There’s nothing like a mini holiday to get one’s mind off the “selfish mommy to-do list.”
Two friends invited my son, daughter and me along with 30 other close friends to join them in a three-day celebration of their 50th birthdays at a lodge in the picturesque resort town of Whistler. Pure Heaven. I will write more about this wonderful occasion soon however I simply must tease you with this photo.
Anywho, back to the list. When the three of us got back from Whistler we arrived home in a filthy car. The kind of car that is an embarrassment to drive.Truly. I’d show you a photo however the only one I took has a full frontal of the license plate! Probably not the smartest thing to post to the world.
So, I’m asking you to imagine it. Imagine a black car streaked with mud, dust and grime. Now picture a dead tired lad who has just finished 90 minutes of swim practise. My job is to get the two together.
I’m sorry but I’m not doing this job by myself. Selfish mommy is baaaaack!
It was a rough beginning.
Somebody would rather be inside resting. Someone else was not as patient as she could be. The verbal exchange between the two of us was not as pleasant as it could have been.It was also hot. The water evaporated the minute it touched the car, it seemed. This wasn’t helped by the fact that the hose kept kinking causing the flow to suddenly shut down to a trickle. Finally the endless impatient comments from my assistant led me to go on hose patrol. I dropped the cloth and monitored the hose. Success!
Suddenly we were working together as a team. He washed one side, I washed the other. We began to critique each other’s work. I got the low bits he found hard to see while he wiped the high bits well out of my reach. Slowly, our dust bucket began to shine.
So did we. Just as the long forgotten scratches on the passenger side re-emerged, so did our humour and our kindness. Amazing what a simple shared task can achieve.
I’m fully aware that I’ll be doing this job by myself this Fall.
If I’m feeling blue, remind me to remember today. The sunshine, the laughter and the love.
8 Responses
Nothing like a little hose play to lighten the mood. Love the photos,too!
Indeed Wend. Now on to the next task – trying to decide if it should be an indoor one or an outdoor one. Bring on the rain – that’ll help us decide!
tears to my eyes, precious mamma, the memories are indelible, bless, it will have given the sturdy young man a good story to share with his mates… and it still amazes me that my son’s friends hear my stories from him, sigh.. Sharing goes round and round
Love that your son has a wealth of stories too – and that he tells them to his pals! Yes, may the sharing go round and round for a lonnggg time!
I can see that collaboration. What I like a whole lot is that right NOW you’re aware of how you’d jump like an eager frog to be that unkinker (now that’s a what now title) in a month or two when he’s off at college.
Cannot wait for your Whistler post!
Yes – the “unkinker!” Love it. Thanks Susan. I shall get to work on the Whistler piece.
The Fall will bring lots of changes for you! I’m glad you had this great trip to Whistler. Can’t wait to see pictures!! As far as the kinking hose goes, I just got a couple of those “Pocket Hoses” that shrink up to fit in your hand when they are empty. I saw the commercials and thought they were too good to be true but they really work!! Has changed my life!! No unkinking for me!!
Pocket Hoses? What an amazing concept. Thank you Mo. I’ll check ’em out. Backyard garden steps currently a great threat due to jumbled mass of hose…