Saturday

This year my in-laws are making a point to spend one day (probably in the birthday month) with each grandchild alone during the course of the year.  Today was Emma's day, because her birthday comes first in the year.  I'm sure she probably also thinks it is partly because she's the oldest and coolest granddaughter too.  But as parents, we just about had a mutiny on our hands.  I had three children, well two in particular, who considered this a personal affront to them.  Why should Emma get to spend a day by herself with Grandma?  It was just so not fair.  

The sadness started at bedtime Friday night.  It did not get better after Grandma picked up Emma from our house.  

After Ryan puttered outside (and I helped the kids with the indoor Saturday chores, including a deep clean of the bedrooms), we decided to take the kids bowling.

 We played two games.  The kids had the bumpers up, and I wished I had the bumpers up.  I was a little worried that the girls were going to beat me.  Yes, I am occasionally a little competitive, even against my own children.  In the end though, Annie only beat me by two points over all, and I was ahead of the other two kids.  Our two game totals are as follows: Elizabeth- 188, Annie- 201, Maddie- 168, Danae- 199, Ryan- 219.  This was definitely a decent score for my unskilled self.

(Since I am posting this many days later, I can say the following.)

We have been so stressed out about Ryan's job.  We were pleased as punch that Ryan did land his one year position as assistant principal last summer.  Over the moon happy, I would venture to say.  The old principal who took a year's leave of absence this year has now formally retired, and both the principal and assistant principal's positions were reopened.  Ryan re-applied for his job.

The evening the position closed, the principal was interviewed and told she was rehired the next day.  But they were not going to interview for assistant principal for a while yet.

I hate uncertainty.  It burns a hole inside.  I get tight, tense, anxious, and have difficulty sleeping.  Ryan isn't a fan either, but he usually deals with it a little easier than I do.  But this situation has turned him into me, and it's hard when we both are extra tired, stressed, anxious, and tense.  So I have been trying to make a point of letting Ryan get time to garden/build/putter outside when he has the time.

Ryan was finally given a day for his interview, but he doesn't want to tell anyone.  He doesn't want to talk about the interview, and so it isn't going to exist until after the fact.

The anxiousness has also led me to find a quick recipe for caramel pecan sticky buns at Ryan's request online.  I was an awfully nice parent, letting the kids watch me make these, and then putting the kids to bed before they came out of the oven.

Oh deliciousness, how I love thee.

Grandma and Grandpa brought Emma home around 7 pm.  Despite my lecture about not making Emma feel bad about missing bowling, the rest of my little sweet dears rubbed it in rather unmercifully.  Now Emma is upset she missed bowling, and the other three are upset it wasn't their turn to spend a day with Grandma and Grandpa.

I tell you, I can't win at anything.

Except maybe desserts.  Those sticky buns were super good.  (And did you know you can substitute honey for corn syrup?  You couldn't even tell that I had.)