Possumblog

So what ABOUT Sunday?

Up early, and I sounded like a soundtrack from one of those jungle movies--all sorts of clicks and snaps and grunts and hoots and pops and groans and snapping. Every joint in my body, including some that aren’t supposed to move, was in full angry mode. And I was still dead tired.

Up, shower, dress, get the kids up (sorta) and then start the final prep for lunch. Dragged table BACK into the kitchen, pulled out the leaves, put a plastic tablecloth on it, put out the napkins and plates and forks and chips and serving things, aligned the soft drink bottles and cups on the counter, made a quick rush around the bottom floor to make sure everything was put away and the laundry room door was closed, “Dad, could you iron this for me?”

::sigh::

Rebecca, with her black skirt in her hand, and a sad expression on her face. GOT OUT THE IRONING BOARD, the iron, told a passing child to be sure and get his hair combed and fend for himself for breakfast, ironed skirt, gave it to another passing child and told it to make sure the skirt got where it was supposed to go, put up the ironing board, unplugged the iron, looked outside in the garage to see where I’d put the ice chest.

::sigh::

In my grand garage cleaning-out of a couple months ago, I had put both of our big ice chests way up high on the wooden shelves so they would be out of the way. Which meant that in the middle of trying to get ready to go to church, I would now have to back the van out, get the stepladder, and attempt to not kill myself with falling folding chairs and plastic ice chests as I got down the one I needed, all while dressed in my Sunday go-to-meeting clothes. And while still on the sore-ish side. Managed to get the ice chest down and loaded up with no injury, which I think is a major sort of accomplishment.

And not only that, we managed to leave on time for once.

Church, got copies made of the directions to the house, filled up the ice chest, toted it and some unopened soft drinks from the kitchen back out to the van, went to class, stayed awake mostly, went to preaching, stayed awake mostly, then headed back to home to await the invasion. Ran upstairs to make sure the bedroom doors were bolted--my cleaning not having extended into these tangled swamps of personal dyshygeine--then back downstairs to help set out the food.

IN THE END--we were surprised to see that we only had a few of the kids from church show up--several were away visiting, and so it was a much smaller invasion than we’d expected. Which was nice in one way, because we had plenty of food for everyone, and the kids and parents who showed up were not the type I worry about running around and being all snoopish, but still I sorta wish we’d had at least a few more folks. Guess that’s what I get for being so antisocial. Then again, there IS a LOT of food left over for everyone’s lunchboxes, so, you know.

BUT, we get to do it all over again NEXT month. For some reason, we signed up for it two months in a row. The upside is that the house will be much easier to clean. The downside is that all the folks who’d gone off on visits will be back. I’m sure it will be interesting.

After a hearty lunch, the kids and parents sat for a short Bible study, and then they all left, and we repacked everything and put away the plates and napkins and forks and cups and tablecloths to await next month. I sat down on the couch with the Bucs-Panthers game on, and promptly dozed off. Thank goodness Rebecca was sitting beside me, and was constantly chattering, or I might could have actually gotten some rest.

Back up to church for a meeting that Reba had, I sat in a classroom with Boy and Cat and read the paper, then had evening worship (the 4th Sunday Question and Answer Session that I like so much, which didn’t mean I stayed awake well enough), then to home. THEN BACK TO CHURCH. Rebecca and Ashley had gone with the other teenagers at church to a area-wide youngster something or other over in Hoover, and they rode the church van, and didn’t get back until about 9. So I had to go get them. Not that I’m complaining--Oldest had wanted desperately to drive, but we’re still not quite as confident of her nighttime backroads driving skills as she seems to be.

All safe and sound finally at home and ready for be--HOMEWORK! GRRR! Rebecca seemed to have “forgotten” something that was due today, and plopped in our floor to finish it, and it required online work, and THEN in the middle of THAT, Oldest came in with something she wanted me to scan and send to one of her teachers. A typed sheet of paper. “Can’t you just carry it to him tomorrow at school?”

“He wanted me to e-mail it to him.”

“But-- Never mind.”

::sigh::

There’s no use trying to explain that at the late hour I was sending it, he wouldn’t get it until sometime AFTER she could have just handed him a piece of paper. And it’s not like I wanted to go to bed or anything, right? Right.

It was a long weekend. But now it's time for lunch! Pinwheel sandwiches and sausage rolls! Mmmm.

Posted by Terry Oglesby at September 25, 2006 11:57 AM