Peeing on the stairs, breakdowns and expensive earrings

This weekend was tough with moments of awesome.

On Saturday, David had to film a scene for his upcoming show. It is a live musical, but this vignette will be played on a screen. Should be pretty cool. I was invited to come and hang out while they filmed. But I thought it was a bad idea since I have a Jackson and 3 year-olds don't mix well with "Quiet on the set." Instead I had tentative plans to meet Andrea for lunch and kill some time with her. But she had a plumbing emergency dripping in a bucket on her dining room table. Then David called from Kyle's house where they were filming and encouraged me again to come out. So I went, despite my knowledge that it wasn't a good idea.

We got there before the filming started and got to visit and hang out for a bit. And Jackson took the opportunity to play on the piano...and pee on the piano bench. The padded seat of the piano bench luckily comes off for washing. I guess they anticipate the occasional peeing house guest. I shrugged that slight embarrassment off as best I could and when they started filming, to preserve the quiet, I took Jackson down to the pool and we spent around an hour playing together in the water. But then it got chilly and Jackson's teeth were chattering and I was tired and feeling isolated and worn out by the demands of the boy.

So on their break, I went back upstairs with him and got dried off. It was fine until they started filming again and Jackson started begging to go back to the pool. And then he peed on the stairs. Just stood there and peed. It does a mother proud when she takes her 98% potty-trained child to a friends home and he liberally sprays the premises, marking his territory. He has consistently used the potty for a month or more and he chose Saturday to fall off the wagon. So embarrassing.

But worse was the fact that I have gotten used to him not having accidents and only packed one change of clothes in his back pack. Since peeing on the stairs was his second accident I was fresh out of dry underpants. So that ended our day out. I told him we had to go home, which was the wrong thing to do before gathering up all our stuff. Cause he immediately started freaking out and crying and yelling that he didn't want to leave and he wanted his daddy. If I had been smart I would have gathered the wet swimsuits and his socks and shoes and bags and then said "let's go" on the way out the door. As it was his tantrum disrupted the filming and they had to stop until I managed to get the kid and all my stuff out the door.

What a disaster. I was embarrassed because he peed everywhere and I couldn't keep him quiet and it made me really mad. And when Jackson is mad and I am mad we escalate each other's bad behavior. We fight. I yell at him, he yells at me and it just keeps going until one of us gives in - usually me. He is just like me, he has to win, has to have the last word. But I am the adult. And I should have recognized that a place where they needed quiet was not an appropriate place to take an energetic, carousing child. I did recognize it. Which is why I didn't get in the car and go with David that morning when he left. It is my own fault.

Jackson and I finally made peace, as we usually do. But the day was pretty much shot. It is exhausting to fight with a 3 year-old.

So Sunday brought a much-needed break for me and Jackson. He went with David to Harker Heights to spend the day with his Omi and Grandpa. David and his Dad spent the day installing a new muffler and exhaust system in his car. I planned a day shopping and hanging out with Andrea, as a make-up for Saturday. It didn't go exactly as planned.

We had lunch at Ihop and had a great time, with me giving her tons of un-asked-for advice that she may or may not follow. But I like to hear myself talk sometimes and she is a great listener. We decided to head over to the Outlet Mall nearby to spend some money, but when we got in my car, it wouldn't start.

Dead battery. Unjumpable dead battery. So on my make-up, break from Jackson, day with my extremely busy best friend who I hardly see, my car broke down and I had to call a tow truck.

It isn't all tragedy as I have towing coverage on my insurance and road-side assistance to coordinate it all. And the tow truck got there pretty quickly. Elaine came over and picked up Andrea and took her back to my house to get her car while I rode in the tow truck to the dealership across the highway. I left my keys and instructions in the lock box since they were closed. Then we headed as planned to the outlet mall. Except I was now really in need of retail therapy and even more determined to blow some money on something frivolous.


And I did. Andrea made me do it. I would have talked myself out of it if she hadn't been there chanting at me to buy them. Them being diamond earrings. A tiny circle of yellow diamonds connected to a slightly bigger circle of white diamonds. The store had a ton of things 80% off. I absolutely love them and I have never walked into a jewelry store and bought myself something expensive. And since I had birthday money to spend, Andrea wouldn't let me out of it. (Thanks Dad.)

Tonya came and took me and Jackson to work so we didn't have to miss because of my car. The dealership confirmed the very dead battery and I also had them do the timing belt service that was due on it. I feel like a real adult today. I had major work done on my car for something that wasn't even broken! That is a real milestone for me. Servicing a car before it breaks instead of running around behind it after it breaks is so grown-up.

Heh, that is funny. I am married with a child and a mortgage, been through the hell of a cancer diagnosis and chemo and I only feel like a grown-up when shelling out a bunch of money on preemptive car work. Life is funny that way.