Wednesday: It's difficult for me to write about this; but I do need to chronicle it since this "blog" is actually my personal journal that has been running since 2007. I can look back on seventeen years and be reminded of many happy times and some difficult ones too. I "go back in time" often on this little blog, just to replay the pictures and the faces of those memories.
Wednesdays are supposed to be designated (and are!) for my grandchildren--Brendan, Aidan, Erin, and Callaghan. It's also the only time in a week that I actually SEE Dylan and most often Kelly too. I love this family, these people, very much. All of the grandchildren are growing up so fast! I know that it is NOW or never to be a part of their lives; to enjoy them, to know them, to interact with them, to play and have fun.
Now that the Christmas holiday season has passed, the older three are back in school--so the "usual" plan is that I pick Cal up from preschool at noon, take him over here to eat lunch and play, and then return back to his house no later than 4:00 to get Aidan and Erin off their bus. We usually just hang out and play, eat after school snacks, etc. until Dylan and Kelly return home from their work days at about 5:30, and then eat dinner. I try to stay through dinner most of the time; but sometimes I leave shortly after the parents come home. In the winter months it gets dark so early and I don't enjoy night driving--my vision is less than optimal--which is one of the reasons I try to leave their house earlier.
During the holidays, I had all four kiddos (but only FOUR hours each Wednesday total) here at my house. We did fine for the most part but I really struggle with trying to give attention to four children at once. Little Cal generally wanders around and plays pretty well--except I lose track of him and we don't have much interaction. Brendan, too, is kind of off on his own. I don't have a television or video games. I have lots and lots of books and magazines; so Brendan usually finds something to read or explore in that way. Aidan and Erin usually demand my almost undivided attention--between doing art work and making books, to playing dress up with the little dolls, or making fake food with all of our toy kitchen stuff. That doesn't sound too stressful, but for some reason I have a difficult time listening to more than one person talk to me at once and trying to do justice to what they have requested. It's not my favorite thing, by any means--having all four children here at one time. BUT ... Wednesdays are MY days. Nanny Jen is "off" on this day and I need to be of help to Dylan and Kelly.
Anyway ... we had an unexpected snow day this Wednesday, which closed every single school (it seems) in Kent County. Once Grand Rapids Public closes, all other schools close in rapid succession. I listened to the forecast on TV8 and they were saying that mid-day (about noon-ish), it was supposed to begin snowing hard and blowing around, making visibility very low--maybe 1/2 mile. Plus, they were saying that with the extremely low temperature, salt was not clearing the ice from the roads. Yuck. I am not a good driver in slippery weather. Almost all of the car accidents I have been in during my lifetime have been in these very conditions.
Long story short--I declined having the kids today. And my heart was so sad about it. It put Dylan and Kelly in a difficult position and they had to really stretch to take care of the kids. Dylan had to stay and "work" from home, which is nearly impossible with all of the children there at home too.
So why didn't Dylan and Kelly just bring the kids to me? Well ... they only have one vehicle, to start with. Kelly had a full client day scheduled and needed the car. Dylan was stuck there at his house. I prayed a lot for them during the day and felt such sadness, and a longing to see them and be of more assistance.
While I am being truthful here, I do need to add that it would be very helpful (to me) if their driveway was kept shoveled so that this 70-year-old woman would not fear falling and breaking a hip. We have had a lot of snow and ice in the last week and it builds up quickly. I only have a small walkway and driveway--but I shovel it every day (several times) because I have fallen pretty hard in the past and ... ouch. I have "bad" hip joints as it is and used to type up surgical reports from people with hip replacement procedures. I do NOT want that to be in my future!
Please, Lord, help Dylan and Kelly to forgive me for letting them down this week. I love them so.
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