muddling through

These past few weeks have been rough. It seems that we are stretching everyway possible: New and continued struggles within my own family and also in our friends', the reality of River's blood condition, financial stress with all of the medical bills that just keep piling up, our moving plans that don't seem to be going anywhere since our house has yet to sell, and the never-ending exhaustion of keeping up with Liam.  

When things get tough and tougher, and the details are not something I can share here, I tend to shut down with the blogging. It turns into an awkward tiptoe between the mundane things that seem irrelevant and the crap that is really on my mind. Sometimes it is easier to just not say anything.

But that is doing anyone any good. And there are still remarkable things to blog about. Things for this virtual record of everyday life.

Things like Liam spilling paint, stepping in it, leaving foot prints all over the floor, and then spilling even more and running around the house as fast as he can once I notice what's happening and try to put a stop to the mess. And while in his room for a time out (both as discipline and for me to get a chance to clean up the mess without him making it messier), he pees on the rug in his room. On purpose.

When he is 13, the memory might be funny. But right now it is just infuriating.

And in the spirit of sharing life's hardships, here are some laughable moments from the last two weekends:

A flat tire at a busy Johnson intersection .

 (Thankfully, Gabriel was with me. I have no idea how to change a tire...).

A brand new bag of cat food splitting open in the Wal-Mart parking lot, and the store manager helping us scoop it up and sending us back in for a new one.

I'm a little worried to see what this weekend will bring us, but as long as it is tornado-free, I think I can take it. What's a little more stress?