Man Down Man Down

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. I hope that you have been bestowed with many blessings. It has been a very challenging week for me personally, so I am glad to have the time off from work to regroup and refocus.

I know, you want an explanation... of course I will tell you what I mean.

Tuesday was parent teacher conferences at my school. We have over 140 students enrolled and we average 25 parents each conference. And typically it is the parents of the "good" kids that we get to come in, not always but usually. I know that many lives are stressed right now, but the students that I work with are in trouble, in school and out of school. They need some adult in their life to work with us, the other adults in their life. But this discussion is for another time. Back to my story. Maybe I will keep it shorter if I organize it:

Tuesday 7:45pm: Parent Teacher Conferences (this day started at 7:45am). The last parent, whom I have not ever meet until that moment (her students are very new to us), seemed to be stressed... I had no idea. I sat in with a teacher to meet with her, because I am worried about her students. And I stated that I wanted to refer her family to a community based program, she screamed and yelled at me for over 25 minutes. I am not kidding, it was the worst experience of my professional life. I did not get more than 4 words in, I was not able to finish one sentence, defend anything, nothing. Apparently she has had a difficult life and does not want any support from "people like me." I can't even imagine being that angry, that bitter, that full of hurt and hate that you are willing to lash out at people you don't know. MAN DOWN! This experience rocked me to the core. With anger, hurt, sadness. So I did what any good person does... prayed. MAYDAY MAYDAY MAN DOWN MAN DOWN

Tuesday 8:30pm: I was driving home very tired, very drained, very upset and very Done (okay hysterical might be a better word for it). I call home to check in on my family, and I get the news, Andrea twisted her ankle today, not bad enough to warrant more than an icepack, but enough to upset her and cause significant limping for the rest of the night. Steve has to limp too, I wish that I had a picture of the two of time, limping together holding hands.... MAYDAY MAYDAY MAN DOWN MAN DOWN

Okay, so this puts it to perspective for me. God let me know, by taking my little darling down, that I can't worry about those who don't want help, who are angry and hurt, that is His job, I need to worry about those who need me the most. My family.

Wednesday 6:00am: I woke up, after going to bed sometime after 12am. Tired but can't sleep... MAYDAY MAYDAY MAN DOWN MAN DOWN (okay up but so very tired)

Wednesday 6:45am: Both girls wake up coughing, not sick, but it is the start of something. MAYDAY MAYDAY MAN DOWN MAN DOWN After breakfast, cuddle time, we all headed off, I was late for work, but I could not control that and I was okay with it.

Wednesday 1:15pm: School luncheon with staff and students. I led the group in a moment of silence asking for thoughts and prayers for those families this holiday season who need it. And it worked. They were silent and I hope praying or doing that they needed to do and believe in. This is moment of Man Up...

Wednesday 3:30pm: Pick Andrea up from school. She made it through school, had some fun, but then informed me that Learning and playing is really hard work and could I stop talking so that she could rest. She then fell asleep in the car. MAYDAY MAYDAY MAN DOWN MAN DOWN

Thursday 6:00am... 7:00am... 7:30am: House is scarily quiet, Erica is always up by 6:45am...MAYDAY MAYDAY MAN DOWN MAN DOWN (but honestly I am not complaining about this one).

Thursday 12:00pm: Steve is getting restless and decides to wash windows, and cover them in film (to insulate the house, we heard that this helps on heat). By 12pm, he was on his feet for two hours and could not stand any more, he had to stop and sit down, becuase he was in pain. He was wiped out, This is from the man who did not ever slow down, but these legs cause him to slow down much more. Oh, and a football game was convinently on... MAYDAY MAYDAY MAN DOWN MAN DOWN

Thursday 2:00pm: preparing to leave to friend's house for dinner, loaded up car, organized everything, made two dishes to pass and left the house in a flurry of activity and items. Erica waits until we are heading out of the door and has a mother of all meltdowns. MAYDAY MAYDAY MAN DOWN MAN DOWN Detour, get favorite blanket and hope for sleep for her.

Thursday 2:50pm: Arrived at destination, start to unload, forgot one dish to pass, the BIG one. Got all the ingredients to go with it, just not the main ingredient. And we are 50 minutes from home....MAYDAY MAYDAY MAN DOWN MAN DOWN

Thursday 6:00pm: Dogs decide to play and fight inside the house, next to Erica, who became hysterical and climbed on top of a table screaming. MAYDAY MAYDAY MAN DOWN MAN DOWN

Thursday 9:00pm: "Mom I don't feel good" MAYDAY MAYDAY MAN DOWN MAN DOWN

Friday 1:00am: "MOMMMMMMMMMMMM" (lost night light)MAYDAY MAYDAY MAN DOWN MAN DOWN

Friday 4:00am: "MOMMMMMMMMMMMM" (missing one blanket, has five others) MAYDAY MAYDAY MAN DOWN MAN DOWN

Friday 7:30am: Quiet crying on the floor, Andrea was laying on her floor saying "I am so sick" MAYDAY MAYDAY MAN DOWN MAN DOWN

Friday 9:00am: Steve says that he is not feeling well either, not bad, just not good. MAYDAY MAYDAY MAN DOWN MAN DOWN

Friday 10:00am: I actually got sick, but once I did, I was fine. MAYDAY MAYDAY MAN DOWN MAN DOWN for a moment.

Friday 5:30pm: Andrea has been in bed for the past four hours. MAYDAY MAYDAY MAN DOWN MAN DOWN

Friday 5:45pm: Andrea is up and moved to the couch to sit with her dad and her sister, but still looks flush. The two of them cuddle, and cough. MAYDAY MAYDAY MAN DOWN MAN DOWN

Friday 5:46pm: Erica climbed on the couch with them, to watch a movie with a lollipop in her mouth and fell asleep. MAYDAY MAYDAY MAN DOWN MAN DOWN

So, all in all, we are good. We fall down in little ways and big ways, but we always come back up.

I hope that your weekend was not eventful and I pray that your family was up. And in case it was not, the best cure for man down, is humor, love, family, friends and God. I will let you put it in the order of your choosing.