It was all going so well...

Dread:
The feeling that I had when I woke up this morning to no power and torrential rains...AGAIN.

It's our first day back to "normal".

Grammie's Vacation Club for Granddaughter's has closed for the season.

I know we're going to have a "detox" period. I know we're going to test mom's limits again. I know I'm going to have to get used to the noise level of LOUD once again. Knowing this, I decided last night as I lay in bed, that we needed distraction today. Daddy's working late tonight, which will make this day even longer. Last night our options were many...go to a park, go to a pool, stay home and play outside much of the day...This morning our options were gone.

I wanted to cry this morning, when faced with 12 hours of whining, fussing, picking, screaming, fighting, crying, and complaining.

I really didn't think my children wanted me to behave like that.

So I researched my indoor activity options. They were few. I decided on Kung Fu Panda, since, well, it really was my only option.

This was my first attempt at taking all three kids to a movie by myself. Before we've gone with friends, or daddy, or grammie. But I've never done it alone. Hoping that Austin would make it through the movie, we headed out.

I'm doing this! I thought, as I drove to the theatre, I finally scraped up the courage to tackle this by myself!

I was actually kind of excited as we arrived, We can do this!

We made it into the theatre, after a potty stop, and a popcorn stop, and found some good seats that gave us easy access to the exit, just in case. We got settled just in time for the lights to dim, and the previews to start. Soon the movie started, and to my delight, all three kids seemed happy and calm. After twenty minutes or so, Austin got a little more active, but was still manageable. After another twenty minutes he settled down again, and I was pretty sure we were home free for the rest of the movie. And then...

SCREEECH!

That's the imaginary sound I heard as the movie disappeared and the emergency lights went on. At first we stayed put, assuming they'd fix the technical difficulties and we'd get on with the show.

Or not.

25 minutes later we were back in the car with our "rain checks". Apparently there was a large power outage, and there was no telling how long the theatre would be closed.

Really.

Seriously!

I mean, what are the odds? My first attempt, and it was going so well!

So we're home again. Fighting and screaming and picking...

We may attempt "take two" tonight.

If I can muster up the courage!