My family have gone home, just left in fact. The house is eerily quiet and looks a bit like a war broke out, or some thieves ransacked the place in search of precious jewels and certainly didn’t find any. I’ve collapsed into my chair, wondering if I have any strength left to write this column. Having young children in your home at this age is somewhat like riding a roller coaster – exhilarating, lots of screaming, breathless maneuvers that leave your tummy a wee bit bothered, sharp turns and hanging upside down, completely joyous, and every now and then wishing you could get off.
This summer holiday visit was an impromptu idea and a delicious surprise. It consisted of non-stop meal preparations, kids running in and out followed by a chorus of adults shouting, “shut the door” and wondering if said command would ever sink in. It didn’t. The laundry pile never seemed to shrink, and a sign-up sheet was required for showers. The septic tank is probably in shock, and I hope isn’t organizing a revolt. There seemed to be more sand on the floor than at the beach. We had a crokinole tournament and played games that inevitably led to shrieks of laughter. I apparently will win no awards for my impression of a crocodile, despite my best effort. There were sometimes tears from scuffed knees and hurt feelings. They swam, had a surfing lesson on a cold foggy day, hiked to the beautiful white sands of Kejimkujik National Park Seaside on the Atlantic Ocean where the water is a refreshing 13°, went on a shark expedition into the North Atlantic and had the lucky experience of seeing a Great White, a story that will last the boys a lifetime. We ate poorly with all our favourites. We kept the ice cream cone scoopers in business. We couldn’t have a fire because Mother Nature is in a fragile dry state here, so the marshmallows will have to wait for another time.
Feet had to be aggressively scrubbed before bed each night in a pail of warm soapy water that only lasted for two or three sets of toes before requiring refreshing. Once all the bedtime snacks were consumed and teeth brushed with careless abandon, we turned in early as the start of the next day wasn’t far off.
I am bone weary. But more than that I am incredibly grateful to have had them all within arm’s reach, to smother them with hugs and I love yous. It was wonderful, every bit of it, that they came to my wee house and felt at home. Who knows what lies ahead for any of us so seizing the moment is always best choice. The tent has been disassembled and tucked away, the air mattresses deflated and rolled up. As I put away the extra chairs, and pack away the extra pillows and blankets, as I sort the towels and sheets into piles and start to find my balance and equilibrium after getting off the roller coaster ride, I can’t help but shout with arms over my head, with heart nearly bursting, saying… wanna go again.
wendistewart@live.ca
