Father Knows Best

...but Mom?  Not so much.

For years the kids have teased me for illogical comments like, "Mom's cold; y'all please put on a sweater" and "Mom's tired; let's all have a nap now."

Easter Sunday I goofed royally on my orders for the day.  We had just gotten home from the beach on Friday night after a week of helping with a missions team in the heat at the coast.  Mike and Amy arrived the same day for a visit during their spring break.  Saturday I started doing laundry, but then we left for a spur-of-the-moment movie day in the city (Hunger Games), and the laundry got left in the washing machine overnight.

Sunday morning I woke up early to finish Saturday's chores, including hanging out the clothes.  Normally that hour just before dawn, the "madrugada" as it's called in Spanish, is the coldest hour of the day.  After running around cleaning the kitchen, sorting and putting things away that were unpacked and left in heaps everywhere, and finally running outside with a heavy laundry basket, it seemed downright balmy out.

Dashing back inside to wake everyone up and get the family loaded in the car at 6:40 was the final task.  Noticing that people were putting on long sleeved shirts and sweaters, I quickly set them straight about the weather forecast according to this hot flashing mom, and Jim and a few of the kids dutifully changed to short sleeves and left their hoodies at home. I myself changed from my skirt and sweater to a sleeveless dress.

Arriving at the school where the sunrise service was held, we noticed condensation on the windshield of the car.  That was strange.  It was warm and dry at home when we left.  Then we opened the doors to a blast of moist chilly air.  Everyone looked at me with incredulous faces.  Really, Mom?  Hot day today?

All through the service, which did not include a sunrise due to the cloud coverage, we shivered.

Silly, silly mom.

Only Debbie and Jim believed me.  The others wore long sleeves

Later in the week we went to a Oaxaca Guerreros baseball game.  I made no attempt to predict the weather or suggest appropriate clothing.  Everyone was on their own.  No one would have believed me anyway.

This has been a very strange April so far.  Normally we are turning on fans and leaving the house open all night by this time of the year.  Instead we are closing all windows before bed to keep the cold drafty air out.  It's even rained several times, which is unheard of this early in the year.  I'm not complaining, though.  Normally I hate April with the heat and dust.

You'd think after 18 years of living here that I could speak with some authority about the weather of all things, but, no....

I admit, I don't know everything by a long shot.

Why Jonny was sitting between the newlyweds, I have no idea!

Jim was on my left, but out of the photo