We so enjoyed our whirlwind trip to the Baaahstin Marathon and the 24 hour layover in NYC on the way back to Haiti. It was a gift to be on John and Beth's (old/past/childhood) turf and listen to other people that sound like them. We rode in the caaaah, we prayed to the Laaaahd, we went out for wicked good seafood.
Besides all that awesome stuff we got to do, we also got to be together on a trip without any extra passengers tagging along. I don't want to brag, but I am going to anyway. We are amazing grown-ups with tons of skills that hardly anyone knows about. Without kids we can get up at 4am and walk out the door at 4:15am. We can arrive places on time. We can arrange things and then actually do them as arranged. Ask our new friends in Boston. They will tell you.
{To other parents, I bet you still have a lot of abilities that you have long forgotten about too.}
Year after year of running around finding shoes and yelling "Did you brush your teeth? Did you go potty?" while searching for the finished math homework and the right hair bow has stolen our dignity. We have been totally stripped of our confidence. That's right kids, once upon a time we did not take two hours to leave the house. Once upon a time we were efficient. Once upon a time we knew where our keys were. When we wanted to leave, we stood up, grabbed our car keys and wallet, left the house. Just like that. Gone. It wasn't so long ago, really.
The three nights in Boston and the quick exits each morning were ginormous boosts to our egos. We needed it. Troy marveled at the ease with which we went to empty our bladders. All you do is stand up and say, "I'm going to the bathroom", and then you walk there and you go. It.is.awesome. Four kids don't ask to go too. People don't request that you wipe them. Ever. I never once discreetly handed off some child's poop-stained underwear or witnessed a screaming fight over the crayons or coloring books. I did not spill sugary soda on Troy's lap or whine about not having the window seat. Okay, I whined a little...But then he let me have it. We gasped at how wonderful it felt to be small and anonymous, just two regular people traveling without a circus and monkeys.
Sadly, as hard as we tried to enjoy a weekend without any weird-o moments, we still had two separate incidents that required dipping a hand into a toilet. Apparently our children don't have as much to do with bathroom issues as we like to think. I want to protect the innocent. I can only tell you that one incident had something to do with trying not to ruin someone's Easter with an improperly lodged gift, and the other had to do with a poorly placed air freshener in a Walgreens restroom near mile 20.
Thank The Laaahd for plastic bags, soap and hand sanitizer, right?
Watching the fastest runners in the world fly by us at Heartbreak Hill left us so very verklempt. It is amazing to see strength and talent and endurance in the flesh, especially when you can reach out and touch them if you try (but only if you want to ruin their race and possibly cause them to fall and risk arrest and imprisonment).
Beth ran her race, start to finish, one foot in front of the other, like she always does. I never doubted she would finish, that is who she is - a finisher - Moxie personified.
The goal she set for fundraising has yet to be met. That is okay, we have time. I don't feel bad continuing to ask all of you that read and are plugged into the work here to spread the word.
Please share what is happening at Heartline with others that love women, children, and Maternal Health - and those that have a passion to love their neighbors around the world. We are all very lucky to be a small part of this good thing. We cannot keep going or growing without more people to do more small parts of the bigger work. Join us!
Jimmy and Becky (the Burtons, they teach our kids day in and day out) stayed with our kids. They are loving and kind and tolerant of way so many shenanigans. When I walked in the door I said, "How'd it go with Mr Jimmy and Ms Becky, everybody?" Lydia said, "Waaaaay better than I thought it would." Well. Alright then. I asked, I guess. Jimmy just smiled, he deals with honesty like this every day. I would probably die a death of embarrassment if I knew all the things the kids have shared.
We loved every minute of our time away. We loved coming home.
The day we got back here there was a crazy adrenaline-filled emergency at the Maternity Center. Troy yelled at cops that wouldn't help with traffic, we made record time and the mom and baby are totally fine and hopefully being discharged today.
Happy weekend.
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| Becky got this crew looking AMAZING on Easter Sunday - but I doubt they left on time. |
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| This photo on Facebook was the most popular photo EVER shared. I think John is some sort of enigma and people don't even know what to do when they lay eyes on him. (Beth went the distance, John ran at least 30 yards to get a hot dog. We celebrate both accomplishments of these, our two heroes.) |
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| Times Square |
