Gift of Mediocrity

My dear friend Kerry once mentioned this gift before and I thought, "Yes! That's me!"

Okay, maybe I shouldn't be so proud of it, but don't you feel better when you go to someone's house and you see that they too don't have a place for everything, or maybe they left a pile of things lying on the table or floor?

I do.

So, for that reason I will share with you something that I did that I have never done before.

But, wait. Before I do, I would like to state that I do like a generally straightened house. I have learned to keep my house at the point where if someone calls to say they are stopping by I can get the main areas in order within 15 minutes. I usually don't even need fifteen minutes, but lately things have been a little crazy. I went away, got sick, gave away a dog, had 2 birthday celebrations, doc visit, etc. so things have gotten a little out of control.

(Sidenote: If you leave your children with your husband for the weekend, don't expect a clean or even just a straightened, house when you come home unless your husband is already a proven neat freak. Don't get me wrong. I was thrilled to go away for a long weekend, and it was well worth the effort and cleaning up I am still trying to catch up on. I'm just sayin' ...)

So, on top of whatever cleaning that was needed I also had laundry to do. Laundry is my biggest challenge, just ask my mom and mother-in-law. They usually are very sweet and try to help me when they come visit. I always feel bad though and now try to have it all caught up before they come because I feel badly.

Anyway, I had a couple loads (maybe more) that needed to be folded that I had thrown onto our bed. My thought behind that is I can't go to bed unless I fold my laundry right? Well, Dan was falling asleep in the chair he was sitting in so being a nice wife I quickly got to the laundry pile so he could go to bed. I wanted to get it all put away so that when we had our fun day with friends I wasn't coming home to huge piles in my bedroom.

Well, okay. Here is what I did ... I actually just threw my husband's underwear into his drawer without folding it. Not only that, I threw towels into the linen closet without folding them (there were only two of them, but still). I also threw dish towels and cloths into the kitchen drawer without folding them. And, lastly, I threw sheets into our closet without folding them. They'll probably be on the bed soon anyway right? And, I won't confirm this, but there may still be a basket of kids clothes that are waiting to be folded.

So, yes. Yes I did do all of that. But, you know what? I didn't come home to piles of laundry in my room.

All this to say, if you ever come to my house, especially if your one of those "peeker types" (you know the ones, they peek in the medicine cabinet, linen closet, or under the bathroom sink. did you see that oprah show?), you just may find some unfolded towels or things of that nature, but I bet it will make you feel better.

And, that's what I'm here for.

A Great Day

Friends are so fun.

We had a wonderful time at the Hands-on Museum (is that what it's called?) in Lancaster. The best part about it is that we had our two six year olds who were thrilled to be reunited so Kim and I just sat and talked while the girls played like crazy with all the fun things. The place isn't too big so they were always nearby.




These girls are so cute together. They were in the stalls in the bathroom when Abby says, "I love you Madelyn." Madelyn just sort of giggled. She's my shy one. Then when it was time to leave Madelyn handed Abby a note that said I love you too Abby.

Have I mentioned how cute they are together?




I know friends can come and go throughout life, but these ones are keepers.

Madelyn's Surprise

Madelyn doesn't know it, but tomorrow we are meeting her best friend from MD in Lancaster at the Hands-on Museum for kids. All she knows is that we are going to Lancaster.

She asked me what was in Lancaster and I told her people and buildings :) She kept asking so I told her there were trees and animals, pumpkins and leaves. She got excited when I said pumpkins. We already went to the pumpkin patch though.

She is so excited she could hardly go to sleep which isn't too unusual for her. She's not much of a sleeper on most days, but tonight she was banging on her mini-hat box we use for her hair bands like it was a drum. It really belongs in the bathroom. When I went in to tell her to quiet down she had two headbands around her neck like necklaces and one in her hand that she said she was going to wear tomorrow. She never wears headbands.

I love surprises. She and Abby were best buds from the age of 1 before kids even really play together. They were different. People at church would even comment about them in the nursery. We miss our MD friends terribly so we cherish our get togethers like the one we'll have tomorrow. Plus, I'll get a day with just my girl, and Dan will have a day with just his boy. Yay!

Speaking of Manners ...

My last post reminded me of a man I worked with. He had NO manners. It still makes me laugh when I think of this.



Just a little background. Before I had Madelyn I was a Corporate Office Manager in Alexandria, VA. Sounds big doesn't it? It wasn't. It was me an 3 executives. I was a lonely office manager. The 3 executives were men who weren't much for conversation. I need conversation even if it's just work related.



Okay, so the one man actually lived in TX, but he would come up to work most weeks. Well, one day I was ordering lunch and asked him if he would like me to order something for him. He said he wanted some kind of salami sandwich (I had never heard of the type of salami), not your typical lunch order for the little sandwich shop in the next building.



Of course, the shop didn't have his type of salami so I inform (let's just call him Joe) Joe of this. He gets so angry and yells, "Well, tell her she can just go to hell!" Yes, that's right. I am supposed to inform the nice lady on the phone who probably has never even heard of the type of salami he asked for that she can go to hell. Yes. That was Joe, a hard-core German man, who I swear was born in the wrong century. He always wore a 3-piece suit with an ascot. And, he would pick his nose at his desk and go on typing away on his computer. eek. I stayed as far away from his computer as I could.



The funny thing about him though was that when it came to his wife and children he was always so sweet. So, in between dropping the f-bomb, yelling at people on the phone, hanging up on them, he would then answer a call from his wife, "Hello sweetheart! How are you?"



And, when I later talked to Joe on the phone. I was home with Madelyn at that point. He was very kind and said if I ever needed anything to let him know. Aw.



Nice Joe was so nice. Mean Joe was so mean.

Fury (Okay Not Really)

I do not like going to the doctor. As a matter of fact this past year I would have major anxiety over having to go to the doctor for an appointment for myself.


Now that may have some kind of psychological connection because of all we have gone through with Dan and basically living at doctor's offices over the past year. Who knows? All I know is I don't like going.


So, today I had an appt with a doctor about an issue I have literally been putting off for years at this point. It's not the kind of doctor that you would rush in to see (obviously since I've been putting it off for years), but I was finally ready to bite the bullet and just do what I needed to do.


And, this morning I was actually feeling pretty good about the whole thing. I wasn't extremely nervous. I wasn't dry heaving. I didn't have to take anything to calm my nerves. I was actually pretty relaxed. So, I drop Elijah off at a friend's house. He was thrilled to be going to a friend's house. That was easy. I didn't eat anything so that takes away the whole "I think I am going to throw up feeling." I know. I have issues.

I'm heading to the doctor's office when I think to myself, "Did I ever get a referral?" (Gasp!) Oh no. I never called to get a referrel!! ARGH. Are you kidding me???? I could punch myself.


I get to the office and before I go in I call my PC Doc and of course the usual secretary is not in. She is WONDERFUL when it comes to the referrals. She has always come through for us when we've been in a pinch. So, instead I ask the girl who answers if she can check my file to see if it's there or not. She comes back on and with a very relaxed manner informs me there is nothing in my file.


I ask her if she can send one and she says no because they are closing at noon today. It's only 11 am. Still very relaxed she tells me that I'll probably just have to reschedule my appt. Forget the fact I've already waited 2 months for this appt!


I say thank you and hang up. I know. I don't know why I always say thank you no matter what. I mean she didn't help me one bit. She didn't even give me any alternatives as to how we could maybe work this out. Yet I said thank you even though I was so mad I wanted to cry. I mean she just did not want to help me! It was just odd.


(Side note: I think the whole thank you thing is because it was INGRAINED in me as a child to ALWAYS use my manners. I mean to the point we couldn't have used them enough. Therefore I thank people even when they have done absolutely nothing for me ... and to be honest I am now that way with my children. I am always telling them to use their manners and to use them again and again and again ;)


Okay, so I walk into the office surprised at myself that I am actually upset I may not be able to have a certain region of my body (that I, and I'm pretty sure you, don't typically want examined) examined today. I explain to the check-in woman what happened to which she says, "It's only 11:10." She was so wonderful and sympathetic. She then makes a call to someone else in the office and asks them to call for a referral.


In the end they work it out. No. They didn't get an actual referral, but I can call the PC office tomorrow and have it all taken care of.


Also, my doctor was so great! She is beautiful. She looks like a model, is pregnant due in Feb and is gorgeous. She was just so comforting, and we bonded by discussing children, childbirth, boys and girls, etc.

All in all, a good day. I feel as though I am becoming stronger again after being knocked off my feet for a while emotionally, and it feels good.

UPDATE: I called my PC office today and they told me they took care of the referral yesterday :) That was good news.