Well. I shall never again complain that my life is humdrum. Or that I am completely talentless. (I didn't say I was brimming with the stuff; just that I learned that I have one particular talent that I had never even thought of before today...)
As you know, after Ben's christening on Sunday, Esmerelda, Gertrude and I organised another little get-together today. What Gertie didn't know, was that Esmerelda had also organised for Ermintrude and Hermione to be there as well - so a large part of our high school group would all be together for lunch. Bliss!!
The kids and I were in the car by 9:30, and I wasn't at all phased by the thought of one-and-a-half hours in the car. It's freeway nearly all the way, and the kids usually nap a bit so they're marginally more pleasant when we arrive! By the time we hit the Monash, however, things started to go awry...the traffic got very heavy, slowed, then...stopped. Apparently there had been a rather large accident near Yarra Boulevarde, and the traffic extended back to before Burke Road. At this point in time, all three kids were asleep and there was absolutely nothing I could do about the traffic jam, so I just breathed deeply, and waited. And waited. And...."Mum?" "Yes Phoebs?" "I need to do wee-wees."
In four lanes of stock-still traffic, with no emergency lane, no available turn-offs, and no way to reach them even if they existed, that was not a welcome sentence. I began wishing that a more capable adult than myself would waltz up to the car and offer to take over, but quickly realised that that wouldn't happen - thanks to all the built-up traffic, the fumes outside would have knocked a grown man out in ten seconds!
I told her to hold on tight, and bought myself some thinking time. When Jack woke up 15 minutes later (and we were pretty much in the same spot), I broke the law - I undid his seatbelt, asked him to climb into the back of the car, grab a nappy out of the nappy bag, and climb back over. With one hand on the steering wheel, I clipped him back in, kept up with the traffic crawl, and unbuckled Phoebalina. We had a bit of a traffic surge at this point, so she whipped off her undies, standing behind the driver's seat, and then I held the nappy under her and drove (only at about 10kph, but still!), while she did what she had to do. Nappy was rolled up, knickers went back on, seatbelt clipped on, and away we went! I still can't believe we actually did that...but how's that for hidden talent???
Anyhow, we arrived at Esmerelda's haven a mere 2.5 hours after leaving home. Obviously, I was calm and serene...pfft! As if!! Actually, the kids were brilliant during the trip (especially considering I found fruit bars and rusks in my handbag - hoarding finally pays off!). Jack, Phoebe, Maisie, Kelan, Hamish, Will, Ben, Josh, Noah and Beattie formed an immediate gang and had a great time creating a ridiculous amount of noise. Trampoline? Check. Vegemite sandwiches? Check. Cubby house? Check. Kid heaven? Check!
And as far as the big girls went, well. It may have been a while since we were all together, but five minutes in and it was Year 12 all over again, only with eleven kids thrown in (and thank goodness we didn't have them to contend with in Year 12!!) I don't know what it is about my girlies, but I suspect some sort of pharmaceutical enhancements secreted from their pores into the atmosphere. Seriously. In their company, I am happier, more enthusiastic, louder (oh yes - hard to believe, I know!) and definitely see the glass as half-full. What is it about being around these women that makes my heart sing?
While some may argue that I have a split personality, I prefer to think that being around friends who have loved each other for a very long time is a definite mood-lifter. After only three hours with these chicks, I felt better than I have since...well, since Sunday when I was with them last!! So thank you Esmerelda, Gertrude, Ermintrude, Hermione and Super Girl (who turned up later on as a complete surprise!!), for a wonderful day. I had the time of my life (tee hee!! Ermintrude - that one is for you!) You pick me up when I am blue, you make me laugh when I have been in tears, you put up with my rants when I have been stuck in traffic for hours on end! And you have children who click with mine - instant entertainment for my three energetic sprogs. Love you all! xxx
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