Yes, it was a bit 'challenging' at times having 6 additional people staying with us for a full week, but it was also a lot of fun. Now that the kids are older (12 1/2, 14 1/2, and 18) I have a lot more enjoyable interaction with them. When they were younger and louder I wouldn't have been able to do it for a week.
They went to the beach almost every day which they really enjoyed. Aside from Sat night's dinner party on the porch, they went out to dinner every night and we joined them about 1/2 the time. Breakfasts and lunches were eaten here. They had a great time taking the ferry to and from Wildwood NJ, and shopping at the tax-free outlets near us. We had several nights of talking while 1/2 watching TV. It was all good.
I should have read the chapter (in the book of life's rules written entirely in my head) about not imagining things to be so bad before they actually are. I'm usually an optimistic person who expects everything will turn out fine in the end (DON'T call me Pollyanna), but for some reason, the thought of 6 family members staying with us for a week had me imagining the worst.
I imagined yelling and rough-housing at midnight when I'm trying to get to sleep because I have to work the next day, but that never happened.
I imagined resistance and whining with parents about stupid stuff in the next room while I'm conducting a client training session on the phone, but that never happened.
I imagined being eaten out of house and home by Amazon-like teenagers, but... well, 2 outta 3 ain't bad.
Crush du Jour: Varian Pierce
3 comments:
Sounds like it wasn't as bad as you thought it would be.
I'm something of a pessimist by nature. All goes back to my high school years, RIP Knobby Walsh. He used to tell us to hope for the best, expect the worst and take whatever comes.
Then of course there was Joe Palmer who also told us that numbers don't lie but figures do lie.
Yeah - I had some profound teachers.
Considering everything you did during their stay, I'd say you fared very well Mark. Glad you had a good time and the worst didn't catch up to you.
Congratulations on surviving the family onslaught. I'm glad it wasn't as bad as you had feared.
Post a Comment