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my life really could be a movie… {another day that will always make me smile}

Okay–I really do have to play-by-play this one with the clock again because…it was FULL…and it’ll make you laugh–cause it really is making me smile sitting here realizing it ALL happened today. Wow.

7:30 a.m.“Mom, can I wake Isaac up? Can I make some pancakes?” That’s what I woke up too–and with Rico Suave across the country–I just had to smile. NO and NO. Up and at ’em!

8:00 a.m. – Packing lunches for P and L’s camp. Threw clothes on babies. Fed all 4 littles and Momma…Coffeed up.

8:45 a.m. – Held my breath…time to wake up T–and it’s never fun waking a teenager at 8:45am. BUT with Rico Suave out of town and 2 that need to be at camp by 9am–rise and shine sweet love. “NO! NO!” she told me:) Oh yes, yes–Parker and Laney have camp. Where are you translator app??? Translate this in Russian, “Hurry! Hurry! We are going to the bakery to get you a treat!” Ahhhh…that worked:)

9:00 a.m. – Drop Parker off at soccer camp. “Mom. I forgot my ball.” Drive home. Get ball. Return to soccer camp. Deliver ball.

9:25 a.m. – Drop Laney off at Celebrate Summer camp at church.

Drive to French bakery. Pass an old African American man standing on the side of the street in his boxers, holding a briefcase looking lost. Prayed for him. Felt like I should help him. But how to you translate THAT? Lord, if you want us to help him–I pray you would keep Him safe and that he would still be there on our way home from the bakery. Arrive at French bakery. Just because it’s European doesn’t mean she like. Meat lover not sweet lover. Pull out of French bakery empty handed. Drive back down highway–old man in his boxers still there. Translate over iPhone app that her meat filled baguette will have to wait–we need to care for this man. U-turn action. Pulled up and had a great conversation with 90 year old African American man in his boxers. Help came for him–we touched a heart. He thanked us for caring. I typed in iPhone app what just happened. No facial expression change–but just reminded myself we are to live and trust the Lord to do the rest in this precious heart. Now…off to Starbucks for some meat filled breakfast action to make her feel loved…

10:00 a.m. – Ordered a Berry Hibiscus drink for the princess and a meat filled English muffin. Score. She is happy:).

10:30 a.m. – Back home…just babes and T. Encouraged her to read. Quiet is good for what I knew was going to be an action filled day ahead. And all momma’s chores have been called aside since our T arrived–so I swept, started laundry, cleaned as fast as I could while the babes played and T listened to her MP3 music…singing for the neighbors to hear…JOY…happy that she is happy…but JOY is more than happy…JOY is peace even when things are hard. The JOY of the Lord is my strength.

11:00 a.m. – T comes in and wants to know when she’s going swimming. I try to type it in on my iPhone app–and hand it to her…drop iPhone as I’m passing it to princess. It falls on brick kitchen floor and SHATTERS in a million pieces. Our means of communicating while we are on the go…is now GONE. Gone. Gone. Gone. Oh glory. Rich is out of town…now what?

11:30 a.m. – Load up kids to go pick up P from soccer camp.

12:00 p.m. – Run into my friend Addie at soccer camp. She meets T. Yay! Love when others get to meet my sweet girl. Now…off to meet another New Horizons mom—pecking on broken cell phone that barely works and is cutting my finger while I try to find Becky’s number to tell her we are on our way. Thankful T has a play date at the city pool this afternoon with Russian speaking friends / another hosting family.

12:45 p.m. – Drop T off with other hosting family at pool. While I had HOPED to have just some time with my littles and to rest, rest, rest…I need to get my iPhone fixed before T returns at 4pm so we can communicate–so I need this sucker fixed…and fast…like by 4pm. What. Are. The. Chances?!

1:20 p.m. – Kids are starving but we gotta get a reservation at Apple store. Race through Northpoint Mall. Realize I really need a stroller. Find paid double stroller thing–see it’s $5 to RENT a double stroller. I need smooth today–so I put a $10 bill in. It gives me $1 in quarters back. FOR REAL??? I just paid $9 to RENT a stroller??? Oh well. I’m desperate. Race to Apple store.

“Ma’am–if you need a reservation you need to go see Bill in the blue shirt.”

Hi Bill. I’m Andrea. And I’m desperate. I need this iPhone repaired and fixed and back in my hand BEFORE 2:30 p.m. because I have to pick up my daughter from camp at 3pm and my host child from Ukraine will be home at 4pm…is it possible?????”

“Lemme look ma’am. Let’s seeeeeee. It looks like the first opening we have is for 3pm. Will that work for you?”

Okay. Here’s the deal. You see these two little guys? They are missing there naps. And I really need to be OUT of here by 2:30pm–no later. I know that’s pushing it and it might be impossible–but I’m going to stand right here–x marks the spot–and they might get fussy–but with my husband out of town and my desperate need to have Russian translated on my phone–I can’t leave until it’s done. So I’m going to go ahead and apologize in advance for their fussiness and tears–and any scene these boys might cause. But yes–go ahead and put us down. BUT if there is a random cancellation please let me know–Okay?”

“Oh ma’am. Look’a here! What a coincidence! It looks as if we have an opening at 2:30pm!”

(Still…standing in the Apple store for 1 hour–not my idea of fun.)

“How much will this cost by the way???”

“$100 to repair the glass or $150 for a new phone.”

YIKES.

In comes random man who was laughing and listening to me chatter away…

“Ma’am–I overheard you talking–and I have an electronic business in Duluth about 30 minutes away. I’ll be leaving here shortly and it’ll take me about 20 minutes to get there. If you want to come there in about 30 minutes you can drop off your phone and it will take 30 minutes to repair–and it will only be $40.”

Hmmmmm…sounds shady.

But I’m desperate. Weigh the timing. Weigh the cost. Weigh the commute.

“Sooooo…you are telling me that it’ll take me 20 minutes to get there–you’re leaving in 10–and it’ll just take your people 30 minutes to fix? And for $40??”

“Yes ma’am.”

Still sounds shady.

Alright. But clearly you can see I’m desperate, crazy or both–and I don’t have 30 minutes to spare. Gimme the directions–and I’m going to jot them down on the receipt. Instead of my standing around waiting for you to fix my phone–I’m going to totally trust you–give it to you now–take my kids up stairs for lunch, to ride the carousel and then to pick out a treat at the Lego store…because we all need pick-me-ups at our house this week…THEN I’ll drive to Duluth–get my phone…and pray for a miracle that my daughter won’t be stranded waiting for me at 3pm. How does that sound?”

“You are going to just give me your phone ma’am?”

“I’m desperate here–and yes…for some reason I’m crazy enough to trust you. But to be honest–I have nothing confidential on that bad boy unless you want to see my latest Facebook status…you won’t get much else off that one.”

Man leave laughing and shaking his head. Hope he’s honest–because my life is too crazy for crooks.

1:45 p.m. – Lego store. Tell the boys if they can each find ONE thing that is under $7 then it’s theirs. They are so happy. Lego Duplo race care for Isaac. Ninjago for Parker and white warrior man for Frank. Golden. I came THIS close to buying a Lego Chewbacca keychain just because he makes me laugh for some reason–I decided it was a splurge and resisted;)

2:00 p.m. – Sbarro pizza + ranch dip + chocolate milk. They loved it. I told them they would–and they did. The boys needed this date afternoon with momma. Thankful. And then–the carousel. Frank got the horse. Parker got a tiger. And ITY got a frog that he panicked on once the carousel began. Love my baby boy…every inch of ’em.

2:20 p.m. – Oh stink. It’s later than I hoped. Need to pick up Loo at 3pm. Need to be at home by 4pm for T. Need to be at dear friends birthday for her son at 5pm. I needed to get phone now to translate–but my sweet girl?? And I had NO PHONE…some random man in Duluth had it. WHAT DO I DO?? I prayed–Lord…I need to be able to communicate so I’m going to trust you to provide a friend to pick up Laney. Here we go…please provide. I trust you!

2:45 p.m. – Can’t find the electronic store. Was I just scammed? No-I really don’t think so. Trying to drive while looking at scribbling directions on receipt. Drive further…and further…and further…SCORE! I see it! Yay! Walk in store–my phone is in pieces. Now my Loo’s camp is 30 minutes away–only my phone is in pieces and I surely don’t have the ones I need memorized. REST. TRUST. WAIT. 15 minutes later–at 3pm my phone is together again. Oh my…heart is hoping…

3:00 p.m. – Quickly calling all my friends whose kids were in same camp. Laura answered! AND she’s still there! And she can get her!! SWEET! I’ll be there in 30 minutes and told her I’d pick her up at her house–then I’d be home by 4pm…just in time for T…and my phone is FIXED so we can translate!!!! Yay!

3:30 p.m. – Pick Laney up–talk to my mom on the phone…therapy for this mom’s heart. Love her.

4:00 p.m. – Host mom who has T calls to let me know they are in my driveway. RUSH home–T is happy…I got a hug!

4:30 p.m. – Shower. Get ready. And go…

5:00 pm. – Head to Target to get 2 year old present…because momma doesn’t have time to think ahead. Get to Target…it starts POURING. DOWN. RAIN. In normal conditions I could leave my 15 year old in the car with my 3 littles and run in for a gift. Under these conditions–it’s not possible. Pull OUT of Target–and drive to my friends house. Drop off littles. Me and T return to Target. Buy really cool Thomas the Train track and train set. Excited because Isaac told me what baby William needed and I found it:)

5:30 p.m. – Arrive at Denton’s for our weekly “Dinner at the Dentons”. Princess T is done–shuts down. They got to meet her for the first time…but she goes to their couch and doesn’t want to talk to anyone…oh no. Princess starts fussing at me in Russian. Call Ukrainian translator–she tells me to just have dinner with our friends and to let T stay in other room and cool off. Oh my heart. I don’t like this. I long for her to laugh and want to just be with us…sad she is so sad. Her weight is heavy…makes me sad.

6:00 p.m. – Dinner and birthday songs…fun for all (except sweet T…too much for our princess).

7:00 p.m. – Home again…home again…jiggity jig. Princess T was tired and went straight to bed. Isaac went down just after. And Loo bear and I finished a Veggie Tales that Rebecca let her borrow while playing at Mrs.Laura’s.

Another FULL day…and all were in bed by 8pm…even princess T. Flying solo for a couple of days…and feeling it tonight. Off to crash myself after a crazy day. Just talked to Richard and told him I felt like I was living in a crazy movie. Every day is so wild…and this momma is just thankful she has a translator back. Told Princess T I really want her to learn English and practice it–but she told me NO…so I’m thankful we have a way to communicate again.

And THIS–this is actually a good day–some what of a normal day. And the JOY of the LORD is my STRENGTH!

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towles - July 10, 2012 - 10:50 pm

Andrea, you are amazing! Truly. How you do this with a sense of humor and such incredible faith is beyond me. Keep it up! I will pray for you.

Natalie - July 11, 2012 - 8:24 am

Wow! Y’all certainly had a crazy, busy day! Praying for your strength and patience and sense of humor to continue!