July 4 Family Week

Since Rob's little siblings have grown up and moved away, it has become a tradition for them to come visit on Independence Day Week for a family camping trip/wheeler ride/reunion.

I wasn't sure how Rob would do this year.
Thankfully, we have the booster seat for him to ride double.  
We've been on a couple of rides earlier this summer.
But, he tires out easily and with all of his digestive issues and rigid potty schedule (every time his watch beeps, he has to pee), so...I wasn't sure about an all day ride with the troops.
One thing I have to constantly tell him, is to take his arms off the hard plastic rests...between leaning on them and his involuntary movements, he wears holes in his elbows.  His clothes are fine, but his elbows are worn down almost to the bone.  He doesn't even notice.  I ordered him some elbow pads to put on him, but they were not here for the 4th. 

He did good!  He did much better than I expected, and it was SO good to see everyone out and about.


July 6 - The AC guys are here!  They are so nice and awesome!  I didn't worry one bit about heading to work and leaving Rob there.  

July 7 - they are back!  I decided to give the AC guys a break from Rob, so we headed to his dad's house to shoot bows with his sister and have lunch up there with them.  It worked perfect.  They had the run of the house, and we were out of their hair.  Plus, we got to see TJ and Texas and shoot bows with them.  We got home right as they were finishing up.  I was out chatting with them and they were getting ready to leave and HS came out of the house and said, "You aren't going to like what dad just did..." "what?" "he flooded the toilet"
sigh.
really?!
And not only that, but he used the kids bathroom instead of ours.  again.
The kids were so disgusted by the whole thing.  C brushed right past me and said "I'm outta here" and took his truck to go fill gas cans for our ride the next day. He was supposed to be getting ready to go to basketball camp...but obviously couldn't. I had Heidi grab me a bunch of towels and spent the next hour thoroughly cleaning the bathroom.  We left grandpa's house and came home just so C could go to basketball camp...and that wasn't going to happen.  He probably could have shown up late...but then what would he tell them when he gets there late..."Why are you late?" "My dad destroyed the bathroom" um...no.  
Actually, he handled it fine...I, on the other hand, had major guilt and sorrow over the deal.  I want to give them a normal life growing up, but that is not happening and won't happen any time soon...then they'll be gone.  

Later, I asked Rob what happened in the bathroom and he just kept giggling and saying "I used the wrong tool" Whatever that means.  I think he used the brush instead of the plunger, but the kids said he flushed at least 6 times in a row.  

I am getting tired of cleaning up toilet messes.  At least I didn't gag my way through this one...

Rob decided to stay home from his birthday ride.  Good thing, too, as he never could have survived that trail that day.  It wasn't the worst trail I've been on with a wheeler, but it was just very long.  And it was definitely a challenge for the dirt bikers. It was GORGEOUS!  I'd like to do it again when I'm not in a time crunch.  We were trying to do it faster, so we could get HS back in time for a church commitment.  (that didn't happen) 
I felt bad for leaving Rob home, but he couldn't have done it...and we asked him multiple times to come but he didn't want to.  When we got home, I walked in the door and he was talking so fast I couldn't understand him.  I wasn't even in the door and he was saying "it's my birthday, I'm 49, my dad called me, I'm constipated, I had meals on wheels, It's my birthday, I'm 49, my dad called me, I had meals on wheels, I'm constipated" But he came right out to "help" us unload (he usually just watches).  While we are unloading, he mentions that he did not eat dinner yet.  He is 2 1/2 hours late for dinner.  We are all in shock - he always eats, right on time.  Finally he said, "I didn't know what to eat."  WHAT?!  RED FLAG WARNING!  All of the food is labeled in the fridge, and he makes himself tv dinners for lunch when he doesn't have meals on wheels...so he should have been able to fix himself some dinner.  Nope.  Okay...we are at this stage now....

The next day I frantically finish up my insurance paperwork for long term care insurance so I can get a part time caregiver.  No more time to make a decision and figure out what I am going to do and how.  We need someone here.  The sooner the better.

The next day we invited ourselves up for a campfire/birthday party and to say goodbye to TJ and Texas.  He did good that night.  He talked to his dad and got up and talked to Texas.  
And Family week was done and gone.