Friday Thoughts

I am sitting in my big, comfy leather chair, feet kicked up, writing my second "real" post of the week. I have a cup of Irish tea beside me (loose leaf, never bags) and some Walkers Shortbread Cookies for snacking. Truly sinful cookies; I have to limit them by only consuming them with tea. Not that the rule holds true very often. sigh

Brenna has just risen from her nap and is consumed, for the time being, by Sesame Street and crawling practice. I think she may have it by the end of this weekend.

Doug departed early this morning for our land in the Ozarks. He will be meeting his father, brother & nephew for their second annual Father's Day camping trip. Never mind that it is Doug's first Father's Day and he won't be back early enough to see Brenna that day.

OK, I am a bit frustrated by this. The original plans had my father & brother Jarod joining him and Brenna & I meeting Doug's step-mother and lounging by a pool somewhere. Then my cousin had to schedule her shotgun wedding for Saturday so my father & brother are going to that. Then Doug's step-mother decided not to go. And I really didn't want to travel 8 hours with Brenna to only sit in a hotel. So, here we stay. And I'm still not going to that wedding.

Doug will be bringing his 13-year-old nephew back with him. He will be staying just over a week. Which upsets him. We had thought to have him stay 2-3 weeks but the difficulty in getting him home has led to his shorter stay.

Initially he had said that he could fly home but he is still too young to fly unaccompanied and the prices are insane right now. (And if we can't spend over $300 for me to fly out to see my brother we darn well aren't going to pay more than that for him to fly home.)

Then we thought that we could meet someone in Oklahoma when we trek southward for a weekend in Kansas City. Of course that won't work for anyone else.

So, since Doug's mom will be up the 23rd thru the 27th, that is when Christopher will head home. It just makes sense. To everyone but Christopher, that is.

The reason this has turned in to such a big deal is because Christopher stayed with us two summers ago for close to 6 weeks. About 2 weeks into it he began telling us that he wanted to go home. He was too young to fly and noone could coordinate to meet us. And we couldn't drive all the way to Texas at the drop of a hat. It made for an exceptionally long visit. So I said that before Christopher came up this summer his trip back home HAD TO BE ARRANGED. I was kind of a bitch about it.

And while we are on the subject of his family & me being a bitch; I mentioned that his mom will be up next week. We weren't expecting her until July. Both of us remember her saying that she would be up in July when we stayed with them in March. The change of plans wouldn't bother me so much except that my family has a big reunion every year on the last Sunday of June. But, this year, his family has scheduled a reunion for that day. And because his mother has really only seen Brenna a couple of times that takes presidence. This upsets me mostly because it is the only time I get to see my great-aunts. My great-aunt Francis recently lost her husband (while we were in Texas in March) and is not doing so well. Anyway...

Tonight my mom is coming over and we will take Brenna for a bike ride. Mom is staying the night and we will go to the Farmer's Market in the morning. Then, sometime tomorrow, I need to go to Sharper Image for Doug's Father's Day gift (and a new shirt for me). And Sunday Brenna & I will head down to my grandparent's farm for a suprise Father's Day gathering for my grandfather. Someday I will have to tell you all about him. He was the first man in my life; mom & I lived with them from the time I was born. I love my grandpa.

I suppose that is more than enough rambling for now. I need to start some laundry, feed Brenna & get ready to watch Jen's boys.... I need a vacation.