as if time stood still

As I pulled into the driveway on Friday evening it was as though time stood still. Everything was where we left it. The house was standing still, majestically, on top of her hill. (Note to self: Must have that front door repainted to change color ASAP!)

Inside my magazines were just as I left them. Alexander's stuffed animal sat on the couch waiting for him and looked as though he had been saying "Where the heck have you guys been?" There was an empty glass in the kitchen sink and a pair of bright green Crocs waiting by the sliding doors to go outside. A box of mismatched markers and paper remained on top of the kitchen table. I thought I had asked Rebecca to put them away. The house was warm, muggy almost dank but the hum from below let me know that the air had been put on and I could feel that it was working. It would take a while to cool the house. Upstairs all the beds were made. Certain stuffed animals noticeably missing from their regular perches, but that was because they were with us.

Yesterday was our first non-vacation day in as long as I can remember! I did some laundry and unpacked 2 suitcases (saving 2 for today!) Before we left Maine I called our local grocery delivery service and placed a good sized order. The idea of returning home and have to shop for food (with children in tow) was just too much to handle! At 8:30 the front doorbell rang and soon enough our fridge and cupboards would be replenished.

The day's main project was spent looking for an inflatable swimming pool. Whoodathunk that in the middle of July such a thing would be impossible to find? I spent nearly 3 hours and a half of a tank of gas in search for a swimming pool for our back yard. I shopped 2 Targets, a Wal*Mart, a Toys'R'Us, Sears and KMart. To no avail. I felt badly for the kids. I should have picked one up in the spring. But I didn't. It was hot out. I was crabby. The kids were crabby. Alexander had a stomach ache. The kids were hungry. I was hungry. We left the last store defeated, tails between our legs. I assured the kids I would find something online and would look as soon as we got back home.

We pulled up to the house, the John Deere in front of the 3rd garage bay, to find Daddy excited about something. Come quick and see! In the garage, in an old plastic tub sitting under an old window screen was a toad. A real live ribbitting toad! Daddy thought we should keep it as a pet. (Asked my permission first.) Well of course. As a city girl I never got to dig for toads in my backyard. Almost immediately Daddy and the boys took off to buy the toad a home and I set off inside looking for inflatable pools and water slides. ( I still have not given up on that!)

About a half hour later Daddy returned with a huge glass terrarium, some dirt, a little toad pool, some crickets (Toad's lunch!) and a cricket container. Our free toad just cost nearly $70 to house and feed! Christopher and his father started to set up Toad's House. Alexander suddenly was not feeling well and curled up on the couch in the family room. He wanted to watch some Blue's Clues. Couch and television are both so uncharacteristic of him. Uh Oh! He slept on and off for the rest of the day only to wake late afternoon burning up.

Today he seems better. He has been up since 5:00 (ugh!) and requested Gingerale and pretzels. He is now playing on the floor as I type. He seems OK. Could be the Motrin he had at 5:00. We'll see later. I still have my suitcase to unpack as well as Christopher's. I have more laundry to wash and fold and put away. I have health records to copy and deliver to the school. Alexander will accompany me there and we will take a little peek into his preschool classroom. I will have to entertain the kids and pick up another batch of lettuce. We'll go to our local farm and buy some fresh tomatoes. Don will mow the front lawn and set up the pool. Someone will take Rebecca to her skating lesson... and life will continue on as we left it.