[Note: edited to include more fun times...]

It’s a good thing we have a sense of humor, or we’d be really depressed by now.  Let’s review:

It all started when our poor PurrMonster had to be put to sleep.  Since then, ToaM has had a stomach bug and all the ickiness that implies.  Each morning this week has involved washing someone’s sheets (usually ToaM’s).  These are the everyday trials that accompany life.  And then the bigger “what the heck?!” trials show up.  PurrMonster was September 9.  Last Friday, September 19, Chatterer’s school closed unexpectedly for what I still maintain was no good reason. 

This week: Monday morning at 2 a.m., Chatterer woke up because he lost one of his slippers.  He came out of his room to get us.  This woke up Vicious Dog, who promptly went to investigate.  The trouble is that Chatterer and Vicious Dog are about the same height, and Vicious Dog usually knocks Chatterer over in his enthusiasm to lick Chatterer.  Chatterer, not wanting to get knocked over, fled to the relative safety of his room and “shut the door tight” (read: SLAMMED the door).  At exactly the same moment, MM nudged me to tell me that Chatterer was awake.  I woke up screaming.  After calming down enough to figure out that no one had been shot, I found Chatterer’s slipper for him and came back to bed.  Amazingly, ToaM slept through this chaos, but woke up at 5 a.m.

Monday morning continued and at approximately 8:15 a.m., ToaM’s school called MM to explain that ToaM was throwing up “a little.”  (My cell phone was left on all weekend and was dead.  Not that it would matter anyway… see paragraph about “Reference Attorney.”)  Five minutes later, they called and said “a lot” and “you need to come get him.”  So, ToaM and MM had a nice bonding experience at home… if you think feeding a 15-month old and then having it all come back out the front and having him put his icky hand in your hair is “bonding.”  The high chair needed to be washed and power-washed anyway, right?!  Yesterday, ToaM did it to MM again.  MM, being a true sport, actually took it upon himself to feed ToaM his nightly bottle after yesterday’s explosion at dinner.  Brave man.

Tuesday morning, Chatterer slept so well that he didn’t wake up in time to make it to the potty.  We think he missed by about 5 minutes.  More laundry.

Also Tuesday (yesterday), the refrigerator decided to stop chilling food (although the freezer still works.)  After checking around online, we pulled enough cat/dog hair out from under the refrigerator (likely blocking air circulation for the fan) to possibly knit a sweater.  The refrigerator was still not working right this morning, although maybe it’s just punishing us for not taking care of it for the last 4 years.  We are hopeful we didn’t burn out the fan or something else really expensive.

ToaM was up early again this morning, having blown out his diaper and soiled his sheets.  After determining that he was still ok to go to school, we all headed out to the driveway to load up my car.  I put the key in and heard the dreaded “click click click”.  Dead battery.

On top of all of this, I am “Reference Attorney” at work this week, which means I end up answering e-mail and phone calls from people who call us to find an attorney for any number of problems, none of which we handle.  I also spend a large amount of time educating people about what we actually do, and how “what” is not the same as “why.”  This duty is loathed by all in my office (except the new guy, who just hasn’t done it enough yet). 

On a positive note, MM is excellent at getting cars to start when they choose not to, the repair person is coming this afternoon to fix the refrigerator (and the oven, which has been broken since July, but who needs an oven in the summer?) and it’s highly unlikely school will close unexpectedly again.  ToaM seems to be improving and his personality has not displayed the ickiness displayed elsewhere in his poor little body.  Upon calling ToaM’s school, he seems to be holding food down and is taking a nap.  My turn as Reference Attorney will end sooner than usual since I traded with someone here and they’re going to take Friday’s callers/e-mailers. 

In a true sense of irony, MM called from the house where he’s waiting for the repair person.  The refrigerator is down to 38 degrees and my car started when he arrived home.  But at least the oven will get fixed!  And it’s probably a good idea to have the refrigerator checked anyway.

Here’s hoping everyone reading this is giggling at our expense.