Offer to help the person prepare to travel. Now this said person may smile at you and say "No thanks. I think I will be ok." In which case smile back and tell this person:
"I am on call if you need me."
and also say
"Yes I am busy too, but I would like to help you for two hours."
Don't forget to call this person a day before they are to leave and say
"What can I do for you?"
Because this person is really stressed out and will forget what you said. She also will not call you because she knows you are busy with the holidays too.
This person will stupidly not reach out for help.
----
I am in over my head.
There is laundry to do.
Presents (for mykids only) to buy.
Present sorting to do -- finding the gifts I brought for them earlier this year, sort them into piles and see if someone has more than they need.
Food to buy for the trip.
A food plan before the trip -- neither the kids nor I can eat all our meals on the road. We've tried and the result is pissed off, cranky kids (and parents). Bringing our own food for just one meal averts this.
Travel toys to get.
Packing to do, which requires my that I use limited brain power to consider really cold weather, which means I have to remember what it feels like and then consider how one stays warm in that kind of weather.
MAKE A RESERVATION FOR A RIDE TO THE AIRPORT!
Lists. I have lists. And they include
take out the garbage
lock the windows
tell neighbors we will be out of town.
and
and
And then there is the no sleeping aspect. Been burning the candle at both ends. Problem is it's like a speed buring candle.
And now everything is confusing. I can't focus. Their normal kid noises, the stomping, the loudness, the repetition makes me feel like I am crazy. Like I'm an autistic child who finds lights and noise unbearable.
A low lit, quiet muffled room sounds divine. There I can sort through my thoughts and my lists and make sense of it all.
My reaction to the 127 "Mom, can I _____________?" questions I get asked is slow and wobbly, like I'm thinking in Jello.
I am.
So I'm gonna bag it all.
I'm going to bed and probably will arrive in Maine missing half our stuff.
Doing the best I can. Now if only I can accept that.
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