Paperwork

 In a year full of milestones and special moments, last night we added another to the list. Scott filled out his official retirement paperwork with the intent to submit it today. Sigh. I guess there is no going back now! Ready or not, I will be married to a retired teacher in less three months. 

Not only is he prepared to submit his final paperwork today, but this is the final day before his Spring Break. It is also the final Friday of the third marking period. I'm sure there are some other 'finals' in there as well that I'm missing. The past few weeks he has become hyper focused on the finality of his career through figuring and communicating every perceivable 'last time.' At this point I'm a tinge concerned that he won't have anything to think about or talk about after he retires.  

While Scott is busy submitting his paperwork, I'll be driving Robby to and from his classes. Fridays are always busy but it makes it nice at the end of the day when I'm finally able to sit and relax. The driving is long but I don't really mind it because Robby uses the time to chat. 

I'm really going to miss him. It hurts my heart to think about him leaving for college in a few months. While Scott is focused on his retirement, I can't help but think about Robby's 'lasts' every time he brings up his milestones. With each reminder that the school year is ending I am forced to face Robby's leaving. I prefer avoidance.

Anxiety

 A combination of life and health issues has left me battling anxiety. Most of the time I'm okay and can push the worries to the back of my mind. Every once in awhile, when my health flares, the panic becomes palpable. On these bad days, my Fitbit alerts me throughout the day about my increased heart rate as I struggle to keep as 'normal' as possible. 

Yesterday was a bad anxiety day. When I woke my heart rate was 11 beats higher than my average. By 10 AM, my watched logged what it registered to be 52 minutes of high aerobic activity. I assure you, there are no aerobic movements involved in my morning routine. I knew it was going to be a difficult day.

In an attempt to try to quell my racing mind, I took Friend on a walk around the lake after I dropped Robby off at his guitar lesson. Watching him jump and frolic around the fields lifted my heart and eased my racing mind. It didn't do anything for the organic effects of the anxiety (racing heart), but it did a lot for my mood! Some days I just need to hold on for dear life. Yesterday was one of those days.

I woke this morning feeling so much better. My heart rate has returned to normal and I feel comfortable again. The sun is shining and it's going to be a great day.

Weekend Part 2

 By the time the mall closed on Saturday we were exhausted. Between sleeping on a train cot the night before and the frustrations that continued to plague us since we set up, I was ready to wave the white flag, crawl into bed and fall into a deep sleep. I couldn't wait to get to the hotel for the night.

We arrived later than we planned due to getting lost and traffic so by the time we checked in we were all dragging. We trudged across the hotel property to our room which was, of course, as far from check-in as possible. Finally, we arrived. We put down our bags, slid the key and waited for the green light to indicate that it was unlocked.

Instead of green, the light flashed the ominous red. We stood outside the door for several minutes, trying both key cards and discussing our frustrations. We tried one more time when we heard a scared voice from inside the room say, "There is already somebody in here." 

Frustrated (and trying to keep from morphing into fury) we returned to the check-in desk. The clerk seemed surprised that the room was occupied but promised to give us another that room that he knew was empty. I guess he just rolled the dice on the first room? Unapologetic and unconcerned about such a mix-up, another room key was slid across the counter before the clerk went back to his cell phone. 

After finally checking in, I laid down and fell asleep within 10 minutes. Sunday morning I woke feeling so much better. We hit the mall again and Robby and I stayed until about 2. We left to pick up Timmy and head home while Scott finished sales for the afternoon and came home after everything was packed up.

The weekend was exhausting but successful. Robby has made enough for his first semester at college and has started to fund the second. We never could have imagined that our little table at a flea market could grow so quickly!

Family Adventure

 Oh my goodness- our weekend was so busy and hectic that my head is still spinning. Sitting on my couch this morning it amazes me how much we did since Friday morning. It is going to take me a day to get unpacked and back on track for the week ahead but it was worth it. We were busy and our plans did not pan out as anticipated, but the weekend was definitely one that will be remembered in our family.

Friday afternoon I pulled the boys out of school early and we headed to Pennsylvania. After dropping Friend off for a special visit with my Mom and his cousin puppy friends we headed to our destination. Unbeknownst to the boys, we were going to the Red Caboose Motel to sleep in an authentic train car for the night. Timmy actually squealed with delight when he realized his accommodations for the evening. 

We spent the evening exploring the farm and the motel grounds which also hosted a small petting zoo. I decided it would be funny to take a selfie with the little horse. I suppose I tried too many angles and frustrated the pony because he nipped my shoulder as I was taking the photo.

Sleeping in a train was memorable but definitely not comfortable. Robby was too tall for the train bunks so we gave him the only real bed in the caboose. Scott, Timmy and I each claimed a bunk and settled in for the evening. While Timmy slept great, Scott and I suffered a bit. Perhaps we are too old to contort ourselves for such a long time. We both woke groggy from a poor night sleep and sore from the limited movement options afforded by the small bed. 

Saturday morning we packed up and headed to set up our little FlexyFriends pop-up shop at the mall. Set-up did not proceed as anticipated but we were able to pull it together in the end. By the time the mall officially opened we were set-up but flustered from the stress. Thankfully we were able to settle into a groove for the day.

While we were at the mall on Saturday and Sunday, Timmy went back to hang out with my mom. He thoroughly enjoyed his time and was much happier at her house than he was at the mall with us. Saturday evening, after the mall closed we headed to dinner and another hotel for the night. Scott and I were especially eager to lay down in a real bed. 

Of course, things don't always work out the way you plan....  to be continued tomorrow.