It all started two Saturdays ago. In the church parking lot, leaving the weekend marriage conference, we found out that the driver side door handle was broken on our car, so we couldn't get in from the outside. Our already interesting car arrangement got more interesting. Here's what it looked like:
Go to driver's side to unlock the door (which automatically unlocks all the other doors). Open back seat door to put Caleb in. Close door and open front passenger side, lean across and open driver's door. Close passenger door and go to driver's side. Close door and drive. At destination, lean back and pop open Caleb's door, open driver's door and lock it (thereby locking all the other doors). Close driver's door and go to Caleb's open door. Get him out and close door.
Sheesh.
Saturday night, Caleb starts coughing.
Sunday morning, I keep Caleb home from worship, but take him into Sunday School with me so I can hear Jon teach. Caleb coughs a little, but is a trooper and plays quietly on my lap. By the afternoon, I also start coughing. Jon does some research and orders a new handle for the car.
Tuesday and Wednesday, Jon is home all day, off work because he has to work the next weekend. He stays home with Caleb while I go into the office on Wednesday. The door handle comes in.
Thursday: Jon starts a few days of working nights. He spends the morning working on the car. By the afternoon, it's all put back together, and now we can get in the car from the outside! Bad news: we can't get out from the inside. Jon calls the mechanic who will take it in the next morning. He goes to work. I stay home and try to be productive.
Friday: Drop car off. Jon works nights (til 3 the next morning). Worst day of sickness for me. I have to cancel my lovely weekend plans with Joe and Leanna. What were those plans? Oh, we had so many....
First, we were going to go camping that weekend, Friday and Saturday night. But Jon couldn't get off Friday. So....maybe Joe and Lea could go on Friday, and we'd join them on Saturday. Then Jon got assigned to work nights all weekend. Well, maybe we could do something fun on Saturday during the day. Considering the little sleep Jon would be getting, we decided that just Caleb and I would join Joe and Leanna at the Dallas Farmers Market! What fun! But alas, sick with no car, I had to cancel.
Saturday: I wake Jon up to watch Caleb for a couple hours while I spend my gift cards at Old Navy. I had 30% off my entire purchase! The highlight of my week! I get home in time for lunch and for Jon to grab groceries and head to work (home again at 3 in the morning). The third night of taking care of Caleb by myself. I spend the evening making cake and salad for our Sunday School potluck.
Sunday: Still too sick to go to church, I send the yummy food off with Jon. He goes to church, comes home for lunch, then heads to work. Caleb is his sweet self and gives me a good evening. We visit with Holly and Sophie.
Monday: Jon does a quick turnaround to work the day shift. We call mechanic to check on progress. The car should be ready after lunch. We look forward to our plans to eat dinner with Joe and Lea the next night. We get another call in the afternoon: they ordered the wrong part and have to reorder. We ask that they put the car back together so we can use it Tues and Wed, and we'll bring it back on Thursday. They say they can't do that, but they'll get us a loaner car by Tuesday afternoon. I worry that they use the term "loaner" instead of "rental." Jon is home by 4:30. Dinner and a little playtime with Caleb, then he's asleep by 7pm. I visit with Holly at her house, then back home to get Caleb bathed and to bed. Both boys asleep, I take advantage of the truck being home to go to the grocery store.
Tuesday (today): Caleb and I are both still coughing. I finally admit that my cold has turned into a full-blown sinus infection. It takes three tries to find a doctor who is taking new patients and can see me today. Appt. at 3:00. Wait, still no car! Jon calls the mechanic about the loaner car. They'll loan out a Buick Park Avenue to me. "The check engine light is on, but it's fine." Nice. I arrange with a friend to pick me up and take me to the mechanic. We have to coordinate our baby's naps, but we finally do and make it to the mechanic. I joke that the old Gold Buick in the parking lot is probably mine. And it is. On my way back to the house, I appreciate the power seats, the temp-controlled air conditioner, the cushy leather seats....it may be old, but oh so nice. I miss my Buick. I also appreciate that someone left me a powdered donut stuffed into the seat. What thoughtfulness. I get home and realize I've left Caleb in a poopy diaper for who knows how long, and he's been a happy little boy, quietly adjusting to each change with a smile and his parrot stuck in his mouth. Though when I change his diaper, it's not poopy. It's not even wet. I think back on the day and try to remember when I changed his diaper and honestly have no idea. I make lunch, try to get a little work done, and call the pediatrician. The nurse says I don't need to come in, that a cough is fine. Just keep the humidifier on, which I'm doing. If he's not better in a couple of days, come in.
And the good news? We DO get to go see Joe and Leanna, and they're grilling yummy things, and we're making homemade ice cream, and we all get to visit and laugh and forget about the crazy last week! And I'll have antibiotics and a cushy Buick to drive to work in tomorrow.
Today as I sat down to my lunch of leftover Sloppy Joes, I thanked God for leftovers, for a husband who works hard, for a baby who is so easy going, for a mechanic who will loan me a car at no extra cost, for insurance to cover my dr. appointment, and for all the good and seemingly not-so-good things that go on in life. Because all these little things that have added up to a not-so-great week are really minor. And I am blessed that this week only seems so bad because I have it so good the rest of the time!
