Weekend Update

Yeah, it is almost the weekend again and I'm just now wrapping up the last one! That's how we roll.

Saturday was the Down Syndrome Society Christmas party and year end meeting. How could we miss it? Not a chance. I struggled to get out of the house on time with six of the kids, but we were looking good after we got on the highway. We'd be in time to chat with folks and get the kids signed in with the sitters. As I hit our exit ramp the van engine stopped.

I rolled down the ramp and toward the right hand side of the road and stopped at the stoplight. Out of gas. The gas gauge has been acting up lately, floating up and down and getting stuck up on full. Just call me mother of the year.

We were in pretty good spirits, considering. I didn't get freaked out, so that probably helped. We sang some songs and watched a homeless man walking by wearing only one glove. Perspective, huh? The kids were all pumped up to see Santa so they offered to walk to the meeting, which was still 3 miles away. By the time my hero arrived with the gas can, they were starting to get a little cold. 

If you know me, you know how I loathe formal meetings. I was almost happy that I ran out of gas 'cause we missed much of the business meeting! Yay! Santa time! Ralph was in rare wandering form. Ruby spent the whole party in her carseat while I chased him all over the church.

Our dear friends from NW Kansas were in town for the DSSW meeting and a little shopping. Their oldest son really enjoys hanging out with Rose, so after the meeting she spent the day shopping with them. My boys had fun at home playing video games all afternoon without her! Ha!

Sunday we were all pretty pooped out but we went to church anyway. It's just what we do. It's not even really negotiable. We were a bit late and were left sitting in two separate rows in the very back of the annex of the auditorium. I guess you shouldn't be late at Christmas time or you won't get a seat!

The sermon series has been about "light" and has been fantastic. I've been meaning to go to the church website and listen to it again. I only get to hear about half anymore because Leroy is so distracting to me. Training him to sit quiet and still in church is a very slow and ongoing process. The little guy DOES pay attention however. When I ask questions about the sermon, many times he gets the right answer before the older kids.

Which reminds me...there was a Christmas concert by Andrea Bocelli advertised on PBS the other day. I asked Leroy to pay attention to his beautiful voice. I told him that the man was blind but that he had an amazing gift of singing. Leroy proceeded to tell me that the man should spit in the mud and put it on his eyes! Did you know about that when you were 4 years old?

Monday was a low point. I'm including it in my weekend wrap up because, well just because. I was set to have an organized, ordered day. I put Ralph's braces on first thing while he was in the highchair. (He can't grab his feet and "help" while he is in the highchair.) After breakfast we sat down together to put in his hearing aids and watch some Sesame Street. 

At some point I left the room for a quick moment to go to the bathroom. A minute or so after I returned, I noticed that the cords that hold the hearing aids were hanging! Why didn't I notice sooner?? I found five of the seven pieces. I wasn't very nice to Ralph upon noticing this. I'm not proud of the way I yelled.

That's OK I guess, because he got me back later on after his nap. He had taken his diaper off and decorated the wall, the crib, the big stuffed bear and more. It was not a pretty scene. I had to give myself 30 seconds to go to my room and cry before I tackled this mess. First thing was to get Ralph into the tub. First he was scrubbed off standing then rinsed. Then bathed sitting with plenty of suds, Then the tub cleaned and bathed again in some nice fresh water.

Then, when he was cleaned up I stuck him in the highchair while I went to work on the room before everything dried on. I've learned that it's much easier to clean up stuff before it gets dried on. You don't think about what you are doing, you just do it and it gets done. It wasn't as bad as I though it was going to be.

I've spent the past 3 days trying to find that other hearing aid. Oh, and doing everything else. I've been through the trash by hand. (Thank you whoever dumped a spit cup in there, not!) I've crawled around on hands and knees. I've searched the couch cushions and even turned it over to look in the bottom and under it. (I found the other phone!) I cleaned under the stove. How does all that dog food get under there?

When do I give up and call the audiologist? It has to be here somewhere!! I'm starting to look on top of things in case he threw it. *sigh*