This week has been full of disruptions, challenges and obstacles. Working a long stretch of nights, old friends visiting, babysitter snafu, and unexpected car repairs threw my week right off kilter. So I took a lot of deep breaths and did the best that I could.

There is nothing that I can do about work. As much as I enjoy my job, let’s face it I work because I have to. So lamenting about work would be fruitless.

We had two separate visits from Peace Corps friends. The first was from Blake. He was passing through on Sunday afternoon on his way home from an event about 15 minutes north of us. We stopped what we were doing and enjoyed a long overdue visit with him. It had been at least four years since we last saw him and Carlos was an infant. He was in the group of Peace Corps Volunteers in Mozambique that I helped to train. He also served at the same site I did so he knows my husband and his family very well. It was so great to catch up with him. He stayed for dinner and then left not long after.

I had Sunday night off. It is a solo night off after working three in a row. Then I returned to work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Monday morning we had a play date at a sprinkler park. Then I came home to prepare for guest number 2. I haven’t seen my friend Irene in 5 years. Our last visit was in Maryland where she is from. About two weeks after I came home I found out I was pregnant. I was so excited for her to finally meet Carlos. Irene and I met in the Peace Corps as well. We served in the same group. I remember waking up at the crack of dawn on my first full day in Mozambique. I wandered hesitantly out of the dorm we were staying in. I was both in awe of the fact that I was waking up in Africa and intensely aware of the fact that this country would be home for the next two years (or more). I found Irene also up and about. We hit it off immediately and have been friends since. She stayed with us for two nights before heading up to Maine.

In the meantime a blinking light on my dashboard signaled a possible transmission issue. I brought the car in on Tuesday morning and they uncovered lots of subsequent issues. I was without a car Tuesday, Wednesday and much of today, but everything is repaired now. It was a blessing that Irene was here and helped with transportation.

Our usual morning babysitter who comes when Orlando leaves for work and stays until I get home was on vacation this week. My stand in babysitter failed to show up on day #2. Again thank goodness for Irene.

In the midst of all of this my workout regimen suffered. I did no exercise Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. That will all change in a bit when I go to boot camp for the first time tonight. It is outdoors at a local park. I’m a little nervous!

My stomach was unsettled a lot during the last few days because of everything. In the end things worked out. Sure I didn’t work out like I would have liked to and maybe my eating could have been better. Instead of dwelling on what was negative about this week I want to focus on the positive that came out of it. I’m a list person so here goes:

• I got to spend quality time with two friends I haven’t seen in ages.
• Since we were without a car on Wednesday, Carlos and I spent a great day at home playing, coloring, working in his letters and numbers workbook. He even said to me on the way to get the car, “we had a great day today Mom, didn’t we?” He got a big squeeze and a kiss for that one.
• I got to take care of a few things around the house.
• In contemplating a long future of working nights and the obvious challenges that arise because of it, I decided that it was time to start thinking about what could be done to change that. I contacted a local college about their RN to BS program as well as their Master’s of Nursing program. I will be meeting with someone in early fall to review my transcripts. I am not sure what the future holds, but I have always considered a return to teaching in some way, shape or form. I am considering pursuing a career in nursing education. I love teaching. I would be working during the day while Carlos is at school and I would have part or all of my summers free. Although I had been thinking about this I finally put the wheels into motion.