I need a nap

I was reminded today that I am fifty and my place in the family is different now than it was when I was a child, or even a young adult with a child of my own, but still a child. Mom and Dad came to visit for Mother's Day and Kevin and Susan brought the girls. To sit and listen to everybody and have to do what is necessary to deal with the fun of the day. There is Dad who is sitting apart from everyone watching, participating on the perifery. Mom, whose day we celebrate, but who is forced to also sit a little off center because of medical tests tomorrow, and when everyone begins eating goes inside to help the newest member of the family, Katie Scott, get to sleep, which, of course, she doesn't.

So the children are in charge, in an odd uncertain kind of a way and Susan flits around the edges trying to deal with children and Kevin is offering to help but spends most of his time chasing after Becca who is a very active two year old.

And Cindy and Kate are sitting outside trying to hold it together and it seems to be flying past me. I am juggling dishes trying to make it all work so that we can eat something. I am coming up with dishes as we go and trying to figure out if what we have will work together.

And it does. The shrimp are about what I wanted them to be, the crawfish are good but superfluous; the asparagus, corn and the cooked vidalia onion are excellent and the mojitos aren't bad either. Kate's caramel cake is excellent even for someone who doesn't even really like caramel cake, but it took a lot of time and I appreciate the effort on her part.

It was a little bit tough with Becca running around but everything worked alright. Still, this was the first time I really felt awkwardly in charge. I guess I wish it was like it was in the past with my mother worrying about the meals and my only part in finding room in my stomach for whatever is on my plate.

Sundays are tough when they are special and I have so much to do to get them going. I need to take a nap, but it is after seven o'clock and a nap would be counterproductive at this point. For someone whose weekend began with waking up on Friday and thinking it was Saturday to a Sunday afternoon where it seems like it blew right past me, I guess its about the way it should feel under the circumstances.

I think I am aiming for a weekend where my family travels to some place of recreation rather than the things that have to be done.