In Which We Have A Rather Crazy Week

Well this has been a rather eventful week.

Here's a quick rundown of what's happened so far.  Friday we went to a play.  Saturday we saw a ballet.  Sunday was Easter.  Monday was Connor's seventh birthday, and we took a trip to the zoo.  Tuesday Connor got double pinkeye and then had a 45 minute long seizure and we ended up in the emergency room.  Wednesday morning we had Ellen's physical therapy evaluation and then were off to the doctor, where we discovered one of Connor's ears was completely blocked with earwax and that he had the beginnings of aspiration pneumonia.  And today I woke up sick.  So Connor and I are currently miserably sharing couch space while Ellen, who is perfectly fine, plays on the iPad.  Yes, she's home right now.  Did I mention that it's spring break?

So yeah.  We've been a bit busy.

My strategy going into spring break was Keep The Children Occupied So They Won't Have Time To Freak Out About There Not Being School.  Both my kids are just slightly routine oriented.  But frankly I think we've gone overboard; I'd rather things slow down a bit now.  Like that nine hours in the ER thing?  We totally could have skipped that. 

However, we have seen some really good things come out of this week too.  We got to see how Ellen would respond to her first Connor-related emergency; though she was concerned about Connor she remained calm and did beautifully. 

Then there was the wonderful woman at the play we saw Friday night who, when she saw that Ellen was completely overwhelmed from the volume of the actors (we were sitting practically on the stage as that's where the wheelchair seating is and Jer wasn't able to be there due to school so we couldn't split forces), offered to sit in the back with my daughter so she could enjoy the play like everyone else.  And when the EMTs were here one of our neighbors I hadn't met yet walked into the house-- turns out he's a doctor at the ER we were about to visit.  So he called ahead for us, stopped by the hospital later, and visited our home the next day to check up on Connor. 

I am forever thankful for the wonderful people out there who get our family-- who instinctively understand how to interact with my children, me and Jer and offer help, encouragement and compassion without making them or me feel patronized or set apart.  And I must admit that there are times I take those things for granted-- we have so many places in our little town that we can go where the kids are accepted without so much as a blink. 

I won't deny that it's been a rough week.  But I'm glad that it reminded me just what a wonderful community we're able to live in here.  Sometimes I forget just how fortunate we really are, that I am able to take small kindnesses for granted now and it takes extraordinary circumstances for me to realize just how amazing people can be.

~Jess