It’s not every night that we are all here for supper.  Two nights a week John works late and gets home after we are all asleep.  Every other weekend now the three big kids are at their dad’s and they also go for dinner during the week one or two nights, depending.  Often, the kids will all be here but John not or the other way around.  Anyway, the other night we were all here and ate together and finished just after six.  So I said, thinking that I was suggesting something fun and useful and wonderful, "Hey, let’s go for a walk!" 

"Yay!" said the kids.  "We can walk to the park!"  So, we set out for the park.  What a nightmare.  Nate was tantruming over transportation; he wanted to ride his broken bike or his broken scooter and was furious about walking.  Once we were there, it was fun, mostly.  We met another little girl, accidentally taught her the word, ‘sucks’ and found two little dogs to chase around and kiss.  The walk home was torture.  Horribleness times a million.  But, we went out and the kids played and I didn’t do any dishes (until the next day, oy!) and Willow eventually stopped crying about leaving the slide and swings behind.  Eventually.