Memorial Day – 5/26/08

Grams and Pops left this morning. We are now on our own for an indefinite amount of time. Now the fun really starts.

Luckily it is Memorial Day, and we have a nice big distraction this afternoon in a neighbor’s barbeque. The boys usually get up from their naps by 2:30, which is perfect because the bbq starts at 3, so we should have no problem being there at 3 or shortly thereafter. We don’t leave the house until 4:00. Ah, the fun of motivating/organizing/cleaning/feeding 3 separate beings whose combined age is less than 7.

There is much controversy on the walk down the street. We are bringing some cookies and a pitcher of homemade sangria and are using the wagon for transportation. But of course the mere sight of the wagon means the boys want to ride in the wagon, which there is no room for. We finally calm everyone down, and reassure that they will likely be able to ride home in the wagon should they choose to and we set off walking down the street.

We got to Seth & Amber’s house and everyone is in the backyard. We unload the goodies we brought and have a seat and start to chit-chat with all of our neighbors. Before long, one neighbor, Josh, asks to hold Susie. I had only met Josh maybe once before, and on that occasion I was really talking to his wife more than him per se. To my knowledge Sarah has not met him many more times than that. Not that it really mattered; it is just a backyard barbeque after all. The funny part was just that here was an almost complete stranger holding our 2 week old baby for a solid hour. I don’t think many will confuse us for uptight parents.

Meanwhile, Marshall and Layne had taken off and were busy in the playhouse which Seth had just bought and assembled that weekend. They played very well together and seemed to enjoy it without any arguments. After about an hour or so, Marshall comes back to the main area and tells us he is hungry. This is really just code for “I want a cookie”, but I go ahead and make he and Layne a plate anyways. Layne is still out in the playhouse, all alone, but this does not upset. I pretty much have to forcibly remove him to come and eat, and it is a very rare thing for him to resist food. Sure enough after he eats, he heads right back out there and continues to play by himself most of the afternoon. According to Sarah, at one point he had taken the toy phone from the house, and was walking by the fence pretending to talk, just as if he were someone on a cell phone trying to find some privacy. What a goof.

The barbecue was a good time, and it was fun catching up with the neighbors and discussing life with 3 kids. Although one neighbor did threaten us, saying there would no more dinner drops if we have more kids.