Ripping out my hair...

It’s been a busy few days, but when is it not?

Thursday night, we had a much delayed baby shower for our friend Stacey. Her shower was originally scheduled for late July, and right before the shower, Stacey went to live in a labor and delivery suite. Four weeks of hospital bed rest, kept our beautiful little friends Ella and Ashton healthy and well. The girl certainly deserves a night out, and probably needed it now more than ever! Things have a way of working out.

I don’t get out much after dark, so the shower was a big treat. I’m a true hazard on the road. My on-again-off-again astigmatism makes me a menace to other drivers. Headlights have halos and I’m completely distracted by lit up store fronts. I don’t often see those. I also had one limeoncello martini and turned into Dean Martin. I talked waaaaaay too much, even louder than normal, and knocked over my empty glass for the finale. I’m really surprised I’m not invited out more.

Insanity seems to have become common place with me. I decided to host a Halloween party for the kids and all their friends Saturday afternoon. I think I was lured into the idea by cute invitations. I’ve gotten myself into several bad situations through a weakness for stationary. Anyway, for whatever reason I decided to invite several children ranging from age two to seven into our home for two hours of games and sugar. As I was hanging decorations Meredith said, “Well, I’m excited for our first and what will probably be our last Halloween party.” Meredith knows me far better than I know myself.


It was bedlam! We had a scavenger hunt for bones, which the big boys were bored with and the little ones didn’t quite get the concept of going from clue to clue. We decorated cupcakes and 15% of the toppings made it onto cupcakes. Once I had them wound up from running and sugared from cupcakes and sprinkles, I handed them a stick and had them beat open a piñata full of MORE sugar. The only calm in the storm, was Annie dutifully painting faces and taking requests for things like…a Chinese dragon. What else would you expect?!

When the kids left, I sat paralyzed and dazed on the couch and told Brandon to have me declared incompetent if I ever decided to host such a party again. Meredith was so delusionally exhausted that she told me I was the meanest mom ever and it was the worst day of her life because I gave “her” eyeball bouncy ball to someone else. Never mind that I have 27 eyeball bouncy balls rolling around my kitchen floor.

Did I mention I handed out BOUNCY BALLS as a prize?! GREAT idea when your entire first floor is hard surfaces. OH…AND I had gummy frozen eyeballs floating around in the punch bowl. It dawned on me that no kid wanted an eyeball in their punch cup when there were rubber ones bouncing everywhere. I would never make it as a party stylist.

Sunday morning we met up with a friend of mine, Toni, who is also a photographer. She asked me if I would be interested in exchanging family photos. We met at the beautiful Indianapolis Museum of Art. I shot there a week ago and you wouldn’t believe how many leaves have since fallen from the trees. Fall is fading fast. Toni’s family is ridiculously good looking and they have four children who all looked at the camera and smiled on command. We looked like the Addams family comparatively and Alex did his best Lurch impression. In 80% of our shots, Alex looks like we’ve bound his feet. As I started looking for an acceptable Christmas card shot, my standard went from “everyone smiling and looking natural,” to “one where Alex doesn’t look pained.”

Here’s a dandy! I’m standing is some sort of weird, “I hope this makes my hips look less wide pose,” and the session is choking the life out of Meredith. I will say this is one of Alex’s better expressions… We finished our photo shoot just in time for the Colts game. We went to a restaurant near our house that used to have great food, awesome service, and a line to get in. All of those things are now gone, but they did show the game on four big screens and I didn’t have to make sandwiches. A word on the game…I felt badly for the Rams. I guess that’s why I’m not much of a sports fan. I don’t think you’re supposed to have empathy for the loosing team.

I’m ready to wrap up our weekend. I look forward to the calm of Monday and getting my house back in order.