A Series of Unfortunate Events

Let's start with Monday of last week. I was getting in my car after a very nice tutoring session with my student, and I konked my head. Really, really hard. I was dizzy, I got sleepy, and I felt totally disoriented. Remember, I'm getting in my car. So that's how I drove. I was SO relieved to give the wheel to hubby when we got to his job. I had a few close calls on the way there, and got distracted/forgot what I was doing quite a few times. It's a lucky thing the way there is essentially one right turn, one left turn, and one right turn, or I'm sure I would have gotten lost. Of course, even Hubby is hearing this for the first time, because I didn't really care when it happened, and it's only looking back that I can recognize it was a dangerous!Runa.
We're pretty sure it was a concussion. Surprise! You can get a concussion from any type of head-hitting, not just head on collision stuff (like I'd assumed). I'm still suffering effects like getting super dizzy whenever I'm sleepy, sleeping a little too much, being disoriented at random times, etc.
From Monday until Friday (the next incident) I suffered from bumping my toes, knees, ankles, shins, and hands on random things. I'm not usually THAT clumsy, so perhaps that too can be blamed on the concussion.
On Friday, they tried out a new floor cleaner at work. Lucky me, I got to slip right off of it and fall. I hit my left wrist and my left hip pretty badly. Badly enough that I went into shock afterward, and after my first client, I asked to leave. My owner allowed it, and even suggested a chiropractor (I've been looking for one for months). Hm. By owner, i mean the owner of the business i work at, not the person that owns me. That person is only Runa and Hubby, and Hubby only owns what Runa lets him own, like her heart. And apparently part of her brain, because she never really stops thinking of him.
Anyway, the owner immediately threw away the new floor cleaner, and I went to pick up the littlin' and see the chiropractor. It's funny how impressed they were with how quiet she was. We have discovered that letting her read books is the quickest and easiest way to get her to behave. It really reminds me of myself, which worries me a little, because I was definitely reading books above my level far too soon. She seems happy to let me set her limits though, since she knows I've read all the books she's reading, and know best what would be safe for her.
The chiropractor took a look, asked a few questions, popped me all kinds of ways and sent me on my way. It really is impressive how quickly you're seen and how soon you're out the door. My wrist no longer made me whimper, and my hip stopped hurting for the day.
Then we picked up Hubby, and went to eat at a steakhouse, I think. Because MJ wanted to go, and she'd been really good, so we felt like indulging her.
The next day, I was texted at like 8, asked if I wanted to work today, and how my wrist felt. I said I'd rather not work, but they could put me on call and I would hang around the area in case they needed me. Thankfully, business was slow (sorta surprising for a Saturday) so they eventually called to let me know that I wasn't needed, to heal up for work tomorrow. So I did. MJ and I went to Goodwill, bought some make-up for halloween (I got glow paint so I could always see MJ's face), then went and got the car thoroughly cleaned. It didn't take too long, and they did a decent job (I would have done better for the price though. You should remember I've been a car washer before, so I know how to do it properly, and they were fairly sloppy) considering we had a groupon that made it really cheap for us. I let MJ tip them, and we were off to pick up Hubby for lunch. We ate at a Chicken place that wasn't very good. Then we took Hubby back to work. I think from there MJ and I went to the library, got a lot of books, came home, MJ did the chores she didn't have time for earlier this week, and we went to pick up her friend (whose mom requested we take her, because she needed to work, and didn't have anyone else).
Intermission: This is an interesting song/idea. 'Angel with a shotgun' and no, it isn't country. :P

When we picked up Hubby, we set out to go to a cool Orchestra in the Air thing where an orchestra played popular (old) movies with clips from movies made by a Media group of college students. Then they were going to show Shrek, but the girls didn't want to watch.... either. They were blatantly talking loudly, kept calling back to us (we didn't sit together because there wasn't space) how they didn't want to be there, etc. So after the orchestra performance, and before the Shrek movie, we made them get up, put everything away, and went home. While walking back to the car, MJ was talking about how this boy that keeps messing with her doesn't know what he's messing with, that she's a demon child, a devil woman, etc. I listened for a few minutes, noting all the parents around and their slightly incredulous looks and silently agreeing with them, before I had enough and called back 'You may be a demon child, but you're certainly not a woman.' and MJ stopped her diatribe. Apparently Ally was very scared of me after that, because she asked MJ to ask me to turn the music up, and stuff like that. My anger was all the damage that day.
Anyway, I'm gonna do a time skip, since I don't remember any other major issues. Today, picking up MJ from school, her teacher pulled me aside and told me Ally told her mom a lot of things out of context (I'm saying it was out of context based on what MJ later told me) and her mom took offense. Basically, Ally convinced MJ to put her name on a paper they did together, and Ally put her name on MJ's. It doesn't really matter, since it was an assignment they did together. MJ also allowed Ally to put her name on MJ's homework (Ally didn't do hers, according to MJ) on the condition that Ally wouldn't tell anyone. So MJ is feeling incredibly betrayed that Ally broke that promise. The teacher therefore decided to separate the girls from each other. He wanted to relay the situation as he understood it, and wanted to understand. He really talks too much to understand a lot, if you ask me. I told him about a few incidents where MJ wanted to copy off of Ally because Ally was allowed to use a calculator, but that I'd already nipped that in the bud. He said it didn't make academic sense for Ally's mom to be upset they were switching papers, since MJ's grades are a lot better than Ally's are.
MJ said tomorrow is technology day, and she wants to take her tablet, but like I told her days ago, with no paper saying so, she wasn't going to take her tablet to school. She burst out crying, and I still wouldn't budge. Eventually the tears dried, and recriminations started. She said parents are supposed to not want to hear their children cry, and I needed to learn that. I turned to her and laughed. And said 'It's all in your head that parents don't like their kids crying.' She quickly gave up on using tears to sway me. Instead, she kept running away from me because I disagreed with her. So I left our front door locked, and talked to her outside it, where she couldn't escape. Eventually she calmed down, and we talked about a few misconceptions she has. Mainly her idea of having a house=rich.
When we got in, she had a whole other meltdown. Because she didn't finish her lunch, that made it her snack. But she didn't want the noodles from last nights dinner (yet another thing I had to talk to her about, not that it did much good. She's very convinced that as a kid, she doesn't have to be conscientious), heated up or otherwise. I told her it was fine to throw them away, but she'd get nothing else until dinner. She yelled out 'HERE!' trying to give them to me, and I simply looked at her and said 'No.' So she got up, brought them to me, and slammed them on the counter. I lost my temper a little, and asked her what in the world made her think it was alright to demand things of me, and then slam things on the door (i meant counter, but my words get jumbled when i'm angry), and she said 'That's not a door!' and I said that wasn't the point. What made her think it was ok? and (in my temper) I slammed the container down like she had, but a little harder. She flinched and ran away to her room and shut her door. I opened it and started to take things that she could play with out of the room. She was ranting at me while doing the chores I told her to do, saying things like 'You can't understand what I've been through!' and stuff like that. I shut her door for her, and went back to what I was doing. I listened a little, but mostly did my own thing.
When she came out, she said 'Runa, you make THINK you understand, but you don't know anything about what I'm going through.' and I looked at her. My reply was 'How can I understand if you don't tell me?' and the floodgates started at that. She told me all about Ally, and how she felt so betrayed, and that she wasn't her bff anymore, and they weren't allowed to be together, and how she never wants Ally to come over ever again. I just listened quietly before walking over and hugging her. After her tears fell on my arms, I went for a few tissues and handed them over. Then, feeling how hot her head was getting (and personally, it always calms me down to get my hair brushed), I went to get her brush and kept asking her 'What else?' and 'Tell me about _____' until there wasn't anything else for her to say.
In a side note, Tenshi decided to be nice and apologize to MJ for the mean things he said. He explained that he doesn't want another girl to like him when he already has a girlfriend. I asked if she was gonna like him, and she said only as a friend. I don't really believe that's going to last, but I don't mind letting her try.
After she'd ranted her fill, and tried once more to get the tablet for school tomorrow (and failed. Tears aren't gonna sway me), I asked what she wanted me to do with the noodles. I ended up throwing them out, and she ate the peaches she'd had leftover from lunch. She says she doesn't like peaches, and was jealous of the apple I was eating. Personally, I feel like they're interchangeable.
So that was kinda the last week and half for me. There's a few details missing, like how Texas CPS finally got in touch with us, and came the same day, and closeted themselves off with MJ for a while before leaving. Or how we missed her Therapy on Tuesday because it slipped my mind (and I was exhausted). Or how Momma called to tell me what she got MJ for Christmas (voice-locked diary with invisible ink, damnit. We won't be able to get into it....) and see how things were going. Or how MJ's mom called last night but I couldn't call back because MJ would hear, and if I left, she would likely go into a panic (did I ever tell you guys about her freak-out when we went to put the laundry in the wash last week? It was spectacular, and not something I wanna experience again, heartwarming though it was).
Today, I have decided to be happy. Her meltdowns, the traffic, my errands and chores, they will NOT stop me from being happy. That's my decision and I'm sticking to it.