So where was I….yes, I had stopped off at the eve of the
games. My plan was to arrive early enough to help out and finish some of my
Pintrest “things for the kids to do” activities and of course eat breakfast J It was the least I
could get to eat the entire day’s worth of meals – after all look what I was
going into.
After loading the car (which looking at the truck seemed
like we would be gone for days instead of just 24 hours) it was off to
grandmother’s house we go. The first laughable saying of the day was when we
started to pull into the Burb housing addition and my daughter went “yay,” and
I was all – yeah sure yay.
When we arrived in the house my dad was already in
the kitchen, my brother was trying to go back to sleep after his daughter woke
him throughout the night (as yes Virginia, she did sleep with him and his
girlfriend moved to a couch), and said girlfriend was getting prepped in the
bathroom. Second awkward moment: after getting the kids’ things ready, veggie
plates, stuffing prep, I went in to do my hair, make-up, and put on the
fall-ish sweater for the day – the girlfriend was assigned to peeling potatoes
(yes, assigned by my father as the night before my nieces mother jumped on the
salad over potato peeling before she had a chance) so she came in to change
shirts as well and just ripped it off like we were sisters or something. I don’t
really mind I guess but I have known you for what two days now – oh and let’s
chat while we do this. I never even did that with my own sister, or friends, or
even college roommates – so it was just weird.
By this time my niece had been upstairs and her mother had
just made her way upstairs. I continued to get ready in the bathroom as I
overheard her talking to my brother and the girlfriend as she told them she is
seeing someone (she didn't really ever date so kind of a big thing), he is
moving to her city down south for both business and her, yada yada yada. I
stared at myself in the mirror as the lovely, great so I am now also Single
Sally at this event – super *read said with lisp* oh and yes I did say it out
loud to myself. Seriously, I wanted to face palm right there. Happy for her and
all as my niece is a couple years older than my kiddo and her mom is 10 years
my senior – but come on, on a flipping holiday gathering this comes out?! You
single ladies know my pain.
Then the doorbell rang and I kid you not that my brother and
I looked at each other like that scene in National Lampoons Christmas Vacation –
my sister and family were about to enter. Side-bar: My kiddo has SPD, OCD, ASD
symptoms; my niece (brother’s kid) is recently diagnosed SPD; and my nephew has
ODD, all of them 6 and under, you may Google the acronyms as I feel like I have
already said too much but it paints the picture. I told you about my sister
yesterday – so they entered during my kiddo’s and my niece’s nap time. Oh wait –
I was told to get my daughter up because she was disturbing my dad from cooking
and my niece from napping in that she was crying per not wanting to nap. Did no
one see the later in the day outcome or was it just me?
As my sister, who can be loud entered, noise ensued as the
kids started running and not playing together nicely. Dinner was soon served
after an attempt to gather all the little angels for a prayer, all us siblings
quickly got them their plates and left them at the kids table – hey it had
already been a tough few hours. Did I mention wine was all around? As we sat at
the adults table, something seemed to be off with the dinner, I noticed by
having room on my plate for salad which is usually on my second trip for food,
then my sister said “hmm..never mind it’s no big deal” followed by dad “no,
what you can say it” sister “no, no it’s not important” followed by me “anyone
try the sweet potatoes yet?” We forgot the sweet potatoes and stuffing in the
oven was the instant finding of this conversation – luckily not badly burned
and still pretty good – but who forgets the stuffing?!
My dad and brother then soon wrangled the kids who were done
and could care less about stuffing, more trying to not kill each other or give
my mother a heart attack/aneurysm, outside leaving me, the girlfriend, my
sister and her boyfriend to chat. My mother was tensely scrubbing dishes at
this point, she obviously had not yet had any or enough wine. Enter awkward
convo about places in the world/states that I have never been, not that my
sister has but was pretending to know oh so much about, and I was just drinking
my wine staring off into space. Then came the “so what do you do” question, I
answered my job title thinking it spelt itself out, and was asked “I know that,
but what do you do?” Face palm – sorry this question is a huge pet peeve,
especially when it is the question asked as the only go-to to include someone
in the conversation, so I tried to make it sound good as obligatory nods were
held. When we got up and the kids came in 15 minutes later – it seemed like
hours – my sister said, well I was going to ask for fun “where is your
boyfriend” but decided to be nice and laughed. I think I mentioned something
about throat punching. I said “I don’t know, I am 0-3 in the non-psycho
department” sister “well I am 1 for….” then I said “well, I could say something
here but I will be nice this time” sister “no, say it, I can take it” me “no,
no” sister prodding “oh come on, just say it” me “fine, you are 1 for – just count
your kids if you’re not sure.” Yes very low blow, need confession, but at that
point I had kind of had it.
The rest of the afternoon consisted of me watching the kids
downstairs, only because my kid was there – not much relief was given and no
wine is allowed downstairs. Super. We finally did cake for my long distance
niece as her b-day is in December, presents in which she got to choose which language
she thanked each individual in (more face palms), more wine, an uncle and aunt
stopped by, I was told I looked tired and that it looks like I have at least
gained a couple of pounds (they meant well…I think), and well until I got my
kid into bed and my niece went to bed it was all a blur.
I sat down with my bro, the girlfriend, and my parents as we
all had another plate of food, wine and watched a movie – Mixed Nuts as previously
mentioned. Yet, not before the old – so how is it going with the kiddo’s father
with my niece’s mother was had, oh goody. Goodbye hugs were given as I had to
get up and go to work the next morning, and though it was a nice wind down
eventually; I was ready to go to bed or to futon as it were.
I am sure I could turn this into a short story or book,
however, there you have it. Hunger Games 2013 – survival of the most street
smart, caring yet don’t mess with me, scrappy person with skill. Like I said, I
did enjoy the day for the most part, but it was weird….kind of like high school
all over again…but with your family….that you only stay in touch with as you
want per all of the above.
Katniss -
No comments:
Post a Comment