Just being the car with silence was a luxury I wouldn't have enjoyed if Jackson had been along for the ride. Katie watched two movies on the way there (thank God for portable DVD players), and I listened to past podcasts from our new church. It was so nice! We arrived at Susan's Friday night around 8:30. Katie and Susan's oldest daughter hit it off right away. They ran away and played for a while before bedtime. I got the tour of Susan's new house, which is amazingly gorgeous. It's even more amazing because she's spent the last eight years of her life in a tiny two-bedroom house. Y'all. Two bedrooms. With TWO kids and TWO adults. Doesn't take a genius to figure out what a tight fit that was. She deserves every square inch of this new house, and worked hard as a teacher to be able to afford it. I'm proud of her for making her dreams come true.
After we got the girls to bed, Susan and I stayed up and talked while her husband puttered in 
the basement. Saturday morning we took the three girls bowling for the first time, then lunch at (of course) McDonald's. Then Susan humored me and let me drive around to the two apartments that Dan and I lived in when we were in Kansas City. It was cool being able to show Katie where we spent our newlywed years. It was also a bit disconcerting to have part of my present life intermingled with my past life. You have to remember: my kids have never been to Georgia where I grew up. They've never been to Kansas City even. They know nothing about my previous life. Dan's life is a different story: they stay at Grandma and Poppy's house often - the same house Dan grew up in. They live in the same metro area that Dan was born and grew up in. So it's natural for him. For me, seeing the first apartment Dan and I shared was already enough of a shock to my system. And then propping my daughter up in front of it really hammered it home: my life is nothing like it used to be. The changes I have gone through since the last time I set foot there... wow. Let's change the subject.
the basement. Saturday morning we took the three girls bowling for the first time, then lunch at (of course) McDonald's. Then Susan humored me and let me drive around to the two apartments that Dan and I lived in when we were in Kansas City. It was cool being able to show Katie where we spent our newlywed years. It was also a bit disconcerting to have part of my present life intermingled with my past life. You have to remember: my kids have never been to Georgia where I grew up. They've never been to Kansas City even. They know nothing about my previous life. Dan's life is a different story: they stay at Grandma and Poppy's house often - the same house Dan grew up in. They live in the same metro area that Dan was born and grew up in. So it's natural for him. For me, seeing the first apartment Dan and I shared was already enough of a shock to my system. And then propping my daughter up in front of it really hammered it home: my life is nothing like it used to be. The changes I have gone through since the last time I set foot there... wow. Let's change the subject.
The rest of Saturday was spent back at Susan's house, hanging out while the girls colored and played and beaded bracelets. We ordered Chinese that night and shared a bottle of wine (the grown up girls, not the little ones, of course!). The girls got to take a bath in Susan's princess tub and went to bed a little early to make up for lost naps and Friday's late bedtime. Katie woke that night with another round of night terrors, so I brought her to my bed to sleep with me. Ugh. That was a horrible night of sleep!Sunday morning was leisurely, with spinach quiche and cinnamon rolls. Katie and I said our goodbyes and headed out of town. It was a good visit with Susan, and I enjoyed her new house and family.
On the way out of town, Katie and I stopped at one of my favorite stores in Kansas
City before driving to Columbia, MO. (Okay Angie & Cool Carol - don't get mad that I didn't stop to visit you. We were on a schedule!) First I took her by Faurot Field and then showed her my dorm and former sorority house. Then I took her to Dan's fraternity house, and took photos of her on the front steps. We drove through campus and I pointed out Jesse Hall, then I took Katie to see the Columns. I took a few great photos, then raced her across the Quad. She climbed on a column for another set of photos, then I helped her down and raced back to the car. She liked racing and when we got in the car she said, "Mizzou is fun, Mommy!" I agreed with her and told her Daddy and I had lots of fun at Mizzou too. And then it hit me. She has crossed into another part of my past by visiting my alma mater. I thought to myself, "God willing I'll be there when Jackson visits the first time too." And then my heart dared to hope: "My grandkids too." Wouldn't that be awesome?
Katie and I had lunch downtown, then hit the road and headed on home. She watched another movie and barely glanced at the beautiful scenery on the way home. I pointed out my favorite views to her (Rocheport!), but it didn't compare with Clifford's Big Movie. (Sidebar: have I mentioned how very glad I am that she's still so innocent and happy to watch Clifford and Curious George? I can feel Hannah Montana and High School Musical breathing down my neck, so I'm clinging to these last moments of innocence. My heart soared in the car when she started squealing, "Yay Clifford!" and clapping when Clifford did something great in his movie. She is pure. Thank you, God.)
We arrived back home and were greeted with hugs from our boys. My heart is full, and the four of us are back together. It's good to be home.
City before driving to Columbia, MO. (Okay Angie & Cool Carol - don't get mad that I didn't stop to visit you. We were on a schedule!) First I took her by Faurot Field and then showed her my dorm and former sorority house. Then I took her to Dan's fraternity house, and took photos of her on the front steps. We drove through campus and I pointed out Jesse Hall, then I took Katie to see the Columns. I took a few great photos, then raced her across the Quad. She climbed on a column for another set of photos, then I helped her down and raced back to the car. She liked racing and when we got in the car she said, "Mizzou is fun, Mommy!" I agreed with her and told her Daddy and I had lots of fun at Mizzou too. And then it hit me. She has crossed into another part of my past by visiting my alma mater. I thought to myself, "God willing I'll be there when Jackson visits the first time too." And then my heart dared to hope: "My grandkids too." Wouldn't that be awesome?Katie and I had lunch downtown, then hit the road and headed on home. She watched another movie and barely glanced at the beautiful scenery on the way home. I pointed out my favorite views to her (Rocheport!), but it didn't compare with Clifford's Big Movie. (Sidebar: have I mentioned how very glad I am that she's still so innocent and happy to watch Clifford and Curious George? I can feel Hannah Montana and High School Musical breathing down my neck, so I'm clinging to these last moments of innocence. My heart soared in the car when she started squealing, "Yay Clifford!" and clapping when Clifford did something great in his movie. She is pure. Thank you, God.)
We arrived back home and were greeted with hugs from our boys. My heart is full, and the four of us are back together. It's good to be home.
EDIT: Here's what Katie drew in school today about her weekend in Kansas City.
5 comments:
I enjoyed reading about your girls' weekend!
what a great trip! you can tell you both enjoyed it a lot.
So fun that you had a girls weekend. So funny that you mentioned the kids being surrounded by Dan's 'history' but none of yours. I feel exactly the same way. The kids don't see where I grew up, run into the people I went to high school with or where I had my first job, but for Jeff, it is all right here in front of us. Strange feeling to be so disconnected....
Sounds like you both had a great time! It's nice to get away and be just the girls once in a while. :)
Great travelogue! And I cannot believe that gasoline sign. We're still around $1.70 in Texas and hoping it will plummet!! ;)
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