Just after writing my last post and setting it up to be published this morning, everything unravelled.

Foster child J came undone because Athena shouted, “Wait for me!” as J and Raine ran out the door heading to kids church.

“Don’t you dare speak to me like that!” J thundered. A 90minute tantrum followed. Finally I got her calmed down and thought all would be well.

It was until bedtime snack rolled around. J wanted sour cream and onion chips. Raine & Athena requested dill pickle chips (it’s vacation time so there’s some treats to be had). J pushed in and grabbed Athena’s bowl.

I said, “That’s not yours.” My explanation as to why was drowned out by J screaming in a soul shattering manner. She doesn’t like dill pickle chips. I wanted to give her something she wanted – sour cream and onion. But I couldn’t. She was acting as though I’d committed an unpardonable act in telling her the bowl of dill pickle chips weren’t hers. I offered that bowl. I offered a bowl of sour cream and onion. J would have none of it.

She began kicking the frail walls of the aged cottage. That’s when I started packing up to leave. J screamed at me continually while I gathered our things and got everyone into the car.

Our vacation was cut short by two days. We left suddenly and without warning – not the way I usually parent my highly anxious children.

There werefireworks exploding around us as we drove (in celebration of Canada Day). Once we hit the road, J calmed right down. She wanted to be back in the familiar setting of our home.

Unfortunately it likely won’t be waterside cafes and picturesque fields that stick with the kids. Those are the things I’ll put in their memory books. But our hasty departure and missing a few days of camp will likely be what lingers. But I do have the pictures to prove that I tried to offer up a typical family experience. And for a few days we truly did have some fun.