Alligators

My MIL says, "When your up to your ass in alligators it's easy to forget you are here to drain the swamp." So very true.

It has been one of those weeks around here. It started with Wednesday night having to take Cool to the ER. Shortness of breath all day, weird sensation in his left arm and so very tired. After 4 1/2 hours in the ER his tests came back fine but his blood pressure was elevated, his heart rate rather erratic and his ankles and hands were a bit swollen. The doctor recommended he stay the night to have a cardiologist check him out and to have a stress test the next morning. He declined but made an appointment for 10:30 Monday morning.

By the time I got home Wednesday night I decided it best to stay up since I would have had to get up in a couple of hours to deliver papers anyway. I did the dishes and laundry while waiting. At three I ate some pasta salad and a chicken breast. I delivered papers and went to bed at 6:30. I slept until 10:30 and had to leave by noon to get to work. I was tired.

My MIL took me and the kids out to lunch (at 3:00) and I talked to the kids about daddy and things we need to try to combat. (stress, fighting, snottiness, picking up after themselves etc...) After getting home I was in bed by 7:30. I slept until it was time to deliver papers, went back to bed after delivering and slept until 8:15 Friday morning.

We went to Gaga's for the day (more on that in a later post) and fixed fish and french fries for supper. I fell asleep by 6:30 and slept until it was time to deliver this morning. I delivered, went back to bed and slept until 10:30. I actually feel human again. But I feel lazy.

So, it is 4:26 Saturday afternoon. The kids are all doing their own thing and I keep thinking about the above quote. It does seem like we are forgetting why we are doing all this. We have a purpose for all we do but it seems to be forgotten in the daily hullabaloo. We have deadlines to adhere to, times to be places, bills to pay and a house to keep up. Thus the alligator adage. It is really sad that it takes something like a trip to the ER to make us remember what is really important. Too much work and not enough rest, family and downtime. I guess we forgot to drain the swamp.

So, once again we are talking change. What that change is going to be I don't have a clue. But something has to give. New diet, new routine, new schedule? Less time away, less reckless spending, less distance? More togetherness, more family time, more one on one? I don't know. I do know that family comes before anything and that is what we need to remember.