Routine gone bad

"Ok,I'll be quiet"
"I'll be peace"
-Bill Murray in What About Bob ?

We all like our routines. Our quiet times. Especially small children and midlife farmwives. Recently our family has been going through a bit of turmoil. A few illnesses, two resulting in hospitalizations and a car accident with gratefully no injuries. But it doesn't take much for us weak human beings to feel out of sorts. It all came to a head today in a small resort home called Evenglow.

I took the two youngest members of my family to visit the oldest member of our family. The children have been out of their routine  for several days, which I thought they were dealing with beautifully until 4:06 pm this evening. The 6 year old got things rolling by asking me to color with her. "In a couple of minutes" I said "Just let me visit with Aunt Bernie a minute." Now on a normal day this child would have said "OK" and gone about her business. Not today.

She plopped herself down onto the floor, THREW her crayon (never has she done this) and began to cry. Before I could respond her brother one-upped her and TOSSED his coat up into the air knocking
over several framed photos. Again this is NOT normal behavior for this 3 yr old. None of the frames broke. Even so I felt a glare coming across my face. He laughed. His sister continued to cry. I felt bad for them both and for ME. No one was sleeping in their usual beds at the usual times. Meals were off schedule , the little ones parents were dealing with health issues in another town. Everone had reached a boiling point. Brillant scientist that I am it became clear it was time to leave. I hustled the kids out of there before they flushed the 92 year olds med down the toilet or something just as shocking. My aunt said she'd walk us to the door. A polite way of saying "time to go"

She walked us to the front door and as I hugged her goodbye the 3 year old broke from my grasp and went running towards the Christmas tree. I instictively grabbed his jacket and repositioned him to my side. He again laughed.  Game on. His sister was in a full blown arms -across -chest -pout. With a child on each side and a wobbly wheeled laundry cart in the middle (cheap piece of crap that stupid STUPID laundry cart) we almost made it to the door when my aunt yelled out IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY (well, one other resident and the receptionist)

"Donna, patience is a virtue !"

I smiled tensely, waived and got through the doors. tearing up I managed to get the little ones safely into the car . I then jammed the stupid STUPID laundry cart into the back of the car. I got in, buckled myself up and sat for a minute to compose myself.

Then the 6 year old cheerfully spoke "Yaya ? Can we visit Aunt Bernie again tomorrow ?"

Sure kid. Why not ?