I've been offline for a couple of weeks. A couple days after Christmas, I stepped on a plane and flew to Minnesota. That's right. I went to Minneapolis. In December. Crazy, but there you go.
I didn't just go because I wanted to experience negative eight degree wind chills. I went because my son and his wife bought a new house and needed a little help with the move. They were completely packed up. That's not what needed helping. Where they needed another set of hands was managing my lovely grands. A three year old boy, two year old girl and 9 month old baby boy. On moving day, kids that young can make anything challenging.
So, I showed up a couple days in advance, trying to avoid jetlag. The first morning I was conscious, there were movers and the kids went off to close on the house. They took the baby so I kept the older two kids and kept an eagle eye on the guys loading the trucks.
Because the day needed more excitement, both boys started throwing up and my lovely granddaughter got diarrhea. Ahh, perfection. Nothing makes a stressful day more stressful than sick kids. Luckily it was some kind of stomach flu that was there and gone within 48 hrs. It appeared more stressful on the parents and Grandee than the kids.
Their new house is large, new and very conveniently located. It's just west of town and it looks out over farmland.
This is the view from the back deck. The sun rises there and you can watch it from the kitchen/family room. Bucolic.
The only times I've been to Minnesota to visit, it has been really cold. Fall and Winter timeframes. I have decided that my next visit will be in the Spring or Summer. I want to see the lovely cool weather that everyone brags about. And, I definitely don't want to experience any more 'single digit' weather.
Hopefully, having Grandee there made the move a little less hectic. I'd like to think I made things easier, but you never know what kind of houseguest you are, right? I think the only real way to judge is whether or not they ever ask me again. But I won't hold my breath.
--Sandee Wagner
I didn't just go because I wanted to experience negative eight degree wind chills. I went because my son and his wife bought a new house and needed a little help with the move. They were completely packed up. That's not what needed helping. Where they needed another set of hands was managing my lovely grands. A three year old boy, two year old girl and 9 month old baby boy. On moving day, kids that young can make anything challenging.
So, I showed up a couple days in advance, trying to avoid jetlag. The first morning I was conscious, there were movers and the kids went off to close on the house. They took the baby so I kept the older two kids and kept an eagle eye on the guys loading the trucks.
Because the day needed more excitement, both boys started throwing up and my lovely granddaughter got diarrhea. Ahh, perfection. Nothing makes a stressful day more stressful than sick kids. Luckily it was some kind of stomach flu that was there and gone within 48 hrs. It appeared more stressful on the parents and Grandee than the kids.
Their new house is large, new and very conveniently located. It's just west of town and it looks out over farmland.
The only times I've been to Minnesota to visit, it has been really cold. Fall and Winter timeframes. I have decided that my next visit will be in the Spring or Summer. I want to see the lovely cool weather that everyone brags about. And, I definitely don't want to experience any more 'single digit' weather.
Hopefully, having Grandee there made the move a little less hectic. I'd like to think I made things easier, but you never know what kind of houseguest you are, right? I think the only real way to judge is whether or not they ever ask me again. But I won't hold my breath.
--Sandee Wagner
