Into the Sunset

            Well now, the circus is over for now. My parents have been and gone. It was a whirlwind week of lo mein and pizza, cinnamon rolls and donuts, birthday cake and scotcheroos. We all went out.  We all went shopping. We had a gazillion people come for pizza and ice cream cake.  Children were spoiled.  Toddlers showed off.  Faces were alternately kissed and stuffed. Awesome Pants pointed out to me that my sentence of the week appeared to be, "Umm, I have no idea what we are doing right now." A fine time was had by all.   But like any great circus, it's only temporary.  The show must go on.

           And sooo, the circus train has pulled out.  Packed up the elephant, took off the greasepaint, pulled down the big top.  In other words, the grandparents have returned to the hinterlands.  Back to Mayberry and houses that are NOT full of cookie crumbs (from the cookies they brought) or tantruming toddlers (who are angry that the ONLY people who truly get them have left) or a nauseous dog (because they kept feeding her pizza).  Feisty Pants was sad to see them go.  She has no choice now but to return to her fall back position of terminal teenage ennui.  She has sooo been there, done that, has the Hello Kitty tee shirt to prove it.

               It was a great show while it lasted.  There were clowns and a couple of clown cars. (It took two minivans to go out for Chinese.  We didn't go out so much as we invaded.)  There was a roaring lion (who was pissed off because her sister dared to suggest a dfferent store than she wanted.) There were daredevil  acrobats. (You try weaving through a living room full of almost twenty people, two toddlers, a baby and a dog to get to the only bathroom.)  There were funny clowns with blue noses.   (Fine, it was blue icing on the noses but it was still funny.)   There was even a properly mystified audience. (Me- I still have no idea how it all happened.)

                Feisty Pants has not been too terrible either.  She did tell us we were awful people because we made her grandparents go home.  But she has had no fits so I'll count this as a win.  

               So, Now it's back to the grind.  I'm not complaining, mind you. You don't appreciate boring until after the chaos hits. A few quiet weeks might be lovely.  I will miss them. We have even invited them to live with us, and they very nicely don't laugh in my face.  (It's probably elder abuse anyway...)   But for now, they ride off into the sunset where they have many miles to go and children to spoil before their journeys' end.