Spring picnic
Dale has had training all week which means his schedule is "normal" for one week of the entire year.
8-4
M-F
I love it.
I love "normal"
in theory.
I didn't know it would be normal when I scheduled six appointments for this week.
Actually I thought he'd be home for four of them... which sort of bombed on me, but we survived.
He had a normal lunchbreak all week and wanted to meet us for lunch of a couple of occassions, but we couldn't because I had scheduled six appointments, most of them during his break, unbeknownst to me.
Today I decided that if he did call, since we didn't have six appointments, we would hop in the car and drive to wherever he wanted to meet us. Except that we're broke. It would be fine if he and I were meeting for lunch because we're a cheap date, but all nine of us eating out-- even at McDonalds-- is a minimum of $35.
So I got ahead of the game and made us a picnic to take with us
when we jumped in the car.
Maybe you remember that I'm not one of those.
I don't have a picnic basket.
I used to have two
but I got rid of them when we moved
the fourth time.
Mac and cheese,
boxed.
generic.
Peanut butter and jelly,
ham and cheese,
and turkey and cheese,
on Great Value 100% Whole Wheat Bread.
Kitty Clover Nacho Chips,
pretzels,
peanut butter cookies,
and Peach Sweet Tea.
Tell me that doesn't give you crazy spring picnic fever!
Kennedy came in from the front yard and said, "Have you been outside? It's beautiful! There's this cool wind blowing..."
To which I happily replied, "It's a good thing I'm making us a picnic."
Dale called just minutes later and we set up our meeting place. He had concerns about it being too cool, the wind, and the bread. I poopooed his concerns, made him a sandwich on homemade bread, and we loaded up.
To my surprise we arrived before he did and had a chance to set up the table so it'd be ready when he got there.
It was beautiful when we stepped our front door, but when we got out of the truck we were nearly blown over by blasts of cold air.
I continued to set out food as if I didn't notice the wind picking up the car seat and carrying it fifteen feet across the selter area. I smiled and spoke gently to the kids and they hovered and hopped around trying to keep warm. When Dale got there we were just starting to pull out the sandwiches. He sat graciously across from me at the picnic table with his jacket zipped and his hood shielding him from the hurricane going on around us, not saying a word.
We managed to eat our lunch and get it cleaned up without anything significant blowing away, but it wasn't pleasant.
I'm kind of a drag when it comes to being a "funtime" mom.
I don't play at the park.
I don't push at the swings
if the kid can pump his legs,
or if a bigger kid is there to push in my stead.
I don't attend the many picnics down the street in the churchyard.
I'm selfish that way.
I don't like inconvenience.
Say what you will about me, but this is how I am.
So when our picnic,
the picnic I dreamed up,
the picnic I lovingly prepared
in secret,
when our picnic went south,
it confirmed something to me.
No matter how much effort goes in, it's never quite like I expect it to be.
The kids loved it.
They played and ran and got blown over by the wind and yelled and chased little kids all over that place.
And in the end, isn't that what it's all about?
Titus 2:4 "...train the younger women to love their husbands and children."
lvb
8-4
M-F
I love it.
I love "normal"
in theory.
I didn't know it would be normal when I scheduled six appointments for this week.
Actually I thought he'd be home for four of them... which sort of bombed on me, but we survived.
He had a normal lunchbreak all week and wanted to meet us for lunch of a couple of occassions, but we couldn't because I had scheduled six appointments, most of them during his break, unbeknownst to me.
Today I decided that if he did call, since we didn't have six appointments, we would hop in the car and drive to wherever he wanted to meet us. Except that we're broke. It would be fine if he and I were meeting for lunch because we're a cheap date, but all nine of us eating out-- even at McDonalds-- is a minimum of $35.
So I got ahead of the game and made us a picnic to take with us
when we jumped in the car.
Maybe you remember that I'm not one of those.
I don't have a picnic basket.
I used to have two
but I got rid of them when we moved
the fourth time.
Mac and cheese,
boxed.
generic.
Peanut butter and jelly,
ham and cheese,
and turkey and cheese,
on Great Value 100% Whole Wheat Bread.
Kitty Clover Nacho Chips,
pretzels,
peanut butter cookies,
and Peach Sweet Tea.
Tell me that doesn't give you crazy spring picnic fever!
Kennedy came in from the front yard and said, "Have you been outside? It's beautiful! There's this cool wind blowing..."
To which I happily replied, "It's a good thing I'm making us a picnic."
Dale called just minutes later and we set up our meeting place. He had concerns about it being too cool, the wind, and the bread. I poopooed his concerns, made him a sandwich on homemade bread, and we loaded up.
To my surprise we arrived before he did and had a chance to set up the table so it'd be ready when he got there.
It was beautiful when we stepped our front door, but when we got out of the truck we were nearly blown over by blasts of cold air.
I continued to set out food as if I didn't notice the wind picking up the car seat and carrying it fifteen feet across the selter area. I smiled and spoke gently to the kids and they hovered and hopped around trying to keep warm. When Dale got there we were just starting to pull out the sandwiches. He sat graciously across from me at the picnic table with his jacket zipped and his hood shielding him from the hurricane going on around us, not saying a word.
We managed to eat our lunch and get it cleaned up without anything significant blowing away, but it wasn't pleasant.
I'm kind of a drag when it comes to being a "funtime" mom.
I don't play at the park.
I don't push at the swings
if the kid can pump his legs,
or if a bigger kid is there to push in my stead.
I don't attend the many picnics down the street in the churchyard.
I'm selfish that way.
I don't like inconvenience.
Say what you will about me, but this is how I am.
So when our picnic,
the picnic I dreamed up,
the picnic I lovingly prepared
in secret,
when our picnic went south,
it confirmed something to me.
No matter how much effort goes in, it's never quite like I expect it to be.
The kids loved it.
They played and ran and got blown over by the wind and yelled and chased little kids all over that place.
And in the end, isn't that what it's all about?
Titus 2:4 "...train the younger women to love their husbands and children."
lvb
love your writing becca, you do it so well and honestly. i laughed when you said nothing turns out how you plan it, i think everyone can relate to that. ha. you need to write a book...one about your experiences raising your kids. (i know...like you have time! ha.) love and miss you all!!!
ReplyDeleteThumbs up for great value! Same food, different label pretty much.
ReplyDeleteDon't set your expectations up too high and you won't feel disappointed. We have all been there. It is life. You are doing an excellent job! Keep it up. Cara