Could've Been Ugly
"We face each day with expectations- if we are lucky, they are met; if we are not we must deal with events as they unfold, making good of disappointments, looking to bind what wounds we can. Good humor matters. Optimism matters. But we cannot write the rules of life and sometimes courage and resilience will matter most of all."
Isn't that the truth! This narrative from my guilty Netflix pleasure Call the Midwife brought yesterdays thoughts all together and wrapped them in a pretty burlap bow.
*Secretly I dream of having a book filled with all the universal quotes gleaned from the shows I watch, the books I read, and things I hear, but that day isn't today so I will blog. *insert cheesy smile*
As like every day, I woke up yesterday with grand plans and expectations for how the day was to unfold:m boys would have a "free" day to do their chores and reading, and then they would fill in the other moments with whatever else they chose; I would tackled my bookkeeping (work from home job) and study for June Area ( NASDA job), clean the kitchen and test out a few recipes for an upcoming wedding, and then if I had it in me by the end of the day, I would work up a sweat on the TreadClimber. Pretty chill day in the making.
However, we almost had a horrific day.
Let me back up. My family sells hay and occasionally we have folks come to pick-up hay in various quantities. We have not had hay to sell for several months and so yesterday, being the first day back on the job, my boys were overly eager to roll bales and demonstrate their athleticism.
Just two days prior my 1st lept from the trailer stack of 124 bales, to a placed stack over five feet away. This was from a stack over ten feet in height down to a stack of seven or so feet. I was not a happy mom, but he made it and this was helping his character develop; courage, knowledge of risks and limits...right? Well that's what I told myself.
Now, I must add that I was standing between the two stacks when this nine year-old came bounding over my head! These boys just keep me on my toes! And if this is what they are doing when I am in eyesight I shudder to think what they do when I am not around.
So yesterday, the oldest three were on our flat-bed trailer rolling bales off to me down below where I then would load them onto the customer's trailer. We got our friend loaded up with a small load,on a small trailer, and then I'll be darned if my 1st boy came bounding over the six foot expanse between trailers! This is not new, but normally the trailer we are loading is closer to the source. I would also like to think that he took that into account before he jumped, but the answer to that question I will never know.
Well, it seems that what one brother does, the rest have to follow, and so the next thing I know all are asking to do this daring stunt. I told them "no!" but they asked insistently and insisted they could make it.
So what do I do? I tell them that if they even think they can't make it they shouldn't jump and if they happen to miss I don't want to hear a single sound, see a single tear, and they would not get any sympathy from me. I know that sounds harsh, but that is how it goes when raising this herd. They need to be allowed to stretch their wings, and I can caution, but when I tell them something isn't a great idea and they insist on doing it anyways...well buddy it's on them and I have no sympathy. I will help clean them up, but all the while I will be talking them through all the lessons they could have and should have gleaned from the incident. That's my job.
So...with my hay friend and two neighbors to show off to #1 jumped again and then #2 followed. They both made it AND they both wanted to go a second or third time, because you know, once just isn't enough I guess. Lord have mercy on me when they are teenagers!!!!
As the older brothers were climbing up the goose-neck I could hear #3 building up the courage to jump. I was just about to express caution for the umpteenth time but before I could talk him down there he was, suspended in mid-air and on a trajectory that I knew was going to come up short. But what could I do?
Nothing!
I watched as my boy went from 10 feet in the air to bone breaking solid ground. He landed where there were lots of sharp metallic edges and a tail-light armed with flesh slicing plastics and fasteners- there was no way he could missed them! (see the red arrow above) This will be ugly, I thought and as I watch his head make contact with the railing I knew for certain dental work and stitches couldn't be avoided on this one.
My day and his would be taking a major detour from my expectations for sure.
I walked over to him and expected to see a bloody mess, but instead I found a face that was unscathed and trying not to cry. He looked like a pug with his face all wrinkled and puffed up from holding his breath. It was so hard not to show emotion for him, but I knew that I needed to be emotionless and look him over. There was a small scratch on his thigh, a tiny red line across his forehead, and that's it! So then I think, a broken bone is hiding, there is no way he couldn't have busted something. I squeeze and prod.... nothing! So I told him to go in the house and watched him run to his bike, get on, and go. You could see he was okay, and he knew it now too.
He was truly blessed and watched over on this one!
So once again I have another event to share and a few more gray hairs earned. This could have been so much uglier and I thank God it wasn't.
So how did the rest of my day go? It's only 10 in the morning by this time and we have already had so much "fun." You realy think there could be more? You most know me. Haha!
I succeed at shocking myself with the 7,000 volt hot fence (yah-you see three zeros there) when I was checking the "it's working" light. My neighbors were lucky enough to see and hear the zap. (Blessed again with front row tickets to our crazy show, they must be lucky! )
This was not my finest moment and I didn't even realize it was even a possibility when cupping my hand over the light indicator, but my palm and fingers must have formed an arc close enough to the ????? -I don't even know the word of the thingies that the wires anchor to, but they are what makes the fence hot, my hand completed the circuit and BAM! Yup it's working and boy-howdy was it hot.
The rest of the day was uneventful, although I didn't get nearly enough done on the work end of things. My mini baker and myself nailed the creation of strawberry marscapone buttercream! And just look at his tongue in this picture! He is trying so very hard to make his cupcakes look good and the sight just makes my heart smile.
And a bonus funny- it was also comical when my eyelids decided to "stick" open with the tacky perspiration acquired while trying to kill myself on the TreadClimber. Ever have that happen? It was a treat, and when I went out to feed the hay blew back in my face and it stuck too! I should have thought that one through.
It's never ever a dull moment around here- not ever; but I "deal with events as they unfold, [try to] make good of disappointments," and look to see what wounds need an ER visit or just a band-aid. Humor get's me through some of the crazy, but I have to say that " courage and resilience" coupled with a whole lot of faith gets me through it all.
I have to remind myself that if at the end of the day my boys are alive, a little wiser, and know they are a whole lot loved, it doesn't matter what I was able to check off the to-do list, it was a successful day.
Isn't that the truth! This narrative from my guilty Netflix pleasure Call the Midwife brought yesterdays thoughts all together and wrapped them in a pretty burlap bow.
*Secretly I dream of having a book filled with all the universal quotes gleaned from the shows I watch, the books I read, and things I hear, but that day isn't today so I will blog. *insert cheesy smile*
As like every day, I woke up yesterday with grand plans and expectations for how the day was to unfold:m boys would have a "free" day to do their chores and reading, and then they would fill in the other moments with whatever else they chose; I would tackled my bookkeeping (work from home job) and study for June Area ( NASDA job), clean the kitchen and test out a few recipes for an upcoming wedding, and then if I had it in me by the end of the day, I would work up a sweat on the TreadClimber. Pretty chill day in the making.
Let me back up. My family sells hay and occasionally we have folks come to pick-up hay in various quantities. We have not had hay to sell for several months and so yesterday, being the first day back on the job, my boys were overly eager to roll bales and demonstrate their athleticism.
Just two days prior my 1st lept from the trailer stack of 124 bales, to a placed stack over five feet away. This was from a stack over ten feet in height down to a stack of seven or so feet. I was not a happy mom, but he made it and this was helping his character develop; courage, knowledge of risks and limits...right? Well that's what I told myself.
Now, I must add that I was standing between the two stacks when this nine year-old came bounding over my head! These boys just keep me on my toes! And if this is what they are doing when I am in eyesight I shudder to think what they do when I am not around.
So yesterday, the oldest three were on our flat-bed trailer rolling bales off to me down below where I then would load them onto the customer's trailer. We got our friend loaded up with a small load,on a small trailer, and then I'll be darned if my 1st boy came bounding over the six foot expanse between trailers! This is not new, but normally the trailer we are loading is closer to the source. I would also like to think that he took that into account before he jumped, but the answer to that question I will never know.
Well, it seems that what one brother does, the rest have to follow, and so the next thing I know all are asking to do this daring stunt. I told them "no!" but they asked insistently and insisted they could make it.
So what do I do? I tell them that if they even think they can't make it they shouldn't jump and if they happen to miss I don't want to hear a single sound, see a single tear, and they would not get any sympathy from me. I know that sounds harsh, but that is how it goes when raising this herd. They need to be allowed to stretch their wings, and I can caution, but when I tell them something isn't a great idea and they insist on doing it anyways...well buddy it's on them and I have no sympathy. I will help clean them up, but all the while I will be talking them through all the lessons they could have and should have gleaned from the incident. That's my job.
So...with my hay friend and two neighbors to show off to #1 jumped again and then #2 followed. They both made it AND they both wanted to go a second or third time, because you know, once just isn't enough I guess. Lord have mercy on me when they are teenagers!!!!
As the older brothers were climbing up the goose-neck I could hear #3 building up the courage to jump. I was just about to express caution for the umpteenth time but before I could talk him down there he was, suspended in mid-air and on a trajectory that I knew was going to come up short. But what could I do?
Nothing!
I watched as my boy went from 10 feet in the air to bone breaking solid ground. He landed where there were lots of sharp metallic edges and a tail-light armed with flesh slicing plastics and fasteners- there was no way he could missed them! (see the red arrow above) This will be ugly, I thought and as I watch his head make contact with the railing I knew for certain dental work and stitches couldn't be avoided on this one.
My day and his would be taking a major detour from my expectations for sure.
I walked over to him and expected to see a bloody mess, but instead I found a face that was unscathed and trying not to cry. He looked like a pug with his face all wrinkled and puffed up from holding his breath. It was so hard not to show emotion for him, but I knew that I needed to be emotionless and look him over. There was a small scratch on his thigh, a tiny red line across his forehead, and that's it! So then I think, a broken bone is hiding, there is no way he couldn't have busted something. I squeeze and prod.... nothing! So I told him to go in the house and watched him run to his bike, get on, and go. You could see he was okay, and he knew it now too.
He was truly blessed and watched over on this one!
I sent up a sincere silent prayer of gratitude and thanked the angels I KNOW intervened. There is no way to explain it otherwise.
Just. No. Way.
So once again I have another event to share and a few more gray hairs earned. This could have been so much uglier and I thank God it wasn't.
So how did the rest of my day go? It's only 10 in the morning by this time and we have already had so much "fun." You realy think there could be more? You most know me. Haha!
I succeed at shocking myself with the 7,000 volt hot fence (yah-you see three zeros there) when I was checking the "it's working" light. My neighbors were lucky enough to see and hear the zap. (Blessed again with front row tickets to our crazy show, they must be lucky! )This was not my finest moment and I didn't even realize it was even a possibility when cupping my hand over the light indicator, but my palm and fingers must have formed an arc close enough to the ????? -I don't even know the word of the thingies that the wires anchor to, but they are what makes the fence hot, my hand completed the circuit and BAM! Yup it's working and boy-howdy was it hot.
And a bonus funny- it was also comical when my eyelids decided to "stick" open with the tacky perspiration acquired while trying to kill myself on the TreadClimber. Ever have that happen? It was a treat, and when I went out to feed the hay blew back in my face and it stuck too! I should have thought that one through.
It's never ever a dull moment around here- not ever; but I "deal with events as they unfold, [try to] make good of disappointments," and look to see what wounds need an ER visit or just a band-aid. Humor get's me through some of the crazy, but I have to say that " courage and resilience" coupled with a whole lot of faith gets me through it all.
"And that's all I've got to say about that."
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