30 April, 2008

Random acts of kindness

Yesterday was from hell. really. just. straight out of the inferno. I chaperoned a class of third graders on a 9 hour odyssey that included nerve-wracking journeys on crowded trains. Just to make it extra-special, the teacher put me in charge of the hyenas and I came *this close* to tanning their hides.

Because the field trip lasted longer than originally planned, I called my neighbor frantically and asked if he could please let out D the wonderdog. Which was doubly embarrassing because I'd left my house in a complete disaster. I mean, above and beyond my normal benchmark of messy.

I got home, and not only had he walked the dog, he'd vacuumed the whole house as well! I'm cringing and yet grateful all at the same time...

M is out of town again this week and the kids have the next couple of days off, so I've suddenly decided to pack it all in and drive out to see my parents-in-law in Holland. I'm hoping that a little bit of TLC might reel me back in from the fraying ends of my tether...

4 comments:

Jen said...

Enjoy! It sounds like you really, really need that break. There's nothing like coming home to the grandparents (for the kids) - enjoy!

anno said...

Nine hours with a class of third graders? You deserve a medal... and a long vacation! Hope you're getting lots of TLC and time to rest at your in-laws.

Goofball said...

have fun in the Netherlands. Are you going today on Koninginnedag??

Hmm your neighbour vacuumed. Wow. i'd not know how to react to that :p.

Betsy said...

Ellen: You don't have a black lab, otherwise you might know why.

These dogs are wonderful, but they shed and shed and shed and shed and shed. You just can't keep up with all the dog hair.

That, and it's muddy outside right now, so the kids and the dog are tracking in all kinds of mud. It's not pretty...