Restored

We have been on a furious spin cycle for the last few weeks.  Have you, too?

Since my head is still hanging from the clothesline I have only a recap in store.

Lately:

• Andy checked out of the Pentagon office and into his course work thus acquiring a brand new giant stress caterpillar between his shoulder blades.
• Found out Grayson has an astigmatism in each eye which means we have been fuzzy figures of pajama people to him most of his little 20/40 life.
• Going round and round with multiple doctor's offices for Abby's chronic neck pain with fevers resulting in what might be strep and/or mystery "overlapping" virus since June.
• Missed a dear friend's baby shower for an ER visit because Abby broke out in this an hour after we arrived:

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• Missed a dear brother's 40th birthday party for a dear friend's baby shower which was spent in the ER anyway (Yes, I am The Awesome who brought a viral child to a baby shower teeming with pregnant women and Have Mercy yes, even some babies.)
• And finally something that didn't make me feel like I should be eating Xanax by the fistful...
• ...Had a family surprise visit (Dad, Chris, Donnie, Eric, Landon, family friend, Joe, Aunt Donna) which turned out to be the thing that finally calmed my nervous brain.

And with that last bullet, I am restored.

It was so fun to have family around with which to joke, lean on, and make room for at the breakfast table.

Any worry about Abby was shared as she was loved on by my beloved aunt who lives in Oregon and has never met either of our children.  My Aunt Donna braided her hair.  And Abby let her.  For those of you new here this may not seem like a thing but it so is a thing.  Abby looks like Kid Rock in most of the pictures on this blog because she does not allow anything to stay in her hair.  I won't do bangs for her as a matter of principal.  It took us over a year to grow them out and a mortgage payment's worth of hair clippies so I'm committed.

 (The Aunt Donna braid made it until bed time.  Also?  Evidently, I can no longer use a camera.)

Just as the girls were bonding, the same thing was going on in another realm of the household.  Our downstairs, where the big boys slept, was turned into an XBOX lair of animated fun as Donnie and Joe showed Grayson video gaming ropes.

Grayson might not ever go outside again.  Kid spent six hours transfixed and got to level 30 by bed time.  Santa is in big trouble this year.  Donnie and Joe have started a gaming revolution (and perhaps a subsequent coup with Andy).

It's no secret I am a family girl but sometimes, when I get to spend quality time with those people I never get to see, the gift of their company is better than any Valium, glass of wine, or latte around.

It is restorative on the most basic human level.  It's how I wish life could always be but then again, I suppose I wouldn't store it up, hoard it for later, and nibble from it the way I am now.  The way I will be for many weeks to come as I save up for an XBOX, try to braid Abby's hair, and look back on blurry pictures of my family who was on a rescue mission and didn't even know it.

xoxoxo