(This is just a very long, rambling post about our four day experience with no electricity.  I just want to try to remember some things for myself and I love to type here, so…….)

Things are so crazy around here!  We lost power on Sunday morning because of hurricane Irene.  We spent the day watching the storm out the windows…rain, rain, rain, and wind.  Thankfully, we only had one tree-friend fall down, by the chicken coop.  Also, a few branches broke off the tree at the end of our driveway.  We lit candles that night and the children all slept in the livingroom.

Rich left for work on Monday, bright and early.  He is an executive at an insurance company so he was very involved throughout the whole storm and even now, on calls and things, to try to keep the company doing all it could/can do for the insured.  I was home with the children and we went to the Crackerbarrel for breakfast that morning.  We had a good time at breakfast and then at the Old Sturbridge village, for a few hours.  When we came home the power was still not on. Rich came home Monday evening and we all went to the Marriott for a chance at some hot showers.  I packed up the children and we drove separate vehicles.  We had two rooms side by side at the hotel.  The first thing we did was go check out the pool, all nine of us.  You have to imagine it, it’s Rich and myself, plus the seven children..there is movement, talking, laughing, and monkey-business going on at all times.  Getting on and off an elevator involves many decisions:  Who gets to push the button?  Is this the elevator we want to use to get to the pool?  Why did Seth get to push floor 16 when we wanted floor 22?  And so on.  We looked at the pool and then went back to the elevator.  There was a nice decorative display of some large bellied pots with small mouths.  While we stood, waiting for the doors to open, Ethan (during all the other chaos around us) got his finger stuck tight in a decorative pot.  None of us could believe it.  I said, “Ethan better just pull his finger out as hard has he can right now!!!!” and thankfully, he did, and turned around red in the faced, shaking his head, and laughing.  We got in the elevator as he said, “Good grief, I am never going to forget that!”  As a mom, I have learned that it is best to just pull fingers straight out of the objects they are stuck in, to get it over with quickly.  It may hurt a bit but it will teach the child not to do it again. 

The kids went back to swim, Rich and I watched them.  They had about 45 minutes of fun before we had to leave.  Then, Rich went back to work until 9:15 that night.  The poor man is working lots of overtime, like so many other people are after this weather.  We stayed in the room and ordered room service.  The children and I sat around the rooms eating grilled cheese, fries, mac and cheese, and chocolate milk in scary glass goblets.  (amazingly, no spills!!)  Meanwhile, you know how busy and active toddlers are, there was no rest until they finally fell asleep in their pack n plays that night.  And then darling Sarah talked in her sleep half the night……little sleep for mama.

Next morning, TUESDAY, (YESTERDAY), Rich left for work and I had the job of packing us all up, taking the children to breakfast, and checking out of the hotel.  The older children are such helps, and so wonderful.  The hotel restaurant lady said she was honored to have us there eating and that the family was getting lots of compliments.  I had a headache from it all, but was proud of us for maintaining our manners.  But as you all know, it is constant work, my friends, constant…..keeping kids safe, clean, loved, cared for, needs met, happy, etc…..all on my mind (constantly).

We left the hotel parking garage, and I drove us home.  I left the kids at home and promptly took Caleb to a doctor’s appointment.  He had to get a shot so he could start school. Caleb was so happy to have his shot over and then we went to the shoe store but didn’t get any shoes.  We went home.

Next, I had to take Jacob to the library so he could type up his summer book report, since it had to be done online and we had no internet.  I had to just leave him there at the library to fend for himself.  

When I got home, I made myself go outside for some sun.  I took Sarah with  me.  We went to feed the chickens and that was when our rooster attacked me and nailed me in the foot, by my ankle, with his talons.  He punctured my foot by my ankle, very hard, and when I stepped down, blood ran down into my sandal.  I was so upset.  Sarah was with me, even, in my arms.  Thankfully, the rooster ran off, and I was able to sit down and call the children to help me, and they did.  Ethan, Grace, and Caleb.  I limped my way to the house.  Roosters are aggressive and we are getting rid of ours.  I will never keep roosters here again around children.  I can’t say enough about this.  Seth says to me, with wide eyes, “George attackle you, mom?  You need a hug?”  and then he hugs me!  Even at this moment, my foot is very swollen and very sore. 

I got settled on the couch, wrapped up in blankets, shivering, with my leg up.  Ethan was so good.  He was working on his book report and got right up without me asking him to, to take the children downstairs so I could rest.  As soon as I closed my eyes, Jacob called me to go get him from the library.  At that point I really didn’t think I could even drive because I had injured my “driving foot”.  I tried calling my neighbors using my cell phone but of course they could not get my call with the phone lines down.  So I got up, put my shoes on, and went to get him. 

As soon as I came home with Jacob (who did a great job on his report), I had to take Caleb back to school, so he could meet his teacher.  School was supposed to start TODAY (WEDNESDAY) but we found out that it was canceled until tomorrow.  I limped around the school with my aching foot, and met Caleb’s teacher..she was nice, an older lady with grandchildren, and very experienced.  I was happy and Caleb absolutely loved seeing the school bus.

When I got home, I was pretty tired out.  But, after a while I got up so I could get more stuff out of our rotting and stinking refrigerator.  Jacob walked down to see the neighbors and to buy some cucumbers from his veggie stand, and he took Seth with him.  AND WHILE THEY WERE GONE THE POWER CAME BACK ON.  I was so happy!  I cleaned out that fridge while listening to music and Rich came home while I was doing it.  Unfortunately, I had to get down on the floor to scrub and wash the bottom, and when I did, I pulled something in the already sore and injured part of my foot.  The pain was bad, and it was quite disappointing.  I had to stay on the couch for the rest of the night.  Rich had me soak it in salted water and he rebandaged it with neosporin and bandaids.  He had to give the little ones their baths and put everyone to bed.  But, he also fixed my stove (I haven’t had an oven in almost 2 months!).  We were so happy to have power but I was somewhat DEPRESSED by my own negativity (and I’m not about to beat myself up for it, any woman who has a large family and a power outage with no running water or way to cook or do laundry has my full sympathy!) because I was overwhelmed.

So TODAY, I’ve been forcing myself to rest as much as possible, eat, and enjoy the children.  Slowly, I feel myself coming back.  Laying on the couch with little boys in my lap and in my arms is SUCH therapy for me.  Watching Sarah play and having her come over to me to touch me, makes me melt and cry and hold her tiny happy self to me.. and  I can feel her peace soaking into my body.  Just like the rays of the sun also soak into me, and warm me, relaxing me.  Jacob said, “And we don’t even have cake to cheer you up!” as I laughed, Caleb said, “Dad and Jacob need to go buy you a cake!”  I wonder, what made them think CAKE?  Are we always happy when we eat cake?  Quite likely.

Another example of craziness:  I had to call the orthodontist to cancel Jacob’s appointment tomorrow b/c it was the first day of school.  We’ve been preparing today, getting the backpacks lined up, planning lunches, saying goodbye to hanging out together during this summer vacation and then I get about 5 emails all at once telling us that school is canceled until TUESDAY NEXT WEEK!!!  After I told the kids, I called and asked for Jacob’s appointment back!  LOL

Also, a couple of the children had a touch of the stomach bug, too! 

So, whatever.  That’s just a small part of the story of the last 4 days.  I didn’t handle it with complete grace,  (it’s my time of the month, too) but God did give us many many happy moments.  I know there are some families that have things MUCH MUCH WORSE and I hate even thinking about that.  I hope and pray that everyone effected by the hurricane is encouraged that things will get better eventually.  I hope that friends and family members will reach out to those in need and let them know they are loved and that you care, and that you will help them.  We just need to really encourage each other!  If your friend is feeling down and you think she’s feeling sorry for herself, who cares?  Let her wallow around in her pity party for a little bit, you know she’s not always like that!  She’ll come back again, I promise, and your job is to love her to pieces in the meantime.  She’s just tired out and HUMAN.  I’m so thankful for all my friends who are that way with me! 

One unexpected delight during the last few days, has been in watching Ethan and David play together.  They got it into their heads that they had to do everything they wanted to do before summer was over.  They’ve explored new parts of the woods, fished and swam in the ponds, smashed rocks with hammers, started a tree fort, and who knows what else.  They’ve gotten to be good pals.

We had lots of pond water to flush the toilets during the power outage.

Our neighbor who had a generator took a few bags of our frozen foods, so we could save it.

Jacob said, the morning after the hurricane, “It’s like the whole state of Connecticut has been washed clean!”  He was right, everything was bright and scrubbed and the sky was so blue.

I’ve been thinking that it is a good idea to be prepared for things.  If we have plans in place for these types of situations, then it won’t seem like such a mountain to climb.  A wise homemaker would do that.  I regret that I was not very prepared.   I didn’t buy the water or the hurricane lamps.   But, I will be putting plans together just in case something like this happens again.