Saturday, September 1, 2012

A bit of humour

A dear friend of mine encouraged me to write this story down so that when all this hardship is said and done, we can look back and remember that there were funny times too... so I thought I'd share the story with you all.

Last week Wednesday Noah had his regular spinal tap. He had to fast for it, and Chris and I always fast with him. But, we have not been able to part with our morning coffee, so on the way through town to Winnipeg, we stop at McD's for our 'fix'.  This particular Wednesday we decided to bring Holly and Coltan to the hospital to see what Noah goes through every week. So, of course times have changed since we were kids and now we cannot drive to Winnipeg without the DVD player going in the van. Just after we pick up our coffee, the kids are complaining that the movie isn't starting. So Chris pulls over in the parking lot by McD's, gets out, opens the side door and fixes the movie. All is well, we are off.

We get to the parkade. We park in the William parkade across the street from the hospital because its 'cheaper'. We get out, get the stroller out, get Noah's lunch kit out as he needs to eat as soon as the spinal is done, get my oncology binder out that is packed and overflowing with papers, get the kids out, except for Noah. 'I can't find my flip flop' Noah is saying. What? your flip flop? What do you mean you can't find it, we have just been in the van from home, how can you lose a flip flop in the van?

We search the van. We look under every seat, twice, we look under the van, in the side holders on the doors of the van, in Coltans carseat, everywhere. I look inside the zipped up diaper bag, everywhere. The flip flop is gone. How can you lose a shoe in the van?   As Chris and I get increasingly irritated as we have now searched our van through and through and cannot figure out what has happened to the flip flop, he asks me, 'we didn't get out anywhere did we?'   'No!" I reply, ..... Stupid McD's. Then it hits us, the flip flop must have fallen out when Chris opened the van door after we stopped for our coffee. See what happens when you don't eat?

Ok great. We are now in the parkade, 20 minutes late for Noah's spinal because we have ripped our van apart looking for the missing flip flop, and now have to figure out a way for Noah to walk across the street, through the hospital and to his appointment with no shoe. But wait! I knew there was a random sock somewhere in the van. It had been in there for probably a month or more and every time I see it I think 'I should really take that sock inside'. But I never did. Praise the Lord where is the sock!? I find the sock. Noah now has to walk across the street and though the hospital with one red flip flop and one grey disgusting looking sock. It was completely embarrassing. But hey, we are in down town Winnipeg, I'm sure there have been worse things to see:)

So we get to our appointment, and as if walking through HSC with all our kids and Noah with his one flip flop and one sock was embarrassing enough, I yet have to apologize to the nurses and explain that we lost a shoe and that's why we are late. They thought it hilarious. So the kids were rangy and the appointment ran late (partly because of us) and now we have to walk back through the hospital, across the street and into the parkade with one sock and one flip flip on. Very nice. We then had to stop at Walmart to buy shoes for Noah because we had other errands to do after his appointment. I go into Walmart, get to the shoe department. They are completely out of boys sandals and crocs. Great. Really? So, Noah ends up with a ladies size 5 blue flip flop. He has worn them once.

Yes, I can now look back on that day and smile, but I sure wasn't smiling then:)

Melissa

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