Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Stress

I am one of those people that stress about the small stuff...but I have actually gotten better over the past few years. I especially worry about being on time to stuff. If there is one thing I remember from my band days in high school it was this motto: To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, and to be late is to be left out.

So yesterday I get a call from daycare saying Audrey has a fever. I tell the owner I will be there as soon as possible. Without any issues, it's a 20 minute drive from my office (including the long walk to employee parking at the hospital I work at). I quickly shut down my computer and pretty much run out the door.

I try calling Ray, but the really really annoying cell phone I have that had been charging all night is dying. (Side note: Ray is going to try and go to a Verizon store TODAY).

I am on my way to daycare when the highway comes to a complete halt. Okay, deep breaths, I will make it there, maybe just not as fast. Then they direct all the traffic off of the highway I was on to another highway going the completely wrong way to go and into an area of Raleigh I have never been to in the year that I have lived here. Well SHIT. Turns out some guy led police on a chase from two counties over and ended up right where I was in a shoot out. What fun.

So the stress starts. I do have GPS in the van, so I load in the address for daycare and look. But still, I am stressing. Is this really the way to go? What if there are new roads the GPS doesn't have? I didn't recognize anything around me, and that made me more stressed. I get my cell phone to work long enough to try and call Ray who is of course in a meeting AND DOESN'T ANSWER HIS PHONE.

Now I am on the verge of tears. But then, what good is getting so upset about this? I calm down, I finally make it to a point in the road where I recognize my surroundings and I make it to daycare. Audrey had a fever, but it was weird. She was really warm under her arms and around her neck, but not really her head and her legs and arms felt fine.

I took her home and gave her medicine and she slept for three hours. Ray is home with her today. She spiked a slight fever in the middle of the night, but plays and acts just fine. Who knows. But it's just one more thing to stress about...

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

I stress about everything!! Something I need to work on...it sucks.

Hope she feels better!!

Katie Swaner said...

I know what you mean.

I'm sure the fever is nothing much. Kids spike a fever sometimes for no apparent reason. I hope that's the case this time.

Brown Eyed Girl said...

I stress like that too.

Especially about getting Kyle to things on time.

I hope she's not too sick..and hope even MORE that she doesn't pass it on to her sister than passes it to you..cuz it seems like your whole family just got healthy, ya know?

Erin said...

You were stuck in that yesterday?? That stinks... it was a mess from the way it looked like on tv!

Glad she is still playing and acting like herself though - those are the best fevers, lol, if there is such a thing!!

Hope she feels better :)

That Chick Over There said...

:(

I do the same, exact thing.

Rachel (Crazy-Is) said...

I too stress waaaaaaay to much and lots of times it's about the little things.

Alyssa has been having a low grade fever too, but no other symptoms and she's playing and eating and acting normal.

Two weeks ago, her babysitter called and she had 103.6! But, no other symptoms and I took her home, gave her some Motrin and it never came back.

Portrait of Peter said...

You can do without the sort of stress that involves re-direction off the highway into an unfamiliar area.

Stress, I used to suffer from many years ago - now I find I'm in a more relaxed state (some colleagues would say so calm and collected - must be my pipe). Could be!!

Pleased your daughter appears to be okay now.

Take Care

Happy Working Mom said...

I also stress about small stuff way too much!

I'm glad that you were able to get there and that Audrey is feeling better!

Unknown said...

I stress like that too - I wouldn't call that a little thing though! Being lost, in a place you don't know, worried about your daughter...totally understandable. I don't have a GPS though, so I would have FREAKED.

I hope she's doing better today!

CPA Mom said...

I freak out just like that when I don't know where I am. I can't stand driving in unfamilar places. Which is why HP will be driving to Myrtle Beach.

I hope she feels better today. Did you take her back to daycare? Could be teething? Or are all her teeth in now? Molars early? I'm useless.

my4kids said...

I stress about things the same way. I've also had that similar experience. Having to leave work for a sick kid but traffic not cooperating. Its just so frustrating and I get mixed up.
Hope Audrey is feeling better soon.

Julie said...

We had that magical mystery fever a few weeks ago - I swear it was teething related. I get so stressed in traffic too - I can't stand being late. How was Ray's trip to the Verizon store? : )

Unknown said...

I'd be stressed like that too.
Glad you made it, and Audrey's feeling better.
Sounds like teething maybe.With kids, they pick up germs everywhere in school or daycare, it's hard to tell.
I agree time to get a new phone!!
~Christine
www.arewethereyetmom.com

ChrisB said...

It's so worrying when your kids get sick, but I'm glad she's a bit better today.
I heard on the UK news that one of the motorways near where we live was closed because of an accident. Not long after my hubby came home from work he got a phone call to say that someone he knew quite well had been killed in the accident so he's pretty cut up about it as you can imagine.

SJINCO said...

Sounds like she's teething. Hopefully she's doing better today - and hopefully you have a good night!

And I stress like that too. All.the.time.

frannie said...

oh you poor thing! My palms were sweating just reading about this! I get the same way. I am so sorry that happened to you!

I hope Audrey feels better!

Alpha Dude said...

I have a sign above my desk that says "No Stress Anytime" (but I do anyway).

I hope you are both doing better today.

Blessings.

BS said...

Aren't you glad that you don't live in Northern VA anymore? Traffic like that happens on a daily basis - just at different places around the Beltway. It sucks!

Scribbit said...

Yes, I'm a worrier/stresser too.

Hope she's feeling better and better today.

la bellina mammina said...

Hope Audrey is feeling better - seems that this is the period where kids fall sick!

Anvilcloud said...

It sounds like something within the normal parameters of kiddishness, and I think she'll be fine.

Sabrina said...

Amy,

I think stressing comes with the hormones. When you're stressing about the $2 dress you purchased for your 3 year old that you've left in the hotel (the dress, not the child), then that's a sign you need some Yoga in your life. Or chocolate. Hm...eating chocolate while doing Yoga.....

Barbara said...

I know this is weird but the qoute that you used in your first paragraph sounds extremely familiar. Did you happen to go to Groveport High School? My band directed used that qoute constantly!