This past weekend was no different. My mother came in on Friday to spend the day, watch the kids that evening so Roy and I could have an evening out (we usually only get one when she's in town) and then leave the next afternoon after lunch. All was going well until she said she was ready to pack her car and head home. Lil B (3) wanted to go with her, mom couldn't resist. Of course you can imagine with five children I rarely turn down an opportunity to send one off for a day or two (for their sanity and mine) so I agreed and began packing his bag. Immediately Lil K (5) decided that she too should be going with Grandma. Unfortunately she had school on Wednesday and Mom wasn't planning to bring Lil B back until Saturday. So the answer was no, but I reminded her she could go another time and that it meant she got to spend New Year's Eve with ME. Her face dropped to floor, her eyes began to well, and her voice to crack as she said "ok." In seconds she was in full throttle sob. You know the kind where they can't breathe and even after they are done they are still choking in the air as if it could begin all over again. She ran to her bed, climbed the ladder and lay there sobbing for the whole house to hear. This was more than my mom could bear. She came to me with a plan to meet me on Monday at our favorite meeting point just between our homes. As sobs drifted through the house I told mom not to worry, Lil K would get over it. But the heartbreaking sounds were too painful to endure and so I relented, packed her a bag and sent my two youngest home with their beloved Grandmother.Two days later I packed the other three kids in the car and forged through the 1/2 inch of snow Indianapolis had received that day causing a ridiculous number of car accidents one of which we got stuck behind turning our forty-five minute drive into an hour an fifteen minutes. We finally arrived at the designated location and happened to pull in at the exact same moment as Mom and the little ones. I look through the window of the car and Lil K is waving excitedly at me, Lil B sound asleep. I open the door to help them out and he wakes up. His eyes flutter and try to focus, he suddenly realizes it's me and not Grandma (we look alot a like so sleepy eyes sometimes confuse the two at first), screams begin pouring out of his mouth "I don't want to go home yet! I wanted to stay long time! I don't want to go home." After quickly assuring him we weren't going home right then, but going into the restaurant to have lunch WITH GRANDMA, he calmed down. There were no hugs or kisses for me, no "I missed you." He just trotted behind Mom into the restaurant to get his milkshake.
Lunch went smoothly (well as smoothly as it can with five kids) and then it was time to load up and make the trip to our house. I put off the inevitable as long as I could, letting the kids stay inside with Mom while I switched the car seats around, put suitcases in the trunk, and collected up the various travel entertainment the kids had brought with them. And then it was time. I put Lil B in his seat and at first it seemed all was well but then the tears began to fall. "I want to go with Grandma, I want to stay long time." I quickly hurried the others in the car hoping that the faster we got moving the sooner he's cries of woe would stop, plus it was really cold out and I wanted to get in the car with the heater. With a quick hug and a thank you to Mom we were off, Lil B still crying. I promised over and over that he could go again soon and that Grandma would be over to visit before long. Eventually his crying ceased. After a few moments of silence in his sad little voice he said "You take me to see Mrs Ellis now." Great! He'd rather see my neighbor than go home with me. Guess I'll have to be a little jealous of her too, now. I won't even mention how excited he was to see the dog.
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