Friday, February 20, 2009

How Did This Happen?


What a week we've had. Troy was in New Orleans for a conference for most of the week, so I did my best at single parenting. (And now three of the four of us could use a little therapy.) Troy's hotel was on the corner of Canal and Bourbon Streets, the two streets in New Orleans I've actually heard of. And it was Mardi Gras this week. You'd think that would be fun, right? Crazy. I think Troy was a little put off by the whole thing, especially the lovely "Hollywood Hustler" club that was right below his window. I think he did have a good time though - he really tried to take advantage of the chance to partake of the local cuisine. Beans and rice, crab cakes, jambalaya, shrimp.... wish I could have been with him. It would have been really fun. By the way, I would like to know why it is that all things nasty happen while Troy is away. Last time he was gone it was the pink donut episode. This time? More barfing, colds, backed up toilets and tubs...it all seems to hit during his absence. But we survived. Just barely. (Did I mention therapy?)

The kids had both Monday and Tuesday off so I was scrambling to find stuff to do. I think it was on Monday that some friends came over in the morning, children in tow, and the usual happened. Every single bucket of small colorful plastic items got dumped out. Now, I wouldn't have it any other way, of course. I want the kids to have a good time and enjoy the toys we have. I'm so grateful that we have toys to play with at all. But I did have to ask myself how on EARTH we ended up with toys up to our eyeballs. When Stomper was little we used to go to someone's house and I'd be sort of aghast at the toy levels, and here we are, worst of all! The thing is, I really love our collection of toys - we've tried hard to collect fun and interesting things. But the process of picking them all up one by one really emphasizes the overwhelming number and it's a little embarrassing. And after everyone left my brother Peter called to say he was in town, and he and his wife and cutie pie daughter came over for dinner, along with my sister Margaret, two of her three girls plus a friend came too. Yes. You guessed it. Every bucket of small colorful plastic items got dumped out. And I sorted them all out again. I felt again the enormity of overload. I guess I'll just keep on being grateful that we have toys to play with.

4 comments:

ghd3 said...

I couldn't help but notice you use the word "sorted" in reference to putting the toys away. There's the challenge; in these parts, we just "put them away" (i.e. up on shelves or in bins), but I can't say there's much rhyme, reason, or "sorting" going on. :)

Windybrook Spinner said...

Yes, I'm sure you sorted them all. I do that too, so I can't laugh at you too much. An absent husband is definitely a huge trial, epecially when they are at Marti Gras and you are at home with two children. How unfair is that?

Rachel said...

Yes, I've obviously incriminated myself and let everyone know that I'm a toy sorter. It's totally crazy. But worth the effort to stave off the frustration when the kids can't find something they want. And I do make them help, by the way.

Keersten said...

I like to think I do easy sorting, but I have had a comment or two from visiting friends. yogurt. Sorry you had such a lousy one! Also, I have to say that I also love LOVE ganache. Have you ever whipped it for a cake filling...mmm, heaven.