Feeling Stressed

Mike always hated it when I used the word "stressed."  He would laugh at me when I said it.  He always seemed to go with the flow and never get upset, something I really tried hard to do all my life - and failed.

I'm not sure why the sudden feeling this morning.  In the 80's and 90's, when the end of May came around, that was REALLY stress, but I think I handled that okay - just routine:  End of year school parties, finding teacher gifts, dance recital and rehearsals and costume fittings, the GA coronation, final exams, and sometimes graduations.  In 1996, we had a school play with all those performances and rehearsals - plus a wedding and parties and showers and dinners.  And I lived through it, but I was younger.

This year, I have nothing outward stressing me at all, so I can't figure it out.

I know a lot of it is Stella's diabetes thing.  Elise is giving the shots and seems not to be worried at all.  There's so much, and things have to happen so often.  I have to buy a glucose monitoring kit and lancet and strips and all that stuff and measure her blood twice a day.  Yikes.  Stella has had two shots and never turned around, but actually getting drops of blood from an ear vein is just something I don't want to think about.  Supposedly, cats don't have nerve endings in their ears - or did I dream that?

I always put off writing my memories in StoryWorth until the day before it's due.  I hate to start it, but once I do, I kind of get carried away and go off on a tangent.  The question this week was, "What's the farthest you've ever traveled?"  The answer was easy - Alabama to Washington - but then I had other memories I wanted to share.  I think everything I remember and talk about, it's all the girls will know about my generation and the ones that came before.  So sorry I didn't ask more questions of our parents and grandparents.

Katherine's birthday is tomorrow - 3 years old - but I already have her cards and gift and will pick up balloons tomorrow.  Besides Emily has been sick and now Graysen, so the little party has been postponed.  She wants to ride a real train (not Thomas, because that's too scary) for her big gift, but that can happen any time.  Poor thing.  She's really been looking forward to this birthday for so long, egged on mercilessly by Graysen.  They play "Birthday Party" several times a day, so she is expecting something really wonderful.

I have also done this.

That's toward the end of the construction (by me), and it wasn't too hard.  Emily and I gave in.  We KNOW she doesn't need another toy, but this Paw Patrol Lookout is the first thing she has ever said she wanted.  Last Christmas, it was just, "A kitty and a candy cane."  She never has anything she really wants (wonder why!), but she saw an ad for this and absolutely became obsessed with it.  I'm sure Ryan said, "No!"  Emily said, "Hmm.  Maybe.  But noooo."  I knew it was over my budget so I stayed out of it.

Then last week, Emily and I decided to share the cost and have me order it so it stays at my house.  My house where I don't have a playroom and where I have 1300 square feet!  It's just one big playroom anyway.   Graysen and her friend Isabella were here when UPS delivered it, and it passed the play test for them.  Even before I started putting it together, they were pushing buttons and looking through the periscope.  I think it will give Katherine something more to do over here.  She tends to get a little bored at Mimi's house and is ready to go home sometimes before Graysen and I are.

Since Emily was sick Friday and Katherine was at school, we invited Graysen's friend Isabella to come over for a playdate at my house.  They had played together at her house once and seem to get along fine, so we picked her up.  They "chatted," as Graysen calls it, in the car on the way home and giggled and made plans.  Strangely enough - I know they're only five - but they started arguing immediately.  One person would take too much of the stuff and not share - and then someone else would grab and then someone would tattle. There was only one stroller and one bottle, and my suggestions were not that well received.   I think they did pretty well overall, but I'll be glad when all that stuff is worked out - with age maybe.

I let them have a tea party for their snack, and they did love that.

Thank goodness for having a tea set over here.  This was Kate and Graysen's version of it earlier in the week.

So back to stress.  Now that I have talked about it, I feel like I don't have more than I can handle.  I do have to work on my scanner and see why it's not working and answer long-overdue emails and clean off the balcony and get two stains out of clothes and clean the inside of my car and pick up a reserved library book and take a few things to the Food Bank - and, and ...  Luckily, I have some time to do them all.