Two Tuesdays a month we have our MOPS meeting. Yesterday was a MOPS day and I knew we had to get up early and to set up for the meeting.This meant getting everyone up, dressed and fed by 7:45a to go. This is done daily by those that work everyday, and often much earlier. I know this and I feel for you. Not having to do this regularly, it was not easy. Oh yeah, did I mention I had to do this in the dark?
Just outside our development, a car crashed into a pole which took down the power to around 300 homes. It happened around 1a but I woke around 2a to the sound of beeping and pitch black. You never realize how much electronics light up your life until you don't have the blue and green lights to show the way through a dark house. I stumbled around to find my phone (for time since I had to get up. So much for setting an alarm). The beeping was from a smoke alarm upstairs (I guess we need some 9 Volts around here). And with the hall light off, I knew Nathan would wake up and freak out since he always likes the light on. An hour later he joined me in bed after a minor pitch-dark-freak-out.
When morning finally came,the lights were still out (as was the heat) it was still kind of dark outside but we had to go. Guess what you can't do in a black out? I may have found my way around the shower, but the hair dryer wasn't going to work! Guess what you can't make on your way out the door with no power? Crap. At least there would be hot coffee at the meeting! Guess what doesn't open without electricity? D'oh! Leo is tall enough to release the latch on the garage door to open it. But we both still have no clue how to lock it once it's closed!
I was able to get everyone up and dressed. The food came later when I was setting up the room. I put the boys at one of the big tables and set out their cereal and some juice. This was actually a genius idea I may use again - they were so busy eating that I was able to do stuff without them underfoot like usual.
After set up it was time to drop off the boys in their child care rooms. Leo was saying the other day that Nathan goes fine when he is with Gigi or at school, but sometimes there is a sad look of hesitation. But he marches forward. Then I become even more proud of him as I am reminded of how far he has come. He was just like Benny. Which is to scream, cry, limp-body-no-don't-hand-me-over-to-these-strange-people dance. Ugh. This is typical so I'm getting used to it. But it still sucks. Thank goodness there are women who say just the right thing at the right time which was, "You're doing the right thing." (If you are a mommy reading this, please repeat that to another mommy sometime in the appropriate situation. We like to know there are other soldiers out there!)
Finally I was able to relax. And relax I did. With friends and some socializing. Despite the wacky circumstances we woke up to and pushed through, it was good. And here's the icing. When it was time to get Benny, he had a big smile on his face. He was laughing and having FUN! He reached for me as a happy boy. So happy I almost cried. Just like the first time Nathan turned a corner. Hopefully each visit will get noticeably better instead of incrementally.
So that's the diamond - Benny's smiling face. Not to mention Nathan's excitement when I went to get him too. He made a drawing of our house with a ninja turtle outside. (Obsessed with ninjas!) Maybe they were the ones who fixed our lights. They were on when we came home.
