Busy, Busy week

Sorry for the lack of updates, dear readers. This has been quite the busy week, you see.

Saturday morning, Chloe woke up in an uber-grumpy mood which I attributed to... well... the fact that she's two. But by noon, it was clear that there were darker forces at work. She refused to eat her peanut butter and jelly sandwich, wanted nothing to do with talking to Grandma and Grandpa on video chat, and asked if she could go to bed. I knew then that she was seriously ill. I was right. Her temperature spiked to 103. So off we went for yet another doctor's visit. (FYI: 2pm on a Saturday, no appointment, in and out in 20 minutes, spent $5 including antibiotics and fever medicine.) She had inflamed tonsils.

So, the following two or three days were spent nursing an already-moody toddler whose sickness seemed to compound her moodiness.

Seriously though, I am having a love/hate relationship with the toddler phase. One minute, she says and does the cutest things. Like when she looks at my coffee and says, "Look out, mommy! It has steamers!" or when I'm trying to be funny and she just says, "Are you kidding me?" or when I turn her light on in the morning and she says, "It's too bright! I can't see my eyes!" or when she chastises her daddy for saying the blessing along with her... and then starts over from the beginning... three times. It's all so adorable!

But then there are those moments when she lies in the floor and kicks her feet and wails like a waaaambulance, those moments when I look at her and think, "I thought only kids in the movies acted like this... or the kids on Super Nanny."

But I digress... so we spent Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday completely cooped up in the house. Wednesday, we went to church... twice. We were desperate for playtime, y'all, and the mommy/baby room suited just perfectly.

Thursday, my friend Easter the Samonim and I took Maple to her two-month checkup. (She weighs 13lbs - wowza! - and appears to be in good health.) She received two shots and, I kid you not, did. not. cry. With the first shot, I honestly thought the nurse missed Maple's leg because she didn't react at all. With the second shot, I wished I had a camera because she stuck her bottom lip out so far I thought it would detach itself from her face. Then I immediately reminded myself that only an awful mother laughs and wishes for a camera when her baby is getting a shot.

On our way home from the doctor, I began thinking about all the ways that Easter the Samonim has helped me. She really reached out to me right from the beginning: showing me around town, teaching me some basic Korean, offering to watch Chloe for me. And as I was thinking these things, I asked, "Easter, when is your birthday?"

Her response: "Tomorrow! How did you know?"

Well, I didn't.

She went on to explain that, since all her close friends are in Seoul and her husband is very busy, she didn't have any special plans for her birthday and could she please come visit me at my house. A little embarrassed that I hadn't already offered that, I said of course she could come and then settled in my mind to get her a cake in the morning. It's the least I can do, I thought. But, as the day wore on, that thought continued to haunt me. Because, it really was that: the least I could do. So, by dinner time, I made up my mind to throw her a party. I went to the Samonim who speaks the most English and invited her, then asked her to call and invite all the other Samonims.

After arriving home from my little invitational jaunt upstairs, I suddenly realized what I had done: I invited all the Samonims to. my. house.

Yikes! So, the next several hours were spent in a blind panic: steaming floors, dusting shelves, scrubbing tiles. I mean, in all honestly, my house wasn't that bad. An hour of straightening up could have sufficed, but hello! all. the. Samonims... at. my. house.

So. Once the house was all clean, I headed out to the store to buy a cake and some party food. I arrived at the store, pulled out my debit card and realized (yikes, again!) I brought the wrong card! Ahh, good thing I have cash! One... two... uh oh... roughly $24 in my wallet. Minus $4 or so for the taxi ride home. Luckily, I was able to get a cake for $15 and a basket of peaches for $4. And since I had some kiwi and coffee at home, I ended up with a nice sized fruit platter (a must-serve at any Korean gathering), cake, and coffee. It certainly wasn't a feast, but it was enough to not feel embarrassed about.

I have been working on my Rosetta Stone software (a very generous gift from my friend Christan), and so I was able to understand a little bit of the conversation. I couldn't contribute much, but at least I knew when to laugh and/or nod appropriately. That's much better than the goofy deer-in-the-headlights look I usually sport at such gatherings.

All in all, it was a lot of fun. Seriously! Easter the Samonim seemed happy when she left, and I took yet another step in building relationships here in my building.

So, all that to say, it has been a busy week. Hence, the lack of updates on this here little bloggy. But now things should return to normal.

Brandon and Chloe are going swimming today, leaving me home alone with just Maple. I believe a trip to McD's and HomePlus may be in store. Freeeeeeedommmmmm!

Happy Saturday, all.