Bad Things and Really Good Things

Some very good things have happened in the past week, and some stupid, bad things have happened.  Let's start with the first stupid thing that happened, which was last Thursday.

It happened to be Lola's Mother's Day Tea program at school, and I didn't remember this until I walked into the school and saw all the girls in pretty dresses.  Darn!  Lola was in her t-shirt and shorts and I was in my grocery store clothes and cheap makeup (You can't waste nice makeup on grocery store days).
Now I'd need to hang around for 30 minutes until the program started.  Now there would be no time for groceries, because also, Nathan wanted me to come have lunch with him.  All sweet and wonderful things to fill my day, but I'm still in charge of feeding people food.

Lola was so shy that she scowled at me through all 3 songs her class sang.  That's okay.  I understand shy.  She's precious anyway.  I'm glad I stayed to see it.

As I left it started raining and I thought, maybe I can squeeze in the groceries before I have to meet Nathan.  Then out of nowhere, someone slammed into the side of my van.  We just got the left side of the van fixed a month ago (my fault).  Now my right side was hit (HIS FAULT!).  I think I yelled "Noooooo!" when it happened.  A family of 6 needs their van.

Thankfully, the guy didn't drive off.  But I'm dumb and didn't call the police.  I trust people who seem nice and say, "It was my fault."  But now my testimony is being contested and I'm not sure I'll get coverage through his insurance (which appeared to be expired at the time).  If they don't cover it, we get to pay our deductible, again, for the 2nd time in 2 months.

I drove straight home to file the claim, then drove to meet Nathan and had a crying explosion in his car on the way to lunch.  Then got groceries. :)

Bad thing #2:
Yesterday the dentist said Lola has 4 cavities!  My initial reaction is, I'm such a bad mom!  How did I let this happen?!!!  I should floss all 80 of the little teeth in my house every day if I really loved them.  Why am I so lazy?  (The cavities are in-between her teeth)

But really, my honest reaction is to get defensive and argue that I don't have time to guard my children's teeth against cavities.  There are so many of those teeth, and I'm so tired when it's time for bedtime brushing.  I'm usually saying, "That's good enough!  Spit it out!"

Also, poor Lola.  That's a lot of shots to the gums. :(

Awwwww.

Thirdly stupid thing:
The AC stopped working during our 90 degree mother's day weekend.  Also, we have the $75 a pound refrigerant that needed 2 1/2 lbs refilled.  Blaaaaa.

So my dreams this past week have been filled with me writing $300 to $500 checks to everyone I run into.

The good things this past week:

Riley qualified for her school spelling bee!  2 kids from each class earned a place in the bee.  She didn't win, but we were pretty pumped she was up there.

This is us studying 300 Spanish words.  I felt pretty good about my pronunciations. :)

And then (my family has already heard the story, but) Nathan gave me oil painting lessons for Mother's day.  !!!
We were sitting outside eating a shish kabob dinner and Nathan couldn't wait 2 more days until Mother's day, and it was such a perfect evening.  He brought this bag to me.  It was "NOT NOT NOT! LOFT" because we had no tape to wrap anything.

Inside were some painting things and I gushed over them.  And Nathan said, "Look at that piece of paper!"  It was one of those scanning bar code things.  I had to find the app on my phone and scan it, it took me to a little video of Ginzie, a painter, being interviewed by one of her former students.  I cried during her video because she said beautiful things about painting.  And she was a sweet, smiling older lady who started painting when she was 40.
The whole time I'm thinking, "What is this video for?  Is Nathan just saying, I could be her when I grow up?  Is she going to be my teacher?"  I was already crying, and then when the video ended, Nathan said, "She's your teacher."  And I just bawled.  I get to go to her house and learn how to paint with oils.

She told Nathan that she wouldn't take on any new student if they weren't already painters.  So Nathan took pictures of all my paintings I have hidden in the laundry room.  Really dumb stuff too.  He went to her house and showed her the the paintings.  I was horrified when he told me this, but Ginzie said she could see that I had talent and just need to be told how to do it.  I've talked with her on the phone and she's just laid back and sweet.  When she saw Nathan she said, "Oh, you're a handsome fella!" :)

I'm just so excited!

More good things include:

1.  The summer is nigh!

2.  I could afford to buy groceries this morning, and I really was thanking the Lord this morning that on top of everything, we can still eat well.

3.  Cavities shmavities, my children are healthy and strong.  I can hug them, they can scream in my ears, they are here.  Sometimes I read blogs that moms have written while their children are dying of cancer and they wait until they are standing in the shower to cry so that their other children don't see them falling to pieces.  I read that blog yesterday.  So that through the whining homework hour, I was fine with it.  I was grateful they had the strength to whine.  And sing Let It Go, again.  And leave their shoes out to get chewed up by the dog, again.
Those are some very good things.