Bliss Incorporated

The Birthday Girl(r) and her Favorite Cousin

Yes, this is going to be one of those posts where I wax philosophic about the blessings resident in time spent with my family. I’m almost in awe of the amount of pleasure derived from activities over the past few days. I’m not sure the human form is readily equipped for this level of contentment. It all started on Friday when Great Aunt and Soxfather came up for First Friday recognition events. They were supposed to be at my office at 3pm so I could show them around my company and then the location of the new ballpark under construction nearby for the Red Sox AAA affiliate. Predictably they were late so they got a rushed tour and a wave from a high window towards the location of the park because, well, First Friday. In their defense they had a very good reason for being late but, again, First Friday.

One of Best First Fridays Ever

We had a great time at Brew City as they fit in seamlessly with my co-workers, one of which was the known quantity/quality of the Keene Friend. One of the other reasons I was in a hurry to arrive was the presence of my Favorite Panamanian in the Brew City parking lot waiting for us to arrive. Whoever heard of my wife arriving somewhere on time? The cosmos was definitely out of whack that day. We discussed the upcoming pub crawl which will take place on my sister’s actual birthday. Another one of those nights passed that I was not fully prepared to have end. Earlier in the day my wife had the pleasure of the New Hampshire contingent stopping by on their way south to New Jersey.

The Force is Strong in This One

BRS Receiving Jumping Lessons From FBR

Cousins Conferring

Popular Uncle

We followed in the wake early Saturday morning and arrived in New Jersey just in time to escort the FBR to her Saturday gymnastics class. We are apparently a distraction because the instructor had to take the FBR aside a couple times to get her to focus. Guilty. We briefly saw my Favorite Son, the ABFA, and BRS upon our arrival in NJ as they were heading out the door to visit some ABFA relatives living nearby. We followed our usual script and after escaping the gym, joined Wingman at a nearby establishment for brunch.

Abuela and Ice cream - Just Perfect

Cousins Switching Parents

My Wife Still Hasn't Stopped Grinning

The rest of that day was a true highlight. We returned to the house to find my son’s family had returned. We spent the rest of the day sitting around, catching up, and laughing. A significant portion of that laughter was derived from observing the BRS and the FBR interact. It was true spectator sport as they both seemed to try and out charm the other. The FBR had definite ideas about her preeminence but while the BRS is much smaller she wasn’t ready to concede the high ground. The BRS did however find the FBR intensely interesting (don’t we all) and relentlessly followed her around.

Presents!!!

Elsa Wig

We were gathered in New Jersey to celebrate the FBR’s 4^th birthday which is actually today. She christened the entire Friday-Monday time period as her “birthday weekend”. I was fully on board which the declaration – birthdays are important. Especially when you’ve only had three of them so far. Sunday was the day of her party and we started in off in church where the FBR was uncharacteristically quiet and obedient. This could have been because she knew what awaited her upon her return – birthday presents! She opened them in a serene manner belying her age. Taking time along the way to don her new Elsa wig from Frozen. Disney, as they do with each generation, successfully inserted itself into the gift buying this year as the horde of gifts was heavily Frozenized.

BRS Can Already Drive an IPad

Birthday Girl with Parents at Party Site

My daughter and Wingman had rented out a local gymnastics place that specializes in birthday parties. The first hour in spent with the entire facility for the exclusive use of the birthday party guests. After that a private room hosts the traditional pizza, birthday cake and surrounding ceremonies. It was huge success as the FBR quickly established her credentials as the Birthday Girl and being fairly adventuresome. She dominated a couple trampolines but her favorite place was a rope swing into a huge pile of foam rubber. The BRS, while smaller in stature than most of the other kids threw herself into the festivities, bouncing with my son on the trampoline.

FBR Bouncing

On the Rope Swing

Shortly Before Jumping Off

BRS Bouncing with Dad

And Abuela

I’m so happy my daughter and her family has fallen into a group of friends with children of similar age. Centered on their neighborhood it’s just good people and the more occasions I see them the more I’m convinced. They truly are like an extended family which my Army brat daughter, with her itinerant childhood, rightfully cherishes. The FBR eventually donned her mermaid dress which certain grandparents were charged with acquiring on their September European adventure as the culminating event of the party.

Culmination of Gym Time - FBR Rising Out of Parachute

Controlled Chaos

Pizza

Cake Time

Mermaid Dressed FBR Dancing with BRS

My son’s bunch and I departed from the party site for the journey home because it was more convenient to the route we had to take. It was tough saying goodbye to the FBR and her parents because they had been the source of so much pure joy over the past couple days. Connecticut tried to land a couple body blows, traffic wise, on the way home but modern technology allowed us to circumvent. In a major development my Favorite Panamanian was the hero, accessing alternate routes on her phone, the world has definitely turned. I ended the night watching some late night football with my son in the Man Cave, as they stopped off for the night with us. Whatever that old saying about simple pleasures is certainly onto something.

These People!!! What Can I say!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law; 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); 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; 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