Soggy but Refreshing

3 Moms and the BRS on Deckzilla on Saturday

We got through a very soggy but thoroughly delightful Mother’s Day weekend. Somehow we latched on to the brief period of sunshine on Saturday for the first Deckzilla social event of the year. My Favorite Son, ABFA and of course, the BRS came down to spend Saturday night with us. They were joined for the party by the ABFA’s parents and Soxfather. Great Aunt had to work and had committed to the party until she realized it was on Saturday. Soxfather was actually the first person to show up which is a rarity. This led to a discussion between the two of us on the timeliness effect (or detriment) my sister has when she is involved. We reached certain conclusions that would not be safe to share with her.

Fam Shot

BRS and ABFA's Dad

Soxfather Working his Magic with Another Generation

Riggins Loves to pose

Son's Family

The BRS was the undeniable star of the day demonstrating her newly acquired mobility skills when it came to walking. My son remarked on the seeming daily improvement in both amount and speed of walking. I took a certain amount of delight in telling him he had seen nothing yet. The BRS is already demonstrating a certain attitude and independence which will challenge her parents as her capabilities improve. Grandparenting is such a great spectator sport.

BRS has a Great Smile

And a Pretty Good throwing Arm

My Son Figured Out how to Get the Deck Swing Operational

Abuela Tasked with the Pushing

Very Happy Abuela

We checked in on the FBR only to learn she had gleaned one of those hidden benefits of starting a new school – illness. She was punching up a fairly impressive body temp score that had parents and grandparents concerned. Fortunately the fever broke early on Mother’s Day but was no less scary. The FBR has inherited her mother’s trait of becoming sick on holidays – again that spectator issue for grandparents watching their own kids deal with the same challenges they presented as children.

Saturday Dinner

From the Other End

BRS Lecturing the ABFA

Son's Fam Again

Dealing with Wind and Unhappy BRS

The accompanying pictures tell a better story of how much fun we had chasing around the BRS this weekend. She has some very definite priorities in her life that we are expected to ascertain and fulfill. She was pushing a small chair around Deckzilla and would pause to receive accolades. When the clapping didn’t take place immediately she demonstrated how we were supposed to be congratulating her her. She, like the FBR, really loves an audience. She also loves her abuela’s hojaldras which she demonstrated on Sunday morning.

Sunday Morning Hojaldras
Before the Hair Curlers were in Place for Both

Abuela and BRS Monitoring the Neighborhood 

Everyone had to leave much too soon (they’d still be there if I had my way) and I was left with entertaining my Favorite Panamanian for the rest of Mother’s Day. This turned out to be very enjoyable. We tried to time a mid-afternoon dinner at her favorite local restaurant but a couple dozen other groups ascribed to the same plan and Val’s was packed. We eventually got a table and a very entertaining dinner. About halfway through the union business agent from my company was escorted to an adjoining table with his extended family. We noticed each other after a few minutes and exchanged bemused greetings with each other.

Officially Bonded

I guess I did a good job on Mother’s Day recognition scale because my wife deigned to allow me to watch the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones last night which was anything but uplifting. It left me with some real concern about how they’ll rescue the series finale next week. This was incapable of dimming the glow from the weekend though, having spent it with some of the best people currently walking the earth.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law, formerly known both as MEF – Most Excellent Fiancé & MEG – Most Excellent Girlfriend; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt = my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Buddy – AKA the Wonder Pooch – family dog, a black lab – hates squirrels, died in 2017; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog, surrogate grandchild while awaiting arrival of the BRS; 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; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at work; Deckzilla Dude – senior citizen carpenter/contractor; Voices of Inappropriate Worth - members of public who come to every Worcester public meeting to complain, all are on public assistance along with demeanor issues