Rain, rain, go away!

This weekend SUCKS! That is the refrain I've been hearing over and over again...from my inner voice.
There was a time when I didn't mind rainy weekends, but that was before kids invaded my life. Back then, I would have spent a miserable water logged afternoon curled up on the couch with a good book, a cup of cocoa and a cozy blanket.
Now, a rainy weekend means wracking my brains trying to find a way to entertain my monsters.
It was bad enough that our weekend plans were altered at the last minute. My hopes of keeping the munchkins entertained with other pint sized creatures were dashed when the other family cancelled because of a broken finger. I bounced ideas off of the spouse and office colleagues. Came up with the brilliant plan of taking the kids to a pick your own farm! Great - a day spent doing manual labour in the sun, while reaping fruits (literally) for the week - what could be better? We decided we'd treat the kids to a special brunch out in honour of Ceilidh's 8th birthday, and head out to the farm after tennis lessons. And end the day with a marshmallow roast over a bonfire in the backyard.
Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate. Apparently the 40% chance of scattered showers became 100%. Tennis was cut short and stomping around in mud for some strawberries didn't seem so appealing after all. What to do with these energetic critters that were bouncing around the house?
Movie! We went to see the new Disney Planes movie - Fire and Rescue. It was great! AC/DC's Thunderstruck played in the background; there was a cheeky poke at the old 80's series "ChiPs"; lots of plane action for the kids - and Quinn kept all entertained with his comments throughout.
And there was hope that Sunday would be a day for the farm.
Nope. It's raining cats and dogs out there. And I've given up trying to clean the house while the monkey are running around creating a mess the moment I move away. So, I'm holed up in the bedroom trying to hide from the chaos, while my offspring are taking advantage of this miserable day. There's a kid playing a video game in the basement. Another one on the laptop playing a game on a website that will surely lead to more viruses on my computer. I think Aisling is watching a Barbie movie on the television, and I'm pretty sure I saw Quinn searching for a candy in the cupboard. The spouse is hiding in his office, surfing the internet.
At some point, I really should venture down and so some parenting. Seeking refuge in the bedroom is probably worse that not watching my kids at the park. Which is a crime in some parts of the United States. I'm sure you've heard the outrage over the woman who was jailed for letting her 9 year old daughter play in the park by herself while she worked at her minimum wage job at a nearby McDonalds. And to think that I let the two girls go to the nearby park last week by themselves, that is, without someone watching over them. Because sometimes I'm sick and tired of going to the park. Because I've got a thousand other tasks to take care of, and few other kids too. Because I know the soon to be 8 year old can be responsible at times. Because I know the park is a two and half minute walk away, and I'd rather they get some exercise and fresh air while I'm getting dinner prepared. Because they were told to return home immediately when their older brother came to give them the signal. Because at some point, I'm going to have cut the apron strings or umbilical cord and trust them. And because it's stupid to think that we can't let our kids be kids and play in a park without parental supervision.
And yes, I'm ranting. Because this weekend's weather SUCKS!