Lacher in the Locker and other short stories

“You put a heart on your knee Momma?” Yeah, buddy. Something like that. Creed is impressed with my ability to skin my knee in the shape of a heart. I’m just humiliated from the fall. I tripped over a curb. I saw a meme that said you know you’re old when people gasp and run to help when you fall instead of laugh. I’m officially in the old category judging from passerby folk who offered their help. I’ll just lay here for a second to make sure I’m not dead, thanks.

I switched to nights last week. This week, I worked four 12 hour overnight shifts. The cherry on the top was having an 8:40 appointment for one of the kids the morning after. I got an hour nap before I had to get up and leave. I’d say that I just collapsed in the parking lot from sheer exhaustion, but no. I just face planted trying to hurry across the lot.

Work is going well. I’m learning. I’m dispatching fire/ambulance/police some on the radio. Phones are next, though just non emergency lines for the first while. I’ve had a number of “why did I choose this instead of taking the bookkeeping job that was less hours, better wage, doing what I know, and no overnights” but I’m determined to persist. Lachlan is getting better at going to sleep without nursing, and last night I was off and he woke up in the night and didn’t even ask to nurse. Just snuggled and went to sleep. That’s never happened before. I’m glad that he is adjusting. At 17 months, he’s nursed longer than most of them.

Eden turned 18 on the 1st and starts work this next week for the prison. She has basic training first. I’m curious to hear her stories. She’s officially an adult; she had to postpone her pie/gifts/birthday supper for a couple days to accommodate an evening that we’d all be home. She bought herself a Jeep last week too. Her car has a cracked engine block and is showing age. I’m driving the car back and forth to work for now. Eden’s been busy changing the oil in the Jeep and shining and shampooing the inside. Flushing the transmission is her plan for today. It has a sun roof and leather seats. Super fancy, top of the line upgrade when it was new. She’s over the moon about it. (She also got a new coffee mug for her birthday. I think she likes it.)

Eden and Liberty both went off our car insurance this month. I’m filing taxes without claiming Liberty. Two kids are fully adult. Eden got her voter ID card in the mail. Weird parenting moments.

Sterling bought a four wheeler to fix. Creed thinks it’s the coolest thing. He calls it a Ya-ma-How. It’s going to need some effort to get it running. He has a slew of parts coming next week. I’m thinking this can be an extension (student funded, of course!) of his mechanics course he’s taking for school. Maybe that’s the final project. Sterling is also suddenly shooting up. He’s been small for so long it seems like every time I see him he looks taller. He’s grown an inch and a half in the last couple weeks. He tells me his legs ache. I bet they do.

I got my barn quilt finished! Blaine hung it up for me. I’m so happy with how it turned out.

For years I’ve wished for a set of lockers. I’ve stalked used marketplaces for a set and finally found one locally. They were super cheap because they had about 300 stickers on them. The kids and I, the hair dryer, Blaine’s heat gun, a couple plastic scrapers, a lot of Goo Gone cleaner and massive amounts of elbow grease later, they’re sticker free and desperately needing a paint job. There was some major confusion for Creed when we bought them. Lachlan is commonly nicknamed Lach-er. It was hilarious. I present to you Lach-er in the locker.