My life is really simple now.

It might not seem like it, but this is true. Positively relaxing. All I have to do is pull out the old e-mails and I can see it so clearly. Every week was positively crazy before. Here's a sample:

April 19, 2006:

(The week before this ended with us waiting to hear if Papi's MRI showed a tumor in his head or not.) We found out Monday that Papi didn't have a tumor. In May he will see a specialist to find out what it is instead. Monday I planned to work because it would probably be the only work day of the week. But Enigma slept in, so I got started late on everything, then the school called that Gigio was having problems and they needed me to come out. By the time he was settled down, the school day was practically over. Meanwhile the sitter had gotten a migraine and I was getting calls from doctors and Enigma had dance rehearsal every day of the week, so I gave up on work. Eventually the day ended and I had everyone to sleep and I could get ready for the next day. It was almost 2:30 am by then. We had to be at the hospital at 6 am the next morning for Carino's surgery. Carino was calm and happy going into everything and they started at 7:45 am. They said it would take about 5 hours. Turns out he had a lot of scar tissue and so they had a lot more work. They couldn't get everything aligned the way they wanted to and had to actually make a break in the other side of the jaw in order to get things set right. So it ended up taking 10 hours instead. He had to have a breathing tube and go to ICU. He was really swollen, but they had him sedated so he was basically paralyzed and wouldn't pull the tubes out. Late Thursday they reduced the meds so he would be conscious. By Friday morning he was restless and that afternoon they took the breathing tube out. He was moved to a regular room Saturday afternoon. Sunday he got an Easter basket and got to color eggs. Papi brought all the sibs up to stay with him for a while, then I took them back and Papi stayed. Later Sunday they had to stop his food because it was coming back up the stomach tube. Monday he was really sore and miserable. He still needed the stomach tube but it was irritating his throat. Tuesday afternoon he finally got the tube out and life got happy. He really perked up and after a few days he finally got home! We were thrilled! He is the bravest boy on the planet.
Now for what went down at home. I was up there most of the time, but came back home most nights. One night I was home, and Papi called because he was really sick so I had to go pile all the kids in the car and take them with me to go pick him up. Enigma was busy the whole week with rehearsals and then at the second concert, which I made it to, she seemed kind of out of it. After I got called to go back over the loudspeaker, she had gotten a really bad headache and was really dizzy. The costume was too tight and she was short of breath. She started freaking out. A nurse asked about what she'd consumed that day and said she was surely dehydrated. So she learned a thing or two. Once the concert was out of the way the whole tryouts for next year started and so she has been busy with that. The Thursday before the concert, I stayed home to take Gigio to see the eminent specialist, who remembers Enigma. I haven't seen him much but the treatment he suggested seems to be helping so far. He's a little more relaxed and considering the circumstances this week that is a good sign. After a "fun" shopping trip for Enigma we had the great event of the week, the FLOOD THE BASEMENT EPISODE, to follow this tale, which Papi missed of course. After the episode, I found out that Thing 1 had pinworms. So the next day I had to wash all the bed stuff, go pick up medicine for the whole family and then drop off the boys to go up and see Carino, who was waking up and wanted me. While I collect shoes and things, the boys go out to the car and when I get out there, they have sprayed Go-gurt all over inside it and tipped over a can of coke. Gigio tried to help by taking out the seats to find a lost transformer. Now they were throwing apple pieces at each other. So I have to clean all that up while freaking out that my boy is all alone without me, run drop off the boys with grandparents and head up to be with him. When I got home that night, I had to start the arduous task of cleaning every surface in the house. Every surface the nurse said. Does she know what she's saying??? The last day Carino was in the hospital I had to take everyone with me to a meeting at Enigma's school, then I had to go get some library books. We made it to the library in one piece. I suppose it won't surprise you to hear my kids aren't very quiet and have a hard time staying with me. This is why I would rather stick toothpicks under my fingernails than go to the library with them, but someone urgently needed something for school. Thing 1 recently learned to whistle, which didn't help much. Neither did it help that Thing 2 swallowed a lifesaver whole in the car, plus he's already had an awful cough and had to miss a few days of school this week, so he started coughing up a storm the rest of the night, trying to dislodge the candy stuck somewhere in his throat, and then having to deal with the irritation. Gigio decides he needs to go to the bathroom, and someone left balloons on the floor of the kids' side of the library. I don't like that someone because there is no way to keep kids quiet when there are balloons to fight over and pop. Eventually, after kid chasing and quieting all over the place, we get the books and make it to the check out line. Just as I'm checking out the books, Gigio tells me that Thing 2 threw up. It was pretty much just phlegm, but I still never thought we would manage to get it cleaned up and get out of there with the boys dividing and conquering all over the place. When we got home the big surprise was that Papi and Carino were there waiting for us! I'm so glad we are all at home now. I'm thankful for every one who has helped babysit and bring in food and helped with the disaster cleanup!
p.s. There are a lot of surfaces in my house!