This weekend was a big one with a lot of emotional peaks and valleys. I'll do my best to keep it relatively (pun intended) short and at least mildly interesting.
My parents arrived late Friday. I was in the bathtub - soaking off the heat of the day and preparing myself for what I knew lay ahead. My daughter, otherwise known as the town crier came bursting in to tell me "Meemaw and Grumpa are here! Meemaw and Grumpa are here!" I took that as my cue - I don't think at any age beyond 5 or so, and definitely not at any age beyond childbearing do fathers want to see their children naked.
So, first the good news, they did it - they packed up and drove the 5 hours - making it the farthest they've been from their house in about 8 months. Then the bad news, my mom was stiff and sore from being in the car for so long, and did not look like she was moving at all well. While she was doing better than she had been the last time I'd seen her, and WAY better than the last time T had seen her, she wasn't doing as well as I would have expected for someone who was getting reading to hop a plane and travel 3000 miles.
In fact, Saturday morning, we thought we had reached emergent proportions. When coming out of the bathroom, my mother got lightheaded, and if my dad and I (and then T) hadn't been holding her up she would have hit the floor. That wasn't as scary as the fact that she wouldn't talk to us - she wouldn't respond. Both T and I thought she might have been having a stroke. We made it through the moment, together, however, and I determined that she had some cake the night before, no sleep, and hadn't eaten or had anything to drink yet that day. So our theory, now was that her blood sugar was too low (she used to be diabetic - probably still is, but with all her other worries - that one went to the back of the list).
So after a bad morning, and a few mis-starts, we were able to have a light breakfast and then go out and cruise neighborhoods. Remember, the purpose of this visit was to consider a move here. There were a few that they really liked, some that were "OK" and some that just weren't gonna happen no matter how much they could get for the same dollar.
We even managed a slow stroll through part of the Mountain Artists Art show on the downtown square before heading back to my house to take it easy and spend time with the kids. This is where the second phase of my title kicks in. Milestones. This photo was actually taken by the user of the subject material. S was given a digital camera as a belated birthday gift by his grandparents and for two days, nothing was safe. However, as many heads as were
chopped off, however many sneak attacks (my showers are no longer safe) I think he captured the moment perfectly in this shot...Milestone no. 2. Remember that pink baby blanket handed down from a friend? Well, my daughter left it in my car last week. For four days. I think we're passed the time of the security blanket - and while she's fine with it, I find myself wanting my own to hang on to, in the hopes of slowing down time.
Now, for the memories. If I remember nothing else about this weekend, I want to remember what my daughter said to me yesterday. Her meaning and mine don't exactly match up, I don't believe, but the words are the best thing I've ever heard. On all days, she said this to me on Mother's Day:
"Mommy, you taught me how to make the world."
1 comment:
Were those training wheels coming OFF? Whoa...that is big stuff! What a whirlwind of a Mother's Day for you!!
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