Puzzled

I set up a puzzle on Saturday afternoon. Just something to do with our hands while we were listening to general conference. I imagined us working on it together as a family and rejoicing when we finished it together.
In reality, it was too hard for most of the kids, and Megan soon lost interest. So, it was me doing a puzzle on Saturday. And I soon became a little obsessed. When Ryan and Cole went to the preisthood session, I fed the kids dinner, but I stayed at the counter working on the puzzle. After they ate, the kids wanted to play Wii. Fine. I’m working on a puzzle.

Sunday we didn’t have any time to work on the puzzle, since we had to get everyone ready, listen to the am session, and then we went up and attended the pm session in the conference center. It was a wonderful experience, even with three kids.

But Monday, after I exercised, that puzzle was still there. On the counter. I worked on it for a while, and then Monday night even Ryan caught the puzzle bug and spent a couple of hours on the puzzle after I went to bed.

On Tuesday, I go the kids off to school, exercised, and then sat down at the counter to work on the puzzle for a minute or two. John wanted to start a movie, and he chose ‘Over the Hedge’. About halfway through the movie, he wanted to sit on my lap and “help” do the puzzle. So, I let him help. I would search and search and find where a piece would go, then he would put it in. It was actually fun. A friend called me at around 11:15, and I realized I had been working on that puzzle for almost two hours. Oh, let me just take a shower, and then we can get the boys together to play. How embarrassing! 11:00 and I’m still in my work-out clothes working on a puzzle! But I was almost done! Tuesday afternoon when Cole came home, he and I finished the last few pieces of the puzzle. Except for one piece, which is missing somewhere. Hooray! The puzzle is done!

Off Cole went to piano lessons, and I went upstairs for something or other. When I came back into the kitchen, the puzzle was again in pieces. It hadn’t even been completed long enough for me to take a picture. I couldn’t believe it! The little culprit was sitting right there in the kitchen. “John,” I asked, “what happened to this puzzle?” “I don’t know,” he said.

ARRG!

Since the puzzle wasn’t completely destroyed, and since it’s always easier to do a puzzle the second time, some of the kids started working on putting it back together. I didn’t join them. I already did that puzzle, once, I’m thinking, I don’t really have the time to devote to completing it again. Today, sick of the puzzle and wanting my counter back, I put the whole thing back in the box. Back into the closet it will go, not to be looked at for at least another six months.