Singing In The Rain

We planned a quick trip with two other families up to Sedona, AZ for the weekend. The purpose was three-fold: One, to spend time with our friends before all the kids went back to school, two, to spend time with our friends before one of them is deployed to the Middle East for a year, and three, to visit the AZ Cardinals training camp and get autographs for the kiddos. The kids range in age from 15 months (my baby girl, the only girl in the bunch) to 11 years. A nice, relaxing weekend away with a house full of boys. Yeah, right!!
The Cardinals train in Flagstaff which is a short little jaunt up from Sedona. We found an amazing house to rent for all 14 of us at a killer price. It was spectacular! Huge, beautiful home with lots of space, a pool, a hot tub, and breathtaking views.
The plan was to get up early on Saturday and drive 45 minutes up to Flagstaff, be there by about 7:30 to stand in line for the autograph session which began at 8:30AM. We thought we'd have plenty of time and be placed decently in line with our arrival time. My husband took our sons two years ago to a similar event for the Cardinals. He said it was great, there were only a few hundred people total, the kids got to interact with the football players, he took photos, it was a gorgeous day, and overall a fantastic experience.
Well, this year things were slightly different...
Literally on our way out the door to the cars it started raining. Not a nice little drizzle that we as Phoenicians could appreciate. No, this was a full downpour, with fat drops of water, each one soaking inches of your body. The rain maintained, and at moments worsened, the entire drive.
We thought we hit the jackpot though when the rained fizzled out upon entering Flagstaff. We were thrilled! It was cold (for us) and cloudy, but the parking lot was mostly empty. At least we'd be dry and have fun seeing the football players. Everyone was in high spirits, excited at the day's prospects.
We were so naive...
We quickly realized the reason the parking lot was so empty was because all the other ones were already full. There were masses of people already in line. By the time we finally found the end of the line (it wrapped around the entire dome) the rain had made an appearance again. We stood there for about 45 minutes, in the rain, with all the kids, in our shorts and flip flops (did I mention we are from Phoenix?), no umbrellas, cold, tired and hungry with kids running around everywhere.
Actually, I was impressed with us all, with all the fans that day. I didn't hear any complaining from anyone, not kids, not adults, no one. We were all sopping wet, chilled to the bone, tired, and standing in a never ending line. But, God bless America, we all made the best of it and had fun.
Once we actually made it inside the dome where the signings were to take place, it was craziness again, swarms of people everywhere. Our group dispersed again in an attempt to gather as many signatures as possible. I, along with two others and the baby, went to save seats in order to watch the Cardinals practice afterward. All was going well, chaotic but manageable. I even snapped a few photos and shot some video. And then.... the smell.
At first I thought we had the ill fortune of picking seats next to someone with flatulence. Then it slowly dawned on me, that flatulence was my daughter's butt! Ooh doggy did it stink! And, of course, we didn't have a diaper bag. One of the only times I neglected to throw it over my shoulder. It was all the way back in the car. OMG.
There was no way to ignore it, it had to be dealt with. So.....
Off I went with my precious stink bomb back to the car. It was pouring down rain and took me about 20 minutes to make the walk back (good thing I woke up extra early to shave my legs!). We were soaked through. My poor baby was so cold her lips were a bluish tint and she was shaking uncontrollably. I almost broke down in tears at the sight. But God bless her, she didn't make a peep! She was angelic, and Lord knows this is not always the case, so I was ultra delighted and proud of her. What a trooper!
I changed her diaper in a flash, hopped in the front seat and blasted the heater. Then I fed her broken off pieces of a muffin which she gobbled up. I decided to wait in the car until the rest were done watching practice. There was no way I was daring the rain again.
Less than an hour later all 14 of us were happily sitting around a huge table at Coco's, enjoying a belated breakfast. Mugs of coffee and hot chocolate, warm skin and full bellies.... Ahh.... Life is good, full of adventure and mishaps, but oh so good!

How do you make the best of mishaps? What do you do to remain calm and collected instead of panicked and frustrated?

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