Why I love my bonus parents.

This weekend has been planned for a while.  A nice Fall visit from John’s parents.  October is my favorite month; not too hot, not too cold, not too humid, not too buggy.  There is a good selection of inside and outside activities.  I am the kind of hostess who likes to give a smorgasbord of options and the weekend before Halloween is full to the brim with possible outings and back porch sitting.   

Thursday I cooked an edible meal for weary travelers and kids who needed to attempt an early bedtime with the excitement of celebrities being under the same roof.  Friday morning went smoothly, depositing the little darlings without a 4^th tardy in 4 weeks which could apparently get my in big trouble (3 has me needing to grovel before some AISD people).  That left me and the bonus parents time to catch up and figure out the rest of the day. 

We opted for a small trek to McKinney to a restaurant on the Square.  Everyone’s food was good.  We made sure to eat only enough to leave room for pie.  A day that includes pie is an excellent day.  We topped it off by sitting in the middle of the square under an extra blue sky listening to old guys playing Blue Grass. 

I gotta tell you, at this point I am feeling pretty darn good about myself.  I had succeeded in that ever so brief feeling of creating a “perfect” relaxing weekend for people I love.  I had also succeeded in parallel parking my mini-van right on the square.  It took me a good ten minutes.  I got a standing ovation from two veterans with white hair and Army hats.  I failed parallel parking twice back in the day and I hate to admit my skills have not improved in 30 years.  In fact, I am not exactly known for my ability to maneuver a car.  I have run into the garage door and knocked my back window out.  I have run into the side of the garage and knocked the numbers off the brick.  I have run into shelves and caused a giant wire spool to fly onto the hood of the car.  However, none of these compare to what happened yesterday.

As I was saying, I was busy putting this weekend into the slam dunk category.  We came home, John succumbed to the afternoon pie coma while Jeanette and I had a wonderful conversation on the back porch.  As evening rolled around, we decided a pick up from Rudy’s would top off the day.  So, I blissfully backed out of the garage thinking all was right with the world when “BAM!!!” Into my MIL’s car I slam.  You know those moments where you wish you had a giant time eraser, a do over?  That was my brain.  My mother in law who is just cool looks at me and says “Let’s go get the food and worry about this when we get back.”  I can’t.  I have to look.  I do not have a big time eraser so my second hope is that there is no evidence of my crash on the CRV.   You know that thing Charlie Brown does with his mouth wide open going “ARGHHHHH!”, insert that here.  There was a bump, a scratch, and panel popped out that wasn’t going back in.  No, it was stubbornly there letting everyone know that yes indeed, a Honda Odyssey had made contact. 

There is no hope of a weekend being a slam dunk when you run into your in-laws car.  No hope at all. 

The next step was going to suck.  Telling John 1 and John 2.   Again, thank goodness for the wisdom of my MIL.  “let’s tell them after dinner.  It is just a car.  It will be fine.”  Her plan was perfect, no one had to deal with the indigestion of this horrible event through dinner but me, the responsible ninny.  Finally when we were done eating but sitting around the table I burst out “I HAVE DONE SOMETHING!!” and I covered my eyes.  The whole thing came out of my mouth and I actually watched the happiness drain out of my FIL’s face.  Of course my husband who has been around this particular block with me for 15 years just shakes his head.   My Father in Law makes the long walk out to take a look.  I irrationally hope the fix-it-fairy has come to the rescue.  I can tell from the look on his face when he returns, no such luck.

Now this is why I love these people.  I was a complete dumbass.  I backed out of my car into a parked car.  I had plenty of room to avoid it.  I had been avoiding it all day.  The only reason I hit it this time, as stated, I am a dumbass.  I know they were irritated and angry.  They had every right to be.   BUT, with great, great reserve, no one actually said out loud that I am a dumb ass.  No one said any of the true but horrible things they were thinking out loud.  Everyone took a giant bite out of their tongues and decided to let the weekend go on, making the best of it.  In fact, only a few moments ago Jeanette announced that today was a great day.  And it was.  I did not create the slam dunk weekend I wanted but my bonus parents did.  It is easy to know you belong when everything goes perfectly; it is something entirely different to be loved and forgiven when you screw up.

That said, I will have the left side of the garage cleaned out before their next visit.   I have never run into anyone parked next to me.  Okay, just to be safe I will park in the other garage.