Mixed Emotions

The day has come and gone.  The house is still in an uproar with no immediate end in sight.  The children were good, for the most part.  We (mostly Meg) didn't feel that she had enough quality time to spend with them because we are working full-tilt to get the house projects done before I have to start school again.  (Megan, my dear--'tis ever thus.  You can't do everything all the time.  The Perfect World doesn't exist!)  They are back in Muncie for the week now, and Meg was in tears before they had even arrived there.  "I miss my kids."  I do, too!

Meg and the kids met with her father (sans wife) for breakfast at Cracker Barrel here in Plainfield.  She got the check, much to his surprise, so he ended up buying the children a Webkinz apiece.  We have several Webkinz now.  Whoop-de-freakin'-doo!

After breakfast, we entertained the children with various independent activities, to keep them occupied so we could scrape wallpaper before going to Grandma Judy's luau.  The luau is something Judy (Nathan's mother) has been planning since winter...and she went all out.  She had made Hawaiian dresses for both Robin and Wednesday (Nathan's girlfriend's daughter), purchased a Hawaiian shorts outfit for Ryan, had the cutest plastic coconut cups with straws for beverages, and leis for everyone.  She had a Hawaiian-inspired menu with barbecue pork sandwiches, a wonderful macaroni shell salad, a gorgeous fruit salad in a watermelon base, and a coconut cake that was really, really good.  She had also purchased grass skirts with coconut bras for the little girls, with the idea that they would learn a hula together.  Robin was kind of cranky...and then a storm came along about hula time.  We raced around getting things brought in, then everyone evaporated, I'm sure leaving Judy wondering if it was all worth it.  I admire the daylights out of the woman!  She attends to details and thinks of everything.  She has to be tired tonight!  

When Meg and I returned home, Meg finished off the wallpaper stripping in what is to be her bedroom.  Originally, I think she was hoping the room would be painted tomorrow.  Not possible!  The walls have to be washed down to remove the last vestiges of wallpaper backing and paste, holes have to be filled, baseboards have to be cleaned...then everything has to dry before painting.  Besides, she hasn't picked out a wall color yet!  The actual painting will be the easy part.  Then we get to start on the next room.  Woo-hoo!

I mixed feelings about the day.  Meg returns to work tomorrow and I'll do the best I can.  I really want the children to come home next weekend to some change and order.  Order is the biggest problem right now.  We just keep pluggin'