Rainy Delight

Yep, another one of those weekends. Can there ever be enough of them? There were some adjustments to the All-Star squad that I referenced in my last post. Great Aunt went on the disabled list with a cold while the FBR arose early Saturday morning and pronounced herself completely healed and immediately started campaigning with my daughter to make the trip north. The FBR even laid out her own clothes to pack. She really wanted to spend time with her cousins. I’d like to think it was to see her grandparents and while that might have been a small part of the equation, as soon as I saw her with those cousins, I knew the truth.

There is Something Special About Cousins

Before we get to that heart warming scene though I’ll have to recount our Friday night adventures with the Neighborhood Mafiosos. We tried to recapture the fun of the previous Friday with another First Friday call upon the Auburn VFW post. There were decidedly less people there, although didn’t improve the delivery time of the first round of drinks. We overcame that indignity and settled in for another fun night with the same couple that joined us last week. It was a little disappointing that the band played country music but when they realized no one was dancing, other than a dedicated couple of line dancing middle-aged ladies, they rocked it up a bit and we had a lot of fun dancing. We were half way through the night when I realized, in my hurry to get ready, I put my knee brace on the wrong knee. Strangely there was less pain in the bad knee than early iterations. Go figure.

Another Friday Night in Auburn

My Favorite Panamanian was up early on Saturday morning as we learned the FBR had convinced her mother to make the trip. Since we are on the direct route from my daughter’s home to my son’s, she was going to stop here and we’d drive up to New Hampshire together. Meanwhile, my wife was hard at work at her three-day project, involving three separate Amazon purchases and a lot of dedicated labor, that was BR3’s birthday cake. My Favorite Panamanian and BR3 sat down at the computer last week and BR3 selected the cake she wanted (this has become a granddaughter tradition with their abuela). That work continued up to the point my daughter and the FBR pulled in. The FBR actually helped her abuela finish the cake decorations.

Wife and Daughter

With my Son

Party Time

We then piled into our car and set out in a driving rain storm. It figures that it hadn’t rained in weeks and here we were gong to a three years old’s birthday party forced inside. Yeah, I know we needed the rain, but, still. I re-learned how much I hate driving in the rain, mostly because of the driving habits of the other drivers. I know it was raining hard, but there is absolutely no reason to drive 30 MPH in the left lane of I-495, for thirty minutes!!!! Despite the frustration we arrived to find my son’s house already bubbling with excitement. Okay, that was mostly the thriving population of very young kids present. The BRS was over the top excited about hosting her older cousin and I saw very little of the FBR after they linked up. Most of those sitings were a blur as she and the BRS charged around the house.

Son and ABFA, Our Intrepid Hosts

Birthday Girl and her Best Buddy

Rarely Apart All Day

BRS and FBR

There was a very nice crowd which included the ABFA’s parents and her closest cousin’s family. One of the nicest surprises was my son’s first college roommate and his family. We hadn’t seen him since my son’s wedding where he was the best man. He has a beautiful family of his own now but we jokingly remembered together the college parties at our Charlton home that he attended that usually left bodies strewn around the house the morning after. It’s nice to see he and my son’s children now becoming friends. One of the cutest moments (and based on the kids involved, that’s a huge statement for yesterday) was the arrival of BR3’s best friend from her pre-school class. They were attached at the hip for the rest of the day, beyond cute actually.

Rarely Apart

As Were These Two

Charging Around the House

Pinata Time

We brought the pinata which was liberally filled with candy by my son and I while we sampled his Coors Lite supply. The ABFA made a tactical mistake when she left her candy horde in front of me after the pinata was filled. Beer and sweets, I cannot resist. The pinata demolition was moved into the garage where the biggest concern was keeping the kids out of the swing zone when it wasn’t their turn. This was followed by the birthday cake which beautifully redeemed my wife’s very hard work all week – it was epic. BR3 is a huge fan of the Cocomelon childrens’ programming (which I have been subjected to on various visits) and that was the kind of cake my wife delivered. The pictures do not do it justice. BR3 does not like being the center of attention and coved her eyes when we sang her birthday song, yet again, cuteness on overdrive.

That Cake

With Its Creator

And Recipient

With the Kids

The Parents

And The Grandparents

BR3 Embarrassed by the Attention of Happy Birthday Song

Making the First Cut

After the various guests left, I enjoyed watching the three granddaughters together. They all changed into their matching Christmas pajamas. The FBR assumed the senior cousin role and there were heart warming scenes in abundance including the FBR reading to her cousins and all three of them watching pre-bedtime fairy stores on the television. In a major surprise, all three of them went to sleep without issue (they were exhausted) although BR3 sang for nearly an hour. That offered some great entertainment to her parents and grandparents who watched on the baby monitor.

I Got Some Time with the Birthday Girl

The Christmas Pajamas

The Big Bad Wolf Appears on the Screen

Present Time

FBR Reading to her Cousin

Daring Duo

We topped off a very fun day with a movie in my son’s state of the art home theater. The ABFA stayed up and watched the entire movie with us, a true first (in her defense – a very good movie). The morning started early (there were three granddaughters in residence) with their abuela demonstrating for my son and I actually how easy it was to make thin hojaldras. We bowed to her obvious expertise.  The drive back was so much easier without all the rain and somnambulant motorists. We left right after breakfast as my daughter and the FBR had to continue on their way home to New Jersey. I just heard that they have safely arrived back home. Yep, another one of those weekends. I think I like retired life.

Riggins Behaved Like a Hero All Weekend

These Ladies!!!!

One movie fell in my A-Z watch, a certified keeper, The Dirty Dozen, classic action, Lee Marvin rules; Jim Brown still didn’t make it to the bridge, although I keep hoping. Poignant that after watching this movie I walked upstairs to learn Jim Brown died. What a great athlete. Yes, I know, I’m out of order alphabetically again, it seems I’ve run into some more of the subtle rearranging the granddaughters have accomplished in my movie library during their visits.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during him her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course