This month of craziness started at the end of April with an early screening --on a school night! -- of Avengers Age of Ultron. Between YAT practices, we've had a wedding and an early birthday sleepover in these first three days of the month, highlighted with the reunion of a threesome first formed in the infant room of Day Nursery.
Before Memorial Day weekend dawn, we'll have May crowning (a catholic thing I don't quite get but understand is a pivotal moment) the Angie's List Festival of Service and Grand Prix, more YAT practices and 3 YAT productions with Alison in them (and others her friends are focused on) Book Club, Spotlight (Ali's first year to go) a Judy O'Bannon tribute event, Ali's actual birthday and a party with some of her friends from school, a trip to Washington DC for Ali and me and to Portland, Ore. for Jeff, and Ali's 8th grade graduation (a bigger deal than most schools because this is the end of her CKS career.)
Deep breath, right? It's kind of terrifying me.
This weekend saw me flying down to Greene County -- top down all the way baby and thank you law enforcement community for being where I wasn't -- to see Annie and Justin Williams tie the knot. She, of course, was a stunning bride and it was a too-short trip. I'm not sure I've seen my family looking so consistently attractive. Annie should get married more often.
Or maybe we should just clean up more.
In helping me get ready, Ali had warned me to flash my wedding ring a lot for fear of being overrun by suitors. She was overly concerned, although I did meet a man named Moose who I still think I have met before. Couldn't figure it out.
I even got to talk my cousin Beth in to the church after she got lost in Linton, of all places. It's been a few years since I was familiar with Linton and it seemed like evertime I told her a landmark, someone would tell me that it isn't there anymore. Jack Wheeler Ford isn't there! Who knew? The Dairy Queen remains.
Beth and her son Christopher coasted in just as the bridal march got started, but it was OK. And wouldn't you know it, Christoper --born and raised in Columbus, Ind. -- had friends on the Williams' side of the aisle and no one had realized the connection before.
I sadly had to miss the reception (which may still be going on for all I know) to rush back home for the first round of Alison's birthday celebration. She'll be in play practice for the actual day and we won't get to her official party for a couple weeks. As it was, the sleepover couldn't start until 7 when she got out of play practice.
We got a bit of a bonus though, including Hannah Ogden (she and Ali are in The Time Machine together) in the first phase -- dinner at Pizzology and then a carriage ride downtown with the threesome.
We have a lot to thank Day Nursery for. Jenna and Ali were friend in utero of course, but we met Bree there, as well as Alex Ogden a year or so later. Hannah, his older sister, came along later. With two years on the others, she's always been the cool older sister. She and Ali will be at Herron High together next year.
The first shot below is Ali's 1st birthday party. Jenna was the only one who'd eat the no-sugar, carrot cake birthday cupcakes I made following the advice of What to Expect the First Year, my bible for Ali's first years.
This was them last night:
Through the years:
While there were tons of fun moments -- Jeff (who's mother would have been appalled) played with his food. Jenna claims I walk "fancy" when I have on heels. Bree thinks she should get to borrow them. We almost died in the parking garage a few times (according to the drama queens) and Jenna hid and jumped out at Ali, causing a blood-curdling scream. It may not have been a coincidence that a police officer drove up as we were driving down. He was talking to us as we passed but the girls were loud and all I heard from him was "yada yada yada." He didn't follow us out so it must have been something like that he was saying...
The girls played a game of Sweet-and-Sour with passersby while in the carriage. Bree won when she got not just a smile but a high five from some random guy.
My favorite moment was when we were walking back to the car. The girls all held hands as we walked across Monument Circle and Jenna grabbed mine and we did a little "off-to-see-the-wizard" silliness.
Had I not been wearing my wedding outfit, I might have actually fooled some folks there in the early dark of the evening -- we're all about the same height. And in the dark, neither my roots nor wrinkles was showing.
I love those girls. I love them individually, and I love them together. They're just goobers. Laughing and screaming and telling each others secrets like they've never been apart.
They've never gone to "real" school together but those 6-weeks thru 5-years at Day Nursery were foundational. In those rare times when I pray, I pray that foundation will get them through high school and the rest of their lives.
We drove home with the top down, of course. Jeff had ditched us to get Hannan home before her parents realized we'd kept her longer than expected. Once home, they opened gifts, found the ice cream and descended to the basement for a night of bad movies. I found them sacked out this morning with the soundtrack of Beauty & the Beast still playing from when the movied ended.
They've woken and are baking. Because that's what you do on Sunday mornings. Batter for breakfast before Bree and Jenna's soccer game. I won't be surprised if they blow chunks on the field.
Maybe I should stay home and let Amer deal with that....
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