It's a surprise, stupid!

In a few days, these little darlings will be paying me a visit.

Um, okay, they're visiting Papa too. And Aunty Bethany and Aunty Jenny and maybe the uncles and all the cousins who dote on them as well.

Oh, and their mommy and daddy are coming along for the ride.

One day earlier, these little darlings will also arrive for the weekend.

They weren't going to come, but my motherly heart couldn't stand the thought of them not being here with the rest of us, so we bribed them with free tickets. 

Free to them, that is!

Now, the idea was that these 

would not know that these 

were coming.

Don't tell Annie, I told everyone. 

I wanted it to be a surprise.

I love surprising people.

One time, when my Mum came for a visit from New Zealand, she was expecting to arrive and then witness Annie's birth within a few days. Which, to be honest, I don't think she was anticipating with relish, but I thought it would be good for her. Only Annie came early, so Jeff and the kids went to pick Mum up at the airport and told her I was resting. We swore the kids to secrecy, a bit of a risky undertaking with a three-and a two-year-old. When she walked into the bedroom she didn't notice Annie in the crib and nearly had a heart attack when she saw I had no pregnant tummy.

True story.

The next time she came to visit, we had just moved into our house and didn't tell her. She couldn't figure out why we pulled into this nice new house instead of the crappy old rental. Annie was four at the time and was not happy about sharing her room with Nana. Of course, she wasn't happy about moving into the new house either. She used to cry and ask to go back to the "yellow house".

True story.

I love surprising people.

Last Sunday, Jonnie asked me why I wanted to surprise Annie.

Because I like surprising people! I exclaimed. Surprises are fun!

Some people just don't get it.

So today I was talking to Annie about a musical number our family will sing in church next week. Be Still My Soul, if you're interested. We were discussing who would sing which part, with Bethany on flute and me on piano. It leaves us a little short on girls voices. She said something like Well Sa.. and then stopped short.

What did you say?

What? Oh, I don't know, something about singing.

Who let the cat out of the bag?

What are you talking about? Did you get a cat?

And then the conversation just got stupid. I couldn't figure out how to nail Annie down without giving away the secret, if indeed she hadn't figured it out. As soon as I got off the phone with Annie I called Bethany.

Does Annie know about Charlie and Sam coming?

I don't think so, I haven't talked to her for a while.

I called Charlie, then Sam.

No answer came the stern reply.

I called Jon. 

Did you tell Annie about Charlie?

 He tried to act as if he didn't understand  what I was talking about, but then he was sheepish.
I talked to her a couple of hours ago and we were planning Saturday stuff and I said "Mum wants us to all go out to dinner while Charlie's still here". And then I remembered I wasn't supposed to tell.

After I lovingly berated him for being such a stupid son, he suggested that I not tell Annie that I know that she knows so that she can act all surprised.

I said that is just stupid and rejected the idea.

I called Annie back and told her that I know she knows. 

She said What? He told you? I told him not to tell you!

Good grief. 

It promises to be an intriguing week, don't you think?