The Fourth was with Us

Sometimes it’s good to be right about an upcoming weekend. I wrote on Friday that the weekend was shaping up for epic status. If anything, it surpassed that and then some. As usual I have to lay the blame for the heroic level of fun achieved at the feet of my family and friends. They are such overachievers when it comes to bestowing special times. It started on Friday with, of all things, a church dance. While I love dancing on Fridays, something of a staple in our marriage, this is the first time I met that goal at a place of worship. In way of explanation, my Favorite Panamanian has a determined goal of volunteering as much as she can. She was a member of the church volunteers (OMG, I just realized I’m married to a “Church Lady”, in my defense, she’s much better looking than Dana Carvey) that organized the dance as a fundraiser.

Church Dance with the Neighborhood Mafiosos

This provided an interesting quirk in our usual dance portfolio. Heretofore I’ve always enjoyed at least a couple beers before venturing out onto the dance floor. Being the church, none was being served. Turns out I can dance without the evils of demon alcohol. It helped a lot that our good friends, the Neighborhood Mafiosos, accompanied us. We were the first two couple out on the dance floor except for some energetic pre-teens. There was something called a walk off that I diplomatically angled away from. Both the Panamanian ladies did us proud though. They’ve figured out the whole, looking elegant while walking trick while the only thing I could think of was close order drill; which meant it was a good thing I didn’t participate. Still an unexpectedly fun night out with friends, although I ended up washing dishes after it was over (as part of my wife volunteering, apparently, an unknown codicil).

Wife on the Walk Off

And the Mafioso, Teens Blocked Earlier Attempts

We were supposed to leave early Saturday morning for New Hampshire to help with set up for BR3’s birthday party. They had scheduled a bounce house which required an adult present for set up. Since both my son and the ABFA were squiring the BRS and BR3 to their usual accumulated Saturday morning sports and activities, we volunteered (again, the V word). My son texted early on to say the bounce house company called to cancel since it was supposed to rain most of the day (good call). We still set off in time to arrive before noon driving through some tough rain which predictably stopped ten miles short of New Hampshire.

The Birthday Girl

Telling Abuela how the Day Would Go

Keene Friend Showed Up!

BR3 was very excited to see us but even more so about the impending party. She was a little tentative last year but she was all in this time out. She marveled at the fabulous birthday cake my Favorite Panamanian had created to her specifications. BR3 is a huge fan of a Spidey cartoon series featuring a female spider girl, named Ghost (I think I go that right). Insuring the cake arrived intact was a huge undertaking involving a cut out box, carefully positioned seats, and constant reminders from my wife to drive carefully. Since the rain we’d driven through was a sure indicator of future precipitation, we helped clean out the garage for the inevitable piñata destruction ceremony. The ABFA’s parents, Keene Friend and Great Aunt arrived early to help with the preparations which was fun in itself. There was way, way too many sweets on display. It was truly an acid test for the diet but I didn’t partake of any of it. Still, just inhaling all the sweet fragrance probably added a couple of pounds when I wasn’t looking.

Wife Also Made "Ghost" Sugar Cookies

Then There as the Cake!

With its Creator

BR3 Spots an Arriving Guest

And Heads out to Greet Them

As we got close to game time, BR3 took up position at the front door to spot arriving party guests. She and Riggins, would then bolt outside to greet her guests halfway up the driveway. It was fun to see her so excited about friends. Shortly after they had all arrived, she had somehow gotten all of them outfitted in Disney princess dresses which became something of a theme for the weekend. Although her parents had fervently hoped for better weather to keep the party outside that was not to be the case but their house more than adequately served as party central. With kids careening around the house while parents socialized. That’s something I’ve noticed and it was remarked upon. Back in the day (when I was young) our parents just dropped us off at birthday parties and inquired when we’d be ready for pickup. Now the parents hang around and socialize. I like this new system much better. It helped that their friends were a lot of fun themselves.

Disney Princess Time

Pizza!!

ABFA and Son Guarding the Cake

With Great Aunt and Keene Friend

I, of course, had ulterior motives, since this also afforded me time to hang out with Great Aunt and Keene Friend. Great Aunt became problematic though when she allied with my Favorite Panamanian in a discussion about my scalp wound. Other than that, it was great afternoon. Pizza arrived for the kids and BR3’s parents provided a catered lunch for the adults. We then retired to the garage for the piñata. My son bravely took up the challenge of manning the rope. Courage was required since the pole the kids were swinging was way too long and they only choked up their hold on the first swing, after that chaos reigned. I’m still semi-amazed someone didn’t emerge with a head wound. The kids gave it their best shot but the piñata put up its typical tough fight. Little did it realize we had a ringer in the crowd. My Favorite Panamanian stepped up to bat and candy was soon strewn about the floor covered in a blanket of anxious four years olds.

Ready for the Pinata

BR3 Takes her Swings

The BRS As Well

The Candy Scrum

Next up was the cake and I have to take a moment to expound on it. As usual my Favorite Panamanian had labored long and hard to create something special for a granddaughter. The photos do not do it justice. She hand made all the buildings and decorations except the figurine. She doesn’t like to receive praise but it was unavoidable on Saturday as everyone marveled at the professional level of birthday cake on display. Of course, it was soon to fall victim to Bonecrusher. I think a couple of the attending parents were a little shocked when the sword came out for BR3 to wield in cutting her cake as part of the family tradition. It was at this point they realized they had fallen in with barbarians. BR3 was very excited about the sword and my son had to carefully monitor her stroke.

BR3 With her Gatherings

Abuela and ABFA Handle Candy Disputes

The Party Guests

Keene Friend Explaining How he Would have Done It

It was a great birthday party despite the absent bounce house and miserable weather. BR3 was ecstatic about her birthday celebration and the BRS was the perfect (well, almost perfect) big sister about it. After the last of the guests departed, the survivors, except for the BRS and the birthday girl, collapsed on the couch in fatigue. I enjoyed the quiet evening hanging out with my son watching an old movie and catching up. I’d left permission for the granddaughters to wake us up in the morning but the ABFA took pity and took the early morning bullet. I came down after a great night’s sleep to find her fully immersed in her daughters’’ early morning excitement.

Time for Cake with Mom and Dad

BR3 with Bonecrusher

Wife did Get her Head out of the Way in Time

Dad, I don't Need your Help

Yes, You Do

Son and Keene Friend

Following the requisite hojaldra breakfast we coaxed BR3 out in the garage to receive our gift. She was a little mystified by the garbage bag wrapping but was soon very excited about the unveiled bicycle which turned out to be an exact twin to her big sister’s bike, way too cool. We returned from church to find virtually every Disney princess dress every created strewn about the entry hallway. The ABFA related that she had just been treated to a fashion show by her daughters. My Favorite Panamanian may have been a little too generous in her praise for this because we found ourselves in short order directed to seats on the couch so we could undergo a similar fate, whoops, I mean treat.

Sunday Gift Time

Very Happy

I still don’t know how they did it but they had become quick change artists. In less than ten minutes they had donned and paraded in front of us all of the aforementioned princess dresses. Parade is the wrong word. They would rush into the room and proceed to jump and turn in the air as fast as they could. It made photos very difficult as I only captured a fraction of their performance but it was epic (there’s that word again). The BRS was a little disconsolate when the last dress was displayed and she was informed it was lunchtime. As you now realize, that could describe the entire weekend with our friends, meeting our son’s and the ABFA’s friends, BR3’s friends, with our own old friends spiced in as well. Epic probably falls short of encapsulating the level of fun achieved.

The Fashion Show

BRS a Little Peeved the Show Must End

Today’s weigh-in, still at 18 pounds lost towards 25-pound goal. Which is acceptable since no exercise except for chasing granddaughters this past weekend and having to inhale the odor of all those sweets, including the magnificent birthday cake.

In my A-Z watch, only one fell since I last posted, a definite keeper: The Island, great sci fi action flick that reminded me of all-time favorite Logan’s Run, Scarlett at her peak.

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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; Seis Amigos - two couples from our condo complex and my wife and I; Soxfather – my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course