Days like this

"Mama said there'd be days like this, there'd be day's like this my mama said. Mama said." My mom didn't actually say their would be days like this, but when I have a bad day that song sometimes rumbles around my head. I am going to be very honest in this blog and at times personal with my honesty, so if that might make you uncomfortable, don't read this particular blog.

Saturday night, into Sunday, I did not sleep well. I tossed and turned all night, waking about every hour. At 6 I gave up the battle and just got up. I was looking forward to coffee, because that would at least help improve my mood and help a bit with tiredness. I walked into the kitchen, opened the dishwasher, only to find that all the dishes were still dirty. Matt had set the dishwasher up to start the night before, but apparently had not shut the door all the way. I was already tired and cranky, and this just added to it. I washed all our cups and coffee cups, bowls and spoons so we could have cups to drink out of and cereal bowls clean. After breakfast I took my shower and got ready to go.

We were trying a new Church again. Church was set to start at 9, so we left at 8:20, giving us plenty of time to find it and get there. Matt's GPS wouldn't find the address again, so we ended up using the navigation on my phone. We got to the address at 8:50, only to realize it wasn't where we were wanting to be. We called our friend who we were meeting at the Church (which was actually in a school), and she sent us the address...it was the same one where we were at. So, I goggled the actual school and we started off again. We got there at 9:20, the service had already started, the preacher was preaching. We had missed the worship part. We took the kids to class and settled in. After service, our friend introduced us to most of the Church, which was nice. We will go back, to try it again, in a few weeks. If we try it again this week the kids will be committed and not willing to try any other churches.

Our friend ended up inviting us over for lunch, she was having several other people over as well. We had fried turkey (yum!) and green beans, sweet potato casserole, and rolls. We had a really good time.

When we got home, we had a wasp in the house. This really freaked the kids out and me too a little bit, since Elijah is allergic to bee stings. We were not sure how it got in, but thankfully Matt got it out.

Monday came and I was still a bit grumpy. Now is probably a good time to say part of my problem is/was pms. I am ready for our air shipment to come and we found out it was delayed. It should be here this week, and we are so ready for it. We are ready to be settled and ready to make this feel like home. Monday we walked to the other Leiki market that was in our neighborhood. It is bigger than the one we usually go to on Thursday's, but it had most of the same stuff. We did find corn on the cob, which we hadn't seen before, and it went well with our dinner that night.

Later, after the kids are in bed we hear a buzzing sound by the window. I had heard it earlier too and had saw another wasp outside the window. As we were sitting there another wasp got in the house. The wasps are building a nest right outside our living room window, which again, really freaks me out, especially now that we have had several get in. With Elijah being allergic, it scares me. I hope that we can find a way to get rid of them.

I didn't sleep well again that night. I had nightmares of the wasps getting in and stinging Elijah in the middle of the night and us finding him dead in the morning.

On Tuesday we got up and I was very tired, but we decided to try and climb Mount Immitos again. We walked there, got turned around a bit, and ended up on a different path than we had intended. We really enjoy exploring the paths, but it got hot quick and we were very tired. We ended up walking for about an hour and twenty minutes.

When we got home our downstairs neighbor was outside with her 11 year old daughter. We have met them several times, so we stopped to chat. Elijah got bored and started playing on the porch area, hiding and playing. A little later I hear "Help, Mom! Help!" I take off running and find Elijah had fallen off the porch...a good four feet drop, he had landed partially in mud and partially on concrete. He said "I fell!" I said "I got that." and then he said "I need to get up to our apartment." I said "Okay." and proceeded to help him get to his feet. He immediately stumbles and says "I can't walk, it hurts too much!" I have flashbacks to his three year old self when he broke his leg on the trampoline. I said "I can't carry you all the way to our apartment." So, he tries again to walk and can't. So, in my God given mom strength I lift him in my arms and start carrying him (he's much heavier than he was at 3!) up the three steps, around the side of the building and up to the building door. My neighbor's husband had offered to carry him, but knowing Elijah he wouldn't let him and I didn't want to possibly offend them. When I got to the door  of the building, I asked Kayla to take the keys and open the door. My neighbor grabs the keys, opens the door, calls the elevator and offers an ice pack. I really appreciated her help and concern. While we are in the elevator Elijah says "I can't see, or hear, everything's fading." I had sat stood him beside me in the elevator, I immediately snatched him back and held him, I didn't want him to pass out on the elevator floor, dead weight is even harder to lift, not to mention a possibility of more injuries. Once the elevator got to our floor, we got out and I stood him again, trying to get his shoes off. Once again, his vision started fading. I asked Kayla to open the door and I got him in and sat him on a chair. I started cleaning him up, then decided it would just be easier to shower him. He was not himself (obviously), but by this point, he could bear some weight on his leg, so I was praising God that his leg wasn't broken.

After his shower, he immediately needed to sit again, so he sat on the floor of the bathroom while I started drying him off. I helped him get dressed and got him to the couch, where I examined his leg closer. He had an immediate bruise on the knee, multiple scratches on his arms and legs. I put antibiotic cream on the cuts and bruises and band aids.  Later, he proudly said he had 7 scratches and two bruises. He played the sympathy card all afternoon and I let him.

I tried to call Matt to let him know what happened and couldn't reach him. It was at this point that I realized I didn't have his office number. I had his blackberry and cell phone numbers, but he can't take them into his office. It was 2 1/2 hours after Elijah fell that I was able to reach Matt. I was not in a good state of mind. I am really good in the emergency, but I fall apart after. I was rattled the rest of the day. What if I had had to take him to the hospital, in this foreign country, by myself? I won't go into all the questions I had, but I will say I was feeling a bit sorry for myself. It boils down to I was/am lonely. Most days we get out and do something, but the people I talk to talk in Greek, the only adult I talk to on most days is Matt, when he gets home from work. Right now, things are very busy and he is coming home late, then having to talk/play with the kids. There's not a lot of adult time. I need to make more friends and continue to familiarize myself with the area more. I need to have the number for the taxi in my phone. I didn't feel like I had anyone to call in the heat of the moment and that unsettled me too. I couldn't even call anyone in the states to talk about it, it was too early in their morning. I need to feel more settled, and I need to feel like I can reach my husband in an emergency.

I also had a man calling our house number and urgently talking to me in Greek. I didn't understand him and tried to convey that to him, he just talked more. The second time he called I very politely told him I only spoke English, didn't understand him and I was sorry. He then put a lady on the phone and she tried to talk to me, also in Greek. Really, people, I wish I could understand you and help you.

Did I mention being overtired and suffering from PMS? I know this also makes the perspective seem worse. In reality, I am sure that my neighbors that I don't know very well would have helped me get Elijah to the hospital, had it been warranted. I know my stuff will eventually get here and we will start to feel settled. I know we will make more friends and hopefully friends the kids ages. Once our stuff gets here I'll probably wonder where I am going to put it and why I was in such a hurry to get it. I know I need a perspective change. I am still tired and grumpy again today. I still didn't sleep well. The wasps have already been buzzing around the window and Elijah was banging on the window trying to get the to go away. He may eventually get stung, but I can't worry about the possibility that he will and let it get to me. He might never get stung, why I am so worried over this. Why does everything seem so hard?

Today we are walking to the metro and taking it to the Embassy. This will be our first time using the metro, but it's a step closer in learning about our area and how to get around. We are going to have lunch with Matt and then swim at the pool. Today, this brings me no joy. I'm not really in the mood to sit at the pool afternoon, swimming and watching the kid swim. It would be different if I had someone to talk to, but otherwise it just makes the time drag by. I know, I should just be thankful for the opportunity and I am, but it would also be nice to have girl chat time. You know what I mean?

I am sorry for the whining and complaining, and it is so hard to convey all the emotions in a blog, but my heart is heavy and burdened and there's no point in pretending to be completely fine, when I'm not. I cried last night, I still feel like crying today, but I do know that things are going to get better and easier. I don't want sympathy and I don't want you to feel sorry for me, I'm doing enough of that on my own, but I would appreciate prayers.