Issues

Well, today was a pretty good day. Derek has not been to time-out a single time. We made cookies. I showered AND FIXED MY HAIR. (which is really a miracle.) I even mopped the kitchen floor and entry hall. (another miracle. one of my least favorite chores since the tile stretches all the way from the front door, through a hallway, past a square of carpet we call the family room, and into the kitchen, which is quite a large kitchen and I don't feel justified in mopping just the kitchen, I have to do the whole tiled area.)
Anyway, on with my story:
There will be a couple little side-stories in here, so bear with me. Oh wait, I need to do one more side-story before I continue with the main event. I have phone issues. Okay, I have a lot of issues, people spitting, clowns, and the stinky mink farm near my house. But back to the phone issues. Over a year ago, Matt bought us a set of three cordless Panasonic phones. They each had their own charging station and we placed them in the kitchen, master bedroom and office, respectively. Now, just for reference, the office is in the loft area of our house. The desk is scooted up against this half wall and about a foot of railing that overlooks the front hall. The phone is on the edge of the desk, probably a good foot away from the railing. (Can you see where this is going?)
So a month or two ago, Matt was on the computer, I was standing next to the desk chatting with him and the children were running amok. The phone was on the couch, directly behind the desk. I picked it up, so as to replace it in its little phone cradle home. I was reaching for it, I swear I do not know how this happened, but as I was reaching, I lost my balance, the phone landed haphazardly in the cradle, but the momentum of my reaching was so great that the phone continued past the cradle, through the bars of the railing and down to the tile floor, a good 15 feet below. I ran down the stairs to pick it up and discovered the battery lying next to the phone. I put it all back together and saw that the screen was slightly scrambled. Only the top half of any number, name, etc. would show. Not too bad considering how far it had fallen. We re-assigned that phone to the master bedroom, because we don't use that one as much. One phone down.
About two weeks ago I was talking on the phone and making lunch. I opened the cupboard right next to the fridge to get a glass and at that moment Derek swung the refrigerator door open with such force that it hit my arm and I dropped the phone. On the tile floor. I frantically checked it to make sure it was working and discovered the screen was completely useless. Not even half of the info showed up. Nada. I put off telling Matt until I was running out the door to a Relief Society meeting that night. He took it fairly well, considering. Two down.
So today, after a pretty good day, I took Austin to see his pediatrician. (Where both Zack and Derek were very, very much not on their best behavior. The verdict was that the poor baby has another double ear infection. That would be his third since the first of September. So I came home and put Austin in his high chair for a snack, set the other kids in front of the TV and called my insurance company to see what a set of tube is going to cost me. (not too bad, and poor Austin will finally have some relief). After I finished with a very nice and helpful customer service rep, I called our favorite ENT for an appointment. (she knows us well.) I was talking to the receptionist when Zack and Derek started screaming and fighting and going completely crazy. I retreated to the front room, to escape some of the noise, because I literally could not hear anything this lady was saying. She then asked for my insurance number, and i realized the card was back in the kitchen with my wallet. I ran quickly past the screaming children, and as I rounded the corner, you guessed it, I slipped on a patch of tile that was not completely dry and landed on a knee, elbow and my wrist hit the ground a milisecond later. The wrist that connects to the hand THAT WAS HOLDING THE PHONE. THE LAST REMAINING PHONE WITH A WORKING SCREEN. And.....I saved it. I saved the phone!!!!! At the expense of having bruises for our family pictures on Saturday. (thank goodness I'll have long sleeves.) Matt is so proud. And the receptionist never even knew what happened. I jumped up, hobbled to the counter and gave her the necessary information, hobbled back to the phone cradle and gently placed the phone in its resting place. And now, the kids are still fighting, Austin is still crying and clinging to me and my knee and wrist are throbbing. I think I need a bubble bath. OR a shopping trip, or dinner out, for saving the phone, at least I should get dinner out! Oh, wait....since I broke the other two phones, maybe I will just go for the bubble bath.