Housekeeper's Hex?

Yesterday I woke up knowing it wouldn't be a great day. The night before our housekeeper "drunk-texted" us a weird message, the last straw after a couple of weeks of less than stellar performance. So we already knew we had to deal with firing her and having her come and get her things. Things took a turn for the strange, when I walked past one of the bedrooms and noticed one of the windows was shattered. We have no idea how this could have happened, as we live on the eleventh floor of a fifty four story building. My favorite response was from the maintenance guy when he came in to assess the situation, "The window is broken." Um, yeah thanks. When I asked him how he thought it happened, he said "Probably something sharp." Okay, that clears that up.


That night after dinner, I took the boys down to the pool for a swim while Steve did the dirty work of firing our unhappy housekeeper. When I brought them up I sent them straight to the shower. After a few minutes, I went in to get them out. Truman was already out by the time I got in there. As I'm standing there asking Henry to get out, all of the sudden, out of nowhere, the glass shower door shatters into a million pieces covering the boys with glass. I immediately see that Henry's toes is pouring out blood, and when Steve comes rushing in I frantically pass Henry to him. Then turn around and grab Truman with one arm and without thinking walk barefoot over the glass covered floor. Just call me Leather Foot. Henry probably needed stitches, but after the stories we've heard about the emergency rooms around here we opted to stay home and take care of it ourselves. Today he's feeling much better, and has told us many times he never wants to have that "crazy adventure" again. This time the maintenance guys told me it broke because the hinge was loose, but the other door just like it in the same room was "probably" fine.

What the door is supposed to look like.

The Aftermath.

Cebu

This year we celebrated the fourth by heading to the beach in Cebu. No fireworks, or barbecue for us. Honestly, we didn't miss them. Okay, we actually missed them a lot but a fabulous mini beach vacation helped ease the pain. We soaked up the sun, snorkeled and played in the sand. Mother Nature even helped out with a stunning thunder storm the night of the fourth.

The view from our room.

This is a slide that was in the kids "Adventure Zone". It was actually even steeper than it looks, Truman was smart...there was no way he was going down. We were able to talk Steve into it though. He ended up getting a friction burn on his arm, which explains why the kids had to wear long sleeves to go down.

Sleepy face! The best way to wake up is a quick morning dip in the sea!

Truman availing of the outdoor shower.

The snorkeling was incredible. We saw hundreds of different kinds of fish. When the tide was out we were able to get up close views of the coral beds. The aquarium will never hold the same allure.

Forget the sand, the snorkeling even feeding the fish, shooting the water blaster was Henry's favorite.

Clean Teeth!

A couple of days ago I finally quit procrastinating, and dragged both boys to the dentist. Henry was beside himself with excitement, as he loves anything that has to do with doctors, hospitals, and any kind of injury. Strange, but true. Truman was nervous, and spent the days leading up to the visit trying to negotiate his way out of it. I was a little nervous, too. If there's one thing I've learned to expect in the short five months I've been here, it's that you never know what to expect.

I'm happy to say, I've never had a better dental experience! The friendly receptionist greeted us as we entered the clean, modern office. I filled out the brief health forms required for each kid, handed them over to our smiling dentist (yes, dentist...not receptionist) and we got started right away. The procedure was smooth and painless for both boys, and no cavities.

Our appointment was at 9am, by the time we were in our car, driving out of the parking garage into the sunlight I glanced at my watch: 9:45! Both boys had thorough cleanings and exam. The cost? $52!! Total for both kids, and no insurance.