A Punctured Foot and the Death of Darth Cluck

Days in the Life...

Monday morning I left for work and Mom and Chloe headed to CareNow. 

Sometime last week our rooster, Big Ben, spurred Chloe’s foot. (A spur is like a big claw on the back of a rooster’s leg. They use them to fight other roosters.) Over the course of the next couple of days her entire foot got more and more swollen and red with infection. She soaked it in different things and put oils on it and elevated it, but it keep swelling. Monday morning it was bad enough, with no sign of much improvement, that Mom and Dad decided it needed to be looked at. 

So Mom took her in first thing in the morning and she came home with an antibiotic to take. 

Then Mom took her and Christian to class. While they were at class she took the little girls to get groceries and then picked Chloe and Christian up. 

I got off work an hour early and arrived home to do all my Monday tasks. 

Nana took Gabe to gymnastics while Dad kept working. The others arrived home and I eventually left to go babysit. 

Tuesday we had window screen repairs done around the house. 

Big Ben, who was renamed, Darth Cluck, attacked Christian. That was the last straw. Grandfather was summoned and with one shot, swift and true, Darth Cluck croaked. He was not worthy to be buried in our animal graveyard and was tossed down the hill for whatever other foul fowl wanted to feast on him. 

Uncle Phil made us a movie poster-

I studied some, then exercised and got ready to go meet a friend for coffee. 

Chloe and Christian were able to get back and forth to class just fine. After that day they were officially halfway through the course! 

Sofia and her mommy came to visit for a while in the afternoon. Everyone was very excited to see “our baby” again. 

I studied more in the afternoon, then made dinner. 

After dinner we all watched a “Christy” episode. 

Wednesday morning Dad and Chloe went back to CareNow. Ava went with them. 

I left for work and Mom and Mia took Gabe to his gymnastics class. Mia had her class as well, but while they were waiting they went to the library. 

There ended up being a very long wait at CareNow, but once they saw the doctor, he said it looked a little better to him and to stay on the prescription he’d given her. She left from there to get to class. (I have no idea how Christian got to class…) 

Dad and Ava ran a few errands, including a stop for Ava to purchase some more fish. They didn’t get home until noon. 

After work I went to the college campus to meet with an advisor and then had a massage when I got home. 

Sofia came for several hours in the late afternoon and evening. I think we overwhelmed her a little with all the attention. 

After she left, Gabe chose “The Wizard of Oz” for our entertainment that night. It had probably been eight years since I had seen that last. I understand it way better now. 

Thursday was Gabe's 9th birthday! He was up at 6:30 and requested Cracker Barrel for his breakfast date with Mom and Dad. 

I left for work and had a great day with the kids. Both Wednesday and that day, the baby slept for four straight hours! 

We had fun "hanging out." 

Chloe and Christian had a good day at class and came home to finish their other schoolwork. 

I exercised when I got home and then worked on my class. 

Mom and the girls dropped Gabe off at gymnastics and then went to go see "Finding Dory." They enjoyed it and said it was very cute. 

Once Gabe's class was over, they picked him up and met us, Aunt Cendei, and Nana and Grandfather at Babe's for a late dinner. We all converged again at home for Blue Bell ice cream and Chloe's chocolate chocolate chip cookies. 

Friday morning I really didn't want to get up when my alarm went off at 6:30, but I was so glad I did because the sunrise was beautiful and everyone else slept until almost 8:30 so the house was completely quiet for a good while. 

I studied all morning, then exercised and got ready to leave. 

Nana and I then spent the afternoon out shopping together. 

Is it bad that I have no idea 

where, when, or how I got this scratch? 

I had a little more class work to do after dinner and then Chloe, Mom, and I watched some “Dr. Quinn” while the littles watched “Planes.” 

Dad and Christian had an interesting day…

The plan was to go pick up Aunt Cendei’s trailer in the morning and go down to pick up the pool furniture. But the trailer lights were broken and then they could not get it unhooked from her truck. 

Plan B was to use Grandpa’s trailer. So they drove all the way over there to discover that his trailer lights were also broken. 

By that time the lady who we purchased the furniture from had somewhere to be. 

So Dad and Christian came home and got to start work and school about 4:00. 

After dinner Aunt Cendei was available to drive her truck and trailer down to get the furniture with Dad and Christian driving our truck behind her so she wouldn’t get pulled over. On the way they passed every single police car on patrol. 

The table top is granite and probably weights between 150 and 200 lbs. They had to load that first, but because it is so heavy, Dad and Christian had to roll it instead of carry it. Dad rolled it onto his right big toe. 

Christian saw it was bleeding and told Dad to sit down, but Dad knew if he looked at it and then needed to sit down there was no way the furniture would get loaded. So they finished loading the trailer and then took care of his foot. 

Christian excitedly offered to drive, but Dad was not going for that. 

They pulled in before dark (they did not get pulled over) and all of us, plus Nana and Grandfather, worked together to unload everything. It probably took less than 5 minutes. Aunt Cendei then raced home so it would still be light while she drove without trailer lights. 

Mom took one look at Dad’s toe and became very quiet. She had smashed her finger when she was younger and she remembered that the pressure under the nail was awful. She could tell Dad was going to be uncomfortable pretty soon. She administered pain meds and began a routine of icing his toe for 20 minutes on then 20 minutes off. All while keeping his foot elevated, of course.

Saturday everyone had a peaceful morning and then watched “American Ninja Warrior” during lunch. In the afternoon they had rest time and took showers before church.

I left around 1:00 to get coffee with a friend and then arrived at church early to play piano. 

Dad stayed home. As long as he kept his foot up, it really was not bad. But after just a few minutes of being on it, it would start throbbing again. 

We had a guest speaker this week. After a precious time of worship he got up and said he had words of encouragement for me. I cried. God knows my heart so deeply. He knew what I was feeling and the exact words I needed to hear. 

Actually, starting about 2:00 until 9:00, God used person after person to reenforce the message I needed so much. He amazes me. 

Sunday morning Gabe got up early and, all by himself, set up everything we needed to make brunch so that once Dad and I were up it was very easy for us to start. 

After brunch Ava, Gabe, and Mia finally got to perform the magic show they had been working on since Friday. Nana and Grandfather also came over to enjoy it. They did a lovely job and it was very entertaining. 

Dad still wanted to take the kids swimming, because he was “just fine to drive.” But, seeing as how his right toe starts hurting as soon as he puts it down, I decided to drive. 

The kids had a great time and Dad and I got to visit with Gramma and get a tan. Well, he got a tan. I got a sunburn. What is sunscreen? But the next morning it was a tan.

On the way home we picked up Mediterranean food for the adults and pizza for the kids. Everyone took showers and Nana and Grandfather came over to eat dinner with us and watch pre-Olympic women’s gymnastics competitions. 

It was a lovely ending to a fun day. 

That moment when...

You are driving 60 mph and a bird flies into your car. 

The little boy you watch tells you he likes your "wreally yong hair."

You eat your dinner trying to ignore the two guys at another table who keep starring at you.

The advisor says, "Have fun on your trip." And you reply, "Thanks, you too! Uh- I mean- if you go on a trip, I hope it is fun for you..." 

The Herd: Quoted 

"Can we have actual conversation at the dinner table instead of doing show and tell with our bodies, please." -Dad after Mia, Gabe, and Christian were showing off their abs. 

"Good morning, Gabe. Happy Birthday! Why are you up so early?" -Me coming up the stairs. 
"Thanks! I'm going to breakfast." -Gabe
"But not at 7:00, right?" -Me
"No, at 8:00." -Gabe
"It's only 6:30, you don't need to be up yet." -Me
"You sure?" -Gabe
"Yes... You might want to go back to sleep for a while." -Me
"Well, I'm already dressed and wide awake, so I will just read quietly." -Gabe 

"Should we sing to you now?" -Mom to Gabe.
"I'm listening!" -Gabe grinning expectantly and thoroughly enjoying being the center of attention. 

"Wow, our little boy is 9 years old." -Mom
"Wait, you are 9?" -Me 
"Yeah, how old did you think I was?" -Gabe
"I don't know." -Me 

"When you were born, Lydia was your age and she had 4 younger siblings." -Mom to Gabe
"Wasn't I 10 when he was born?" -Me
"No..." -Chloe
"But he is 9 now and I was...wait, I'm confused." -Me
"You are 18 now and about to turn 19. Nine plus nine is 18." -Chloe 
"Oh!" -Me
"How is it that you have passed your college math?" -Chloe
"I forgot how old I am now." -Me
"How old did you think you were?" -Dad
"I don't even know." -Me 
*disclaimer, it was 9:30 pm and I had already almost fallen asleep on the couch.

"We found the fish that just gave birth! It was hiding under the bridge." -Mia talking about Ava's new fish.
"Yeah, that's exactly where I aways wanted to be after giving birth." -Mom

“Please remove all cell-phones to the coffee-table so that you will not be distracted from the show.” -Ava 

“And please remember, this is a commentary-free show.” -Gabe

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