Thursday, December 10, 2009

The (Mis)Adventures of Julie - week 1 without Josh

If you asked me a week ago if it was going to be a big deal to not have Josh around for 3 weeks, I would have told you no, it's not.  He's not really here I would have said.  He leaves before the kids go to school and gets home a half hour before bedtime.  The day to day routine falls to me.  Where I figured I would notice his absence the most was on the weekends when he is here all the time and spending quality family time with the kids and myself.  Well, I was wrong. Who knew that someone who isn't here very much could have such a great impact on our day to day lives without us even realizing it?  Sure, we've talked several times a day, and I have to say, I'm so proud for how he's taken the challenges in Barcelona by the horns and just gotten stuff done.  He's not letting anything get in the way and he's helping me to feel that I will be able to handle it as well. 

So while Josh has been gone, I thought everything would be rather ho-hum in the Marcus household.  We would continue to work on packing things away and getting ready for the final move in a few weeks.  I would have some good quality time with the kids and our friends.  Sure, I've done that, but I've also had a few misadventures and it's only been a week... I can't imagine what the next 2 will bring at this rate.

Thurs Dec 3 - Josh leaves for work and then from work, to Spain.  Not much happened today.  Liam was with me all day and we just kind of hung out.

Fri Dec 4 - Both boys are in school today.  When I was drying my hair this morning (with my head upside down), I noticed how horribly disgusting under my bed was - tons of dog hair and dust!  That needs to be vaccuumed!  So I took my handy dandy Dyson and grabbed the hose and started to reach under the bed to clean it.  I must have pulled too hard on the hose and the vacuum came tumbling over...on to my head.  Swearing a bit, I rubbed my head feeling for a bump.  When I pulled my hand away I noticed immediately that it was covered in blood!  Ok, so day 2 here and I've already gotten a head injury!  I rushed across the street to Rich since I knew he was home and just said, I've hit my head with the vacuum (I'm sure he was trying to figure out how I did that) and I'm bleeding badly - can you look at it.  He had a bit of a panicked look on his face after he looked at it but told me to go home, wash it down and ice it.  Doing as I was told I sat on the couch for an hour waiting for the bleeding to stop and icing it down.  The rest of the day was, thankfully, uneventful - horseback riding lessons and hanging out with the kids. 

Sat Dec 5 - Aidan had his tennis lesson this morning.  It was raining out (again) and we came home, played the wii (Super Mario Wii ROCKS) for a little bit and then Aidan ended up going over to Max's house for a few hours.  It was a nice mellow afternoon for me, spent doing some packing, some reading and then when Liam got up, playing with him.  Again, relatively uneventful.

Sun Dec 6 - It's snowing!!!!  Ok, we got maybe an inch of snow but it was enough to get the kids outside, get them on their sleds and for me to break out the shovel for at least the walkway and stairs.  We took a walk down to the Fasoldts house and Aidan ended up spending the afternoon over there.  God, I love playdates!!!

Mon Dec 7 - The snow is pretty much gone and what I thought would be an uneventful day was not.  Both kids were either with my mother-in-law or at school.  I was supposed to have lunch with a friend but it got rescheduled.  So I now have the day to myself and some extra time that I hadn't anticipated.  So what should I do?  Work???  Nah... overrated!  And slow lately... Shop!!!  Yes shop!  I had just gotten to DSW to do some schmoozing when my sister-in-law called.  She was in Seekonk and not feeling well - can I come get her.  Of course my answer is yes and I don't hesitate... I grab my Bertucci's pizza that by that time I was waiting for and go get her.  I love my sister-in-law and felt badly she wasn't feeling well and wish it had been different circumstances because I would have loved some one on one time with her without the kids - whenever I talk to her I'm pulled in multiple directions by the kids at the same time.  Typical!  Anyways, turns out she had a case of the stomach bug which we found out later.  My in laws met us in Seekonk later that day to do a Liam/Becky exchange and get her car home. 

It's dinner time and we're in Seekonk so I decided to take the kids to Vinny T's... I haven't been there in YEARS.  Thank god no one was around me after all that garlic.  It was the most fabulous dinner I think I have ever had with the kids - we were mellow, we chatted, we weren't rushed - there wasn't that moment of hurry up, child x is going to have a meltdown any moment, kind of feeling.  It was just a genuinely nice time.  I wish they could all be like that!! 

Tues Dec 8 - The kids know how to make up for being good by being not so good.  Liam was super whiny today.  And on the way home from the bus stop, Aidan decided to open the door to the car while the car was still in motion... into the garage door.  Not a wise choice I must say.  And it was met with the wrath of mommy.  He's lucky I didn't tell daddy...(ooops guess I'm telling you now Josh...don't worry, it's just a scratch).  Not a pretty sight... Tues night continued while I was watching tv.  I heard what sounded to be a rattling, kind of like if you have an item with a zipper in the dryer... only I didn't have anything in the dryer.  I muted the tv, slowly edged my way into the kitchen where the noise sounded like it was emmenating from... and listened.  There it was again!  And it's coming from my oven!  Or more specifically... the drawer below my oven!  You've got to be kidding me... I've GOT A MOUSE!!!!!!!  AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!  Fearful to open the drawer because it sounds like an entire family in there, I call across the street.  Rich is putting the kids to bed and will be over in a while.  A while????  Ahhhh... I go on my FB and IM with Lisa W.  She offers her Rent-A-Husband who somehow takes that same while to come over.  He arrives and of course, it's not been close to a half hour since I first heard the sound and for the last 5 mins I've heard nothing.  And so he pulls the drawer out and I'm ready... I've put on shoes in case it escapes!!  And.... NOTHING.  But we did find mouse droppings there (and no where else in my kitchen thankfully).  So at least I was right and he was there.  But where did he go?  There was no hole anywhere to be seen.  Rich comes over too and we all get a laugh out of it... sort of... I'm sure they think I'm a bit neurotic.  Bill goes home and grabs some traps for me and puts one in the drawer and one in the garage.  I go to bed praying it doesn't make it's way upstairs.

Wed Dec 9 - The day starts off fine.  Nothing big going on.  Then part way thru my morning I hear that rattling again.  You little f**ker... I will get you!!!!!  So knowing Bill and Rich are at work, I call Dave...no answer.  I call Bill F.  No answer.  Shit shit shit!  I'm afraid to open the drawer - it could jump out at me and be a total attack killer mouse!  You know you are thinking the same thing!  I finally get a hold of Bill F.  Meanwhile I've been IMing with Josh in Spain this whole time freaking out about the mouse.  Bill gets here and of course, the mouse is gone.  But there are droppings and mouse hair on the trap... little bugger managed to escape.  Time to bring in the big guns and get some good traps.  Went to Target and bought some - not the head decaptiating kind but the kind where they go into the trap and can't get out.  Haven't caught him yet.  But I will!!! 

Thurs Dec 10 - Well it's been a full week now since Josh left.  I've had my ups and downs, the kids are still alive, I've cut my head open, found a mouse and scratched Josh's car (well Aidan did that).  So what's next?  A bird of course!!!  This morning I went to take some trash out to the garage and when opening the door to the house to the garage, something flew over my head.  A bird.  I, of course, screamed, which in turn freaked the kids.  The bird must have gotten trapped in the garage overnight and when I opened the door he thought it was his way out.  WRONG!!!  So I've now got a mouse and a bird... it's a freaking menagerie over here!  I open all the doors to the house to hope that he will find his way out.  For those who haven't seen my house, I have a large picture window in my entry way (it's a 2 story entry) and so he flew up the entry to the house and kept slamming himself against the window, even though the front door just below was wide open.  He finally gave up on that after about 10 mins and flew into my living room where the kids where hanging out, oblivious.  You would think it would have interested them more, but alas, Spongebob has a bigger draw apparently.  So the bird makes itself at home on a curtain rod next to the Christmas tree - I'm surprised he didn't go in the tree but it's not real and maybe he sensed that too... who knows.  I call next door but Dennis left for work early.  I call Bill F again... hey, got a chuckle for ya.  I haven't caught that mouse yet but now do you want to help me catch a bird?  BTW, it's not even 8AM when I called there.  He laughs hysterically for a moment and says he'll be over in a few.  In the meantime, I grab the broom, tell the kids to go upstairs because I don't want this thing to swoop and then take their eyes out (because he's a super vicous tiny bird right?).  I wave to him (because I'm an idiot) and tell him, over here little birdie, over here...the door is open over here.  You know, because he understands English... right?  Yeah not so much.  He flies over to my entry way again and at this moment Rich pulls up in his driveway and sees me in the doorway with a broom.  I said to him... it's a bird now.  He also laughs.  Hey thanks guys!!!  The bird swoops over me, I scream and Rich yells to me from across the street...he's out!  I take my hands off my head where they were protecting me from this vicious monster and say thank god he's gone!!!  What a way to start the day.

How do you think the second week alone will go????? 

Julie

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