the storm before the hurricane

This week I felt like someone or something was conspiring against me.  See, back in May I was looking for a half-marathon to run this summer that was close to a destination that we could enjoy as a family.  I contemplated running Chicago in August, but we decided to take 1300 trips this summer and that would have interfered with one of the many.  Instead we opted for a beach weekend at the end of the summer (Labor Day) and I signed up for the Virginia Beach half marathon.  We figured it would be the last hurrah before school got serious and we were really into the swing of the school year, and we even convinced my parents to meet us there.  So I trained and trained in our record breaking hot weather and 300% humidity all summer long (and quickly realized why there were no local half marathons during the summer).
Then a few weeks ago Andy found out that he had a business meeting on the west coast this week.  He juggled his travel plans to get back late Wednesday (actually early Thursday) so we could still leave for the beach Thursday after school.  However, that left me to get two kids off to school every day for their first "real" week of school.  I know that sounds like it would be easy, since the boys were gone for seven hours each day, but easy it was not.  I still had some training to squeeze in, and I had Isabel to entertain.  Then there was the two hour eye-doctor appointment for Devin and both boys had their first soccer practice this week.  They practice on separate nights, so after a long day at school we got to spend two nights at the soccer fields instead of one.  With all three kids.  By myself. 
Oh, and I needed to do laundry and pack us all so we could leave for the beach twelve hours after Andy landed in NC.  By the end of each day we were all cranky and tired.  Now there was a category four hurricane headed to the NC and VA coast, and my excitement for this run race and beach weekend had pretty much waned.  I was exhausted, frustrated and really really grumpy. 
But then Andy made it home and I had help getting the kids off to school.  We decided not to rush off into the eye of the hurricane and chose to spend another day at home while the worst of the storm passes.  My parents came to our house to wait it out and we had a nice day together.  We packed, we played, we ate a good meal.  Tomorrow we set off to the beach.  Hopefully the hurricane will go gentle on us and all will be well when we arrive.  Sometimes a change in plans can be a good thing.