March 29, 2024

Busting at the seams

For at least the next few weeks, our schedule is going to be busting at the seams. Between sports, dance, work and family, we will be on the move until about mid-June.

This past weekend started with a softball-Tee-ball double header that had my husband heading to Pleasantville with my oldest for a game while I brought my youngest to Prairie City for her match up. On top of that, I had to leave early for a work event, relying on my parents to bring her home when the game was over.

Saturday started right on schedule with two work events first thing in the morning. Both went off without a hitch thanks to some great weather and I was ready to check out a new craft show possibility with my mom and the girls.

The show was in Adel, where my mom is from, so the trip was a little longer than most we take. Everything was going fine until we pulled into town and the rain drops started. Soon we were in a full on downpour which is not beneficial for an outdoor craft show. With the radar showing no end in sight for the rain, we decided to take a little tour of the town my mom grew up in and see where she went to school and the church her and my dad got married in.

The girls loved seeing the different landmarks, quite often commenting on how old they were and learning a little bit more about their Grandee. Since the weather dampened our plans, we decided to make an impromptu stop at my grandparents house to say hi.

When we got there, a whole group of friends were gathered around their table playing cards. When asked if the girls wanted to play, too, my oldest commented she doesn’t know how to play pitch but is pretty good at slap jack. You can always count on the kiddos to give everyone a little chuckle.

After leaving my grandparents, we decided to find the venue my nephew is getting married in next month. Thankfully, Siri directed us to the correct address and now we won’t be driving around gravel roads in Dallas County searching for the beautiful red brick barn.

We hopped back on the highway and passed through Grimes where my great-great grandparents lived. Their sturdy brick farm house still stands, now in the middle of town, surrounded by business and houses instead of the vast fields from decades ago. Oh, how I would love to see their reaction to the changes that have taken place over the years.

That evening, we decided to use our new membership at our neighbor, Gateway Golf Course, and play a round of golf. While I knew we would never make it through all nine holes, the four that we did play were a little more stressful than normal.

The girls were very enthusiast and loud, especially because we were riding on a golf cart. They kept picking up our balls, running everywhere and laughing and yelling a little louder than what is expected on a golf course.

In the end, they had a really great time and started asking when we’d be able to go again before we were even home. I realized if they are going to come along, we will need to a little more time on each whole and continued lessons on etiquette.

That night, my husband and I got to do a rare activity, date night. While we didn’t go all out, we did get to go see a movie that wasn’t animated or suited for kids 12 and under.

Sunday was a day of rest with few activities and more hanging out at home. Sometimes it is nice to have a free day, especially since we are preparing for a gauntlet in the coming weeks.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at

jpierson@newtondailynews.com