I could go on and on and relay in minute detail my trip to the in-laws’, but truthfully, there isn’t as much material there as I had hoped/feared. It was a lovely visit, under the circumstances. I will try and sum up, though. That will probably be plenty wordy for an entry.
We got away late on the trip down, partly because of the freezing rain, and partly because John just didn’t want to get his ass out of bed. I can’t really blame him, but come on. That put us at Gary’s place past midnight, where we spent the night, with less than two hours left to the farm.
Wee boy slept for twenty minutes before we finished running the last minute errands at home, but otherwise slept not a wink for the whole 10 hour trip. I’d hoped for an easy trip but both hubby and I were suitably impressed. On top of that, he was the most pleasant passenger in the vehicle. Not that any of us were particularly unpleasant, but he’s just so darn cute.
We hung out at Gary’s most of the day before heading down to mom and dad’s, so wee boy got a good break from the traveling and got to play with Gary’s little boy, who is 14 months or so. We arrived at the farm in the early evening after stopping to have supper and then a quick coffee with an old (female) friend of John’s.
I also have to comment on the wonder that is my son adapting so well to the varied sleeping arrangements throughout the trip. He slept like a log, for the most part. The car seat was a little tougher for him, but with his blankets and pillow from home, he had no problems elsewhere.
Once we’d arrived, there followed much visiting with various members of John’s family, in a multitude of combinations over the ensuing days. Plenty of the family had arrived for grandma’s funeral from out of town, and wee boy was introduced to a steady procession of relatives he’d never met and probably wouldn’t see again for quite some time. All of his aunties and uncles (some 16 or so) loved him to bits and he was at the height of congeniality for the duration of the trip, even when he came down with the sniffles the day of the funeral. A shot of Tylenol and a short nap fixed him right up, and he was back to being the life of the party.
I relaxed around the house most of Monday with wee boy while the rest of the family shopped and scurried around doing last-minute stuff, and then in the evening received condolences at the church. While everyone was off and about, I picked up around the house, did dishes, stuff like that. John had to buy Jr.’s clothes, but managed to scrounge enough out of his dad’s closet to get by on – shoes included. Wee boy and I spent a few hours exploring outside, where the temperatures reached a balmy 18C… only, with a cold wind, so you didn’t much notice. He was thrilled, however, having been less than impressed with the weather around home. He doesn’t even ask to go outside here anymore.
A minister visited the house that day and several more family members dropped by. I kept busy in the basement with the kids, mostly. I would have enjoyed listening to his tales of other countries, as seen during his work as a missionary, but less for the religious aspect of it all. These people are heavy on the worship. I noticed, several times throughout the few days that we were there, that many members of the family spent their leisure time discussing God, Jesus, or the Bible.
Despite the way it sounds, most of the family is pretty relaxed and non-judgemental. The oldest generations are the most uptight, of course, but even so everyone is outwardly warm and well-meaning. Mom and dad are much more relaxed, and most of John’s brothers and sisters are pretty tolerant – some are less proper than the others. The youngest son’s wife has a gay brother (gasp!). I never did get any dirt on what the family thinks about that, because I didn’t find that out until we got on the road back home. John couldn’t believe that mom had let her wear those tight, tight jeans into the house.
And he said he was very proud that I was one of the very few girls out of all of his sisters and sisters-in-law that didn’t change into pants when we got home from the funeral. I was mostly just comfortable, but I knew it would show some respect for the elders in the family, so I was pleased that he noticed, and even more pleased that he was pleased.
The funeral itself, Tuesday morning, was very nice. There was plenty of prayer, and beseeching of the Lord to save our pathetic sinning souls; but as far as religious services go, it was lovely. Mom had found a simple hat for me and so my heathen ass blended in well. I was a tad concerned that my hair was too long and too pretty and too tempting, or something, but it passed muster with the oldest generation even though I didn’t tie it back, and I later fielded a ton of compliments and even some light petting. *blush*
Wee boy was an absolute darling, staying quiet for the whole service, as well as in his auntie’s arms at the graveside, which blew me away until I discovered afterwards that he was running that fever. Still, he could just as easily been a nightmare because of it, so I was understandably very proud of him. He had his Hot Wheels and a baggie of Cheerios, so he was pretty content.
After the service and the brief luncheon (where, as at all formal meals, grace took about five minutes), we stopped again for a quick visit with another one of John’s old girl friends. He’d seen her and her husband earlier the day before for a coffee, when he was shopping with Jr., but she really wanted to meet wee boy. I hadn’t seen her for a while either, so it was good to visit with her again. It’s too bad we didn’t have a little more time, but we had to get going for dinner and family pictures at the farm.
Altogether, dad said there were thirty adults and about fifteen kids at the house that night. Wee boy had mastered the stairs to the playroom in the basement and was going about his business playing and mingling, doling out the love and being a little doll, albeit one with a faucet for a nose. He required so little looking after compared to the rest of the kids, and they hardly required any themselves, really, outside of a few mediated sibling spats.
After dinner, we took many many pictures since, finally, all of the grandchildren were all in one place. It’s always a big production with lots of singing and cheering to get the kids smiling, and wee boy got right into that, shrieking ‘HOORAAAYYY’ and clapping his hands continuously for nearly half an hour while everyone took their turns sitting for pictures. We even got one of our own little family, so I hope they turn out well enough to distribute if we choose. It’s a real bitch trying to arrange to have it done any other time.
Once pictures were over, I changed clothes and packed up, which itself took very little time if you don’t count the odds and ends I forgot and had to assimilate back in somewhere. Saying goodbye to everyone was the true ordeal in getting back on the road, but we finally managed to get out by 9pm in order to head back up to Gary’s for the night. He hitched a ride back home with us the next day.
Wee boy was considerably less impressed with the trip back, but he slept more, and was still awesome until about two hours from home, when he decided to set his heart on seeing my mother, and then promptly became inconsolable when no grandma could be produced. He was rescued from this funk quite accidentally, when he pulled his finger out of his soupy nose and batted at my face with it. My reaction cued the beginning of the “Yuk! Boogers!” Game, which continued for most of the rest of the drive. Jr. gamely played along.
John and I got on just peachy throughout, for the most part, although there’s enough left to be said there that it needs its own entry. You’ll all be happy to know that we made mad passionate love on Tuesday night, at least. I’m not sure if it was because of the skirt, or what.
All in all, we had a wonderful time with the family, and wee boy and Jr. got lots of special attention. I got to spend some quality time with John’s parents and family without him, too, and I remembered how much I really do like them all. It’s a shame we don’t live at least a teeeeensy bit closer together. John may have his issues with his family, and I don’t appreciate some of the things John’s had to deal with because of them, but they’ve always treated me well and accepted me as one of their own. It’s the religion that’s caused friction with me in the past, not the family.
The only downside to the whole journey is the 211 bones we’ll have to shell out for the speeding ticket we got halfway home. Happy Birthday, honey!
We got away late on the trip down, partly because of the freezing rain, and partly because John just didn’t want to get his ass out of bed. I can’t really blame him, but come on. That put us at Gary’s place past midnight, where we spent the night, with less than two hours left to the farm.
Wee boy slept for twenty minutes before we finished running the last minute errands at home, but otherwise slept not a wink for the whole 10 hour trip. I’d hoped for an easy trip but both hubby and I were suitably impressed. On top of that, he was the most pleasant passenger in the vehicle. Not that any of us were particularly unpleasant, but he’s just so darn cute.
We hung out at Gary’s most of the day before heading down to mom and dad’s, so wee boy got a good break from the traveling and got to play with Gary’s little boy, who is 14 months or so. We arrived at the farm in the early evening after stopping to have supper and then a quick coffee with an old (female) friend of John’s.
I also have to comment on the wonder that is my son adapting so well to the varied sleeping arrangements throughout the trip. He slept like a log, for the most part. The car seat was a little tougher for him, but with his blankets and pillow from home, he had no problems elsewhere.
Once we’d arrived, there followed much visiting with various members of John’s family, in a multitude of combinations over the ensuing days. Plenty of the family had arrived for grandma’s funeral from out of town, and wee boy was introduced to a steady procession of relatives he’d never met and probably wouldn’t see again for quite some time. All of his aunties and uncles (some 16 or so) loved him to bits and he was at the height of congeniality for the duration of the trip, even when he came down with the sniffles the day of the funeral. A shot of Tylenol and a short nap fixed him right up, and he was back to being the life of the party.
I relaxed around the house most of Monday with wee boy while the rest of the family shopped and scurried around doing last-minute stuff, and then in the evening received condolences at the church. While everyone was off and about, I picked up around the house, did dishes, stuff like that. John had to buy Jr.’s clothes, but managed to scrounge enough out of his dad’s closet to get by on – shoes included. Wee boy and I spent a few hours exploring outside, where the temperatures reached a balmy 18C… only, with a cold wind, so you didn’t much notice. He was thrilled, however, having been less than impressed with the weather around home. He doesn’t even ask to go outside here anymore.
A minister visited the house that day and several more family members dropped by. I kept busy in the basement with the kids, mostly. I would have enjoyed listening to his tales of other countries, as seen during his work as a missionary, but less for the religious aspect of it all. These people are heavy on the worship. I noticed, several times throughout the few days that we were there, that many members of the family spent their leisure time discussing God, Jesus, or the Bible.
Despite the way it sounds, most of the family is pretty relaxed and non-judgemental. The oldest generations are the most uptight, of course, but even so everyone is outwardly warm and well-meaning. Mom and dad are much more relaxed, and most of John’s brothers and sisters are pretty tolerant – some are less proper than the others. The youngest son’s wife has a gay brother (gasp!). I never did get any dirt on what the family thinks about that, because I didn’t find that out until we got on the road back home. John couldn’t believe that mom had let her wear those tight, tight jeans into the house.
And he said he was very proud that I was one of the very few girls out of all of his sisters and sisters-in-law that didn’t change into pants when we got home from the funeral. I was mostly just comfortable, but I knew it would show some respect for the elders in the family, so I was pleased that he noticed, and even more pleased that he was pleased.
The funeral itself, Tuesday morning, was very nice. There was plenty of prayer, and beseeching of the Lord to save our pathetic sinning souls; but as far as religious services go, it was lovely. Mom had found a simple hat for me and so my heathen ass blended in well. I was a tad concerned that my hair was too long and too pretty and too tempting, or something, but it passed muster with the oldest generation even though I didn’t tie it back, and I later fielded a ton of compliments and even some light petting. *blush*
Wee boy was an absolute darling, staying quiet for the whole service, as well as in his auntie’s arms at the graveside, which blew me away until I discovered afterwards that he was running that fever. Still, he could just as easily been a nightmare because of it, so I was understandably very proud of him. He had his Hot Wheels and a baggie of Cheerios, so he was pretty content.
After the service and the brief luncheon (where, as at all formal meals, grace took about five minutes), we stopped again for a quick visit with another one of John’s old girl friends. He’d seen her and her husband earlier the day before for a coffee, when he was shopping with Jr., but she really wanted to meet wee boy. I hadn’t seen her for a while either, so it was good to visit with her again. It’s too bad we didn’t have a little more time, but we had to get going for dinner and family pictures at the farm.
Altogether, dad said there were thirty adults and about fifteen kids at the house that night. Wee boy had mastered the stairs to the playroom in the basement and was going about his business playing and mingling, doling out the love and being a little doll, albeit one with a faucet for a nose. He required so little looking after compared to the rest of the kids, and they hardly required any themselves, really, outside of a few mediated sibling spats.
After dinner, we took many many pictures since, finally, all of the grandchildren were all in one place. It’s always a big production with lots of singing and cheering to get the kids smiling, and wee boy got right into that, shrieking ‘HOORAAAYYY’ and clapping his hands continuously for nearly half an hour while everyone took their turns sitting for pictures. We even got one of our own little family, so I hope they turn out well enough to distribute if we choose. It’s a real bitch trying to arrange to have it done any other time.
Once pictures were over, I changed clothes and packed up, which itself took very little time if you don’t count the odds and ends I forgot and had to assimilate back in somewhere. Saying goodbye to everyone was the true ordeal in getting back on the road, but we finally managed to get out by 9pm in order to head back up to Gary’s for the night. He hitched a ride back home with us the next day.
Wee boy was considerably less impressed with the trip back, but he slept more, and was still awesome until about two hours from home, when he decided to set his heart on seeing my mother, and then promptly became inconsolable when no grandma could be produced. He was rescued from this funk quite accidentally, when he pulled his finger out of his soupy nose and batted at my face with it. My reaction cued the beginning of the “Yuk! Boogers!” Game, which continued for most of the rest of the drive. Jr. gamely played along.
John and I got on just peachy throughout, for the most part, although there’s enough left to be said there that it needs its own entry. You’ll all be happy to know that we made mad passionate love on Tuesday night, at least. I’m not sure if it was because of the skirt, or what.
All in all, we had a wonderful time with the family, and wee boy and Jr. got lots of special attention. I got to spend some quality time with John’s parents and family without him, too, and I remembered how much I really do like them all. It’s a shame we don’t live at least a teeeeensy bit closer together. John may have his issues with his family, and I don’t appreciate some of the things John’s had to deal with because of them, but they’ve always treated me well and accepted me as one of their own. It’s the religion that’s caused friction with me in the past, not the family.
The only downside to the whole journey is the 211 bones we’ll have to shell out for the speeding ticket we got halfway home. Happy Birthday, honey!
posted by Barton at 3:34 AM
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