Just a Normal Family… Right?!

Ahh, Friday afternoon; everything is officially over for the week.  I’m sitting quietly on the sofa, listening to Kate, Sam, and Naomi play school, when the phone rings.  My brother, Brian, has invited us to stop by for his daughter Nikki’s birthday party.  The kids were thrilled; we never really have outings; finding home a much safer place to hang.

After a few more moments of tranquility, I meander into the kitchen.  I havent’ been there since before the bus dropped off six kids with backpacks, lunchboxes, school papers, shoes, coats, and well, you get the picture.  Oh, and let’s not forget how hungry everyone is when they get off that bus…  hungry for six different snacks…  Well, clearly, we’re not ready to jump in the car and go.

We hurriedly pull the place back together ( I’m so grateful for Kate, my job boss), comb Naomi’s little bed head and put her into clean and matching weather appropriate clothing;  I’ve gotta hide those bathing suits.   Dwight’s working late, so I’m on my own.  As my numbers are down by 50%, this should be a walk in the park, right?!

Before we left the driveway, from the depths of the burb, it began.  “How far away is Uncle Brian’s house?”  “We don’t have to drive for hours- do we?”  “Mom!  Sam took my baby and he won’t give it back!”  Snicker, snicker- from Sam. “What’s for supper?”  “We’re eating at Uncle Brian’s?!”  “Where DOES Uncle Brian live?”  “Can we turn off the church music and turn on the radio?”   You see why I  stick to the home-front…

We pull into Meijer’s parking lot.  “Can we come in and help you pick out the present, Mom?”  Briefly I entertain the idea of all of us happily walking into Meijer to choose a gift for our cousin.  Then I imagine Sam spying the Legos, desperate for just one $50 set, Naomi finding the Barbie section, and Kate in the candy aisle.  “Nope, Maddie’s in charge, I’ll be right back, I’m locking the doors, you’ll have to let me back in, and absolutely NO fighting!”

I run into the store, a sudden feeling of calm returning to me.  But then I think of Sam holding Naomi’s bear just out of her reach,  Naomi grabbing hold of Sam’s hair instead,; Kate playing judge and jury to both, and Maddie telling everyone to… well you know.  I keep running.

Card, gift bag, and gift successfully retreived, I sprint back to the truck.   Maddie turns the radio off and then unlocks the door- Hmm…  “Sam hit me!”  “Well, she hit me first!  In the stomach, and it hurt!”  “I did not!”  “Mom!  Can I see the present?”  “You may- but DON’T  open it!”  Maddie wraps  the present, everyone with a signature signs the card, and we’re on our way.  (about a week later, I woke up one morning in a cold sweat- we had forgotten to remove the price tags!)

“Text Uncle Brian and ask him where he lives, Maddie.”  As Brian is probably busy getting ready for his guests, he doesn’t get the text.  “You don’t know where he lives?”  Maddie asks in that,” Parents must be the most unintelligent beings on earth,” tone.  “I haven’t ever been there- why don’t we just see if we can find it?!”  Hee- hee- I’m messing with her.  “I’ll call Dad,”  The girl has no faith in me…

We made it; with the help of Brian and Dwight- what would we do without cellphones?!  The party was lovely, supper  fabulously delicious – especially because I didn’t make it, and other than Kate dropping my car keys into one of the fifty shoes scattered on the floor of the mudroom, the rest of the night was uneventful.  This is how all family outings go- right?!