Three Cheers for Father's Day - and other highly stressful events.

If I'm being honest about it, Father's Day always puts me in a funk.  It's not that I don't like fathers.  I do.  I have an awesome Dad and a pretty amazing father-in-law.  I also happen to really like our resident Father here at the Jones' home.  Yet, here I am, another Father's day has now come and past, and I am... once again...downright grumpy.

Now, near the beginning of the month, I actually get pretty pumped about Father's Day.  I go out and get the cards I want to send to everyone.  I start thinking up a plan, half-believing that this year is going to be 'the year' we have a perfect Father's Day.  I think up a gift or surprise, and of course, I start planning the breakfast and dinner.  It is all very intentional and thought-out.

Somehow, between the planning at the beginning of the month and the week leading up to the actual day, my life gets away from me.  Every year.  Then the things I have so carefully planned out becomes some crazy jumble and I get lucky to get half the things done, and the things that I do get done just put me in a rotten mood.  To top it off, a few days later, almost without fail, I come across those carefully picked out Father's Day cards I never get around to sending.  (Looking at them right now.)

Let's take this Father's day.  It was insane.  Now, I was pretty excited about this one, because I thought I was really editing out the extras crazy ideas and really just sticking with one solid, simple plan.  The kids and I decided to write a list of about six of Robert's favorite things, and then do them all.  (That's me, simplifying.)  Since some things cost money, we decided to start Father's day on Saturday.  It was pretty easy.  We would go Rob's favorite type of restaurant - Thai Food, for lunch.  Then get an ice-cream at 31 flavors.  Followed by a movie at the outside theater nearby.  In the morning we were going to do breakfast, walk around the neighborhood and go to church, ending with dinner and a night swim.

Pretty great idea, right?  Well, before we even got to Saturday, I was super stressed out.  Mostly since two weeks before, Rob was gone for a week trip.  The minute (not exaggerating) he got home he packed as fast as he could and ran out the door to Austin's 11 year old scout camp.   He was home Sat. night and Sunday, but out the door early Monday morning for a week long scout camp for the two boys.  He came home Saturday morning, tired and dirty.  But I had plans, didn't I?  So, the poor guy tried to be cheerful.  After a nap for him, we loaded up the kids and went to Thai.  The little boys were insane.  Jason had to go potty every two seconds.  Neither one of them like the food.  Emmett was already overtired.  It was a mess.  Literally.

The kids had made these Father's Day gifts for Rob:

This lovely candy bar card was made with love and a whole lot of fighting and arguing over the message.  :)

After that we skipped the ice-cream and opted for a quick juice and go the kids home to bed.  Rob got the big kids and went to the movies.  I cleaned up for the next day.  On Sunday, I was up early with the little boys, made breakfast and got the kids dressed up in their Father's Day outfits.  We got one pictures before the little boys decided it wasn't, if fact, picture time.  However...they still looked pretty cute.

That afternoon we got the kids all cute and off to church.  We got there and as soon as we got settled in and church got started, Jason leaned over and suddenly threw up all over the floor.  Robert whisked him to the bathroom where he hand washed Jason's shirt and got the child cleaned up.  I got the lovely job of scrubbing up the floor  (thank goodness for baby wipes!)  I was very happy we got there a little late and managed to be in the back of the church!  When it was all clean, I traded places with Rob and put Jason's shirt out to dry on a bush outside.  It is so dry and hot here that within 10 minutes, he shirt was nearly dry.  

As soon as I got Jason's shirt on, we heard the primary children singing their Father's day songs.  Jason was acting just fine (hyper but fine) and he wanted to sing so I walked him up to the front to join the kids.  Well, he was super excited and ran up to the steps, face-planting it just before he got there.  oops.  Instead of crying he got up and ran to the kids.  Then he ran past them to the benches behind the Bishop.  There, he started running, full speed back and forth behind everyone for the remainder of the songs.  When the kids came down, he refused to and I had to send Ethan up to chase him down.

As soon as we got him I took him out again to the hallway.  As I was talking to my friend, Jason took off full speed again, down the hallway.  I sped-walked after him, not super worried, until I turned the second corner and saw him still running back towards the entrance to the chapel.  I ran.  He ran faster and bust through the doors.  I got there in time to watch him run down the side aisle, cross the front and run, full tilt back down the second aisle and out the opposite door.  Pill!  I jammed back around the back of the building to catch him on the other side.  As soon as he saw me coming, he knew he was busted so before I could get there he ran back in and repeated his shenanigans going the opposite direction.  Little monster!  I was forced to return back to the other side to try to catch him again (I certainly wasn't going to go running through the chapel!)  When I got to the other side I was relieved to know that my little babysitter had caught the scoundrel and brought him over to Rob.  By the time I got back there, all red-faced and out of breath, I whispered to Rob, "Can you believe that kid!?"  His response was classic Rob, "What are you talking about?"  Yup.  He somehow missed all of that.  I think he had been busy watching the back of eyelids. 

We got through church, with only about 5 comments of, "Don''t worry...we've all been there." We got through dinner.  I got the kids to bed.  I managed a grumpy 'Happy Father's Day.' and rolled myself into bed.  Boom.  Another Father's Day fiasco.

******wow.  I just reread this little melodrama I wrote a couple of months ago.  I was tempted to erase and just put up the cute pictures of the day.  I mean, sheez!  What a whiner.  But, then I thought, why not?  Life is pretty messy.  Plus, I'll need to remember some of these experiences to bring up at choice times when my kids tell me how easy my job is.  :)  Just keeping it real for Father's Day.

Btw.  Rob's an awesome dad.  The kids love him.  I love him.  That had to be said.