Mom, I'm fine

My mom called a couple days ago, very concerned. She read my post about vacation.

"Are you OK?" she asked, blowing out air with her words, making her voice all breathy and serious.

I am unequivocally becoming my mother as I age, a fact rendered every time I bend over to pick up a kid's toy. We bend over like jack knives, absolutely no movement in the knees, it's like a high dive into the carpet.

We share other characteristics too; cushiony middles (but Zo says we make the best pillows), small noses, a thin line for a top lip, the ability to talk to just about anyone anywhere and intense mood swings (my teen years were, um... fun.)

Mostly, I'm fine with becoming my mom. I like her. Well, I guess the days I try to burrow under my bed in an effort to ignore the world is not exactly fantastic.

So while appreciating my tongue in cheek verbiage about our vacation last week in my post, she also knows when I'm reaching a low point.

It's true, last week was a low point.

I am actually an introvert, so a full week living with 150 of my closest family members can tucker me out.

But I rested and prayed and watched a whole season of Everwood on Netflix.

And this week I'm better.

Honest, mom. Don't worry.

Feeling the need to vacate after vacation

I woke up this morning angry, jealous and up five pounds from our vacation week. Clothes are strewn all over the house, a bra on the stairs, sweaters and long pants from the cabin are still in our large red suitcase by the front door. I stubbed my toe twice. There is something sticky on the kitchen floor.

My allergies are crazy. I sneeze my head off which makes me sweat, which makes my pants feel tight and I remember that they aren’t tight because of sneezing and sweat but because I am up five pounds because I slurped down pop last week up north like I was drinking beer at a frat party. The insides of my ears itch.

And I couldn’t find my hairspray this morning so my hair is flat.

Hmph.

All I really want to do is sit quietly and still in a cool room, say 74 degrees. I want to sip coffee and let my mind wander. Think what I want to think, push away thoughts about church stuff and my moms group and the memoir I’m working on and the fact that I haven’t made an effort to potty train my four and a half year old yet.

Here are a few things I learned last week on vacation:

1) to some, beer really is a food group
2) Sharing a cabin on a lake with sixteen family members is um, tight, but fun
3) Vacation isn’t vacation for people who have children
4) Although, I do have really great kids
5) An original sibling group of 13 who meet twice a year and every five years for a week long reunion, camping for over 200 people, is amazing
6) Mosquitoes really like blood
7) My husband is a good driver
8) I am thankful we were able to go on vacation. No, really, I am

Sometimes I can be an un-thankful scab. But hey, so can you.