Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Quick Trip to California

My daughter has been wanting to visit her grandparents for a while, and lately it has been a frequent subject of conversation. With school starting back up again on Monday, I felt like if we were going to go anytime soon, we’d better go now. So, I sucked it up and asked my boss for a few days off – I don’t have PTO saved up yet – and booked a flight. We left last Sunday and just got home today (Wednesday).

I’m glad we went. My daughter was happy and excited the whole time, and meticulously made my mother do some of the activities they used to do. My mother is no longer up for gardening the way she used to, and she couldn’t play dress-up, but they re-arranged my mother’s shell collection, read books, played Chinese checkers, and swam in the pool.

My mother is out of the wheelchair and getting around with a cane. She’s recovered quite a bit from the surgery in January, and gets out of the house occasionally if someone else drives. I wanted to see for myself how she’s doing, and her progress is encouraging.

My father is doing all of the housework and cooking these days, and it’s a complete 180 from how things used to be: my mother used to wait on him hand and foot; now he’s doing the serving. I look on it as an opportunity for him to work off some of his karma.

My daughter has slept in my bed for a week, and my back is screaming. We have to be up early tomorrow to take her up to my back-up daycare for the next 2 days, and then we settle into the new school year.

Friday night is back to school night, when I’ll find out who her teacher will be.

I’m exhausted, I’ve got a ton of stuff to do in the next couple days, but I am glad we took this trip now. The idea of going was a persistent thought for a while, and I’ve learned to listen to the voice in my head that keeps whispering a message. It has served me well so far.

But man, I need to get some sleep!

5 comments:

  1. Welcome back! I'm glad the trip went well for you. I bet both your parents and especially your daughter have some new happy family memories as a result of going. Sounds like your mom and daughter got to spend some quality time together. Good news that your mother's health is improving too.

    Best of luck to you with all the back to school madness. We have gotten three different letters with back to school info (so far!) for my son. One of them included a letter about how they are reducing the paperwork needed to be filled out at the beginning of the school year! I think we have six or seven forms on the desk waiting to be filled out now. HA HA! I think they need to try a little harder on that reducing the paperwork thing. Open house at the high school is tomorrow night, and he starts back to class on Monday.

    I hope you get some rest soon. Maybe over the weekend. :-)

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  2. I'm so glad you got a chance to go see your parents. Sounds like the trip was a success, overall.

    I know what it's like when you have to share your bed with the little ones! Lately M has been showing up around 3 AM and I wake up clinging to the edge of the bed with a sore neck! Hope you get some good rest soon.

    xo

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  3. awe. hope you get some rests...i hate when "vacations" require a vacation to recover from them.

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  4. So glad you had a good trip to CA. Such a great Mom/Daughter!
    Now, go get some sleep! Corner to Corner, baby!!!

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  5. Good for you, J. M will treasure those memories when her grandparents are gone. I certainly do.

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