Interlude

So yesterday was a quiet day - a Saturday at home, Abby out playing, Lizzy in here, me looking for a job online. Then my mom called for me to give an assist in a task. This is no problem; she's about five miles away and she's the one who helps me with - you know - everything, so what's a quick trip up there gonna hurt? Nothing, but it started a what-happened-here?! trend for the following 14 hours or so. When she called Abby was outside with Kiki. Kiki has her own cell phone, so I called and said I was running an errand; I'd be back between 4:30 and 4:45 - half an hour or forty-five minutes. No problem, they said, we'll just play. Great; they know the rules and are good about following them, so the only difference here is that I'm not actually home in my neighborhood for that little bit.

I drive up to Mom's, perform the task she needs done, and Lizzy and I head back home. Since it's taken so little time, I decide to stop and pick up the few things we need at the grocery store. I call and leave a message on Kiki's phone, explaining that it will be closer to the 45 minutes, and go into the store. She calls back at 4:35, saying, "I had to go in early so I left Abby out with the other kids. Don't worry; she's not playing with the big kids or anyone like that.". Sigh. Kiki is not quite ten, and it's not her job to watch my 8.5yo... but it would have been nice if they had thought to let me know when Kiki got called in early. So we beat feet home ASAP in case Abby is upset or lost or playing with the forbidden big kids and... she's sitting on the doorstep, patiently waiting for us. This was a great choice, for which she received much praise. She was alone for maybe five minutes and all was well. While making supper, I broke a glass, yelled at Lizzy ("Stay out of the kitchen!"), cleaned up the glass, finished making our carbariffic supper, waited for Laston to come home, got a short bath in, snapped at Laston, and finally settled down for a calm evening.

This morning I stepped on the one sliver of glass left on the floor. And spent a while hopping on one foot trying to pick glass out of the other with a pair of tweezers. While trying to get Lizzy ready to go, and answering Abby's questions about the play we were headed for. Since I had never seen it, this was problematic. Once we dropped Lizzy off with friends and got to the ferry doc, I had regained equilibrium 

The play itself knocked my balance all wonky again. It was very well done, and had a great story. But I'm not sure Quilters is really children's theater fodder. Apparently this is a children's version, but even so, I think perhaps 12- or 14-year-olds are better equipped than my 8yo. The mood whiplash is incredible; it goes from sweet courting stories to prairie fires and windmills to miscarriages without much transition. It's a great play. Not what I expected at all though.