A Monday of Ups and Downs and Ups and Downs

We had quite the roller coaster of a Monday.

It started in the usual way of the boys and I doing school and Michael working.

Then Michael left around lunch time to drive up to Sherwood to pick up our new dining room table that Wilson made for us. Who is Wilson? He is a really nice and very talented guy who I met on Craigslist. Wanting to sell our current dining room set and find something more suited to our farm I went looking on Craigslist and found Wilson. We picked our design and color of stain and about two weeks later Michael brought it home.

So that was an UP.

Unfortunately it was immediately followed by a DOWN. When Michael got home the inspector from the county was here to inspect the holes he had dug over the weekend for the shop. The news was not good. According to them the holes needed to be another 14 inches deeper and they said the posts (that came with the very expensive “kit” we purchased) were not the right size. That sounded like a lot more money we would have to spend. Michael wasn’t happy but he kept his cool with the inspector. The boys and I decided it was a good time to go to the library.

When we returned home there was good news. For additional money we could get a “engineer stamped” blueprint for our shop and the county will leave us alone. Phew. Thank you God for answering the many prayers my boys and I said while on the way to the library, at the library and back from the library. It was an UP.

The boys wanted to camp in the lower acreage that night. Michael not only said yes but he said he would camp with them. Woohoo a night of quiet was ahead for me! An UP.

They were getting settled nicely and eating their snacks while I was relaxing back in the house. All of a sudden I get a call from Nicholas on the walkie-talkie that Joshua is on his way back with a bee sting.

Let me back up a little . Joshua has already had four bee stings since we have moved here (three months ago today). Three on his face/head.

I immediately start mixing up a concoction to put on the stings. As I am in the kitchen I can hear him crying as he is walking home. He gets in the house and explains that not only did he get stung once while down at the camp site but on the way back some of the yellow jackets followed him and stung him THREE MORE TIMES! He had a sting on his arm, his tummy, the back of his ear and on his head. My poor baby!

I got his shirt off of him and applied the concoction and then proceeded to scrape out the stinger that was still left in the back of his ear. While I was getting a wet washcloth in the kitchen I hear him freaking out and I run into the family room and apparently there was still a yellow jacket in his clothes and it was crawling on him which frightened him. It was currently on the window where I very happily squashed the beast.

Side note: the “mother bear” in me wanted to take out the whole nest. I was ready to go burn the place down all the while yelling “don’t you touch my baby again”.

It was the last DOWN for the day.

I’ve asked Joshua each time he gets stung how it happened. It is usually pretty innocent. Ok so there was the one time they were shooting yellow jackets (they know to leave the honey bees alone) with their air soft. Most of the time it is playing, climbing , exploring etc. Of the group of kids that they play with he is always the first at each of those things.

It actually reminds me of George Washington. You know “George Washington, first in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen”. Well Joshua is “First in play, first in exploring and first in the sites of the yellow jackets”.

The cost of being adventurous. At least he isn’t sitting inside watching TV or playing video games.

Here is hoping for a boring Tuesday.

Karen