I think that life is full of "moments" rather than of events or days. I can do all sorts of planning for a special day and then when the day comes, something comes along to unravel all my perfect planning. Shoes get lost, we oversleep and start late, tempers flare and I find myself gritting my teeth wondering if it is even worth the trouble.
However, over this past weekend, I did plan several BIG THINGS but the "Things Unplanned" almost got in the way. One of the things that almost blew it was an item that I purchased for myself and had not even used yet disappeared. I bought a mini cassette recorder with the intention of recording my story for the book I want to write since I keep getting stuck as I try to write. A friend suggested taping myself and then "transcribing" it as a way to get over the blocks. One one of my kids was even aware I had bought it and the other who was with when I did would not have any idea what it was. So, this narrowed down my list of plausible suspects to the two eldest children.
I was very upset by this. I needed to get it across to them that I take these breaches of security seriously and I was not going to just sit by and "take it". There was going to be a serious consequence for everyone if this item did not get found and returned to me by the end of the day. "Nobody" knew anything about it. Nobody knew where it could be and Nobody could find it. So, I said unless this tape recorder and the tapes were on my bed by the end of the day, Nobody was going to Duluth on Friday.
I had to remind them of this several times through out the day. I did not want to cancel the day trip. I was looking forward to it just as much as the kids were. It was my mini vacation as well. But a lesson needed to be learned and the consequence needed to be strict or they would not get it.
By the time I got home from work, the tape recorder was found and put on my bed. No one confessed to taking it but it was my daughter who found it. At that point, I decided I would let the guilty conscience work its magic. At some point, the guilty party is going to come clean.
We were able to enjoy a fantastic day in Duluth with my friend Beth and her two nephews. We packed a lot into just a few hours but all 6 children said it was one of their favorite days. For me, the moment I remember most was sitting on the beach, watching all 6 children running and splashing into the ice cold water and squealing with delight. I could feel the warm, soft sand under my feet. Then two of my boys came over and tried to bury my feet. It was splendid to just be there and for a brief time, not think about anything else in my life but that time with my children. Later on, we moved up the shore to the "rock beach" as we call it and I sat on a rock, looked out across Lake Superior and said to Beth, "We live in a great state." I love Minnesota.
