Pollyanna Rainbow Sunshine and the Needles of Doom

Hi, Anna-Liza here. Quick weather update–warm and sunny today and tomorrow (upper 60s! 70s!WOOT!) and then Wednesday, much colder (40s) and probably rain or … wait for it … snow.

This past weekend, we did a big favor for some friends. They wanted to go skiing to celebrate their anniversary, but they have four kids. I do, too, but my oldest ones are out on their own. Theirs aren’t. We took the two youngest for the weekend–the whole weekend. Friday afternoon to Monday morning. They are boys, ages 6 and 4 (the same as my two kidlets). They are nice boys, but when all four of them get together, they are a lot more than twice as noisy and rowdy than when there are just two. I may have mentioned that we live in a 1,000 square foot house? Believe me, I was devoutly praying for good weather!

We didn’t get it Saturday–it was cold and windy. We took them out to the local YMCA for a big kids’ activity day, and they had a lot of fun. They had an obstacle course, tricycle races, variations on tag and catch, and a healthy snack bar. It was all free, too, and the kids got a goodie bag at the end for trying all the different activities. Later, we took them to the Evil McEmpire for dinner. Doesn’t sound so bad, does it? I will tell you now that keeping track of four little demons boys all gyrating in different directions had me down to my last nerve. I was thisclose to wrapping them all in duct tape.

Sunday was better. I had intended to go to a meeting that morning, but overslept due to my incredible gabathon with Lyda Saturday night–it was about 3 a.m. when I finally hit the mattress. I had been such a bitch so edgy the day before, though, that I decided it would be good to take some time for myself. Darlin’ K took the whole little tribe for a walk to the doughnut store and the park, and I slept in a bit, then walked down to Java Stop with my knitting and a book. I had the whole morning to myself, with some lovely mocha and my favorite kind of muffin, and leisurely conversations with some of the other regulars. (Uninterrupted conversation! What a concept!) I was in a much better frame of mind when I got back home. And that was when I got Pomatomus well started. (I also broke one of my wooden size 5 DPNs. Not from trying for Marin-like tension, but from sitting on it. No permanent damage was done. To me. The needle was a different story.)

I am just going to appreciate my wonderful neighborhood once again. If you’re bored with that, you can skip on to something else. But we have a good library, a good park, several good coffee places and a Winchell’s all in walking distance. Also a pizza place (with classic board games on every table) and a good game store. (Lyda, pay attention. This might tip Sith Master’s interest in going to school here over the edge.) This was so good to know when we were contemplating keeping four small boys entertained for a full weekend, without drugging them relying too heavily on TV and duct tape.

Next weekend, it will be downright restful dealing with just the normal housework-two-kids-a-cat-and-a-husband stuff. But … maybe I’d better stock up on duct tape. Just in case.