Thank you and Goodnight

That term is always one of my favorites if I've pulled off the one-liner of the evening; "Thank you and goodnight.  You've been great, really.  Don't forget to tip your waitress."  Once reigning as the Queen of wit, I used it often.  Of course now, with mommy brain atrophe, its either seldom that I pull a witty comment out of my... ahem, pocket... or, my wit goes completely unnoticed by the trio of boys I share my days with.

It's a funny term though, when you think about it because in so many ways, it implies that we're done.  As if we had nothing else to give.  When performers use it, it truly is at the end of their act or routine.  When I use the term, it's to get more kicks and giggles from my social audience (which probably consists of another couple who have come over for dinner and wine but hey, that is the biggest over-the-age-of-18 audience I may get all week.  Of course I'm going to show off!)  But for the most part, when someone says it, you know they are done; they won't be coming back unless you clap wildly enough that they come back for one or two more songs, jokes or whatever they charged you entirely too much to witness.

So, without getting too deep, the point is that we all have more than we think within us.  This was really tested last week when I went through what felt like a week of "Corporate Wife Bootcamp."  The weird thing is, I'm not a rookie when it comes to being at home with the kiddos while Chris travels.  In fact, I'm the one offering up advice to newer "corporate wives" which mostly entails me lecturing husbands in front of their wives to "never discuss the exquisitive meal you just ate, the luxury hotel you just checked in to or the quiet flight you just flew on until you are BACK home and have helped out with the kids and the house.  Pour your wife a glass of wine, let her sit down and then tell her all about it."

Since I have NO EXPECTATIONS that anyone, including myself, would read a long-wided blog about ANYTHING, let me recap my week, knowing that I will talk about this in more detail down the road:

1.  Nolan recovering from broken collar bone.
2.  Regan diagnosed with severe sinus infection.
3.  Home officially goes on the market.
4.  Evan picked up from Bible Study childcare with ruptured eardrum - 90 minute doctor office wait
5.  Receive offer on home.
6.  Negotiate offer on home.  (Oh yes, that is an entirely different line on my list of chaos...its MY list!)
7.  Clean home for 3 hours with help to make it "sparkle" for Broker's Open House in case offer falls through.
8.  Awaken 5 times in night; 3 toddler wakes, 1 nightmare and a wet bed
8.  Stay out of home during toddler's nap time for Open House.
9.  Back to doctor; Evan bleeding out ear again and has croup.
10. 4 night wakings; 2 toddler, 1 nightmare and a wet bed.  No, not a typo from above.  :)
11.  Rehabbing a torn deltoid muscle in my shoulder and elbow tendonitis at the same time. 
Yeah... MEMORIES!!!!

OK... so the reality is last week really was one for the books.  And yes, in case you are wondering...Chris was gone for that list.  And this is not to throw my wonderful, loving, amazing husband under the bus... just tellin' you like it is. 

The amazing thing about the human spirit, is that we truck on.  I didn't die...although I thought I would at times.  But here's a cheer to our good God who built us with that sense of "fight or flight" because my body definitely kicked in to both and we got the job done last week.  There were so many times I wanted to cry out "Thank you and Good night" yet my body and spirit chugged along with amazing resilience.  I would be lying through my 3x braces teeth if I told you that I didn't suffer any implications from the intensity of the week.  I broke out with a cold sore (first in 5 years, man those are ugly!,) my body felt as if it got ran over by the UPS truck and I wasn't much more than a lump on the couch on Saturday afternoon.  But, we got through it. 

So here's my takeaway.  Whatever you think you have going on in your life one, know that other people are dodging bullets and you aren't alone.  Two, you are going to make it.  Just make sure you have some delivery menus nearby, relinquish the thought of all 4 food groups being served at once and press-in to your inner strength.  The world wants you to cry "Uncle."  You have it in you to give an encore.

Thank you and good night.  You've been great.  Don't forget to tip your waitress.