. Older-DS hearing the ruckus, tore up the stairs with DD on his heels. "You broke the railing!"

"Yes, honey, I fell down the stairs. Please give me a moment."

"Can I see? Ohmygosh, you'll be OK, Mommy. Just take a deep breath. You'll be OK; it'll only hurt for a little while."

DD, peering around Older-DS, cried out, "Mommy, are you OK? You broke the railing!"

Patting me on the back, Older-DS reiterated, "You'll be OK, Mommy. Now Ava, help me pick up the laundry so the cat doesn't pee on it. We'll put it by the washer." And he and DD, kindly gathered up the laundry and brought it the rest of the way downstairs and put it by the floor of the washing machine." (Of course, when DH called to let me know he was on his way home from class, they told him that I had broken the rail, without telling him how.)

I was proud of my little ones, who were quick to re-assure me and prompt to take action-even if the main excitement was the fact that the railing was broken and the scraped off portion of my shin, while I managed to only cry a little before limping the rest of the way down the stairs.
Suffice to say, I'm still not walking normally, and most of my foot up to about 2/3 of the way up my shin is a lovely mix of greens and yellows and blacks with a fist sized bruise on my other leg. But, now that I've stayed off of my foot for most of the weekend, my foot and ankle have stopped swelling up. It was lovely during the week, since I was still wearing "work" shoes and hobbling around. I didn't break anything, I don't think, but there are two spots on my shin that still really hurt, and DD kicked them last night while she was sleeping in our bed.

Wednesday my grandmother on my dad's side passed away. She's been ill for some time, and has been doing very poorly for the last couple of months. My parents have been traveling to VA to visit her frequently. Unfortunately, life got in the way of my little family seeing her. In fact, I have not seen her since junior high, I think. Military families don't seem to be that close to outside relatives. I don't really remember her coming to visit us very often growing up. And she lived in AZ after my grandfather retired. (He passed on in the early 80's). I do remember her, though, as quite the cosmopolitan lady. She seemed to always be traveling after my grandfather died, visiting her scattered family--brothers and sisters and their families. I think she visited my aunt and my uncle and his family more often, though, than us. I feel for my father, though, as he has had to watch his mother's failing health.

Thursday, Youngest-DS when do the doctor with suspected Pink-eye, which he has (but is nearly gone now).

Friday, DD woke up in the middle of the night with a fever and ran one around 102.7 for Saturday, with Older-DS quickly following with one just under 102. They're feeling better today, though, and are hovering just over 99 with a bit of a cough and runny noses.

The good news of the week: Older-DS received 2 awards during an assembly this week-Perfect Attendance and All A's Honor Roll.

It's Sunday and the beginning of a new week. Hopefully this one will run a bit smoother.