The Wedding
I peer at the computer screen and the announcement of my brother’s wedding to JP. It will be a duplicate of their Chinese wedding which took place, funnily enough, in China. This time it will be in England. Friday 29the December. Autumn and Winter are busy months in this American household. The children zip back to school just in time for us to bump into Halloween, trip over Thanksgiving, plummet into two December birthdays, tumble into Christmas and hop over New Year. It’s carousel time. We plan to insert another horse.
“So this is the itinerary as I see it,” he announces, as my mind is busy with other things. Perhaps if I buy two suits for them, one size too large, right now and then beat the fabric with rocks, I might just be able to make them soft enough for them to wear in……….two months time?
“Christmas Day is on a Tuesday this year, so we’ll fly on the Wednesday, Boxing Day and land on Thursday.” I wonder if they’ll want her to be a bridesmaid or a flower girl? It’s a civil ceremony so at least we won’t have to be silent and immobile in a church.
“We’ll drive down all day on Thursday from Heathrow. With a bit of luck we’ll arrive at the hotel late Thursday night.”
I should probably get her a new outfit anyway. Where will I find something woolly and warm enough, in California? I may have to buy something myself! Ooo how I hate shopping.
“Then if we can drag them all out of bed the next day, on Friday, just in time, the Wedding is at 1 p.m.”
I should probably start prepping them for the agony of air flight again as soon as possible. Tomorrow would be a good time to start.
“Then they’ll leave on their honeymoon, in the wee small hours, I expect.”
At least we’ll probably get away with only one suitcase, or maybe two if we take our own bedding. I’ll have to find or buy some ordinary warm clothes. England in December can be wicked.
“On Saturday we can drive back and stop off at my parents in Poole and stay the night. Probably only a five hour trip but it will be the New Year weekend, so traffic might be busy.”
I must remember that if I’m wearing woolly tights, I won’t have any shoes that fit. Perhaps I should wear boots, or galoshes hidden under a long skirt?
“Then we’ll drive to the airport the next day. Have to be up early though because of 3 hour check in.”
Should I just pack the present and wrap it on arrival? Otherwise all the paper will be scrunched. Can we stop off somewhere to buy paper? Should I pack the paper here?
“That means that we should be back in SF on Sunday and home later in the afternoon. Almost one complete day devoted to the wedding and all the other days traveling.”
I wonder if we’ll have time to visit some other chums, en route?
“All done and dusted in 5 days!”
“Well……with that many transitions…..it’s probably best to just let all the meltdowns flow back to back, with no wriggle room. A huge 5 day melta-marathon.” I feel slightly nauseous and I’m still on terra firma. I’d better buy an extra large catering carton of ear plugs…..and Goldfish.
Perhaps I should just shove the Goldfish in my ears and have done with it?
Stumble it!
October 9th, 2007 at 1:39 am
Cheers to ear plugs. How about one of those eye pillows too? Out of site, out of mind. ha ha. just kidding. You are indeed a brave woman. I hope the big day you’ve dedicated is a good one, and that your brother has a wonderful wedding. Yay!
October 9th, 2007 at 1:55 am
I agree with Ashley, you are a very brave woman!!! I picture “a huge 5 day melta-marathon” and just about have convulsions on the floor.
October 9th, 2007 at 4:04 am
Wow! All i can say is good luck!!!
October 9th, 2007 at 4:04 am
You can do it….I’ve read your posts. You will have it all under control.
Think you’ll be tired by the time you get back home??????
Love
Suzy
October 9th, 2007 at 6:01 am
Wow, wedding! Do you know about Lands’ End and LL Bean for clothes? Then they come in the mail, right to your door.
I would pack teh present and wrap it there. A gift bag is a good thing, and can also be packed. Don’t forget extra ear-plugs! ***HUGS***
October 9th, 2007 at 6:09 am
Oh my you are brave!
Anyway you can call ahead and have them take down those aweful street signs that caused problems last time?
October 9th, 2007 at 6:54 am
Well I think you’re absolutely insane. I need a nap after reading that one! Seriously, I’m sure you’ll do fine. Enjoy the wedding. (I agree that you can pack a gift bag and some nice tissue paper and wrap when you get there)
October 9th, 2007 at 7:43 am
Wow! No mere mortal can accomplish all that! Oh, but do have fun! I do feel so whiny and weak now. I love the picture!
October 9th, 2007 at 8:09 am
Oh, DEAR.
October 9th, 2007 at 9:19 am
Maddy, just let us know when you’re returning and we’ll have the padded room all ready for you, dear! OH. MY. GOODNESS.
October 9th, 2007 at 10:07 am
you guys are what the English would call bonkers… But I’ll gladly provide tactical support on the ground here in the UK if needed
October 9th, 2007 at 10:20 am
Best of luck, and let me know if the Goldfish earplugs work!
October 9th, 2007 at 10:28 am
Wow, this trip sounds like a tornado. I love the sketch. It is so simple, yet so expressive.
October 9th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Wow that sounds like a lot of work!
Don’t worry too much, everything will go smoothly I’m sure.
October 9th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
[...] Madeline wrote a fantastic post today on “The Wedding”Here’s ONLY a quick extractI peer at the computer screen and the announcement of my brother’s wedding to JP. It will be a duplicate of their Chinese wedding which took place, funnily enough, in China. This time it will be in England. Friday 29the December. … [...]
October 9th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
Ear plugs - I love the concept. Enjoyed the sketch, too. Weddings are great fun and I hope this one goes to plan. Good luck - and keep us posted, please!
October 9th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
Oh jees….Good luck!
October 9th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Wow, what a cool-ass drawing. And by that Bossy means ‘cool-ass’, not cool ASS.
October 9th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
You are amazing! I would have sent a card of congratulations! What an adventure! Love the sketch!
October 9th, 2007 at 9:38 pm
CEEEE-ripes. First off, my brain works frighteningly like yours–audible conversation interspersed with inaudible mental run-throughs and flow-charting. Secondly, couldn’t you just send this post to your brother and get excused from the wedding?
October 9th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
Fortunately baby bro is currently toddling up the Yangtze river. None of my family read my blog, not one! It will all be fine….. ‘om’…….
October 10th, 2007 at 12:48 am
Yikes…maybe you can send the present in the mail, life-sized cardboard cutouts of the kiddies with real, starchy, hard suits covering the cardboard, and just stay home in the backyard playing??? No, really, my son does extra super great on any vacations. I think the over-stimulation just causes his system to go into shock until it’s over…then we have hell to pay. Good luck, and yeah, I’d make sure to bring along an extra box of fishies!
On another note, wouldn’t it be nice if others once in awhile considered what these functions do to our little people? I mean, they know what happens, it’d be nice if they could relate better sometimes.
October 10th, 2007 at 4:05 am
If you bring me I’ll look after them all…
It sounds wonderful, but also a little anxiety-producing. I loved the sketch!
October 10th, 2007 at 5:31 am
I’ve got two words for you: Benedryl and Melatonin! Yikes, that’s a lot of to and from! But I have no doubt that you are up to it!
October 10th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
Sheesh, and I thought I had a hectic life! Good luck bonny lass, rather you as me.. (grin)
October 10th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
Goodness. You are the brave traveler. I stayed home with the kids and my husband went to his father’s funeral solo so that we would not have to travel with ours. And I got the week-long no-Daddy orneriness rather than the continuous meltdown.
October 12th, 2007 at 1:02 am
Wow, you’re a brave woman, and I thought organising my trip was a nightmare! Your blog is great, and your little guy looks so much like my younger brother did at that age, sigh. One of the diagnostic features they look for in EDS is those big almond shaped eyes he’s got going on there.
I’m not sure how old your kids are, but certainly for your daughter perhaps look on Ebay, I have several suits I need to sell on ebay that have been worn a few times so but are still pristine condition…the label sizes varying from age 9 to 11. I imagine the same goes for boys clothing. Good luck, Bendy Girl
October 14th, 2007 at 4:04 am
Wow - I take my hat off to you! You are brave, woman!! We’ve just refused to travel since our last trip 2 years ago to visit Ireland. Now we won’t even do a 2 hour flight withing the states to visit Grandparents and definitely not during holidays. I find the airport to be the hardest part. I wish you lots of luck and I’m sure you’ll all do just fine!
December 15th, 2007 at 12:06 am
[...] Home with the family in-between packing for England and the “Wedding.” [...]
December 16th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
I’m exhausted just reading this schedule. Hope it goes well.
December 26th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
[...] We, all modern American’s, are heading back home for the “wedding.” [...]
January 5th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Hoping it all went a lot better than you expected…
((hug))
August 12th, 2008 at 10:06 am
I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you down the road!