Village People

In case you are wondering if it takes a village, let me assure you that yes, yes it does.

These last few weeks are pushing me to the limit. Grades are due. I'm doubting my skills as a teacher once again as some of my students still don't get it. The kids are nuts. I have something planned for every night of the week. Book club, staff party, class party, neighborhood ornament exchange, grade level celebration, presents to buy for family, co-workers, room moms, school kids. I haven't even bought my own child, light of my life, a gift for Christmas. There is too much to do and not nearly enough time and what should be an exciting, joyous season is instead being trampled by stress and hustle-bustle and bah-humbugness.

So when Matt and I capped off a busy weekend by simultaneously coming down with a horrific stomach virus, well, we had no choice but to call in our village. A big thank you goes out to both my fantastic neighbors, who stepped in and handled life for us when we couldn't. It was near eleven on Sunday night when I made the call to K. to please please rouse herself out of bed and take Matt to the ER. He had reached an epic level of dehydration that only some serious IV fluid was going to fix. (We're talking on the verge of passing out, hands numb kind of dehydration. My man is no wuss.) In a true God moment, every traffic light turned green as they sped through the city - amen.

While we managed to get Violet to school on Monday, the thought of having to care for her ourselves come evening was too much to handle, seeing as we could barely get ourselves off the couch. My dear A. didn't even ask, she pretty much just insisted we let her pick up Violet from daycare, take her home, play with her, bring her to dinner and then finally return her to us in the evening as we were finally recovering.

It was my first call-in-sick moment all year, and the fact that I made it to the last full week of the semester before it happened is all praise to God. I hate being out, and I really hate being out on a Monday when I have no substitute plans made. But the school kids muddled through, and Matt and I are slowly pulling ourselves together. Violet, thanks be, seems to have been spared the stomach bug, and housekeeping came today to restore order into our home, so things on this end are almost back to normal.

But it is moments like this when I am extra thankful to be surrounded by the wonderful families I am blessed to call my neighbors and friends.