I Just Want You to Know_ Letters to My Kids on Love, Faith, and Family - Kate Gosselin [16]
At 5:15, the skies darkened and it looked like rain. We loaded the kids into the bus early, which turned out to be a wise decision. While we waited for Karl and Kristen, it started storming wildly, complete with hail. Jon and the kids looked out the van windows as I prayed we would be safe. From the car, we watched as the lights in the neighborhood flashed and then went out. Without electricity, we couldn’t do anything at home, so when Karl and Kristen arrived we proceeded as planned.
I’m so glad we did! The kids had a great time. They were yelling with glee at the talking cows. And because they walked, we didn’t draw too much attention (though Jon says he saw people counting). It felt so “normal” to ride the rides together as a family.
After Chocolate World, we went to an ice cream shop the kids call the Purple Place. This was a big step for an all-natural organic momma whose idea of a sugary treat was an animal cracker! We fed the kids vanilla soft serve. It was so cute to see the little kids saying “bite-bite” when they wanted more.
By the time we got home three and a half hours later, the power was still out. Jon grabbed a flashlight and together we gave the kids sponge baths on the dining room table. I washed and passed them to Jon who dried and dressed them. The kids were sugared up, so they just chased each other in the dark.
Surprisingly, I was the one who was calm throughout the ordeal and Jon was the one who was grouchy. For me, it felt like a small victory; I was learning to roll with the situation even when I didn’t have control. Fortunately, the power came on before we put the kids to bed. I fell asleep that night appreciating how we were learning to make it work—even when it didn’t always work the way we wanted it to. It felt like another baby step into the normal world. The kids weren’t the only ones growing; I was growing too.
At the parade on our favorite summer holiday.
Two days later was our favorite summer holiday: the Fourth of July. Jon and I always loved the parade in Wyomissing, and we planned to take the kids. We had them up by 7:00 and eating breakfast by 7:30. By 8:38, we were in the bus and on the road. It felt like quite an accomplishment for two tired parents.
Once there, we met some friends, found a place along the route, and parked the stroller so the little kids would have a good view of the parade. I passed out balloons and flags and was getting ready to sit down when I realized we had a total of six adults.
“Jon, what if we let the kids out of their stroller? We could put one adult in charge of each kid.”
“I don’t know. It’s easier if we just leave them in the stroller.”
“Yes, it’s easier,” I agreed. “But when do we ever do what’s easy?”
Jon agreed. I passed a kid to each set of adult arms. Once the parade started, the little kids quickly learned from Mady and Cara that when candy is thrown your way, you run to pick it up. It made me so happy to see that my babies could experience the parade like normal two-year-olds! I think it also relieved some of my guilt about the sacrifices they had to make because of the size and makeup of our family.
After the parade, we made our way to the picnic area where I spread a blanket and fed them lunch. The kids had peanut butter crackers, cantaloupe, and cheese. They were so sweet as they sat and ate, and I was proud of their behavior. It reassured me to know we could take them out in public without an incident.
That night, we had a picnic dinner at home in our backyard. I put the babies in swimmies and we set up the sprinkler balls. The girls donned their swimsuits and off they went.