Three Down; One to Go

Yep, three weeks of N being away down and one more to go. 

I must say that this week has been mentally tough and I am SO ready for N to be home again with us!  So to keep things from spiralling downwards here is one tale of woe (in three acts) and then me counting my blessings (so they cancel out the woe - I hope!)  Once again, no pictures sorry.  (You'll be glad in a moment!)

A Cautionary Tale: How NOT to Get Organised to Go to Playgroup on Wednesday Morning

Playgroup is an informal gathering of mums and young'uns at our apartment complex and/or with connections to a local church.  We take turns hosting the group in our homes from 10am - noon each week.  This week we were not hosting.

(Act 1)
Me: It's nearly playgroup time, J.  Please pack away your toys.
J: (starts to hunt for his shoes and repeatedly tries to open the door.)  Pway-grup, pway-grup, pway-grup!
Me: It looks like C needs a quick feed.  Hold on a moment, honey. Pick up your cars, please. (Settle to feed C only to have him fall asleep in my arms, while J gets more agitated.) I guess we're going to be a bit late for playgroup after all.  Why don't you read a story for a little while? (Transfer C to crib to sleep. Read multiple books multiple times to J for 10 minutes.  Whip up a quick recipe - ginger crunch from the Edmonds Book - to bake while C sleeps and J plays again.)

Act 2:
(Twenty minutes after C falls asleep, the baking is in the oven, J is happy playing and I am preparing the icing.)
C: Waaaa!
Kitchen Timer: Beeeeep!  Beeeep!.....
Me: Bother! Hold on a moment. (Switch off timer, turn off oven, get tin out of oven.)
C: WAAAAAA!
Me: Okay I'm coming. (Hurry in to C.)
Me: (to J, while carrying C) Right, now we can get moving.  Come with me to the potty.  That's it.  Now try to go while I change C.  I'll be back in a minute. (*Disclaimer: this has worked well in the past!)
(Go to change C in bedroom.  Put him on the floor mat then move to kitchen to pour icing quickly onto warm base.)
J: (running into the living area with nothing on below his navel) Oh-oh! Oh-oh! Oh-oh! Naughty!
Me: Who is naughty?  Show me what's wrong.
(Walk into bathroom to discover entire new roll of toilet paper is unrolled on the floor.  It makes a big pile!)
Me: Oh, J!  That is naughty.  You know you shouldn't do that.  Now we need to roll it up and we'll be even later to playgroup. (Grumble to self while starting to roll up paper for next 3 minutes.)
J: Oh-oh! Naughty! Time out. Naughty! Time out. (Runs to bedroom, shuts door in self-imposed time out - still amuses me that he'll do it before I even think of sending him at present!)

Act 3:
(Me still in bathroom rolling...)
J: (as he opens the bedroom door again) Oh-oh! Naughty! No.  In the potty. Oh-oh!
Me: Yes, that was naughty but I'm nearly done.  (Pause.) What do you mean, "in the potty"? (Turn to look at J.) Oh man!
(* J hasn't done anything in the potty, but has lost control while he was in his room.  And since he has nothing on to catch it, has left FIVE deposits on the carpet, in gradation of viscosity!  The least solid has been left right behind the door, so as he opens the door it is spread in the gracious arc of a monotoned rainbow.)
Me: Delightful!  Okay, now you can bring me some of the toilet paper that is still on the floor in the bathroom. The biggest piece you can find. (J brings a scrappy strip maybe one square long.) No, I said the BIGGEST piece you could find. No, don't rub! Arrrgh!... ( You can imagine the rest!  Now you are glad I didn't take photos, eh?)

Postscript:
I also managed to split open my finger in my rush to unfold the stroller before we finally got underway to playgroup - arriving at 11.25am!

Counting My Blessings

1. That C was relatively immobile while the comedic tragedy above unfolded and stayed happily rolling around between two toys the whole time.
2. That I can now laugh about this event!
3. For the Hunters, who looked after both boys on Tuesday morning so I could have some time to myself and then invited me for lunch too. Yummy dumplings Georgian style (not US Georgia).
4. Shopping without kids.
5. Mocha.
6. A needed time of reading, prayer and journalling.
7. My wonderful hubby sending an anniversary present - fancy boxes filled with sweets and treats.
8. Friends who you can visit anytime (B particularly this week).
9. Thankful for our sermon series on Ephesians - I love this book!
10. C's passport has arrived.
11. The house is relatively tidy, considering all we have done today.
12. The weather is warm enough to dry most of the washing outside, so I don't have to run the dryer as much.
13. That when J doesn't nap he will go to sleep by 7.30pm.
14. For skype and those I connected with this week.
15. For those praying for us.
16. That this time next week N will be home! :o)
17. That there is more worth counting but that I needn't bore you with it.