The past week or so has been all over the place – an emotional roller-coaster to say the least.
It started with the loss of one of our fuzzies last Thursday. Calvin was the most recent addition to our ferret family, but he was also the oldest. He came from a home with other fuzzies who had all passed and his human mommy and daddy wanted him to have buddies, so he joined our home. He was only with us for 6 months, but he was a sweetie and my pets are truly a part of my family. It was heartbreaking to lose him.
Another blow came on Friday when we found out there’s going to be a loss to our income. Luckily, it’s not a complete loss of income. Even more luckily, because of outstanding invoices, there won’t be a lapse in payment for at least another month. So there’s time to plan, which I’m always grateful for!
To top it off, I couldn’t dye my hair. In fact, I haven’t been able to dye my hair for a few months. That may not seem like a big deal to most people, but coloring my hair is my pick-me-up. Some girls buy shoes when they’re depressed. I get new hair!
The wait was worth it though. On Tuesday, my cousin’s girlfriend spent 5+ hours putting 5 different colors in my hair. I think she did a fabulous job and I love it . . . I walked out of her apartment feeling lighter.
Wednesday, of course, was the 4th of July and for the second year in a row, I made the fabulous decision to head downtown to see the fireworks. We did get a bit smarter this year and instead of trying to push closer to the stage (and become more immersed in the crowds), we stayed back by Logan Circle and claimed a bench.
I’m not really a fan of fireworks. I’d be just as happy watching them on TV (or not watching them at all). But Abby loves them and I love watching her enjoy them – and that makes dealing with the loud and obnoxious people totally worth it!
We sat down around 7:30 and the fireworks didn’t start until after 11. We had packed sandwiches and drinks and we just enjoyed the night and talked. Everything was perfect. And then the fireworks started. And then the whining started.
Our view was partially blocked by the trees (mind you, I was sitting down and could still see plenty). Abby was standing on the bench and complaining that she couldn’t see them all. Well, watching her enjoy the fireworks was the only reason I wanted to go, so I became cranky on top of her crankiness . . . which, as I’m sure you all know, just doesn’t work out too well.
I lectured and she pouted and Kes snored. (Yes, he fell asleep while the fireworks were going off!) By the time it was over, I couldn’t wait to leave and I was swearing under my breath that I was never doing this again.
We packed up and started heading to the train station. Getting on the train was just not going to happen. People were packed like sardines and no one was moving. We left the train station and just started walking and trying to figure out our best options.
Abby started to get a panicked look on her face, so I stopped. I told her that it was okay, that we might get home really late, but we were going to get home! I told her there were a lot of options and we just needed to figure out the best one and that we were just having an adventure.
That one word changed her entire attitude. Her face lit up and she said, “Oooh! I can mark that off of my summer list!”
Several months ago, she watched the movie Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer. In the movie, Judy makes a list of exciting things to do during the summer. Each item will award her “thrill points” and at the end of the summer, she can compare with her friends. Naturally, Abby made her own “not bummer summer” list!
By the time we made it home, Abby was up to 75 thrill points. She added points for everything. She had points for the adventure, points for staying out late, points for stopping at 7-11 and getting a Slurpee, points for the fireworks (which she now says were really cool), and on and on.
I told her that I was proud of her for how she put a positive spin on everything. And I took a moment to absorb the reminder from my 7-year-old that attitudes are all about perception and are completely controllable!
