As a getaway for the girls, I made arrangements to spend one night in a guest house owned by my aunt and uncle in a nearby city. The house has been beautifully restored and is a lot of fun for kids. Great hiding places, 2-1/2 stories, themed suites and a jacuzzi tub are just a few of the highlights. The kids love to visit and it is a fairly inexpensive getaway. I, too, was looking forward to it. It's nice to leave home and leave responsibility behind - to be able to sit on the couch and watch a movie without worrying about laundry and other household chores you should be doing.
Let's just say, I didn't get much rest. Each of the girls invited a friend. The first fight began over who was going to sleep in the Africa suite on the top floor. Granted, there is room for 4 to sleep in that room, but they didn't all want to sleep in the same room. This is a recurring theme in my home, the teen and tween do not like to share (or even be together most of the time)! After showing their friends the house, my teen and her friend came down and informed me that they would not fight for the Africa suite if I would let them stay in the Kentucky room. Well, the Kentucky room was the room I wanted. I was looking forward to a big King Size bed and easy access to the jacuzzi; however, to avoid any problems, I told the teen and her friend they could stay in the Kentucky room and that Edison and I would take the Texas room on the first floor.
I didn't mind the Texas room - it has a nice queen size bed which is plenty big for one person and Edison would be sleeping in his portable crib anyway. I went to bed around 11:00 that night, listening to the soundtrack of "Lonesome Dove" on the CD and reading a book about the Alamo. I had just closed my eyes around midnight when I had the eery feeling that someone had opened the door and was standing in my room. My back was toward the door and I lay still waiting for something to happen. That was when I heard "Mama" in a very soft whisper. By that time, my brain had realized I was probably going to hear that word and therefore I did not jump out of my skin. "Huh?" I replied. It was my tween who said that they couldn't sleep up there in the Africa Suite - it was too scary. She then told me that they had tried sleeping in the Shaker Room, across from where teen and friend were sleeping, but they couldn't sleep there either. I then asked, do you want to sleep on the pull out sofa in the living room? Of course they did! So at midnight, I was pulling the sofa bed out, finding sheets, blankets and pillows and setting up a place for the two tweens to sleep in the room right next to mine. I can't help but smile when I think about this. As much as they want to be big and brave - they still need Mama!
It wasn't until the next day that I realized both tweens had each taken a jacuzzi bath and two showers each. The teens had also helped themselves to more showers and baths than were needed. As I was walking around the house making sure things were still in place, I realized that three of the four girls had opened a new toothbrush, helped themselves to a new razor, and all four girls used a new towel each and every time they got into the water! It was then I realized that I would probably not get a jacuzzi bath because I needed to straighten up all the beds that had been "tried out" through the night and put a load of towels in the dryer.
I had to have an etiquette talk with the girls but I didn't want to hurt their feelings. I just casually mentioned later that the toothbrushes, razors, toothpaste, etc. were there for people who forgot to bring those things and were not for them to just help themselves. I got one response from my tween's friend who said that she had forgotten her toothbrush. I also told them that I had paid for 5 people to stay in the house and when the housekeeper came she would probably think there had been 25 people there with all of the wet towels. I told them I thought they were clean enough after all the baths that they could have re-used their towels. No one said a word.
As it turned out, I got most of the towels washed, the toddler down for a nap and jumped into the jacuzzi while the towels were in the dryer. It was an enjoyable bath - up until the Tornado warning! I hear little girls screaming and running up the stairs, banging on my door and yelling that there is a Tornado Watch. I remained calm and said, if it's a watch, that just means that a tornado can happen. It looks like the sun is shining outside to me. A few minutes later, I hear them running up the stairs again, this time they say there is a Tornado Warning in the county where we live. I remained calm and told them that we were not in that county right now. I told them what county and city we were in right now and they went away. Next, I hear them running up the stairs again and this time I hear the toddler crying from all the noise they have made. They say, the sirens are going off outside! There is a Tornado Warning for us!!! By this time, I am getting out of the tub and trying to look outside. The weather looks great out one window but my - it was black out the other window! I quickly got dressed and went downstairs to watch the weather with the girls. They were all a little scared. I was trying to laugh with them and show them where we were on the map and tell them all the things you say to try to calm your children's fears until the storm was over.
The girls were full of questions and worries. Where do we go if there is a tornado? Can we all fit in that closet? Do you think my dad is okay? Can I call my dad? He's not answering - do you think he is okay? I'm worried about Daddy's girlfriend - she lives where the tornado was. Have you ever been in a tornado? What does a tornado cloud look like? Have you seen one? How close are we to where the tornado is?
As it turns out, a tornado actually touched down at the county line but other than lots and lots of rain and some pea sized hail, it wasn't much of a storm. When I was a little girl I was terrified of storms but I'm really not anymore. That's a good thing since I now live alone and it is Springtime in Kentucky!
I haven't told you much about Edison. He enjoyed walking up and down and up and down and up and down the stairs of the house. That is what he did most of the time we were there. When he wasn't playing on the stairs, he was pinching the girls. My tween's friend was picked up by her mom later in the day. She told her mom that she had a good time and that Edison was a Professional Pincher! I wonder where that will get him in life...
Until next time
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