Weather Or Not

It's springtime, I think.  I mean, sometimes.

Several weeks ago I was feeling sorry for myself.  Seems like I know a lot of people who get to "get away."  Some extended family members took a weekend of shopping and a women's conference in the City, and some old friends were posting about their getaways on Facebook.  Nothing extravagant, just moms taking some breathing time, almost-moms visiting a sister in Warmer Places, or a Grandma taking her daughters/daughters-in-law for some girl time without the kids.  I remembered how last Spring my brother and his family met my folks in Key West for... coconuts and sand, I guess.  Lately my "getaway" is hauling half the kids or less to Town for grocery shopping after an already-full day, and returning, extra-exhausted to the dinner mess (which would await the next day, usually).  Sigh.  Poor me.

Then my dad called me up.  "Hey, Mom and I are going to come visit at the end of March."

"Oh yay!  Can't wait!"  I wonder if he and Hubby would let Mom and me take an afternoon, and...

"Yeah, there's a photography school/class/convention thing in the City a couple hours from you and we'll drop the kids (boy 3, girl 8) with you for a couple days."

"....  ....   Oh.  Wow.  Really?  Hm.  Don't you want to phrase that more like a request?" [My dad half-jokingly-not-really makes requests that way]

"Well, that's what I was doing."

"Hm, let me think about it, ok, and talk it over with Hubby."

And then I cried.

That might seem really silly, but this was early in my exercising and before I added a B Vitamin to my day, and I already felt like my most wasn't near enough.  I couldn't carry baby in her carrier more than 5 steps still.  AND I was already feeling deprived of Everyone Else's Joys.

Dad's plan was to fly to the very-nearby airport (airstrip?), his first cross-several-mountain-ranges flight, and commute to the City for the weekend the same way.  I drove a hard bargain [read: begged Mom] and got them to promise to return at night, as bedtimes with my own were already a heavy task.  Adding different kids with different routines into a different house and family was more than I could agree to take on.  Dad agreed, despite his earlier plan of staying in the City for Mom's birthday.  I won't tell you how he recommended spending my evenings in the hallway, nursing Baby if (if?!?) necessary, to ensure The Boy didn't decide to get crazy with the sewing stuff instead of sleep.  No, I won't.  That might make him look bad.  Worse than a sewing/guest room at the hands of a toddler wielding a rotary cutter.  *shudder*

So this week started with some pretty crummy weather - which is the point of this post, isn't it? - lots of wind, not good flying weather.  But Wednesday promised to be better, and, we hoped, would Thursday, the day they planned to come.  Wednesday was out, as the kids had a visit with their mom that evening.

The beautiful weather wasn't amenable to sticking around, though, and Thursday I got a call from my dad stating they were "on the road" and would be here around bedtime (instead of lunchtime).  OH I'm so glad I had the kids thinking their cousins would be here Friday!  Imagine the disappointment, the longing, the waiting, the bouncing-off-walls, and chores and schoolwork but a distant priority! :)  That day was full of gray skies, winds at 20 (gusting to 30 - that's the clincher he can't yet fly in), and COLD!

Friday dawned brighter but no less windy, and probably colder.  Mom and I filled every spot in my 8-passenger Sienna and headed into town for a used curriculum sale.  That and shopping for girls' dresses (Mom and Dad celebrate 25 years in May, with a big to-do), plus lunch and fitting rooms and nursing Baby and diapers and craziness TRULY about wiped me out.  SHE got to go lay down when we got home, and *I* got to make dinner.  Perhaps I'll be forgiven for making her make her own wheatless (girl cousin can't do wheat) birthday cheesecake (ok, I had to draw the line there too.  I might be able to keep six children alive and well for a day, but probably not if I have to make cheesecake!).  Especially since their road-commute effectively added four hours to each day of kid-watching.

The weather turned again, this time definitely in my favor.  Today has been bright and near enough to 60  degrees (with only slight wind!) that the children have all been outdoors much of the day.  It's been surprisingly mellow.  The weather gets credit for much of this [read: the Lord of the Weather]. Thank you Lord!


I realize writing this down and claiming it runs the very real risk of setting it all askew, inviting disaster, and all of that.  But if nothing else, I might enjoy returning to the joyous memory that this day has provided thus far.  Especially if Things Happen to make it seem unlikely. :)

The next question will be:  To take or not to take... six children to church.