Little Downpours

Today started on the wrong foot.

It began with the 5:30 am waking of CB and her radio blaring.    

I make myself a cup of green tea which I never ended up having the chance to drink.  I notice that I forgot to give CB her dosage of medication last night and an egg swells in my throat. How did I forget?  My mind races with the nervous thoughts of impending seizures... 

The bus driver for her Extended School Year calls at 7:10 am saying that her bus is broken down and could I please drive CB to school?  Of course.  Get the 3 others up and dressed...not just dressed but dressed and packed for a day at the pool. Today is their first swimming lesson at our swim club. We had a lot of build up about this last night.  We're ready to rush out the door when low and behold I notice that it's raining.

And that CB has dismantled her back brace and kicked off her shoes... both are laying around the house somewhere...  I go hunting.

It's raining.  Hard.  Tink is crying because she thinks her swim lessons will be cancelled.  Pink is worrying, chewing on her cuticles. That is what they do... Tink cries, Pink worries. And Rella just bulldozes through the house leaving no prisoners.

Today is certainly off to a less than ideal start. Deep breaths.  Happy places. 

As we drive CB to school the rain transforms to a torrential downpour.  Wipers are on high speed.  I'm explaining for the umpteenth time that it's okay if the swimming lessons are cancelled...we'll make them up. We drop off CB at school and get soaked to the skin, despite an umbrella.

The day could continue its downward spiral from here.  It's heading there.  I can feel it.  A mood, like an ink stain on wet paper, bleeding within me.  Threatening to take over.  I make up my mind to stop it right here.  Right now.  When I have a choice, I like to exert it. There are too many things that occur in life which make me feel helpless.  What goes on in my own head should be my choice and mine alone.  It must be practiced.  I'm quite sure it's not natural.  The human head is capable of lots of sadistic, unproductive, and neuortic tendencies (or at least mine is) if left unwatched.   

Within the hour, we'll arrive at the pool and despite the cessation of rain and even a bit of sun, the lessons will be cancelled and the pool closed for another good hour.  They heard thunder.  The girls, who had a brief moment of anticipation due to the peaking sun, re-live their disappointment.

It's simply rain.  Rain is rain.  Can it so easily make or break the day?

Really. I mean rain itself is neither good nor bad. It has no meaning other than what we as humans ascribe to it. It just "is."  Rain is simply water condensed from atmospheric vapor and falling in drops.   Nothing more, nothing less.  If you need the rain, you weep with relief and joy.  If it falls on your outdoor wedding reception or ruins a trip, you are aggravated. 

So, we'll head to the library instead and I'll pick out two summer reads and the girls will pick out a movie. We'll head home and I'll catch up on ignored items on the perpetual To Do list and we'll bake cupcakes.

When the weather finally clears, they'll play outside in their princess attire and then hit the hose for our summer version of a bath. 







I'll make their favorite dinner and sneak them to bed a bit early. It's great when kids can't tell time.

Dr. Fabulous is home late tonight, but he'll arrive in time to watch The Deadliest Catch, (our new little obsession) and split the last Flying Fish beer in a pair of frosted mugs.

One more potentially bad day circumvented.  Intercepted, turned 'round, and made a bit more right.
Right as rain.