Loosely

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:13-16)

We knew today was going to be a busy run-around day. Mira had her g-j replaced this morning. (While we can do g-tube replacements at home, a g-j replacement is an outpatient surgery event - still quick and easy, but with equipment, like ultrasound, that we don't just have around the house!) Bobbi has pool therapy in the afternoon, and on top of our usual Wednesday afternoon library run on the way to church for supper, and then activities for some of the kids (while Matt and I run the smaller/younger/other ones home for bed before running back to pick up the ones who stayed), Leah and Rinnah (and their friend) had one last extra practice for their Bulgarian dancing before the Festival of Nations this Saturday. In Brooklyn Center...which is a good 40 minute drive from our house!

Things were complicated a little further by the fact that after a lower than typical body temp on Monday, and a just slightly higher than normal one last night, Mira has also been more prolific than usual on her oral secretions. More secretions, slimier secretions...just off. As Matt left to take her to her morning g-j appointment (a hospital appointment, so NOT directly at Gillette, but in the same building), he had me on the phone checking to see if someone at Gillette could just take a look at her. As I was describing her symptoms over the phone, I could tell the nurse was kind of waiting for me to get to the point beyond just, "something just seems a little bit off." The first appointment they had was at 2, which would have made for a long wait for Matt, so he and Mira came home so I could leave with Bobbi. 

By the time we got back from the pool, Mira's complex care doctor had called saying she really did want her seen, and Matt was able to scoot out to a 4pm appointment. 

Having a larger family, and particularly a larger family with some out-of-the-ordinary factors involved has really taught us to make ALL of our plans loosely. We sometimes joke (well, only half-joke) that we'll know what the plan is when it happens. Much mental energy is spent juggling the variables and the options available to make it work.

We've been so grateful for the young woman who started working for Reuben and Krassimir last week. Only a week and a half into the job (and only 15 hours a week!) and she's already really lightened the load. It was great to have her here this afternoon, and great to know she'll be here to do the morning therapy run with the boys tomorrow.

Mira isn't sick enough to be fully admitted, but they do want to keep her overnight (or two) "on observation" just to be able to keep a closer eye on how she's doing. We learned this about twenty minutes before it was time to leave to take the girls to their practice (library and supper at church had already been scrapped.) However, our little Jetta just can't handle all of the small people I still had with me! (Wait a minute...Matt's got that trailer up and running...oh. Wait. I suppose that's not really an option! 😛) 

As someone who's spent most of her life being able to be self-sufficient, it's not an easy thing to be the one who has to ask for help. I got on the phone, and after a few phone calls, ended up with Chad (who those of you who have been reading since the beginning will recognize as the guy who is second only to Matt for man-hours invested in the addition we put on before Grandma moved in and Krassimir moved home!) offering to leave his wife and kids at church to run my girls up to their practice, leaving me with the task of feeding supper to the kids still here (is it okay that the main meal was tater tots??) while finding out a way to get the girls home. Again, our wonderful neighbor offered to come and sit here (in her pajamas) while I drove out to get the girls, and their teacher agreed to stay a few extra minutes while I got there.

Driving home, we go right past Gillette. Leah snapped a photo for me. Hi, Tsvetomira!!