For months I've been keeping a secret.
Which is kind of a miracle.
Secrets haven't always been my forte'.
As a child, if I knew it.. I told it.
As a teenager, if I was told it, I squealed it.
So, thank the Gods, that I've finally learned to keep these big lips shut!
I'm glad I've mastered some self control (at least in the secret keeping department) because the million white lies I've told to make this happen were SO worth it!!
So what was this secret of epic proportions??
THE GRANDPARENTS WERE COMING!
You need to keep in mind it's been over 2 years since my kids have
had the pleasure of basking in their grandparents glow. It was a BIG deal.
Big enough that I knew I'd need a decoy visitor.
How else would I explain the painting, cleaning, redecorating and
sleepless nights that happen when important company comes to call?
So I used an old friend. (Totally unbeknownst to her by the way!)
I chose someone who is important to me, but would make absolutely
no difference to the kids. And it worked!!
For weeks leading up to my parents arrival,
I blamed everything that needed being done on my Girlfriend.
Painting the guestroom and basement: Blame it on her.
Cleaning every square inch of everything: Blame it on her.
Making them wash extra hard behind the ears: Blame it on her.
I think maybe they hated her for the extra labor I forced on them.
_______
Despite months of preparation, white lies, and clandestine phone calls, I hadn't really given too much thought to the big reveal. But I knew we'd come up with something!
After picking up my Mom in Knoxville, we grabbed dinner and planned our big surprise. We agreed that we'd drive back to Morristown and surprise Brooke at her ballet class and then take the Littles by storm at the house.
That plan was kaboshed when Ed called to say that Brooke's class had been cancelled.
Thinking quick, Mom and I came up with a new plan!
I'm not saying I stuck with that plan, because as soon as we put the plan into effect,
I forgot it! Which makes what happened next kind of funny.
Ed arrived a few minutes ahead of us, and made sure the kids were inside.
Mom and I pulled up moments later and put our brilliant, albeit entirely forgettable, plan into action.
Here is what I was supposed to do: I was supposed to go inside the house and act as though my friends flight had been delayed and I'd be going back to Knoxville later to pick her up. And then I was supposed to say "Oh, and by the way, why is Dad selling my scooter?" To which the kids would jump up in protest and say "WHAT??" I'd then explain that a woman had just pulled up to the house to check it out, and by the way, she's in the garage right now trying to buy it! The kids and I love my scooter, and I KNEW this would be alarming enough to make them run to garage to prevent Ed from selling it and then VOILA... MIMI!!!
But I was REALLY excited (The kind of excited where you want to bite down on something to keep it all in!) and the bonds keeping my uber secret were strained to the max, so I blundered it a teeny bit.
Here's how it went down:
Kids: "Hi Mom, where's your friend?"
Me : SHE DIDN'T SHOW UP!! AND GUESS WHAT?
I BOUGHT A TON OF GROCERIES AND NOW YOU MUST
GET OUT THERE AND HELP ME UNLOAD THEM!
The kids, in their PJ's, stumbled out into the garage to find a
stranger talking to their Dad. And they walked RIGHT past her.
If it hadn't been for my idiotic grin and the fact that I was practically
jumping out of my skin, I'm not sure the kids would have ever caught on.
First, Diana sucked in her breath, then Dominick looked from me to her to me to her and finally Brooke walked up to her and tapped her on the back and practically hugged the life out of her.
AND VOILA... MIMI!
It was perfect.
But it would have been more perfect if I'd remembered to grab the camera.
STAY TUNED FOR POSTS ABOUT THE REST OF THEIR VISIT!!!
Which is kind of a miracle.
Secrets haven't always been my forte'.
As a child, if I knew it.. I told it.
As a teenager, if I was told it, I squealed it.
So, thank the Gods, that I've finally learned to keep these big lips shut!
I'm glad I've mastered some self control (at least in the secret keeping department) because the million white lies I've told to make this happen were SO worth it!!
So what was this secret of epic proportions??
THE GRANDPARENTS WERE COMING!
You need to keep in mind it's been over 2 years since my kids have
had the pleasure of basking in their grandparents glow. It was a BIG deal.
Big enough that I knew I'd need a decoy visitor.
How else would I explain the painting, cleaning, redecorating and
sleepless nights that happen when important company comes to call?
So I used an old friend. (Totally unbeknownst to her by the way!)
I chose someone who is important to me, but would make absolutely
no difference to the kids. And it worked!!
For weeks leading up to my parents arrival,
I blamed everything that needed being done on my Girlfriend.
Painting the guestroom and basement: Blame it on her.
Cleaning every square inch of everything: Blame it on her.
Making them wash extra hard behind the ears: Blame it on her.
I think maybe they hated her for the extra labor I forced on them.
_______
Despite months of preparation, white lies, and clandestine phone calls, I hadn't really given too much thought to the big reveal. But I knew we'd come up with something!
After picking up my Mom in Knoxville, we grabbed dinner and planned our big surprise. We agreed that we'd drive back to Morristown and surprise Brooke at her ballet class and then take the Littles by storm at the house.
That plan was kaboshed when Ed called to say that Brooke's class had been cancelled.
Thinking quick, Mom and I came up with a new plan!
I'm not saying I stuck with that plan, because as soon as we put the plan into effect,
I forgot it! Which makes what happened next kind of funny.
Ed arrived a few minutes ahead of us, and made sure the kids were inside.
Mom and I pulled up moments later and put our brilliant, albeit entirely forgettable, plan into action.
Here is what I was supposed to do: I was supposed to go inside the house and act as though my friends flight had been delayed and I'd be going back to Knoxville later to pick her up. And then I was supposed to say "Oh, and by the way, why is Dad selling my scooter?" To which the kids would jump up in protest and say "WHAT??" I'd then explain that a woman had just pulled up to the house to check it out, and by the way, she's in the garage right now trying to buy it! The kids and I love my scooter, and I KNEW this would be alarming enough to make them run to garage to prevent Ed from selling it and then VOILA... MIMI!!!
But I was REALLY excited (The kind of excited where you want to bite down on something to keep it all in!) and the bonds keeping my uber secret were strained to the max, so I blundered it a teeny bit.
Here's how it went down:
Kids: "Hi Mom, where's your friend?"
Me : SHE DIDN'T SHOW UP!! AND GUESS WHAT?
I BOUGHT A TON OF GROCERIES AND NOW YOU MUST
GET OUT THERE AND HELP ME UNLOAD THEM!
The kids, in their PJ's, stumbled out into the garage to find a
stranger talking to their Dad. And they walked RIGHT past her.
If it hadn't been for my idiotic grin and the fact that I was practically
jumping out of my skin, I'm not sure the kids would have ever caught on.
First, Diana sucked in her breath, then Dominick looked from me to her to me to her and finally Brooke walked up to her and tapped her on the back and practically hugged the life out of her.
AND VOILA... MIMI!
It was perfect.
But it would have been more perfect if I'd remembered to grab the camera.
STAY TUNED FOR POSTS ABOUT THE REST OF THEIR VISIT!!!
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