Dad was right.

My dad used to call me a "prima donna."
Who, me?

Sometimes I roll my eyes and get all put out about the wimpiest things. Like for breakfast, inevitably the gallon of milk has run dry just before my cereal bowl gets filled, so I have to go all the way out to the fridge in the garage (15 steps?) and grab a new gallon of the four or five stored there weekly. Hmmph! Or, I can't find any of the remote phones. Not a one on its cradle. Arrrrgghh.

Then I read "The Poisonwood Bible" about life in the Belgian Congo. No fridge. (No second fridge.) No vitamin-packed cereal. No homogenized, pasteurized Vitamin D milk. And, no garage. Because ... no car. No phones lying under a couch pillow. (No couch. No phones.) But if you walk for a day or two through the jungle, you might find someone who has an old transistor radio.

My dad was right. I was a prima donna. Still have prima donna tendencies. He was right about something else. He asked that his headstone be carved with the word "Perspective."

So here's my little story. Our power went out one night last week after dinner. Now what? So, we all went outside when it got dark and played with Dad’s glow sticks and glow Frisbees til way too late. It was the best time ever.

Then ... we went to bed in our 85-degree hothouse and proceeded to put Elle back to bed five or TWENTY times (I lost count) during the course of the entire night, because the "vitamin water" I gave her earlier had a good dose of CAFFEINE in it (what the…?). Then we got up super late and rushed to an away rugby game in the morning. By that time, Cam was moaning and holding his stomach (...for the next three days). That's all it took. Ever hear Chewbaka groan? Just call me Chewy.

Then I got a grip. The entirely sanitary and chilled, bottled (and caffeinated) vitamin water just spunked (and hydrated) our boys for their scrums and rucks and such, and when we got home to our then air-conditioned house, Cam settled in on a comfy couch and watched his favorite toons "On Demand." And Elle snuggled down for an extra long nap. Bonus. Naps all around.

If you ever hear me complain, just smack me upside the head. Good and hard.