Balloon Wrangling
We’re smack dab in the middle of birthday season (from May to August) in my house. Three down, two to go.
Birthdays are tough. Sure, I have emotional issues with my kids getting older, but that’s not what I’m talking about.
I’m talking about getting the shopping done (okay, so maybe waiting till the day before the birthday isn’t such a good idea, but who knew finding the right stuff would be so hard?), making the cake (or pie as it happens to sometimes be with my family), and the worst part of all…
Getting the helium balloons home from the store.
I know you know what I’m talking about.
First there’s the whole walking through the store, my wrist wrapped in colorful ribbons, balloons floating over my head like I’m an in-store advertisement for the balloon department.
Then there’s getting the suckers into the car. Stuffing them in, closing the door slowly, praying a stiff breeze doesn’t come by causing me to have to hang my head and tromp back into the store and start the whole process over again. (The pic: a view into my backseat. In case you’re wondering, we have a 4th of July b-day here, hence the stars and stripes and Happy Birthday balloon. Oh, and you can click on the pic to enlarge it.)
Oh, and let’s not forget backing out of the parking spot you’re in. If I were smarter (ha!) I’d learn to either find a spot where I can pull all the way through to begin with, or back the car into a spot (dangerous for me, but that’s a blog for another day).
Fast forward to driving home. The balloons bouncing all over the backseat, knocking against the back of my head the whole way as if they were serious contenders in a boxing ring. Forget using rearview mirror at all. Can anyone say road hazard?
Getting them out of the car is akin to getting them in there. Let’s just say it’s not easy.
However, the look on the kids’ faces (even as old as they’re getting) is worth the hassle. Now the waiting begins until the balloons start to deflate… Just in time to head to the store for the next birthday.
~heather