Nobody Puts Baby in The Driveway

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Except for me…

She came… I was busy at a board meeting all day… BB had to go through the RV orientation which means she gets to pump, clean, and refill, right?  While the RV looks okay, there are some unfortunate stale, perhaps, previous renter mystery smells that offend.  The rig is big, old, and a bit long in the tooth, which describes both the pilot and the co-pilot as well.  So, why complain?  We don’t need the newest model and while this model has a bit of tread under her tires, she handles like a dream and doesn’t need a lot of bells and whistles.

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Welcome home, Dear Reader for the next nine days…

R2 8th Grade Graduation

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So, the day before leaving on my RV journey, I had the honor of attending my niece’s 8th grade graduation.  I can’t believe I have a niece who is about to graduate the 8th grade.  I remember holding my brother’s first daughter in my arms as her  babysitter.  That evening, I had brought along my good friend Mike to give me, a childless-30-something-year-old, the strength and support in the face of having no idea what to do with a newborn.  R2 was a cherub, when we arrived.  She was cooing and giggling and Mike and I felt on top of the world and sure that we could handle anything young R could throw at us.  Before leaving for her dinner,  K (R’s mom) gave us her her cell phone number and she was off.  The door shut and R2 began to scream… No, Dear Reader, she began to wail…  Mike and I passed her around like a hot potato, sweating through deep knee bends and verses of “Old McDonald.”  We moved her legs as if she was bike riding to relieve any pressure and we broke under the pressure and yelled at one another.  We called in our lifeline to K, but she had no cell phone reception.  So, we were left to our own devices.  I’m not sure what happened at the end of the evening but it ended with R not being permanently harmed.   I was so concerned then and I am amazed that the love that I felt for this beautiful baby continues to this day.  I feel so grateful for such a wonderful soon to be 9th grade spirit in my life.  She is constant joy.

Pneumonia, Strep, Staph…. Oh, My!

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Leave it to my oldest son to throw some unexpected excitement into the pre-departure roll-out. I heard the raspy cough on Friday, but thought “it’s a cold, he can kick this.” The lethargy and high fever started on Saturday and the “wet,” phlegmy cough started on Sunday. Monday brought an immediate visit to the world’s best pediatrician Dr. Lawerence Kagan( Westside Pediatricswho stated indeed G had “left sided pneumonia” and had an infected bee sting that was becoming more problematic due to his compromised immune system which was busy fighting the pneumonia.  Hence, G gets a big prescription for antibiotics to fight step, staph,and pneumonia- is it the let down after school ends that made him more susceptible to infection or is it a karmic sign that the trip is doomed?  I’m going for the summer relaxation mode triggering his immune system to relax (as the RV is paid for and we’ve put a ton of time into the itinerary, food purchasing, and sleeping bag cleaning). Again, I understand I’m not winning Mom-of-the-Year  here, but I’m fairly certain that the idea of watching G play electronics on the couch while he recuperates is not the answer either.   So, we’re heading out in 48 hours phlegmy cough, clean sleeping bags, high hopes and all.