Last week was crazy. I'll just throw it out there. Let me tell you about it.
It started on the previous Friday morning (April 8, right before our fun separate ways weekend) when our washing machine broke. I'm not even kidding. I was about to head out of town when Layla, our nanny, said that the washing machine had been running for over an hour. Hmmm....that didn't seem right. Well it didn't drain at all and she and I had to wring out all the clothes in there and scoop water and pour it in the sink. Not so much fun. Then I left on my fun weekend and put it out of my mind. Sunday was a different story when we all came home after being out of town and had lots of dirty laundry. It became painfully obvious that we could not go without a washing machine for any length of time.
The craziness ensued when on Sunday evening Layla texted that she was sick and wasn't going to be able to come in on Monday. No problem. I can cover a day here and there. I pretty much watched the kids and worked when and as I could on Monday. I got a lot done during nap time - does that count?!?! I was unable to shop for a washing machine because I had all 3 kids with me that I just wasn't up for that kind of challenge. We heard from Layla on Monday evening that she had to take the whole week off to recover. Ouch. That kind of hurt. I know what you're thinking...I should just take the week off work, right? Normally I would, but since it was a crazy week and all, it just made sense that I had to go to Phoenix, AZ on Wednesday through Friday! AHHHHH! Thomas went ahead and took PTO on Tuesday so that he could cover it, and so that I could get some work done after having a disrupted day on Monday and since I would be traveling for the remainder of the week. What about Thomas taking the rest of the week off work? Also a no go. He had a big executive meeting scheduled as well as several out-of-town colleagues that were coming in for meetings and an evening event on Thursday that he couldn't miss. We were in a jam.
We realized quickly that we had to come up with a plan and fast. We called MaSha and although she was able to help, she had a little back issue and was concerned that she may struggle keeping all of them all week by herself if there was anything going on with her back. She came by on Tuesday afternoon so that Thomas and I could go shopping for....a new washing machine, what else?!?!?
Don't you just love having to unexpectedly drop a chunk of change for a new washing machine when you weren't budgeting for it?!?! Isn't that how it always goes with appliances and car repairs and such? Always so painful. UGH. More good news (insert sarcasm) - the washing machine wasn't going to be able to be delivered until the following Monday. Almost a week later. And a full week and a half since ours broke. Not ideal.
Thomas called Fifi on Tuesday afternoon and she agreed to come on down first thing on Wednesday morning. Thank goodness for Fifi and for MaSha, who were willing to tackle the job together!
They seriously bailed us out of a sticky situation. We are so thankful for both of them...and Jerry, of course!
A little icing on the top (not sarcastic this time) is that MaSha took the boys's laundry home with her a few times during the week to get it clean. Their laundry really piles up quickly and while Thomas and I can go a while before having to wash clothes, we don't really have that luxury for the boys.
Executive meetings, cross-country work travel, a major appliance replacement and lack of child care for an entire work week - any and all of these things are stressful by themselves. Add them together and Thomas and I were both past our comfortable level of stress, if such a thing exists.
So I spent Wed - Fri in Phoenix at a conference. I kept wondering what else was happening at home. It just felt like such a stressful week. You know what helped though? Having this view...
The only other thing is that something came up with Stokes while I was gone. Stay tuned for the next post, which will fill you in on that.
Hallelujah that as I'm writing this post, we have a brand new washing machine and it's working (more drama ensued with the delivery and installation and we had to have a plumber come, not once, but twice!!!!) but all is well now and it's been running pretty much non-stop since we got it, so we could clear out the laundry backlog. I'm glad that last week is O.V.E.R. and that we have a new washing machine. And that we had such wonderful family members that step up and help us out when we really, really needed it.
It started on the previous Friday morning (April 8, right before our fun separate ways weekend) when our washing machine broke. I'm not even kidding. I was about to head out of town when Layla, our nanny, said that the washing machine had been running for over an hour. Hmmm....that didn't seem right. Well it didn't drain at all and she and I had to wring out all the clothes in there and scoop water and pour it in the sink. Not so much fun. Then I left on my fun weekend and put it out of my mind. Sunday was a different story when we all came home after being out of town and had lots of dirty laundry. It became painfully obvious that we could not go without a washing machine for any length of time.
The craziness ensued when on Sunday evening Layla texted that she was sick and wasn't going to be able to come in on Monday. No problem. I can cover a day here and there. I pretty much watched the kids and worked when and as I could on Monday. I got a lot done during nap time - does that count?!?! I was unable to shop for a washing machine because I had all 3 kids with me that I just wasn't up for that kind of challenge. We heard from Layla on Monday evening that she had to take the whole week off to recover. Ouch. That kind of hurt. I know what you're thinking...I should just take the week off work, right? Normally I would, but since it was a crazy week and all, it just made sense that I had to go to Phoenix, AZ on Wednesday through Friday! AHHHHH! Thomas went ahead and took PTO on Tuesday so that he could cover it, and so that I could get some work done after having a disrupted day on Monday and since I would be traveling for the remainder of the week. What about Thomas taking the rest of the week off work? Also a no go. He had a big executive meeting scheduled as well as several out-of-town colleagues that were coming in for meetings and an evening event on Thursday that he couldn't miss. We were in a jam.
We realized quickly that we had to come up with a plan and fast. We called MaSha and although she was able to help, she had a little back issue and was concerned that she may struggle keeping all of them all week by herself if there was anything going on with her back. She came by on Tuesday afternoon so that Thomas and I could go shopping for....a new washing machine, what else?!?!?
Don't you just love having to unexpectedly drop a chunk of change for a new washing machine when you weren't budgeting for it?!?! Isn't that how it always goes with appliances and car repairs and such? Always so painful. UGH. More good news (insert sarcasm) - the washing machine wasn't going to be able to be delivered until the following Monday. Almost a week later. And a full week and a half since ours broke. Not ideal.
Thomas called Fifi on Tuesday afternoon and she agreed to come on down first thing on Wednesday morning. Thank goodness for Fifi and for MaSha, who were willing to tackle the job together!
They seriously bailed us out of a sticky situation. We are so thankful for both of them...and Jerry, of course!
A little icing on the top (not sarcastic this time) is that MaSha took the boys's laundry home with her a few times during the week to get it clean. Their laundry really piles up quickly and while Thomas and I can go a while before having to wash clothes, we don't really have that luxury for the boys.
Executive meetings, cross-country work travel, a major appliance replacement and lack of child care for an entire work week - any and all of these things are stressful by themselves. Add them together and Thomas and I were both past our comfortable level of stress, if such a thing exists.
So I spent Wed - Fri in Phoenix at a conference. I kept wondering what else was happening at home. It just felt like such a stressful week. You know what helped though? Having this view...
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| View from my hotel room window |
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| On-property pond and golf course |
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| This is part of the 2.5 mi "Interpretive Trail" at the hotel. This was the perfect distance at the perfect temperature and a morning jog felt so great to clear my mind (a little). |
The only other thing is that something came up with Stokes while I was gone. Stay tuned for the next post, which will fill you in on that.
Hallelujah that as I'm writing this post, we have a brand new washing machine and it's working (more drama ensued with the delivery and installation and we had to have a plumber come, not once, but twice!!!!) but all is well now and it's been running pretty much non-stop since we got it, so we could clear out the laundry backlog. I'm glad that last week is O.V.E.R. and that we have a new washing machine. And that we had such wonderful family members that step up and help us out when we really, really needed it.
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