If you want to descend to the depths of childhood depravity, have a second child and a fourth child who cannot stop themselves from deliberately irritating each other. No matter how far apart you separate them, and how much you command them to Stop It, they are compelled by a wellspring of sinful desire to sing on the one hand, whistle on the other, drape an arm back, or carefully place a foot, so that the one will always know the other is there and is being angry. While they tattle and rage, you can sit back and gaze out the window in wonder as the sixth child sheds real bitter wailing tears because she doesn't want to go and can't understand why you're not turning around and going home because, in the haze of fatigue and packing, it turns out no one has said no to her in like six weeks.
How was I to remember that sort of thing when the anxiety of my Peonie not blooming was pressing down on my moment by moment. Matt had to have his coffee in the door holder because this is how we're traveling all the way south.
I may be a selfish terrible mother, but I am not so terrible that I didn't laboriously spend Saturday making meat pies and rhubarb tarts, along with a lot of other stuff. I warmed them for the last half of the drive, in the sun, on the dash.
And Matt and I listened to some crazy “sermon” by someone whose name has escaped me. The miles fly by quickly when you have something totally appalling to listen to.
We did eventually arrive in Staunton, Virginia which turns out to be a very pretty town in the center of which is a pretty charming hotel.
Those are cinnamon pie crust roll ups, in their mouths.
We fed them all the pie and then went out into the great wide world so they could run before I totally lost my mind. I was nearly in the way of totally losing my mind, all the frantic jumping and jumping and shouting and jumping.
The town is so pretty. The children kept exclaiming, “it's so pretty!”
So here we are, busily resting away. Today we are going to rest ourselves all the way to Alabama, to visit friends we love and miss. I will be sleeping in the car for part of the journey because Matt woke me up at 4 to ask where his work out clothes were, and then at six to ask where the milk was, and then at 6:20 to tell me the tea cozy is lost. So I've given up and am awake. All that careful packing, all that preparation, meaningless because I didn't clearly enough to communicate the whereabouts of all the stuff.
Anyway, It's So Exciting, The Great 2015 Escape to the South. Though not really an escape, because I've brought along myself and all the children. Still, an adventure of this kind need some kind of title, so one feels its true importance. As you go about your day, think of me, for the next eight hours, gazing at my Peonie and the beautiful countryside, the swell and rise of children's angry whining swirling round my graying head. Wait, scratch that, think about Jesus, for the day. That will be much more profitable and sanctifying.
Pip pip
Preventing Grace
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