Well That Was Fun

ABFA and Favorite Son at Shower

You will notice I’ve haven’t posted in a long time which I’ve found is usually directly related to how much fun I’ve been having. Since that meter was pegged for pretty much the entire weekend, which the accompanying photos accurately depict, you’ll just have to understand and count yourself lucky but the hiatus ends (sorry). I was with the FBR is residence for most of the time. She blew into town on Friday with her mother support package. They attended celebrations for the First Friday of the Week and the FBR was not to be constrained to a mere table. She was soon doing laps around the interior of Brew City with either her mother, myself, or my wife in hot pursuit. Despite dedicated efforts she never successfully snuck into the kitchen but it was not for lack of trying.

First Friday Happiness

Into Escape Mode

This Filter Thing is Getting a Little Extreme

My Favorite Panamanian and our daughter had made a date to do some Christmas shopping Friday night along with my wife’s designated shopping enabler (like she needs one!) the Neighborhood Mafioso. That meant I was being left in charge of the FBR all by myself. For some reason, that was call for some real concern on the female side of the equation. I took their doubts in stride and assured them I was capable of caring for a two year old even though it had been a few decades since my last solo efforts. I received several blocks of instructions since my duties included a pre-bedtime bath and possible nocturnal diaper changes. I found their lack of faith in my abilities somewhat insulting.

We sent the ladies off shopping and the FBR and I settled in for a fun evening. She was very impressed with the Christmas tree and the start of holiday decorating which we are in the middle of. I had promised her a fire in the style challenged fire pit and we had a lot of fun doing that. I learned that starting a fire and keeping track of a very mobile two year old is a whole ‘nother kind of challenge. When my first efforts at lighting the paper underneath the wood failed she made some very pointed remarks which boiled down to “No Fire Grampa!”. I eventually coaxed a fire out of the recalcitrant wood and she settled into my lap to watch the fire and point out celestial bodies such as a very full moon and emerging stars. It was a special moment.

Checking out the Tree

Why Aren't These Filled Yet?

Greeting old Friend "Ducky"

Fireside with Grampa

I was completely successful in the bath department although the FBR did follow through with a promise of splashing me that my Chief Financial Officer coaxed out of her at First Friday. We read a couple books together and she didn’t even complain when I put her into the crib. I was celebrating my success as I listened to her over the baby monitor. She has a habit of talking herself to sleep each night. I heard her clearly say, “Grampa is fun!” I had to fight the real urge to run upstairs and give her yet another goodnight hug. I felt vindicated when the ladies returned expecting Armageddon only to find me calmly ensconced in the Man Cave with my well bathed charge sleeping soundly two floors above.

FBR Assisting my Son with Shower Setup

Partners in crime

New Boots!

My Daughter with the FBR

Saturday was a day for the ages. We were up early (the FBR saw to that) and soon on the road north for the baby shower for the ABFA. We arrived to find the ABFA’s parents and my Favorite Son in full preparation mode for the shower which was taking place in their home. We pitched in with the FBR supervising where appropriate. This was the best time I’ve ever had at a baby shower because I collected a group of fellow middle aged gentleman including the Soxfather, the Maine Musquetera’s husband, and the ABFA’s dad and we escaped. (don’t worry – it was planned) We departed for a newly open pub just down the street. It was a generational thing since guys our age don’t do baby showers. My Favorite Son, being a millennial, was trapped.

Since the pub wasn’t opened yet we stopped by the Stratham factory store for Lindt chocolate. I think I put on a couple pounds just walking through the door where we were greeted with free truffles. I ended up buying a huge bag of those where you could fill with the all the flavors you wanted and they’d weigh the result. I came in at just under $25. It was worth it, just for the challenge it will offer my waist line in conjunction with incoming Christmas cookies. We returned to the Thirsty Moose and had a completely enjoyable time waiting out the estrogen exercise taking place a few miles away.

Great Aunt and Maine Musquetra at Either End

New Freinds

Someone is 2!

The Moms

 The baby shower was a huge success although it did make me feel old to see so many of my son’s college friends toting around children. The last time I’d seen many of them they were care free college kids partying in our Charlton back yard. The operative word “free” had certainly been excised from their descriptions but it was good to see them. We returned to catch the tail end of the shower to find a mountain of food left over although the ladies had done themselves proud in the mimosa department – eradicating what I thought was an oversupply of champagne. The Maine Musquetera had supplied some of her world class cupcakes for the affair and it was good to see her and my wife in one of their patented deep conversations. The FBR was in hot pursuit of any low hanging cupcakes – so I had some competition

Chatting with Tio

And Soxfather

The FBR was in deep thrall with both my Favorite Son and especially Soxfather which must be genetically passed on because her mother was the same way with that favorite uncle. We helped as much as we could cleaning up and squiring away some of the leftover food but had to hit the road back to Worcester all too soon since my wife and I had my company’s Christmas party that night.

Wait a minute - That's my Name!

With my Favorite Son

The Musqueteras Together

We arrived home just as the sun set and my wife launched into dedicated preparation mode since she only had a couple hours to organize. It is so much easier for guys. We were still almost a half hour late but my Favorite Panamanian looked so stunning that even I was able to forgive her tardiness. The party was a huge success as over a hundred of my employees from both management and union partied well into the night. I think it was a little jarring for them to see the mean old GM out on the dance floor and with my wife’s herculean efforts I actually looked like I belonged out there. I won a $50 door prize which I contributed to our table’s bar bill.

Our Table at the Company Party

The Party Hall

Fun People

It was a very long day but it was hard to imagine packing more enjoyment than we did around the two drives across New England. I just wish we’d had more time to hang out in Stratham but we can certainly address that over the upcoming holiday season – PSYCHED! Unfortunately after helping me prepare breakfast on Sunday the FBR and my daughter had to beat feet back to New Jersey while I nursed the aftermath of the Saturday partying in the Man Cave. The Pats went a long way assuaging my separation anxiety with a convincing win over their red headed step children from Buffalo. I had my promised victory fire in the back yard which was a little easier to start but nowhere near as much fun as the one I shared Friday night with a little bundle of energy known as the FBR.

Breakfast Help

Victory Fire

The Bad Cinema project count rises to #68 out of 100, with It’s Alive (no not the bad baby one) with a redneck feeding his personal dinosaur with snarky New Yorkers.