Chaos

My house is quiet right now, althugh a certain dog tension lingers in the air. I have as guests four extra adults, four extra children (plus Jacob), and two extra dogs. My house is honestly not that big. The dogs are the big problem: Megan's dog, mostly mini poo, is docile, loving and goes with the flow. Sophie is out of her mind with excitement over people and dogs, wants to play with everyone and jump all over them (Megan made the mistake of sitting on the floor and was floored by Sophie jumping on her--I explained that if you're on the floor, you're fair game). Colin's new dog, Gracie (Sofia Grace when she's in trouble) is the big problem. A large German shepherd mix that had a litter when she was put in the shelter, growled, snapped and acted like she wanted to eat Sophie alive; pretty soon she decided Eddie was just as bad. So now, oh peace, she is crated, Sophie is fed and outside, and Eddie is wandering around.
Everyone has gone to the rodeo, and I pray it's a long one, so I can do some of the stuff I had in mind to do tonight, like write my thousand words and make a meatloaf to stick in the freezer. When they are here, much as I love them, they all talk at once, and I have to either yell over them to announce I have something to say or corner the one I need to talk to. But we had a few pleasant, fairly quiet moments in front of the fireplace.
I had all kinds of sandwich makings so they could snack--they ate chips and salsa, and a little bit of cheese ball. Only Colin ate a sandwich, so I foresee a lot of lunch meat in my future. The two grown girls, after dressing their children warmly, left for the rodeo  in clothes that were more cowgirl glitzy than warm--and it's cold tonight.
In spite of all that, I am of course delighted to have them home, sorry my youngest son and his family will only be here for the day tomorrow, heartbroken for Jordan who is still in bed with the flu and now feeling well enough to be bored out of her gourd. They are all lovely adults, as glad to see me as I am to see them, and the chldren are a delight. My oldest grandson is the one who greets me with big kisses, but he's also the one who cannot keep his hands off things--the pens on my desk would make great projectiles (I didn't ask what he intended to project), the paper clips fascinate him, an empty decorative jar has to be opened and closed several times. When I explained that my desk is strictly off limits, he said, "But there are so many interesting things with so many possibilities." I'm used to Jacob who sees a pen as something that requires a blank piece of paper (usually a discarded piece with typing on the other side). Tomorrow my two oldest granddaughters will arrive but for now Morgan is the only girl--she does a credible job of holding her own. They all want to be in and out of doors, and no amount of warning them Sophie will bolt does any good so now I look the doors and hide the keys. Sort of like a fortress.
No doubt, Jacob will want to spend the night with his cousins, and no doubt, since we're short on sleeping space, he'll end up in my bed. But I'll do that just to have as much of my family as possible under my roof. It's a delightful feeling to know when I go to sleep my children and grandchildren are nearby.
I confess in a weak moment I called Jordan and offered to trade her sickbed for my place, but I didn't really mean it. And she knew it. She's really tired of watching old movies.

"Tis the season--for the flu

Unfortunately it's flu season, and it's hit my family in spite of the flu shot. Jacob got the nasal mist--and then the flu, but he wasn't very sick. With a 103 temp, he felt fine and I had to say, "No, you can't go outside and play." Then daughter-in-law Lisa in Houston got it--a gift, she said, from one of her seventh graders. She was sick when I arrived for Christmas but still she had a mild case. Now Jordan has it, and she says even her teeth hurt. Poor thing. I wish I could do more for her. What I am doing is keeping Jacob overnight, since his dad has a big and early meeting in the morning.
When Jacob came home from his other gandparents on Monday, he hadn't seen his parents since Thursday morning. Yesterday, he told me he was going to be sick today because he hadn't gotten to cuddle with his mom the night before or that morning like he usually did. "I just can't wait any longer!" he exclaimed. She seemed better yesterday, and he got some cuddling, but then she fell apart during the night and spiked a 103 fever. He seems okay about staying here tonight, and I have promised him Betty and I would take him for spaghetti.
The timing is bad. The whole family arrives Friday for our annual rodeo weekend, and one contingent was to stay with Jordan. Still wondering what to do about that. We may have to put air mattresses and pallets all over my house. Elizabeth has settled herself in the guest house, with her furniture (she put mine in storage), so I don't think it's fair at this point to boot her out for the weekend. We'll work it out--we always do--and I'll do a massive grocery shopping tomorrow. But it seems life is always complicated.
Of course, I'd like to run hug and cuddle and comfort my child, but she's the one who reminded me I'm in the at-risk age group (gosh, that makes me feel good!). I might have serious complications from the flu. So even though I've had the shot, I keep my distance. But it's hard not to comfort  your child, even if she is grown.
Doesn't seem fair that those who have gotten the protection have gotten sick...and Christian, who hasn't gotten the shot, hasn't. He says he's going to but it may be like closing the barn door too late.
I'll be glad when spring comes.

Rodeo day

Today was a holiday, at least for me. Jacob had no school and was in a day-care play program all day. That meant I could do "stuff" in the morning--a haircut, a quick run through Central Market, and a stay at a mechanic's while I got a new headlight bulb. VW never makes such things easy, and it took almost an hour, but I'm legal again. This afternoon I could work at my desk cleaning up odds and ends--I keep thinking I'll do that and leap into editing the next book, but somehow more odds and ends appear. Took a late nap and flew out of bed to fix supper for two sons-in-law and three screaming young boys all of whom arrived at once. The excitement of being together got to the boys--two five-year-olds and a seven-year old, all of whom like to launch into long (and boring) stories. If we said it once, we said it a thousand times: "Don't rock in your chair," "Use indoor voices," "Eat your supper," etc. I am so thankful they've gone off to the rodeo and the house is peaceful and quiet. I'm going to start any minute on that manuscript. For the time being I've run out of odds and ends.
In fact, that's all there is to this blog. I"m off to work.

Let's rodeo!

I sent these serious gun-totin' cowboys off to the rodeo tonight. All my children (except for daughter-in-law Mel who has a class committment) are coming home this weekend--guess how happy that makes me! The Hudgeonses and Burtons wanted to take their boys to the rodeo tonight--so that's Ford on the left, then Jacob, and then Sawyer. Needless to say, they were excited--and of course they associate cowboys with guns. I had to tell Sawyer to put away a plastic machine gun, explaining it was NOT a cowboy gun and did not belong in the picture No need telling them yet that most cowboys couldn't hit the broad side of a barn if they tried.
When my children were little, it was some kind of coming of age mark when they were deemed old enough to go to the rodeo at night. I can remember taking the older two and leaving first Jamie and then Jamie and Jordan behind with babysitters. But finally they all got to go, and it was an annual ritual they loved. I did too back then, but now my sensibilities have become more acute or something--I really don't want to see the bull riding, for fear I'll see a catastrophe. And I don't much like calf roping, bronc riding--anything where man or beast can get hurt. Pretty sad for someone who has made t he American West her field of study. Megan said tonight, "I can tell you're not sad you're not going with us," and I agreed. After they left, I broiled a loin lamb chop, made a small salad, and had a quiet and happy dinner, knowing they'd be back later.
But I'm glad they thought the rodeo was important enough to come to town--first rodeo for all three boys--because it's part of our culture and history, a part of a world that I've embraced. Me, a Yankee? Maybe, some forty-five years ago but now I'm a Texan and I love all parts of the culture (okay not the politics).
Colin and his family will arrive later tonight, and Jamie and his girls will come in the morning. We'll do the exhibits and probably the Midway, though I may give out part way through all that. And then we'll have a family get-together tomorrow night. With the stock show in town--remember when it was called the Fat Stock Show?--and the Superbowl looming, I think going out would be foolish, but I've made no plans for supper. They'll have to decide--carry-out, a last minute trip to Central Market for  fajita meat, whatever. I have spent too much time planning meals my kids didn't eat, and I've learned my lesson.
But it's always a joyous weekend to me when they all come home. Meanwhile, I'll spend tonight reading more of the manuscript I'm critiquing--and waiting in anticipation for my children to come home. I did that for so many years, and now I'm back to it. Couldn't be happier.