Thursday, October 1, 2009

They're rethinking it, I know.

When I asked my parents to watch Leah and Ben while Aaron, Adam and I went to Chicago, they immediately said yes. Even though they were invited to a wedding in Bismarck the same weekend, they gamely said, "Oh, we can bring them along, it'll be no problem."

And we said, "Ooookay."

Here are the things my parents had to do while taking care of those two innocent children:

- taking Leah to school twice
- picking Leah up from school three times
- gymnastics for Ben
- Awana at church for both kids
- soccer practice for Leah
- meals
- putting them to bed
- changing Ben's diapers
- bathtime
-

Here's what they chose to do with those kids:

- drive 4 hours to Bismarck
- helped a friend pick apples and grapes (this turned into a full event - the kids did a good job washing grapes, evidently)
- stayed 2 nights at a motel
- took the kids to a wedding
- AND the reception (thanks to Auntie Jess, Uncle Dave, and cousin David for the extra entertainment!)
- AND the dance (which for them ended around 9:30pm)
- took them swimming in the hotel pool (including changing a poopy swim diaper...eeewwww.)
- drove another 4 hours back home

Clearly, these kind grandparents have lost their minds. With the last shreds of sanity, they said it all went well...except for that swim diaper fiasco, and the 1 1/2 hours between Jamestown and Casselton with Ben whined nonstop.

Another hopeful sign? They are contemplating telling Ben that he can't stay with Grandma and Grandpa again until he's in big boy undies.

And I say, go ahead.

5 comments:

Noel said...

Grandparents who watch kids so mom and dad can get away are cool....

Noel said...

Or maybe in more contemporary speak, "they rock".

Or in Jane Austen speak, "they are bearers of manifold bliss to both parents and their children."

Or in Polish to a circus elephant in the 1930s...wait that's Book Club tomorrow night. Better make sure the lemonade is secure....

Terri said...

Your parents are insane. My mom and dad won't take any of the grandkids with them unless they are potty trained. My parents don't do diapers. So that is how we got Bella potty trained will quick is a little bribery by nana and papa that if she potty trained she would get to ride in the big rig to Bismarck while mom went to Bismarck to get her to bring her back. She liked it so much now we can't get her out of the big rigs.

Hannah B said...

Don't you love grandparents? I am so thankful for my inlaws all the time, soemtimes though your like "what how do they have the energy to do that with them?" than I kindly remind my self they have probably had more than 2 months of uninterrupted sleep :)

Lyz said...

Hannah, I think you have it exactly right. I never realized how awesome grandparents have it until I had kids. Now I can't WAIT to be a grandma! Okay, that's an exaggeration. I can wait.

Sleep, sweet, sweet sleep!