Expect the Unexpected

Do you ever have one of those days where even to your best intents, things just don't go as planned? Those unexpected things in life just pop up, thus leave you scrambling to figure out how to reprioritize your day? I find as a mom these little "events" happen quite often! I tend to be a routine person, whom quite enjoys structure in life. However, as a mom, I have learned I have to be flexible in every day life to expect the unexpected.
Take today for instance. I was going about the morning, doing my regular morning things. Shower, dressing, picking up after breakfast, combing hair (that's a chore in and of itself with three girls, by the way...), and what not. My next mission was going to get groceries. In an effort to eliminate the scratches the "mini-pigs" are inflicting on my girls, I thought I would take a minute and attempt to clip their nails. Bad idea. Now, keep in mind that guinea pigs are small little creatures, with even smaller nails. Getting ahold of them to clip their nails wasn't the hard part. Knowing how far down to clip them was. After the first couple of clips I assumed I knew what I was doing. With the third clip I was quickly humbled. Poor Carmel became a victim of my inexperience with guinea pig nail clipping! She gave a little yelp, which quickly let me know that I had clipped too far down, injuring the helpless little thing. And then came the blood. Just a tiny bit at first, but then quickly led to more. The kitchen floor looked like a crime scene, Kaytlin was in tears, the other two girls were confused, and I felt just awful! After failed attempts at using flour, cornstarch and pressure...I decided the next best option was to head to Agway to find some of that magic potion they sell for dog's to stop nail bleeds. You would have thought it was the biggest emergency, the way I peeled out of the driveway. But all I could keep picturing was little Carmel, bleeding out on me before I could get back! (I am after all, an emotional female!) I don't think I could live with myself if my children grew up remembering "the day that mom killed the guinea pig"! After several attempts with the "magic dog potion" I realized it just wasn't working as well. And after looking into those teary, sad, brown eyes of Kaytlin I came to conclusion there was only one option left...a trip to the vet. So, all us girls piled into the van (two guinea pigs included) and rushed to the vet. Which took her all of 2 minutes to stop the bleed. (I'd like to think that I did all the prep work for her, so she had the easy part...) I had been fully prepared to surrender my recent birthday money for the cost, since it really was my fault to begin with. But to my surprise, and utter joy, when we were leaving she informed us there was no charge. Ahhh! The goodness of God!!
My entire morning was devoted to that silly guinea pig. But, if the truth be told, it was really devoted to showing my kids that sometimes things come up in life that we can't control, and we really have to live minute by minute. Kaytlin was so thankful (and repeatedly told me) that I "saved" Carmel's life, and that I took time to make that a priority before all else. Funny how in my adult mind things like that just don't seem as important as other things in life. But, through the eyes of my child I'm a hero. And I'm sure Carmel is thankful, too. That is, of course, as long as I don't try to trim her nails anymore...