Sometimes I just wonder how it is that my parents made it through weekends. I think back to when I was a kid and sure, they "let" me spend every Saturday night with my Grandma and Grandpa. But there was a lot of stuff we did Saturday mornings and then all day Sundays. We went to the ocean, we did yard work (man, a lot of yard work. I remember not being able to hold the big black trash bags open properly). We took little day trips. But, come Saturday nights, my parents always knew I was out of the picture.
Grandma's house was great. I think I've written of it before. We watched Love Boat, Diff'rent Strokes, Golden Girls, The Facts of Life (ah, my first memories of George Clooney). Grandpa made popcorn and gave us Eskimo Pies. My aunt would come on Sunday mornings for biscuits and gravy. We'd roller skate, bike, jump rope. My grandma's house was in a real neighborhood, and there was a HUGE park and a great walking trail. I had these awesome roller skates--they were white boots with purple pom poms and purple wheels that sparked when I went really fast--we'd skate while my grandma and aunt walked. I also had a pink bike with a big banana seat and a white basket with plastic daisies on it. I had a scooter and a pedal race car. We played outside and waited for the ice cream truck. In the back yard, grandpa had a garden of tomatoes and peppers and onions that we "helped" take care of. It was all about my sister and me all the time. We ruled at Grandma's house.
But now I get it. It wasn't about us. It was about my parents. It was a big dump off! No WONDER they never punished us by taking away a weekend at Grandma's. The light goes on now that I am a parent. I want someplace to dump off the kids EVERY Saturday night! Like Nebraska's Safe Haven Law...only not so permanent.
One of my girlfriends got a dump off this weekend. Off her little kids went, unsuspecting of their status. Thinking they were getting a special treat. When in fact, it was their parents' treat. Woohoo-ing all the way. Giving each other secret high-fives. Craving that next morning of silence. Quietly boogie-ing down their hallways. Knowing those kids were gone, outta there, MIA, for 24 hours.
I'm so jealous. Well, it's Monday now. School. Woohoo!
It was lovely. No kids for 24 hours exactly. We did the crossword puzzle in silence sipping our coffee. It was so quiet. We went shopping at Eastern Shore Center. Sat outside at Starbucks talking like normal adults. Then we picked up the kids and all hell broke loose. Fighting between them and whining. We looked at each other smiled a little smile and said at the same time...The honeymoon is over. It was good while it lasted.Then I thanked sis-in-law profusely for 24 hrs of luxury peace.
ReplyDeleteOne more comment. My parents sent me to Grandma's house in Oklahoma for the whole summer vacation. Of course we loved every minute. Swimming at the Fort Sill army base with the GI's. Especially as teenagers. Hubba Hubba. Military men everywhere. My grandma is the one who taught me to wash clothes, iron, cook and numerous other things. Plus grandpa always let us have a few sips of his Coors Light. Ah summer vacation.
ReplyDeleteI'm jealous too. Sometimes we get a "vacation" when one child to spend the night with Nana and Pop-Pop, but the in-laws can't handle both (I can't blame them). A note about your memories...brings me back to the good old days (emphasis on old). My skates were white with pink wheels/brakes. And I was awesome!!
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