Last week started off okay. Russ and Jarod went off to Scout Camp (that's a later post) and Anne and I were enjoying some girl time. I had lots of Calligraphy to do and Anne was going to a VBS at the Presbyterian church around the corner each morning. Besides the boys being gone, there was one thing special about this week..... It was Recital Week! We have all anticipated and worked towards this all year! We were excited! Anne had regular dance class on Tuesday afternoon and then Dress Rehearsal on Friday night and the actual recital on Saturday night. We were praying all week that the guys would return from North Georgia in time for the recital on Saturday. It was going to be close!
The week went well. Friday, Anne got up and got ready for VBS. She was dragging a little but I figured she was just tired because I had been letting her stay up a little later than normal. It is summer, after all. I took her to VBS and went about my day. When I returned at noon to pick her up she was whiny and asked to go home. (She NEVER asks to go home!) She kept saying she was tired. (*Note to self - this is my "I don't complain unless I am REALLY sick kid" so pay attention next time) But - we were meeting Nana for lunch - she'll feel better after she eats. Off we went to lunch with Nana. Anne kind of picked at her food - but she did manage to eat some. She just kept complaining about how tired she was and how she wanted to go home. Okay - let's get her home, let her rest before we get her ready for rehearsal.
We get home, she takes it easy for a while, and then we have to do her hair, her stage makeup, get her costume on, etc. She was compliant and excited to get all ready. She has been working towards this weekend all year. We get her all dressed and she's beautiful -
Rehearsal is fun! Anne and I sit in the audience and watch all the other dances and are amazed at how well Destiny Dance Center put the story of Noah's Ark to a beautiful Ballet. Anne patiently waits her turn. Sometimes she would mention that her tummy hurt, that she was hungry or that she was cold. None surprised me as her tummy was probably being weird because she was hungry and the a/c was down quite a bit in the auditorium.
So we proceed with the evening. It becomes Anne's turn and she plugs away.....
Patiently waiting her turn....
Waiting her turn on stage.....
Time to dance.....
I look at these photos now and see how puney she was. Definitely not herself. But she always plugs away anyway.
Ya - not feeling too good.
This was my favorite from the evening. She knew she was going to be "lifted" during the program and was excited about it. They had not practiced it yet so when Noah came up behind her - she was caught off guard. Love her expression in this picture! Priceless! She told me later that she didn't see him. She was concentrating so hard because she didn't feel well that she didn't know he had been lifting the other girls.
Okay, so we make it through the evening. It's after 8, she's tired, hungry and pretty much done. We leave to go home and I give her some crackers to hold her over until we get home. Instead of going straight home, I go to Taco Bell to get her a plain cheese quesadilla. (*Another note to self - you should have gone straight home). I figured she was hungry! Well - I do not let her eat it in the car - she can eat it when we get home and get her Blue Bird costume off. Afterall - we don't want to mess that up before tomorrow night. Right? WRONG! (Here's where the unpleasantness comes in - I apologize in advance). I am litterally Pulling. Into. The. Driveway. She throws up! All over herself. All over the car. All over the ballet bag and shoes on the floorboard. All over her carseat. And All. Over. Her. Costume. Did I mention that it is velvet? It is a tu tu with layers and layers of tule. Did I mention that there are FEATHERS!?! Ugh! Oh! And did I mention that it is dark outside? I can't see a thing!
This is where I pause for a moment and speak about my wonderful husband. As I am standing there in complete and utter shock - you know that moment where you are not exactly sure where to start and what to do and you totally freeze up and just wish you could run away? Ya - that moment. Well - in that moment, I also realized what a totally awesome and amazing husband I have. Because when these unfortunate "throw up events" happen with the kids - he takes over the clean up and I take the kid. Guess what? He's not here! He is somewhere in the mountains of North Georgia camping, with NO phone signal and I have to handle all of it! Alone! Yes - double overwhelmness!!! (is that a word?) Enough of the plug....
So - Anne keeps apologizing over and over. Poor thing. I really think this is only like the 2nd time in her whole life that she has been sick like that. So she was a bit overwhemed too. I try my best to reassure her and let her know that it was not controlable. That mommy should have brought her straight home, etc.. We strip her down naked by the front door - after checking to make sure none of the neighbors were out - and get her inside to take a shower. Fortunately she can do that by herself now. I head back outside to attack the mess. Very thankful for best friends like Emily who will hang on the phone with you while you walk to the side of your house by the woods, in the dark, to grab a dark, wound up water hose because the boys have taken every flashlight in the house with them on the camping trip! UGH!!!! She even offered to come help but there was no point in that. Some things you just don't ask your friends to do. Ever.
I get the car seat out - hose it down. I take out the floor mat and hose it down. I hose down all I can before I take it in the house. The mess in the car really wasn't as bad as I thought so that is good. The costume and the car seat take the brunt. I bring the wet car seat in the house and put it in the shower so I can take off the cover and wash it. I get Anne settled down in bed and then I begin working on the the costume. What a mess. Each time I pulled up a layer of tule, I found more. It was in the feathers, it was in the velvet. How was I going to get this clean without ruining it? I couldn't throw it in the washer. I worked and worked at the kitchen sink. All the while beginning to feel weaker and weaker myself. I couldn't decide if I was tired, grossed out or getting sick. I managed to get the costume rinsed and hung it to dry. I colappsed in the bed about 10:30.
I slept all night - didn't budge until about 9:30 the next morning. I got up and was so tired that I managed to make it to the couch and sleep on and off until 1:30. If this was the kind of tired that Anne kept complaining about on Friday - I am amazed she was able to do as much as she did. It was the kind of tired where you walk across the room and then you have to rest for an hour. I deliberately did not eat anything for like 36 hours because I did not want to give my stomache the opportunity to reject anything.
Anne and I chatted about recital. She didn't want to go - she was afraid that everything would happen again. But she was feeling MUCH better. I was not. I began getting ready several hours in advance, resting in between phases. Take a shower - Rest. Put on make-up - Rest. Blow dry my hair - rest. You get the picture.
Nana came over and rescued us. She helped me get some things done and was basically my inspiration to keep moving. I posted on Facebook for people to pray. I explained to Anne that since she was feeling better, we must press on. People were counting on her. I check the costume - you almost can't tell. I spray it down with a deodorizing spray and that helps tremendously. God is good! He works small miracles even in dance costumes that have been thrown up on.
Well, by the time we were ready to leave - we both felt a lot better. Prayers were answered! We left the house at 5:30, Russ and Jarod came in to shower at 5:45. Again - cutting it close - but they made it in time for the first dance of the evening.
All ready to go!
Getting on the ark
Love her in the background here
Coming off the ark
Daddy made it! And brought flowers!!!
Proud Mommy! Look at us - you would never know we had been sick! God is good!
LOVE this little girl!!!!
Proud Brother - do you know they actually admitted to missing each other? Notice the stuffed squirrel Anne is holding? Jarod brought that back for her from Scout Camp! Sweet boy!!!
Proud Nana!
We are soooo proud of her. She stuck it out and did well!
I'm serious when I say that God answered our prayers. We both ate something after the recital and felt almost normal again. God knew I needed the energy as I would be up until 2 a.m. getting all the nasty, stinky camp clothes washed and re-packed for Youth Camp. Russ and Jarod were leaving the next morning after church and everything had to be cleaned, packed and ready to go again before we left for church at 8:30 the next morning. I'm thankful that I felt better and was able to do it. The guys were exhausted and wouldn't have been able to do it alone.
So - the guys are currently at Youth Camp and Anne and I took a girls road trip to visit Sasha for a few days. It's nice to just be away and be able to really relax and do nothing after such an ordeal. Thank you to all of you who saw the Facebook posts and prayed. I love that God cares about even the little things like dance recitals and fancy costumes. He loves us so much.
Until next time with posts about Scout Camp, Youth Camp and our trip to Sasha's......
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