Seems Like Old Times

Author’s Note:  I reread these ramblings that I have been writing off and on all day since this morning and realize I have two disconnected stories.  Sorry about that, but am too tired now to change anything or fix it.     

Part One:

      I feel like I say this a lot, but our weekend was super busy.  It was so full of activity and harsh warnings that went like this: "You're getting to do everything you dream this weekend - I don't want to hear any attitude, no complaining.  Not – at - all."  It always seems that those days when there are so many fun events planned, one after another, that require my kids to be up late, playing with friends, eating out - that they can be at their worst.  Of course in my mind, they should be nothing but appreciative and grateful for all the kid-friendly plans we've made. Instead, they often get whiny and forget how amazing it was that each play-date or church function or sleep-over or birthday party lined up perfectly that we could attend it all.  And this doesn't always happen.  Sometimes I do just say no.  We don't make it to everything.  This weekend, we did our best to make it all happen. 

      I think that's why yesterday, President's Day, and a day off of school, was desperately needed.  Elijah, who likes to wake up at 6:30am on a weekend, slept til 8am.  Crazy.  After two nights up past midnight (I told you he had the time of his life), he definitely needed it.  And the girls needed it.  They needed downtime just to play.  And I needed it.  I thought that I would have a chance to take care of all those piles of papers and organize that closet while the kids played with all their downtime.  Instead E wanted Lydia to play ball and Lanie wanted Lydia to play Barbies.  Poor thing.  I feel sorry for my middle child who wants to please everyone.  To even it out, I played ball which lasted a total of 20 minutes before I suggested a ride to the park.  It was a beautiful day.  And we’ve had several of them in a row.  We are so blessed down here in the south. 

        Our park trip ended when during hide and seek, Elijah found a pile of roly polies.  You’d think the kids found gold.  They were thrilled to catch them and then wrangle their bikes & scooters home with handfuls of these crawly things. It became quite a to-do as we created habitats for them and gave them family roles.  There was mama roly poly, baby roly poly, big sister roly poly, you get the picture.  Apparently though, after peeking into all the glass jars just now, roly polies were not intended to live that way.  Out to the grass they go. 

Part Two:

        To make our day even better, I gathered a bagful of lunch items and got the kids in the truck (which is unfortunate because the van had a bad tire.)  Three kids in the back of a truck is not very fun.  But we made our 45 minute jaunt to see our best friends, The Hergenraders.  We don’t get to see them enough but when we do, it’s like visiting family.  We love their home with my dream tall trees and forest-y backyard and kids that fill their cul-de-sac.  I always feel like I’ve stepped into my perfect idea of what growing up would be before everyone got scared to let their kids run around outside alone for fear of stranger danger.  The best part of the day though was when everyone came inside and all 7 kids found something quiet to do.  Some watched a movie, and the others sat in their art room creating and Tina and I did what we rarely get to do.  We sat on a couch and talked. Even at Indigo Girls playing in the background.  As roommates in college, we went on regular walks through our small Nebraska town, always late at night completely unafraid, talking and venting.  I have so many fond memories of those walks. So many tough talks.  So many times we laughed till our sides hurt.  So much clarity. 

Just Look at these woods.

       At one point in the day, Tina had to go and check on her 2-year-old who is amazingly quite easy to leave alone when there are so many sets of eyes to watch him.  I told her oldest daughter Catie who was crafting with Lydia that her mom and I used to chat like this all the time.  Catie said, with a smirk, “did you talk about your crushes?”  Well, yes, yes we did and so much more.  I love that our daughters get to witness our friendship 21 years later.  It may not be as frequent, but it is just as endearing now as it was then. And we still get to vent, to gain clarity in situations that now involve kids, school and jobs, and yes we still talk about our crushes, they’ve merely graduated to husbands. 

While at the park, we were rained out so the kids were singing  in the rain.