Kazoos and the three P's

Hang on for the synopsis of a week...another crazy one of course, that is all that we have around here these days. Last Wednesday was spent preparing to leave on the mission trip to Appalachia.  As with all trip preparations in my life, everything seems to go wrong the day before I leave causing me to make such rash statements as "This is it, I am not going on another mission trip, there is too much to do around here, this time I really mean it and yes, I know I say this every time but I mean it THIS IS IT!!!"  And then I go again.  Back to last Wednesday, somewhere along the line I took a post it note and jotted down everything that happened so that I would not forget.  It is in my purse, my purse is in my car, I was too tired to carry it in the house last night.  I think that might be where my blood pressure medicine is also, I just realized this morning that I have not found that since I arrived home.  Add that to the list for today, I think I might need it.   But again, back to last Wednesday.  It was crazy, the phone was ringing, the boys were running around, losing golf balls, being boys but not bad, they are used to being at work and behave MOST of the time, things were going wrong though, orders were wrong on our end and on the end of companies that just don't seem to care, frustrations, one of those days and then my mother-in-law arrived and you might say, "Oh my gosh, your mother-in-law came to where you work in all the craziness?"  She comes to the shop regularly, that works, what did not work on this particular day was...wait for it...believe it...

SHE BROUGHT KAZOOS!

Ever experienced a three year old and a five year old in the workplace, hours before you leave for a trip with their first kazoos? 

I hope that you never have to, it was a true test of sanity.

At 4:00 I asked John to take me to the church.  We weren't leaving until 5:00.  I needed that hour to calm down and collect my thoughts.

This was the view from the place that we stayed.   It was a 4-H camp and as you can see it was pretty calm and peaceful there, not a Kazoo to be heard.

We were able to take part in many projects.  This was a mission outreach that one of the local churches was having in the community.  Dress Barn donates tons of clothing to World Vision to distribute and this day a church was giving away the clothing as well as Shop and Save gift certificates and had a free lunch.  We helped sort clothing and helped people find clothing that fit them.  It was interesting talking to people and hearing their stories.  One young woman walked up and I showed her this pink coat that I had just unpacked that looked as though it would fit her.  She shared that she had just got a job and had never had anything but blue jeans and she had to have dress clothes for her job.  It was fun to outfit her for her new job.

We did a lot of this.  Drywall.   They match the project to the skills of the group and we had a drywall finisher with us so drywall it was.   This was in a bathroom for a handicapped man.  The other project was in a home where the grandparents were caring for their grandchildren.  I learned a lot about drywalling!  I think I could add that to my resume now!   I did not take pics of the families or the kids.  I really felt that might be an invasion of privacy.  Of all the trips that I have been on though, this was by far my favorite.  Getting to talk to people and hear their stories is a whole lot easier when you speak the language.  The availability of tools and supplies to do the job really helped also.  I felt that we were a more productive team because of the organization that went on before we arrived.  Everything that we needed was at the job site when we got there.  

After work on Saturday we went to a local state park for a hike.  Not that any of us needed the exercise after three days of working that hard, but it was nice to see the scenery and get some fresh air.

This is a picture of the team.  It was the only one I got.  We had two other members, but they arrived later and left earlier than the rest of us.   It was a great group, small, no personality issues.  There might have been a little too much talk about roadkill among the guys, but that is another story.

This was one of the walkways at the park. 

And another view looking down into the valley.

Do you see a lion in this rock?

And now on to the three P's.  Monday was the catch-up day and John wanted to leave on Tuesday and go to the Bloomsburg Fair.  I was a little hesitant about leaving again so soon after just being gone but he needs a break and we had a free night coming at a Marriott.  Up at 5, I noticed a wet ring around the commode in our bathroom.  My first thought, "He is really not going to like this"  Second thought was to run downstairs and see if it is leaking through.  Not really run, more of a hobble because of something that is wrong with my heel, but we will leave that complaint for another post.  It was not.  John was up at 6 and noticed it also.  I tell him that the wax seal has to be broke and a lot of words from him later about how it can't be, what do I know about plumbing, am I now a plumbing expert? how dumb it is not a wax seal..blah, blah, blah, he lifts the commode and guess what?  Don't you love it when you are right?  That was the first two P's  Poop and Pee.  Commode on it's back in the shower stall, wet rugs, wet towels and dear hubby scraping the wax seal off the bottom of the commode with my Pampered Chef scraper and suddenly I realize, "I have to go get Kendall!"  I pick her up at a meeting place about 10 miles away and Shelby says that she spit up a little and I might want to change her.   Coming up the road I can smell something and I glance back and poor little Kendall is sitting there perfectly still and wide-eyed and covered with, you guessed it, the third P...PUKE!  Everywhere.

I mean EVERYWHERE! 

I had to tear the car seat apart and clean it, change and wash her and still I smelled it all day.  Needless to say, we cancelled our room and stayed home.  When you have experienced the three P's BEFORE 7:30 in the morning, the day has no where to go but up!

Now where are those blood pressure pills?

If you would like to read more about World Vision's work in Appalachia here is the link.

http://www.worldvisionusprograms.org/appalachia.html