Thursday night one of Cassie’s friends, Jasmine, (her BFF) spent the night since they were off of school for both Thursday and Friday. They spent most of the evening in the basement playing. When I headed down to change loads of laundry Jasmine came to keep me company. She walked into the laundry area and said, “Paula, you are my friend.”
I said that she was my friend too. She said that she felt like she could talk to me and she liked this fact. I do too.
When the girls were very little I decided that I wanted to be the place that the friends wanted to hang out. I wanted to be the mom that the friends could come to. I wanted to be the one that could talk to all the kids like they were my own and help to keep them on the right path. So far so good.
We are the house where all the neighborhood kids gather to play. Cassie and Kalli’s friends like me, give me hugs, and say hi when passing in the hall at school.
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Yesterday morning I woke up to a cool house. I looked at the thermostat and it said 61 even though it was set for 68. I should have gone back to bed at that point. But I enjoy challenges and things that make my life that little more dramatic.
There was no heat blowing from anywhere. I texted Andy and let him know what was going on. I went downstairs to the basement and tried talking to the furnace.
Me: What is wrong
Furnace: …
Me: Why are you giving me the cold shoulder
Furnace: …
Me: Could you please start working now?
Furnace: …
Stonewalling me would do no good.
I got a screwdriver and threatened to dismantle its panels. Still nothing. So I went through with it. I took the front panel off and stared in at the mass of machinery and wires. And still nothing happened. This furnace is a stubborn one.
I then gave up and Andy called the landlord. Yeah for renting and not owning. I can say that it’s not my problem.
Last night a furnace-fixing guy came and as far as I know he did the same thing I had done. Went down, looked at the furnace, and maybe even threatened it.
All I know is that it didn’t work. However, he did break through the silent treatment and found out that something is broken.
Until Monday, when they can fix it, we will be without heat. We are glad that the weather isn’t worse and that since we’ve put the storm windows in and done some baking we’ve been able to keep the temp right around 67. If the temperature were to drop and/or we were uncomfortable the landlord has offered to get us an electric heater to help out til the furnace gets fixed.
Needless to say, I should have gone back to bed and tried again another day. Though it hasn’t been horrible, it is still an inconvenience. An inconvenience that, when I look at the big picture, I’m happy to have as at least we do have a roof over our head and a place to stay warm. So there is that.
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A few things that have been said or done recently that I love.
1. Kalli calls Smarties “Smarters” and thinks that eating a couple helps her be smarter. It is that innocence that makes me smile and fall more unconditionally in love with her.
2. Cassie is willing to try anything and gets upset when you try to tell her that it is something she can’t do. Doctors said she wouldn’t walk. She proved them wrong there. Add to that the fact that for the past couple weeks, on non-gym days (Tuesday, Thursday, and Fridays), she has been leaving her wheelchair at home and has just used her crutches. As long as weather permits. It seems that crutches and wet halls don’t get along and end up with Cassie on the floor. This is all of her own doing and I haven’t prompted it what-so-ever. I am, however, so very proud of my young lady.
3. We were at the ‘Fall Fest’ held at the school this past week. The girls were in their Halloween costumes…Kalli was Dorthy from Wizard of Oz and Cassie was Super Girl. Cassie was working her way through the inflatable obstacle course (think big bouncy house meets obstacle course). She was struggling to get over a wall (showing her I-can-do-anything-I-want attitude) when Kalli looked at her and said “Use your super powers Cassie!”
4. Cassie was reading a worksheet to me from school about how they will be working on writing letters by writing to each other about books that they are working on and holding discussions. The wording went something like…We will be writing letters discussing the books. At which point Cassie said, “Why can’t we just talk to each other instead?” While she enjoys reading, writing isn’t her thing. She does need lots of practice with writing though as her penmanship leaves something to be desired. Honestly, Kalli has better penmanship.
To summarize, I love my girlies. I love their friends. I don’t really love my furnace.
CasKal 