Oh no...I can't zip my dress

Ok, so it's not my dress, it's my swimsuit but the same principles apply...I just can't think of what the thing is that attaches my top of my suit together....and it's not a zipper, but you get the picture.

I was at a party last week when a dear friend of mine told the story of when she came home from a wedding that she was in. Her husband, nor any of her kids had attended and in fact, they were gone for the night.

Of course she had gotten dressed when help was at hand but now....well, she was up the proverbial stream.... and try as she might, she was unable to unzip her dress. She resorted to clothes hangers and outside corners of the wall...l lot of different approaches before she finally succeeded.

I laughed, knowing that, first it was a really funny story, but more so, I could relate. You see, I'm very claustrophobic. I have been know to rip a gold necklace from my neck just because I felt the walls closing in on me. Crazy, I know, but...well....I know....

So this leads me to this post. I am taking a weekend sabbatical from fostering my sweet babies. (yes, an R&R).
I decide to go to a beach resort and find time to write, catch up on paperwork and just have quiet. ahhhhhh.....

BUT, I pack a swimsuit that has a clasp ( oh yeah! that's what it's called) about midway between my neck and waist. Now who ever thought...or DIDN'T think about that one.

As I contort my body trying to bring my arthritic and lupus weakened hands and arms to reach the impossible sweet-spot of my back, I look around for a middle aged, single women who might be of some assistance. Seriously....what was I to do? Right now its just hanging. Yes, I look like a dork...an old lady who doesn't know how to dress herself....but I'm on the beach....with tiny waves lapping at my tootsies, it's quiet and I am at peace.....

The Big Ahhhhhhhh.....

First of all, if this is the first post of mine that you have read....
a little background.....

We currently have 6, yes SIX, foster children ranging in ages infant to 15 years old. Because of accepting sibling groups, we actually have 4 babies three and under. .... yes, we are a bit nutso...

Anyway, my husband is taking our 15 year old male FK to a men's conference this weekend and when I realized that I would be home alone with the other 5, I contemplated getting respite care and taking the time at home to "get some stuff done, without help"..

Now, this doesn't just "happen". Even with the best FDS (Family Development Specialist), this is time consuming. Can you imagine someone WILLINGLY offering to watch these babies for a weekend...with little preparation or notice??

Since it DID happen I decided to make a real "respite" of it and get away to a local resort if I could.

It happened and today was the day! Everything was packed last night down to three little suitcases to go to three different foster mommas (angels).    I planned on packing extremely light for myself, taking only a change of clothes, a swimsuit (wrong one---different blog post), camera and ipad.

Taking a last minute check I walked into the girls room and this is what I saw...

This room had been cleaned spotless only 5 minutes ago!

Oh well....

I dropped TenderHeart  off at the middle school and headed for my first kiddo drop-off.

I didn't mention it, but ALL three of my respite angels lived within 20 minutes of each other and within 30 minutes of my resort destination.  I love the way that sounds...My resort destination...ahh.... within an hour or so I would be walking up and down the beach and unwinding my wound-tight body.  

My plans for this weekend are to unwind and soak up the sun, to embrace the quiet and to catch up on writing.

After dropping off all of the "littles", I drive a bit and then decide to check my iPad for exact directions.   My iPad.....where in the world was my iPad.  I had my camera bag jam-packed with camera, swimsuit and a change of clothes. I had my "Yellow Jackets"* and foster notes.....where was that dang iPad....?????

Hung up by the door so I wouldn't forget it........

39 miles away.....

A quick call to my honey the best husband in the world....to see if it was indeed right by the door, and my fears were confirmed  All of my plans were now ruined.....or so I thought. 

Mr. Save The Day, asked me to meet him half way and that way  we could have lunch and a proper goodbye.  Afterall it is ALWAYS a quick goodbye when corraling 6 kids.  Plus he would bring my iPad.  Have I told you that he is the BEST!!

After a good lunch I headed back down I-75 to a thickening cloud cover.  But, I arrived!

It's pouring down rain now but I got an hour or so of sun.  Enough to gradually expose my ghost white body to some summer color.  I am getting some writing done.  I have filed some papers into yellow jackets and I'm sitting on my  lovely balcony overlooking the beautiful water, enjoying a nice cup of coffee.    Yep, that's what I'm talking about.......

We should get frequent flyer miles or at least a parking pass

While at the hospital with Brave One (another post) I came home to change clothes to find Little Dude struggling to breath a little bit. Since it was early enough to run him to the clinic for a walk-in appointment and my good friend Crabby Patty was staying with Brave One, off to the clinic we went.

I really wasn't too worried but since it seemed as though nothing had really been wrong with Brave One, and I was totally wrong, I decided my momma instincts must be a bit off from the 30 year hiatus that I had taken.

Good thing I took him in!  When the woman at the front desk saw him she asked to hold him.  They know me well.  With kids coming and going, I'm in the office a lot!  As soon as she picked him up she asked if she could take him right back.....something seemed wrong.  Was I THAT FAR OFF??? What would have happened if I hadn't taken him in, I wondered???? Of course I was thinking of all the "bad stuff" that could happen.  My fears were confirmed when the doctor herself called me back to the examining room.  They hadn't actually "opened" yet so I knew something was wrong.

Doctor told me that he was really struggling for breath and they couldn't get a good "read" on his oxygen.  His tiny little fingers and toes just didn't pick up anything and they had to know whether to let me take him to the ER or have an ambulance take him.  By this time I'm really worried!  They gave him an albuteral treatment and by that time the little glowing red bandaid on the tootsie worked.  They got a read....and although not great, I was allowed to leave with him and drive him to the ER....

The same hospital that Brave One, his sister was at.  There seemed such a distance between ER and the fourth floor. Who was "supposed" to be with?

The kids mom came to visit Brave One within the hour so at least someone was with her. At this point unsupervised visits were not allowed so the CM stayed with mom and grandma in the tiny little room with sad little cage bed. I worried about how long they would be able to stay. I just couldn't see leaving Brave One by herself.  She's still not so brave....

Eventually, the doctor came in and the albuteral treatment must have really done it's job because the ER doctor could see nothing of concern and they discharged us.  It was sure scary though.  And I still wonder why his primary was SO concerned and ER kind of blew it off.