The older you get, the easier it is to recognize that you are pushing too hard to make something happen. And that is where we find ourselves this week.
Our lives were getting back to "normal" (whatever that is). Our daughter and her two sons (ages 4 and 2) had been staying with us. She had sold her home, and had made arrangements to rent a duplex near us. The landlord had said it would take a month or two to get the unit ready to rent. It just made sense that our daughter and the boys should move in with us. Well, two months turned into nine. The boys were thrilled. As Sam Levinson once said, "The simplest toy ever invented, one even the smallest child can operate, is called a grandparent." After about six months, the adults, however, looking forward to having some space to themselves. But, I digress. The kids moved into their own place last week, and we are working at getting back into our normal routines.
Kim has been working hard to fix the leaks, and replace the wall areas that had signs of wood rot. He is making progress. His expectation was to get the bedroom fixed, replace the carpet, put the bed, the dresser and cabinets back in. We would head south for a few months, and then come back and he would tackle the living room slide. My expectation was that it would all be done before we left. I was disappointed, but trying to be understanding. We had rescheduled trips to the Wine Ridge RV resort in Pahrump, NV and the River Lodge Resort in Parker Dam,CA four times. I had planned various routes and stops, depending on travel dates, more than a few times. We were both looking forward to getting out of the rain in the PNW.
Then, as they say, $hit happens. Kim wasn't as far along with the repairs as he had hoped. We got a fabulous quote for removal of a huge tree in our yard that has needed to come down for a few years as long as the work was done within 60 days. We have windows that needed replacing. Dental work that needs doing. But the thing that made us really rethink our plans was that the daycare center that the grandsons go to is closing in less than a month. It is a scramble to find decent day care at any time, but in the middle of the school year, it is almost impossible. We just didn't feel we could leave until other arrangements had been made for the boys' daycare.
So for many reasons, we have chosen to change our plans again. I knew it was the right thing to do because both Kim and I immediately felt a sense of relief. So much to do....so much more time. It's a good thing. It will be even a better thing if we have warmer weather and reduced rain here in the Seattle area!
