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OUR HOUSE IS A ZOO, NO JOKE!
So let's meet my family! My kick ass Hubby is a stay at home Dad who is a certified wrangler of children, wives and critters. We have 4 kiddos, from 20 down to 16, 1 in college who works full time, 3 in high school. There are 4 cats running around, 2 dogs and many hermit crabs (I've lost count of those). My Hubby is the ringmaster of all of the chaos in our home, from driving kiddos around to the emergency flea dip when a critter has snuck outside. We're all happy and grouchy just like a normal family, but after the year 2013, we've been leaning to the grouchy side. He's the good guy, the one they all talk to, the Dad that's up making brownies at 2am for a packed house of PMS girls. I'm the one who wants grades, likes to talk about life goals and is generally avoided by the teenagers for the above reasons.
13 is just a number, right? Right?
So the year 2013 kicked our asses up and down the street. My Hubby and I usually pick each other up when the other is down, but we were kicked so far down I feel like we're clawing our way up from 100 feet down. There's been death, illness, accidents galore. Money problems, health problems to the point where a good day for me was putting on sweats and eating something that did not come from McDonalds. So let's start out at beginning.
My name is Holly. I'm a 6'1" redhead, with a penchant for Old Navy clothes and funky jewelry. Yes, I wear jeans and a hoody with my awesome Coach purses and my cute Ugg boots. If I dumped my Dooney on the floor right now you would find the following...
Burts Bees chapstick
Viva La Juicy body lotion
20 receipts from Krogers
3 broken barrettes
scrunchies
2 wallets
tanning eyewear
bobby pins
4 pairs of earrings
a Blu e cig box
tons of pennys
I'm used to the clutter and chaos that has become my life, which is why, ummmm, I really need my nerd self to come back. Finding her and keeping her out will be hard. Yes I can quote Monty Python without blinking. Yes everyone at work brings me their new phones to fix. So she's kind of never left, but as far as home, pfftttt. I will blow rasberries in your general direction and let you know how exactly far I've slid here.
Yes, come and see the Holly in her natural habitat!
That line was actually used by my 17 year old, the one that is a fire sign, like me, we're all smart asses. This is a reference to my current natural state, propped up in my recliner, on the phone and surfing the web at the same time. I'm texting my best friend, while looking up something on google, cuddling with my yorkie baby, Scarlett and yes, eating something usually. It came to my attention when she said that this natural habitat thing might be bad. Umm, really bad. It meant that I've created my own little safe place, instead of going to the gym, baking cookies, sitting outside by the firepit. If I turn slightly to my left, my Hubby will be sitting on the couch next to the recliner, also on the internet, watching TV and yes, usually eating something. We've both created little nests. How weird is that? Really weird, nerd , nerd alert!
So I started really, really looking at myself. I'm not wearing makeup, my hair is always pulled up with a headband on. Do I still own a pair of uggs? I've been sliding on Crocs everyday? In the mirror I study myself and realize my eyebrows haven't been arched in 6 months maybe? When was my last hair appointment? Yes money has been a daily issue with us the last six months, but really? Have I fallen so far out of a routine that I don't even see myself in the mirror? Oh that answer was a big fat yes. I've gained at least 25 lbs (I'm guessing, the scales are broken) and don't know when I drank a glass of juice if it didn't have vodka in it. Did I mention I'm Irish Catholic?
The Catastrophic Year
When you're boss at work says he's praying for you to have a better year in 2014, you know it's been rough. So let's get a review of the year that has whupped us real good.
In January of 2013, I was working 2 jobs in local hospitals, like I usually do. My one job I've been at for 15 years, I pick up prn, which means "as needed" at my other, which is full time hours. So we have a decent income, not great, but decent. I'm gone all the time, but that's ok. We have a system. I get home from work at 7am, the Hubby and I run to the grocery, talk about bills, who needs what, what broke while I was gone, yada yada. He goes about his day running kiddos and running our house, I sleep til about 3pm then it starts again when the kids come home. We go over which teachers were great today, who gave a ton of homework, and why is exactly was the blonde girl at lunch flirting with my daughters boyfriend? A busy life, but a great one.
My brother in law had a heart attack the fall of 2012, and had been moved to a hospital I worked for long term care. I wasn't happy about it, I was afraid it would be a problem in the long run, boy was I right. My father was having a pacemaker placed for his low heart rate, but they did 20 of those a week at the local heart hospital. No problem.
January
My father has his heart surgery. He comes home and his heart rate keeps dropping to the low 30's. The doctors assure us this can't happen, but it does.
Febuary
I have a kidney stone, followed by horrible migraines and seizures (I have epilepsy, it flairs when my body's stressed). This goes on for a couple of weeks.
March
My Hubby's aunt dies. While we're at the funeral home, I have another kidney stone. That weekend, my brother goes in the hospital with chest pain and we find out he has 3 blood clots headed towards his heart. He's put on blood thinner, bedrest and they bring in all kinds of doctors trying to figure out why. My Dad's has his second heart surgery, the last pacer's wires are not working and pus is built up around his heart.
April
My brother in law is getting worse. The hospital calls us and says they no longer recognize my Husband's power of attorney. We find out in june that they gave it to the girlfriend the next month. My father in law goes in the hospital for congestive heart failure, they find at 6 centimeter abdominal aneurysm.
May
I have to leave my prn job at the hospital my brother in law is at, it's become a conflict of interest. We fired his lung doctor in april and the case manager has begun harassing my boss. My father in law goes back in the hospital for congestive heart failure.
June
We have a 2 week vacation planned at my parents house at the lake. My oldest wakes up with pink eye before we leave, by the time we get down there, it's in both eyes. 2 doctors visits. The 3rd night there my sandal gets caught on a rock and I flip down a huge hill, landing with my skull on a jagged tree stump. I'm in the ER all day and am told nothings broken, but my right leg is busted up, my head has a huge knot on it. No swimming, no boating, no anything the rest of the vacation. My oldest's pink eye gets worse, we take him into town to a doctor who gives him 2 more eye drops. Worst vacation ever. My youngest gets pink eye when we get home. Back to the doctor. My father in law goes back in the hospital with congestive heart failure. My youngest pink eye spreads to both eyes. Back to the doctor. My brother in law dies on a Friday, the last weekend in june. They find my Husband's cousins dead later that day, heart attack. On Saturday my Hubby and I are at urgent care. He has pink eye in both eyes so bad they put him on steroids. I have bronchitis, bilateral ear infections and a sinus infection. 2 shots.
July
My poor husband is destroyed by his brother's death, he and my in laws no longer speak. The lack of income from my second job hits us hard, this continues all year. Between all the illnesses and death, I couldn't get a second job right now. Maybe in the fall.
August
August is back to school time. This year was tight due to financial reasons, my kids are great. My daughter is working at a fast food place, my youngest starts working there as well. My father in law goes back in the hospital. He comes home and we try to all set down to work things out. It's a disaster. My Hubby is more torn up than ever.
September
I get a text from youngest on the way into work, he goes missing. My husband and I try to find him, he's turned off his phone. We find him right as it's getting dark. We find out the bosses had been making fun of him, calling him slow, calling him names. We had no idea. My husband calls me at work and tells me he's in agony, pain in his stomach. He get admitted to the hospital and has surgery the next morning for a kidney stone. My father has his 3rd heart surgery that Monday, they still don't put in a new device. They replace the wires, again. The insurance still won't approve a new one. My husband has surgery again the next week, they use a shockwave to try at break up the stone.
October
My brother and sister start their own personal hell battles I won't mention. Let's just say we're all use to leaning on each other, this time each of us could barely stand up. My husband has a third surgery in the office to remove the stent from his kidneys. The stone's still not gone. Halloween is stormy and rainy, we stay in and watch movies.
November
I'm at work, walking when I slip and fall forward, my legs snaps out behind me and to the side. I hit the ground with my knee screaming in pain, soaked in water from my leg to shoulder. Housekeeping forgot to put out a "Wet" cone over a puddle. I'm in ER with a possible tear to my ACL and MCL. The workmans comp battle is awful, I do light duty for a week then go back to work the next.
December
I get a phone call at work in the middle of the night from my mother, my father has collapsed. We meet at the local heart hospital. After many tests they rule out a stroke, he's released home the next week. My husband's vision is blurry, his right eye starts to bulge. Back to the doctor. He has Uveitis and his pupil has frozen to his lens. Back on steroid eye drops. My birthday. I can't get out of bed, I'm so sick. Back to the doctors. Double pneumonia and ear infections. They forget to call the medicine in. Christmas Eve. My husband is projectile vomiting and has a fever. Christmas Day, was beautiful, Thank God!
My Inner Nerd Wakes Up!
My best friend and I are both at are wit's ends. I'm worn out from this year and so is she. I watch a motivational video and realize that I can take back control of my life if I can get organized again. When's the last time I took my kiddos to the dentist? I don't know. I honestly just don't know. Bills are piled on a desk by my recliner. My poor Hubby needs help! The house is cluttered, the animals are winning! So it's time to let my Star Trek loving, quotes Yoda daily self back out. It's time for lists, weight loss, makeup, trips to goodwill and some good old fashioned get the hell up off the floor and live! Welcome to my journey, I'm letting my nerdgirl out and we're going to pin yummy recipes for the crockpot, find detox tips and get back into the world of fashion! For the next year I'm going to try and watch this video everyday, to remind me to Embrace my Pain!
