So Much for That Idea…

Living in Phoenix I have been trying to think of creative ways for the kids to burn some energy in this heat {besides the pool}.  So last night I had everyone get their clothes, sneakers and socks ready to scoot out the door bright and early for a hike to the neighborhood park.

Ruby must have thought the excursion to the park sounded like a blast, cause she was up {for the day} just before 4:00am today.

The kids were up at 6 something and we were out the door not long after 7:30am.   It was cool and comfortable.  {Okay, maybe not truly ‘cool’ but in comparison to the 108 degrees yesterday, 87 was pretty dang frigid.}

The neighborhood park is on the route that Liberty and I take each morning we walk together.  Today as the kids and I approached the park I got stung.  Some teeny-tiny variety of the mosquito, but no matter the size, it had a nasty bite!

Before long, they were swarming us.  What the heck?  Liberty and I have taken this walk many, many times and never experienced one stinkin’ bite.

We decided to persevere.

So did the mosquitos.

Stupid persistent things.

The kids climbed all over the climby thing in between swatting the mean little varmints.

About that time I sat to feed Ruby and a little girl came by carrying a trumpet.  She said, “What is this a kid convention?” I smile and responded, “No, just my kids.”

She put her trumpet case down on the table nearby and decided to serenade us.  I’m guessing she picked up the trumpet from the school band office yesterday for the very first time from the noise song she played.  Bless her heart, everyone has to start somewhere.

Then she stopped loudly screeching playing and turning to me said, “Wait!  Are you their grandmother or their mother?”

I laughed.

I wanted to say, “Listen kid.  This silver hair is my version of head bling.  I’ve earned it and I wear it proudly.  If it came in a box, the color would be named after some of my older children.  But no matter the color of my hair, they are, indeed, all mine.”   

What I actually said {with a pleasant giggle}: “Yes, they are my children and no, I am not their grandma.”

I then asked her about her school.  She was a really sweet little girl and probably will someday be famous for trumpet playing.

About that time a certain group of brothers {who shall remain anonymous} decided that a portion of the climby thingy was theirs and I found a sister {who shall remain anonymous} pouting in the shade nearby {and getting eaten alive by the mosquitos who thought she tasted delicious}.

My early morning fairy-tale trip to the park with all my cherubs was not turning out quite like I had rosily envisioned last night.

Deciding to cut our losses and head home Jubilee fell hard and got a lovely abrasion on her knee.

I was able to distract her enough to appease the tears, until she fell squarely on the exact same knee and this time the blood was running down her leg.

I’ve decided I think we’ll try the fairy-tale trip to the park again sometime,

Like in about 12 years……

28 thoughts on “So Much for That Idea…

  1. Besides Jubilee falling and hurting her knee and you getting stung… 🙁 …I was laughing so much! My favorite….."87 was pretty dang frigid." I live in Florida so I know EXACTLY what you meant. ; )

    Thanks for the laugh and I hope Jubilee's knee heals quickly.

    Blessings,
    Barbara

    1. I kind of got stuck on mosquitoes in Arizona for awhile. I had no clue!!! I thought they needed alot of water…like here. We have had such a dry summer we have none…strange but happy about that! Sorry about the injuries and mosquitoes…and grandma remark although I guess you are one :)…you had me laughing too…once I got past mosquitoes in AZ….

  2. This is awesome. I saw a cartoon on Facebook yesterday that was a Mom of lots of kids, who looked so frazzled, had a baby on her hip and several with needs biting at her ankles.

    She held a phone to her ear and said, exasperated I'm sure, "Can I call you back in about 5 years?"

    So funny. You last line made me think of that. My husband really appreciates it when I have my rosey ideas on his watch. NOT.

  3. Eeew… I wonder if the sprinklers had only recently turned off around the park (attracting the mosquitos)?
    Glad everyone "survived" the fun excursion. Lol. 😉

  4. I'm not laughing. I'm not laughing. Ok, I'm laughing. I have SOOOO been there…bwahahahaha.

    I really do feel bad your morning wasn't what was planned (still giggling though…sorry).

  5. Thank you for sharing the not so fairy tale trip to the park. Loved the "hair bling" part. I have often been asked if I am the grandma and want to say "not everyone is a teenage mom" but never do. I need to brush up on my come backs, a little boy said I could not be my daughters mother yesterday because she had brown skin. Nice welcome to the kindergarden luch room. Keep planning those outings, the next one will be better, especially if it includes a pool:-)

    Blessings, Debbie

  6. I am somewhat of a "lurker" as you call us 🙂 I love reading your blog and am so encouraged by your faith and family!! I was actually mainly posting because here in Texas, there have been quite a few cases of West Nile and just wanted to let you know so you can make sure to lather the kids up in mosquito repellent in case you decide to go on that walk again (in about 12 years ;)). But that walk sounds about right for a big family + siblings. Hoping you find some fun relief from the heat soon! 🙂

    – Jenna

  7. My girls currently have friends over (twins) and my "Rosy Idea" of a back-to-school craft day is not going quite like expected either. We shall see how the rest of the day progresses, but I need ibuprofen already! ha!

  8. THank you for sharing how normal things are for you. I have your family pictured all laughing, smiling, and loving all the time. Glad you are perfectly normal… I have had many "fairy tail" excursions with my kids and the memories are sweet even if it doesnt seem like it at the time.

  9. Aaaaaack. What a morning. It sounds as stressful as our morning jaunt to Wally World for school supplies. Minus the bites.

    I'm with the others, a morning swim is so much more appealing. Kills two birds with one stone: get them swimming and playing hard enough and you might all get an afternoon nap in the worst heat of the day.

    It's why I love my pool 🙂

  10. Oh Linny,
    Truly not the trip you envisioned, but I must say…with the way you described everything…it was kinda funny…and maybe in 12 years you will have forgotten enough of the misery to try it again…and my thought it…it would be SO funny to have another trumpet player there…
    You have the gift of making real life funny…I have a friend who does that beautifully!

    HEAD BLING…I LOVE IT…gonna use that from now on~!
    C~

  11. Thank you for sharing your life with us, even the bitey, bloody and pouty areas. We have those times too that ya think are going to turn out fun and then who knows what happens! Ya just say, "What was I thinkin?"

    I just love your hair! I think it's odd how many people comment on mine. It used to be very dark, almost black, and now it has a ton of "silver". I don't mind it at all and my husband likes it the way it is, but others think they must say something. I had a man at church ask me why my hair didn't look like my daughters. What do ya even say? I think I kind of smiled at him and didn't say much. Let's see…he knew she was adopted and only two! It truly makes me giggle! I feel blessed because my mom started greying at 18 and was totally white at 30. For 46, I think I'm doing pretty well and I love spending my money on other things that matter, not just my hair! "Head bling!" Goodness, that's perfect! I needed a good laugh! Thank you!

  12. My mom lives in central Phoenix. They love to sit on the back patio in the evening. They lather on the bug spray/lotion so the crazy little West Nile causing mosquitoes don't eat them alive. I prefer not to lather on the lotion and don't want to contract West Nile so choose to stay inside. UGH! I know they get in the house also, but take my chances. They are definitely pesky.

    Went to North Dakota a few years ago to visit my husbands family. I couldn't even walk from our trailer to the house without being dive bombed. The crazy bugs love me. There they are the size of small birds, really they are! (OK, slight exaggeration but not by much, they are huge!}

    Good luck with getting out of the house. At least you have a pool to enjoy.

  13. Put Adolf's meat tenderizer on those mosquito bites. It works wonders. Get the white, non-seasoned kind. Sprinkle on some water, sprinkle tenderizer on top and rub. It scratches it for you AND breaks down the protein from the mosquito of whatever was injected and takes the itch away. It's amazing. A doctor told my mom about it when we were little. We'd come in from playing outside and find all our bites and treat them and then go to bed. In the morning, we'd brush all the meat tenderizer out of our bed. 🙂

  14. Linny, thanks for this very honest and real post. I just had to say to my self, "oh! i know!! I know what you mean….." love learning about your times with your gang of cherubs.
    God bless you all

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