The week isn't even over, and yet we've had enough firsts this week to last a month or more.
On Monday I made my first large mistake on the quilt I'm sewing for our bed. Turns out I didn't make my pieced border long enough and so in trying to cover up my mistake by skimping on quality I made the problem even worse. If I thought the quilt project was a big undertaking, I was wrong; righting this mistake will be even bigger.
Tuesday, I took our new kitten, Diamond, for her first emergency visit to the vet. It all began with an early morning check on Diamond; she sleeps in a kennel in the garage. Grace and Ray were playing with her and some how everyone's feet became entangled causing Ray to trip and fall squarely on Diamond. Ray had a bloody nose and a dime sized abrasion on the side of his nose. I quickly cleaned him up because everyone was crying that something was wrong with Diamond. Indeed something was wrong with Diamond. I knew immediately upon seeing her laying on the concrete floor that I needed to get her to a vet fast. As I drove to the vet I thought for the first time, Why can't we find a vet closer than a 30 minute drive? After the vet checked her out it was determined that she had a fracture in her right front leg, misalignment in the jaw, severe concussion and major lung trauma. After evaluating the options for care and cost, I chose to have the vet give her IV fluids, a steroid shot and an antibiotic shot and to bring her home. The first 24 hours were crucial. I am happy to report that she survived. It's now 36 hours after the initial accident and she is walking, pottying, eating, drinking, meowing, purring and generally in good spirits. She isn't walking completely straight, nor is she cleaning/licking herself. But she's alive and we all survived our first big incident with Diamond.
On a lighter note and in the area of nature study, we have been amazed for the first time at the size of a toad's stool. It's BM. It's #2. For a 2 1/2" toad, I think a 1" turd is quite large; we all think it's quite large. Think about that. If we pooped one proportionately, it would be about 2 feet long.
For the first time Lou told me about her cantering cat. Can you tell she also loves horses?
I also had my first realization as to how the sand got into my bed sheets. Last night when I climbed in I wondered out loud why I felt sand. DH felt sand, too. Must not have been too bothersome because I woke in what felt like a couple minutes to find it was morning and I was still sleeping in sand. I'm assuming it came from the tractor/loader that was on the sandpile yesterday and was found in my bedroom today.
While shopping at Goodwill yesterday, I was told by Lou for the the first time that see through, leopard print tanktops were not my style. Good thing!
Also, while shopping at Goodwill, Lou almost lost her first tooth. It did finally come out today in the van. I can't believe it could hang on by that thread for so long. Anyway, tooth fairy tonight.
Ray traced numbers for the first time. He knows how to make a mama smile.
Grace and her friend Sara harnessed up Twig to a mini pull cart for the first time.
Lou had her first piano lesson.
Lee played at his guitar teacher's house with her nephew for the first time. And rode his bike to the beach for the first time. The bike riding is a big deal to me, because as a kid I rode my bike everywhere - to the gas station, to the city pool, to all the parks and playgrounds in a 8 block radius, to friend's houses, to work, to the icecream shop, to school. We live in a rural area where the only place they can ride to is Grandpa's. And although I love living where I do, I have to admit I miss being able to ride my bike to a real place. So, when my kids get a chance to take their bikes to town and ride to a real place and leap for joy. They are experiencing something from my childhood.
A week of many firsts. Some great, others required a bit more from me. Taking each one in stride and thanking God for each opportunity and experience is the only way to get through it all.
