Warball, Anyone?

Remember that game you always played in junior high where the two teams face off from oppisite sides of the gym? There's about 15 playground balls, and you throw them at the other team. You have to try to hit the other players with the ball before they touch the floor. If you catch it, the thrower is out and you get to bring a teammate who was out back into the game. Most people call it dodge ball or gym ball. At my school, we called it "Warball." These last few weeks, my life has been a constant game of warball. I've been pretty good at dodging the ball. Sometimes, I can actually feel it pass my head, but I've never gotten out. I even caught a few balls and stayed in the game when it wasn't looking like I had a chance. I was pretty good at warball in school. I guess the "skill" stayed with me.

My husband was supposed to have carpal tunnel surgery yesterday. The day before, the doctor's office called and said they had to cancel the surgery because his blood sugar was too high. The doctor wanted to see him the next day. I went with him, mostly because I have worked forever in the medical field, and I know what questions to ask. You guessed it. He has adult onset diabetes. He was floored. I was surprised they didn't diagnose it years ago. The doctor discussed his meds and the diet. My husband was not too thrilled. Me? I'm so excited!! Now we both have a reason to eat right. He has to learn what is healthy, and since I refuse to cook different things for the same meal, I have to eat right, too. This is what I have been praying for. I'm not saying that I wanted my husband to have diabetes. I wanted to get this family on a healthy diet so we can spend as many years together as possible. Now, he has to listen to the doctor, and I have to make it as easy as possible. If that means eating healthier, I'm all for it. WHAP!! I caught that ball!

E has been wanting to spend more time with her friends. She has some great girls in her class, and I would love for them to be a positve influence on her. Unfortunately, she has really gone backwards in her healing since I had my famous meltdown. I have never heard a child mouth-off (or as Supernanny says, backchat) like she does. She absolutely has to have the last word, whether she's a part of the conversation or not. She is growing into a beautiful, talented, caring child, but her mouth seems to be posessed by an evil troll. She also apparently thinks she is exempt from doing homework. We have been really working on the homework, but the backchat is getting worse. Monday, she came home from school wanting to go to a sleepover at a friend's house. She told her friend that she wasn't sure if she could come because she would have to do all of her homework and not mouth-off for the rest of the week. Her friend says, "Well, duh!! You should be able to do that all the time!" I knew there was something I liked about that girl! My husband and I decided she was not ready for the sleepover, but if she worked really hard the rest of the week, she could go home with her on the bus and I could pick her up in a few hours. She was NOT happy about this. She tried to throw a fit, but she maintained control. She tried to bargain with me, but I'm like a brick wall, immovable. She finally decided that some playtime is better than none. I still wasn't sure she could go. She had a few "ify" moments this week, but for the most part, she really worked hard on her homework and her attitude. She was so excited this morning when I told her she could go. When she got to school, her friend told her she couldn't come over because there was a change in plans. She'd have to reschedule the sleepover. I'm hoping it's not for about a month. If E keeps doing as well as she has this last week, she'll be ready for that sleepover. WHOOSH! Dodged that ball.

Had to teach a lesson in religion class that I really did not feel knowlegable enough to teach. Thanks to the internet, (and my singing voice,) ZAP! Caught that ball. I hate running errands on a schecule. B and E both broke their glasses. D's leg braces needed to be flaired. Husband had his pre-op physical (the one that probably saved his life.) C needed to be picked up from preschool at 1:30, and the sitter didn't get there until 10:30. Dropped the braces off, walked across the street to get the glasses fixed, picked up the braces, drove 45 minutes to pick up C. Husband went alone to doctor's. Had no gas left in the van, but ZIP! Caught that ball. I dodged a few other balls in the chaos of these last few weeks, but I'm still very much in the game.

I loved warball as a kid, probably because I was good at it and I knew it. Though I'd been knocked out of the game a few weeks before, these past few weeks, that feeling of confidence came back. I know I'm good at this game we call life. I can even take a bad thing and turn it around into a blessing. I have a safety net in place so I should not have another meltdown. I am getting really good at seeing the silver lining in the clouds. If I hold on to this great attitude, I'll be able to fit into that little black dress by the end of summer. Now that's a ball worth catching!