Oh, but we do have fun!

Yes, that's me, my youngest son, Craig, and my husband, Ken, wearing togas. The last few days have been hectic and crazy but lots of fun. It's been one of those weeks filled with school projects and functions, requiring non-stop activity. And, yes, I'm crashed today, but it was worth it. The kids had a blast, and so did we.

On Tuesday, we kicked off our odyssey with the usual school-day stuff, plus an orthodontist appointment, my Mom arriving on the train, and Craig's spring concert at the elementary school. But the real scramble came on Wednesday.

It was Greco-Roman Night at Jamie's middle school. The 6th graders had to make a recipe from Ancient Greece or Rome and bring it to school to sell in a bazaar-like atmosphere to raise money for an end-of-year activity. Jamie and his best friend, James, chose Shrimp in a Honey Glace (which I encouraged due to its quick preparation!) and also sold iced mint tea.

Now, we're not ones to do things half-way, so when the instructions said to wear a costume, we of course assumed it applied to the entire family. My Mom and I spent the day figuring out how to fashion togas from fabric we bought on the $1 table at the fabric store. Ken picked Craig up from soccer practice, stopped at home long enough for me to wrap them up, and the five of us headed to the school.

Would you believe we were the only adults, among the families of 300 students, who dressed up? You might think we'd be embarrassed, but we got into the spirit of the evening and had a great time.

So, today it's payback time. The middle school gathering had all of the characteristics that someone with CFIDS fears most: big crowd, warm room, lots of noise & chaos, and a full hour of standing with no chairs available. I had pulled through the previous days' high activity by shutting myself in my dark room several times a day to nap or meditate, and I made it through Greco-Roman Night. By 9 pm, though, I was in bad shape. I had so much pain in my legs and back that I thought I'd never fall asleep (thank you, Ambien!).

I'm in recovery mode today, not trying to accomplish anything and lying down as much as possible. All things considered, I'm not doing too badly. And we have more happy, laugh-filled memories to add to our family album.