Newsy bit - no deep thoughts

Feeling a bit crazed.

Snow on tuesday led to the necessity of finding eldest child's boots. Which we found one of. The other we eventually came to assume fell down the basement stairs and into the recycling boxes. Off to Wal-mart (yes, I know I denounced it - I'm not sure any corporation has any more ethics, however, so where do I go to get $25 boots?) with eldest to wade through the gag-me display of pink, princesses and Barbie boots. Normal clothes, please!!! My child does not need to be a walking Disney ad. Driving that day: horrible. Shovelling immediately gave me back spasms.

Snow also led to my FIL doing his usual clearing snow off everybody's yard - which is kind, but probably less than wise at 76 when you seem to be feeling less than your usual self. Soon he had a heart attack(small one) and by the end of the day we learned he probably has colon cancer. I haven't been able to see him yet, I'm always with the kids when hubby goes.

Rob was at the hospital when eldest needed to be picked up from school. Rob had the van. How was I going to get two kids to and three kids from school? I got out the only sled we had, hammered some small holes into it, enlarged them with a screw and screwdriver, and then found some cotton twine which I tripled up for strength. Youngest child very unhappy in sled, as he kept falling out and getting snow in his face. My back killing me by the end of the trek.

Wednesday I tried to get lots of work done because today my whole family came to the 'peg. BIL has a conference here so we arranged an early Christmas as my sister and fam are changing provinces in December. They drove, Mom flew. So I drove to the airport this morning and got stuck in a bumper to bumper no one's moving an inch scenario on Route 90. Did a u-y and waded around in residential areas to Keewatin to wind up in bumper to bumper extremely slow moving traffic.

Picked up, Mom. I was ready to end the visit before I even got home. I have grown in my ability to not respond negatively to everything that offends and bugs me. I have not grown in my ability to not be offended and bugged. But, she's staying at the hotel with my sis and her fam. Feel bad that we don't have a house we can put people up in. But on the other hand, I do get the space to prevent me from saying anything that will get me one of those looks from hubby.

The rest of the day actually went okay for the most part. When sis and fam got in we all went there and had pizza. The grandkids all play together really, really well. Going home was flip out time. As I walked out carrying youngest child who is arching his back and trying to kick off his boots as he's howling inconsolably, I pass a dad with two boys about 8 and 10 in the hall, heading to the hotel pool, and he starts dancing and singing:

Been there, done that
Been there, done that
They're ol-der now!!

I'll leave it to your imagination as to whether I smiled politely or decked him.

The update on my FIL is that he will have a procedure - angioplasty, I think - to open an blockage, and will have surgery on his colon after Christmas, which they expect to go well. I feel peaceful about it all and I'm not sure if that's God or denial.