Good Stuff

Peanut butter bagels, apples, pretzels, humus, and yogurt.  That's what little kids lunches are made of.  It's the last day of Spring Break, and I have to admit - Spring has finally arrived in our area of Ohio.  It's warm out, the kids are playing in a water sprinkler at a friend's house, after having enjoyed an outdoor lunch of the above.  I haven't been to the grocery store in a week, but thankfully I had kid food on hand for a large group of munchkins (my kiddos and three others!).  Such a wonderful day, and it's not at all how I anticipated it would turn out.  Truly, good stuff.

After worrying so much about getting our travels to Cairo planned, I have to take a moment to put all stuff in perspective.

Bunny Peep S'mores.  Good Stuff.

We missed Jason so much at Easter, but enjoyed the day nonetheless.  We always head up to his Aunt Jeanie's home for a family get-together.  She lives in a rural area, has a lovely house nestled in the woods, and a stream that flows nearby. Each of the kids made an Easter-Egg toting boat (it's a tradition) for the race in that stream.  It rained most of the day, but subsided enough for the kids to partake in the Easter Egg Hunt.  I kissed lots of babies and caught up with his family, bringing them news of our upcoming travels and Jason's assignment in Baghdad.  I even made Marshmallow Bunny Peep S'mores for the kids (thanks Becky for the fun stuff posting linking this idea!), and baked up a batch of brownies.  I downed an enormous piece of Aunt Jeanie's delicious lasagna and happily took home a piece for dinner that night. I played incessantly with my awesome camera that I have been meaning to get to know for nearly a year.  Finally figured out how it works.  All good stuff.

Easter Egg Hunt in the Rain.
Yup...Good Stuff.

Monday came and so did the required doctor appointments for my personal medical clearance.  I caught up with a close friend for breakfast and some shopping before getting to the first doctor's appointment.  Got done with one appointment and headed to lunch for the lull between it and the next.  Jason called when I was lunching alone (have I ever mentioned what good timing he has??) and we got to enjoy lunch together.  Sure it was dinner time for him, and he had already eaten, but in my part of the world, it was lunch with my husband.  Very good stuff.

I went to my primary care doctor, anticipating that he might want me to follow-up again with my surgeon on a new medical issue that had occurred over the past year.  In November I was in the ER with belly pain - I figured it was a kidney stone.  Nope.  Diverticulitis (and even as a nurse, I had always categorized this into 'old person' disease - nearly everyone over the age of 80 has diverticular disease).  I guess it's time to realize my body isn't what it used to be!   After a colonoscopy in February (ummm...not good stuff, but definitely good drugs), my biopsies came back negative and I've not really had any problems with it.  However, I wasn't sure that my primary doc could give me the clearance.  Well, he can.  We talked about what I'd need to do to manage it overseas and he signed off on my paperwork.  We'll see if State wants anything more.  But, for now...good stuff.

On a mission to find eggs!
Excellent Stuff.

And then I even got in a run at Millcreek Trails before I had to pick up the kids.  Sure, it poured on me for the last 1/2 of my run, but I finished out a quick 3-miles and despite the drenching, it was still an awesome run.  Really good stuff.

However, when I picked up Kellen and the rest of the kidlets at daycare, Kellen was obviously sick.  Runny nose, eczema flair-up (he always gets it when he's sick), and a wet-sounding cough.  Ugg.  I got the kids home and the big kids to bed.  I checked Kellen's temp and he had a fever.  After a dosing of Tylenol and Motrin, I called off at work for the following day.  I was supposed to work a 12-hour shift on Tuesday.  Not good stuff.  But when little man is sick, he needs his Mama.

He slept fitfully through the night and woke up with a fever again.  He puked up his bottle on me (his aim is impecable) and I cleaned him up, gave him some more Motrin and tucked him into the magic swing.  He slept for a few more hours and I caught some more zzzz's.  The big munchkins awoke and were little angels while Kellen and I slept.  Really, angels.  Not something I can say often.

So here we are.  Kellen's fever has broken and while he still has that wet cough, he is smiling through it. A trip to the pediatrician is in order for tomorrow.  The kids are finishing their time in the sprinkler, and a storm is threatening to come in.  Kellen is down for a nap, after successfully taking a bottle and a snuggle with me.  I have a fantastic pot of coffee brewing.  Kids laughter blowing in through the windows.  Just recently finished a chat with my hubby on the phone.  We are three weeks out from his leave!  I've got most of my arrangements in order for my Army trip to Colorado coming this weekend.  And the required TM1 is in the works - I've been told we are this close to getting it, and then we can begin the travel planning to Cairo.

Sometimes I feel like I put out one fire only to see that something is burning elsewhere.  If it's not one thing, it's another. But that's life, right?  Take a step back and see the stuff for what it is.  It's mostly good stuff.

And wow.  I just got an email at this very moment with Jason's correct TM1.  Uber good stuff.

Kellen's first Easter.
Beautiful Stuff.