Week-1, Heather-0

Well this week got me. I never feel completely caught up on my life but there is usually a vague sense of order and routine. I can usually fool myself into thinking that I'm one step ahead of the meal planning, grocery shopping and budgeting.

I usually shower.

I don't ever claim that we are fancy or accomplished or overachieving, but we usually have matching socks. Or very similar-looking socks.

But not this week. I lost the battle this week. It doesn't help that I have been fighting a never-ending insurance claim for a year now and was on the phone with the insurance company, the medical lab and my doctor for a billion hours this week. The insurance company complains that the lab is incompetent; the lab says that the insurance company's systems aren't synchronized and the doctor's office has actually been quite helpful but it's still a slow, painful process of submitting and re-submitting information. And after a year, I'm still receiving the same $2,000 bill, and I'm still hoping I don't have to pay it.

It was the kind of week where people had to move stacks of stuff in order to sit down and where we ate desserts and called it a meal. I was sick for a couple of days and Dan is in Florida for work, and it shows.

I'm sitting here toward the end of the week--unwashed and holding an unwashed baby who never wants to be put down--and I'm realizing that even though I didn't do well this week, this week was still good.

First off, it was my birthday! 33 never looked so fine!!

June made me this beautiful chocolate cake and sang to me, and I decided to forgive her not making a real one. A paper cake just doesn't taste as good.

My friend Kendra surprised me with a gift card and babysitting so that Dan and I could go to lunch at a sooooooper fancy spot where we ate dishes that contained high-falutin' things like fennel. Each course was fantastic and delicious and quiet--because no kids! While we ate four beautiful courses, we made plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas and talked about the house we want to buy one day on a lake in Florida. It was nice to get out for a bit and pretend like we belonged somewhere fancy when we really probably only belong at the clearance aisle of Big Lots.

Also good this week was that Gwen was able to go to her Kindermusik class at our community center. She's had to miss a couple of weeks, and she just LOVES it so it's tough when we can't go. She loves banging on a drum or ringing the bells, but mostly she just loves finding herself in yet another situation where she can play the contrarian. Each week, Ms. Cindy asks, "Does this song have a beat or no beat?" And each week, Gwen screams, "NO BEAT NO BEAT!" whether that song has a beat or not. When Ms. Cindy offers Gwen a chance to beat two drum sticks together, Gwen refuses unless one of the sticks is red and the other is orange. She almost started a revolution once. Ms. Cindy always gives me a wink and says, "I had one like this too." And then after all that, Gwen gives her hugs and won't let go. I think Gwen likes having someone understand her.

While Dan was out of town, we went for ice cream at our favorite, Last Licks, with our favorites, the Wilkes. I always say--take 6 kids under age 6 with you for a good time.

And no one even broke anything!

And it was the perfect week for June's school to have Mismatch Day. Because honestly this outfit probably would have been on the docket for today anyway. Because this stuff was near the top of the aforementioned piles.

Now my goal is to get the house cleaned before Dan comes home.

The End.