The Picnic That Wasn't

We had planned our whole morning around an afternoon picnic at the nature center across town.

I finished up most of the laundry, dishes, emails and some shop orders. They waited patiently, building little wooden houses that turned into towns, engulfed in an all morning debate comparing batman's powers to anything/one they could think of (Well . . .  Rex anyway. Leon, for the most part is kind enough to simply appease his brother's enthusiasm for these kinds of conversations. Even though he could honestly care less about super heroes in general, let alone their super strengths, or capabilities)

Sometime after 11 we finally packed up a small lunch, a blanket and their bug catchers.
Prepared for a short hike after the picnic to wear them out for a late afternoon nap. A nap I had counted on to allow me to finish up everything I else I needed to get done before the weekend -- By Friday, we're all typically pretty exhausted. So the "break" that their nap offers, is secretly welcomed by all of us.  Though luck would have it, by the time I reached the dirt parking lot, they had fallen fast asleep. Solid, heavy slumber which I briefly considered waking them from but ultimately decided against it seeing that because they have drifted off and been out for over 20 minutes now, there was no chance for a longer nap later on. This. Was it.

And then the storm clouds moved in. And it got cold.
I sat for an hour in a parked car, windows down, eating a turkey sandwich while thumbing though an old catalogue I found stuffed in the backseat, regretting the failed picnic, that our day had started later than it should have knowing with weekday adventures, earlier is always better.

... I noted one single squirrel in that one long hour I was there ....


When we got home the two of them were wide eyed and confused, waking up back in the drive way. I explained what happened. They had fallen asleep and we would be back when there to visit when they were nice and rested. They didn't seem the least bit upset. Which surprised me.

The rest of the day proved just as trying as I had imagined it might be. Fights, some fits and overall boredom that comes with being stuck in the house when you had been promised something else. Too cold for bike rides. And the neighbor kids all gone one place or another.

The house is quiet now, half way clean too. The three of them in bed. Again, later than I would have liked.  But asleep. Except Rex. I can still hear him rattling on about robin and batman. But this time no one is answering back. Soon enough he will give it up. Close his eyes and be out for the night.
I'll be in, to pull that shinny blue cape off his neck, turn out the last light.



Tomorrow, we'll start earlier.