She came in through the bathroom window

 

No Drew, Day 6
An intruder entered the apartment.
This is the desperate and constructive email that followed, between myself and brother Ethan.

THERE IS A FAT RAT RUNNING AROUND IN THE HOUSE
she came in through the bathroom window
*waaaaaahhhhhh
Save me Jared!!!

You just need to take her silver spoon!

if I could just whelp her with that spoon. grrr

haha so I assume that you were indeed referencing The Beatles or was that just total coincidence?

my reference, intentional.rat's choice of entry point, well I don't know if the rat is a Beatles fan or not.
next up on playlist for rat: fool on the hill? happiness is warm gun? live and let die?

Aww I love your musical background Rach! Perhaps Maxwell's Silver Hammer is fitting for the situation.

YES. that is exactly what we need

Hey, if you're not a Beatles fan you totally didn't get any of that. Don't worry, there is plenty more for you here.

Enter Rat, and it was big and fast and hiding in my house for three days. I saw it three times: bathroom, dining area and kitchen. It left poop on the kitchen counter and dish-drying rack for me every morning. Oh thank you.

I had no choice but to handle it, setting out two sticky-glue traps and two cage traps baited with bits of duck head every night. The sticky trap did nothing but record the the rat's ugly footprints as it walked all over that thing, unstuck.

On the third morning we woke up to a record heavyweight vermin cowering behind bars. It felt a lot like finding your Easter basket.

Songs erupted.

I AM STRONG! 

I'M  INVINCIBLE!

I AM WOMAN!

My 5, 4 and 3 year-old boys even sang with me. We were like, a small household of feminist victors.

I drowned the rat in a bucket.

Then I made breakfast.

Then I walked my kids to school, one hand leading a little boy, the other hand toting a drowned rat in a plastic bag, for the dumpster.

I'm sure I must be stronger for it.

 No Drew, Day 9
Jonathon gashed his chin, requiring Frankenstein stitches.

He lost his balance on the bathroom footstool. A couple months ago he tripped while running and split open the same spot. This is now the THIRD time in three years Jon's had stitches. What is wrong with his mother?!!? Unfortunately the water was turned off at home (like it sometimes is) so it took a little creativity figuring out how to clean up the wound and blood. Fortunately our kids' Chinese tutor was coming over in about 30 minutes, so as soon as she arrived I took Jonathon to get stitched.


Back story.

Last time, I brought Jon to a small clinic several bus stops down the road. It was already a hectic day -- a million things going wrong at once and under pressure from grad classes. When it came time to pay, I didn't have enough cash for the stitches and none of the nearby ATMs were working with my bank cards (normal, happens sometimes). So there was no means for me to pay the bill, and you must pay in cash immediately, that's it. Besides this, the clinic staff told me we had to stay for another 2 hours so Jonathon could do a tetanus shot and antibiotic IV (Chinese love to do IVs rather than oral meds) -- but I couldn't, because I had to pick up my two other children from school. So I was crying there, with my sad stitched-up baby, not enough money, refusing to stay for the dang IV. I left my cell phone on the billing desk as collateral and sobbed, "My husband will come pay the bill on his way home from work at 6:30." It was humiliating and maybe the worst day of human history. Probably.

You might think I'd never go back there again. So did I. But as we flagged down a taxi I thought, the only thing that's stopping me from returning there today is pride. So I went back. Oh hey! It's me, and look! My kid has the exact same cut again! But I have enough money now!


The same Grandpa as last time did the stitching. He was kind, but man did he let me have it.

Here I digress. Recently all the little bothers have seemed funny to me -- Drew's gone and we get a rat, internet not working, colossal milk spills and messes, late for school, gash requiring stitches, water off, missing important deadlines, poop and pee on the floor, inconsolable crying fits, torrential rainstorms, being compelled to eat raw ground pork buns on a picnic with friends, getting chewed out by the clinician. Everything is crazy! You can either cry or laugh. I've been laughing!


So anywho, after consulting with Butterfly Home nurse and doctor, I brought Jon back again in the evening for a tetanus shot, Titus and Mike tagging along. Athough I endured additional scolding from that Grandpa, we enjoyed talking with him too, and taking pictures with the other staff. Fun! Should we face any other small emergencies in the future we'll probably go back there since we're all buddies now.




On the way home, by the bus stop, there sat my trophy for being a single mom. I didn't hesitate, no, I bought it right then and there.

VINTAGE RED ACCORDION

Drew arrived home yesterday, and we spent the national holiday Tomb-Sweeping Day together at home, all five of us happy together.

Rachel the Rat Slayer, over and out.

counting the graces

thank you Father for

bunches of encouraging people in our lives

reconnecting with Beth

sugar-free gum

new storybooks, pantry items and love note from Nai Nai

picnic with Family in the sunshine, and we all acknowledge and agreed how good you are to us

connecting with lots of friends at fellowship

peace, even after letting people down
Drew's loooooooooove