We had quite an interesting weekend, our family did. It was collectively a sort of comedy of errors, really -- a line up of fun and excitement with just enough strange surprises thrown in to keep things interesting and make for some good stories around the reunion table many years down the road.
Friday night we decided to go out for an out-of-the-ordinary dinner at McDonalds after-which J took the boys to a baseball game and the girls and I headed out for some grocery shopping. We meandered around, grabbing another cap-gun (for Teeny) and looking at shoes and such, then collected all the groceries we would need for the week. . . The whole time I had this haunting feeling that I might not have my check card with me, but I kept blowing the idea off. Finally, when I got to the check out counter, I couldn't take it any more. I decided to check my wallet before loading my things on the counter. Good thing. I was missing both my check card and my driver's license. Ugh! So, I went around the store returning things all the while panicing over where I could have lost these cards. I got home and rummaged the house, interrogated my daughter, and then found them on my third check of the kitchen basket.
Saturday we all went back to a camp that J used to work at a few years ago. It was great getting to see old friends. We had so much fun catching up and laughing with everyone. The kids were thrilled to get their faces painted, go on tractor pulls and barrell rides, hikes and walks, to play putt-putt and bouncy house. . . G was especially happy getting to see one of his "best" friends. It all was just so wonderful, we decided to top it the day off with a trip to an old favorite ice cream/fast food shack before leaving town. This particular eatery has a couple different wooden play structures set up for the kids to play on during the visit. I had just found a slightly shaded table, and J had just been handed the kids' three chocolate cones with sprinkles when I heard an agonized Teeny cry. I looked over and saw her holding her mouth. . . I saw blood. . . I figured it was just a mouth injury and casually walked over to get her and bring her to the soothing balm of ice-cream. But when we got to the table and forcibly removed her hands from her face, we saw a huge gash in her chin. There was a collective intake of breath coming from all the surrounding tables. People bagan shaking their heads and offering us napkins and wet wipes. G grossed out and refused to look. After collecting our thoughts we loaded back into the van and attempted to make the two hour drive back home so we could go to our hometown ER; but Teeny was just too uncomfortable, and we couldn't get G to stop crying hysterically in sympathy with her. So we stopped after about half an hour. I stayed in a mini-van with three rambunctious youngins while J held Teeny's hand as she got five stitches, poor thing.
Sunday we went to our church plant's first ever Sunday morning worship service. Hailed for the last month or so as a "practice run", we met at the local YMCA. We were all excited to be there, especially the two older kids who have been wondering when we would start having "morning church" again. We dropped baby and Bud-Jack off at the nursery, and they both seemed fine. Then we went to the work-out room. . . I mean "sanctuary". . . for worship. Now, the kids, unfortunately, have been spoiled by children's church. So they were horribly antsy having to stay in the service (we are not at the "children's church" point with this plant). I was totally unprepared -- had nothing with which to entertain my children -- so I handed G (definitely the antsier) my notebook and pen. He set to work drawing monsters. Then Teeny wanted a pen, so I got up and went out to the car to go hunt one down. When I got back, I found, to my dismay, that the doors to the Y were locked. You could get out but not in. (Closed on Sunday). I took a deep breath, went back to the car, got a good book, and came and sat down outside the door to read and wait for someone to notice I was missing. But no one noticed. Evidently, right after I left to get the pen, the lady in the nursery came and got J because little M&M was in hysterics and wouldn't calm down. He left our two oldest, thinking that I'd be back soon and either come switch out with him or stay in the service. G and Teeny tell me they were "well behaved". I know that a family that we are good friends with came and sat with them when they noticed I hadn't come back -- they assumed I was sick or something. So, I got a good 25-50 pages read out in the fresh summer air, J got to experience nursery duty while explaining to the nursery lady why we homeschool and have so many kids, and the kids managed to sit through church maintaining some semblence of quiet without my intervention.
Makes me wonder what the week holds for me.
