Oh April Where Have You Gone? (Pt.2)

Our story (and the week) picked back up when my parents returned on Thursday night. After a slight GPS battle, they arrived back at the house around the same time that I got home from work.

We took a quick trip out to our local meat market / deli which is always a delight because besides having amazing food, you can also have a beer while you shop. Pop picked up some really nice cuts for he, Jenn and my mom. Don’t worry I wasn’t overlooked…I got an awesome (awesomely bland in comparison) crusted Tilapia because I had chosen to give up meat for Lent (yes, I know Fish is meat, but for whatever reason, the logic it seems to make sense everywhere else).

Jenn (who I thought would be 100% supportive of my decision), made fun of me because of the difference in meals. Either way, by the time dinner was ready, the kids were already in bed and we had a chance to enjoy a nice sit down dinner at the dining room table. A rarity in our house where standing up with a plate in hand is more the norm.

The next day, Jenn, the kids and my parents went to the Science Center. Which apparently was a big hit. It was even better because Ba & Pop got both kids a “surprise” at the gift shop which made them way more fun to go to the science center than with mom & dad…oh the joys of being a grand parent…not that I want to experience that for at least 25 years.

While my parents were here, my brother & sister found the absolute coolest way to celebrate my Mom’s birthday on Friday. My brother started the morning by putting my Mom’s phone number on Facebook asking people to call her to wish her a happy birthday. This was then shared by my sister. There were periodic updates throughout the day, as people responded back with their Happy Birthday phone call story.

My mom had no clue and all of a sudden she was like “I just got a call from one of your brother’s friends wishing me a happy birthday”. Then it was a former teacher from high school. Then her number was put on the chalk board at her favorite restaurant back home. This started the random drunk happy birthday calls from complete strangers. Her phone never stopped ringing, it was hysterical.

Saturday was the big test. Apparently Jenn caught me at some time a few months ago where I was not really paying attention and just agreeing to everything she said. Realizing this she must have thrown in…”Hey I think I am going to go to Hilton Head for a girls weekend” and right on cue I supposedly answered “sounds great”. Well played Jenn, well-played.

I am totally kidding of course, but can’t say that I wasn’t a little jealous that she was going to be going on a real vacation sans kids. So that left me to my own devices until Tuesday, but I still had a few extra eyes and hands. My parents were here for one more day, and then Grammy & Pap-Pap kept checking in to make sure that I hadn’t been tied up somewhere by Nolin and our house turned into a scene from Lord of the Flies.

Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to my parents earlier Sunday morning. I am not sure if they felt the trip was long, but it went by really fast for me. Not just because I immediately lost 4 sets of hands and two sets of eyes.

Sunday Pap-Pap and I would spend the day trying to fix one of our DIY projects replacing the screen door out back with two additional little helpers. As with most of Pap-Pap and I’s projects they tend to take a little longer and a few more trips to Home Depot. We may not have finished the door completely that day, but it was hung and it accomplished it’s main task…ensure that the kids could play on the patio and not run out towards the pond. Granted no one else could get out towards the pond, but I will still take that as a win.

Thanks to a great Father-in-Law, he was able to get that minor technicality resolved a few days later after I had gone back to work.

I’d love to say that it was a really trying experience, but it wasn’t. Not to say that there weren’t some sleeping issues, but they got better each night until they were none existent. Then again, it was only 3 nights…so who am I to complain.