Spontaneity

What would you do if this guy suddenly showed up on your doorstep?

Two days before my mom's birthday I went to bed with a crazy thought: I should drive to Rigby tomorrow.  I decided to sleep on it.  It was crazy!  After all, Mom had just come to visit us!  (And gas is expensive.)

 But Sunday morning the thought was still there.  I shared it with my husband, and sweet man that he is, he said "You're taking Vander, right?"  When I assured him that was the case, he told me he would gladly hold down the fort (a.k.a. Tavi and Annalee) while I went.  He was off until Tuesday.  I went to Sacrament meeting and then Vander and I hit the road.

It's a 5 hour drive IF you don't stop.  Which is to say, if you don't have kids.  This was my first major trip with Vander--who is still rear-facing--without Annalee, who is my helper.  Since I'd decided to go last-minute I wasn't very prepared with toys and snacks.  But on the return trip I discovered that single-serve boxes of raisins are perfect to keep a little kid busy digging them out.  (And then I had to dig them out of the car seat at the end of the trip.)  Still, Vander was a trooper and I only had to stop a few times to pick sippy cups and toys up off the floor so we could continue.  I only had to take him out of his seat once.

We arrived at my parents' house just before 7:00 p.m.  I was really excited and a little bit nervous.  NO ONE knew I was coming--no one!  Nathan said, "Don't you want to at least tell your dad?"  "No," I said, "it won't matter.  They'll just do their normal thing anyway.  I want to surprise them."

So I hid the car behind the garage, tip-toed across the noisy, crunchy gravel, and set Vander on the front step with a bow on his head.  I knocked (which set off the dogs) and then hid against the side of the house.

Mom finally got past the barking dogs and cracked the door open.  Vander's and Mom's faces were mirror images of confusion.  Vander was thinking "What am I supposed to be doing here?" and Mom was thinking "...abandoned child...familiar...impossible...does not compute...."  Then I popped out and sang "Happy Birthday!" and the facial expression didn't change much.  She stuttered, "How?  When?  What are you doing here?  How long can you stay?  Did the others come?"  And then to Dad, "Did YOU know about this?!"  Eventually she got past the shock and was excited to see me.  (At last, the response I was looking for!)


It was a nice, relaxed visit.  When you're family you don't have to make big elaborate plans, just spend time together.  Monday night Steven came over after work and we watched the new Sherlock Holmes movie and had some cake.

 Here is the funny story on the cake.  Dad wanted to put "32?" on the cake.  This didn't make sense to Steven and I, so we made fun of him (sorry Dad!) and vetoed that.  So we put 53 on the cake.  Then Mom came out and said "Fifty-three, ha ha."  And we all stared at her blankly.  Turns out she is 54!

She was so excited to blow out the candles with Vander that she did it before we could sing.

So Steve lit them again.

Happy Birthday, Mom!