Friend Fest '07

Isn't Megan cute? The calm before the storm... We devoted the entire weekend to relationship maintenance. It was a real chore - NOT! I haven't laughed that much since we were here last year. Not that the rest of you are boring, it's just that packing in last minute visits means super-saturating days with input.

Saturday we hosted a mini reunion of Kurt's High School class. Nothing official. But when you have a graduating class of 13, then three graduates in the same place has to be significant. We cooked for 17 people, four of them preschoolers: Alaskan salmon fillets & hot dogs. We also bought for 17 people: potato salad, Greek pasta salad, veggie trays, and ice cream. Oddly enough, everything went smoothly with no stress. All the kids played well together even though the ages ranged from 13 to 2. Nothing got broken even though the first half of the party was entirely indoors due to rain. No one wanted to leave, but the party had to end once all diapers reached critical mass!

That night we went out with one of the couples - without kids! I can't remember the last time I went on a childless double date, much less relaxing for two hours at a fine Italian restaurant. I'm going to snag their recipe for seafood lasagne. Mmmmm. I'm glad we live on a coast, too. Fratello's is an interesting place to eat. It's housed in an old bank. We could see inside the vault from our table. "D" told us his grandfather died under the staircase attached to our booth (a janitorial-heart-attack apparently). I asked if the restaurant keeps it secret so people wouldn't get freaked out. He thought that there was a 70 year statute of limitations on bad ju-ju. (Not sure that would wash in the UK.)

After church on Sunday we ate lunch with some visiting friends from London. The father used to teach at Kurt's school and is great friends with Kurt's dad. Their boys are high school/college age, but they still found the time to play with Ian on Nintendo DS and his Morse Code kit. Their girls are just older than Megan, so they got along famously up in the loft, as evidenced by tons of giggles. I had to investigate after Ian climbed the ladder. All I could hear was his more-than-loud "Draw it like a monkey! Make a monkey!" Apparently the girls were sketching portraits of each other with crayons - some more flattering than others - and Ian wanted a picture of a monkey with a '=' to Megan's picture. Ah, brotherly love.

After I suggested a round of croquet to redirect Ian, the "H's" college son, "E", asked if we had an American football. Kurt found an ancient one in the attic and pumped it up (it has real leather laces that cinch). I started showing E how to throw it and even made it spiral properly. Then Kurt came out and said, "Tell me you're not learning football from a girl!" Kurt corrected the damage I had done, then left to kick a World football around. E then taught Megan and I how to throw it like a rugby ball. Once croquet ended ("J" won), we played a 3 on 3 round of football/soccer: no end lines, no sidelines, and two pairs of croquet balls for goals. That's why it's the world's game - you can play it anywhere with anything. Kurt scored 4 goals and 3 own-goals. Impressive. I scored twice, but had to call half time when none of us could breathe any more.

Kurt and I took J for a walk in the lower property to swat the bugs and see the bog. He's excellent at spotting toadstools and mushrooms. I disappointed him, though, since I didn't know which ones if any were safe to eat. (Sorry, but without taking a class I just don't trust my quick identification from the Peterson's field guide.) On return, the whole gang sat on the screen porch drinking water, eating jellybeans, and sharing stories. It was another of those truly perfect where a pinch is in order. Life just isn't supposed to be that good.

Cheers,
Jessi


Quote of the Day

Megan - on Saturday - to the oldest of 6 kids that had FINALLY been loaded into their Suburban:
"Is this what your life is like everyday?"

Ian - trying to be cool like E & J on Sunday - asked me to make him a cup of tea. I made some decaf, put in three sugars, and laughed when he left after one sip. Thirty minutes later, though, he came running out to the "football pitch" saying:
"Mom! I did it - I dipped my tea into a cookie...and I liked it!"