we survived the party...

But unfortunately, I forgot my camera....the batteries were all charged, but the camera stayed home on top of the roll-top desk.....someone offered to put it in my diaper bag, but I was planning to take a picture of Evelyn, who was cleaning off the little bookcase (does anyone else have a problem with kids putting the books back on the shelves horizontally on top, instead of taking the time to place them vertically?) ...Evelyn was on the floor, surrounded by books, and reading one, with little Charlotte Claire sitting in the pile, reading too....it was so cute....there were only about 15 books on the shelf....but I got distracted, which is the story of my life, and never took the picture. By the way, she picked up the books, and put them ALL horizontally, stacked on the shelf.....(but daddy fixed it).....anyway, I left the camera home....

It was a really nice party. So many friends and relatives showed up, I certainly didn't know everyone, but Paul knew most.....kids from the neighborhood, their "best man", the "maid of honor", .....It was nice to see Paul's siblings, too, and have the kids spend time with some cousins....The food was very good : Cornell chicken (barbecued with a local sauce), roast beef, roasted/herbed red potatoes, lasagna, tossed salad (with LOTS of yummy stuff in it), fresh fruit, Italian bread and butter....oh, and I found my new favorite beer. And no, they didn't pay me for this: BudLite with Lime.....it is so yummy. And light. And it takes me a half hour to drink one. I seriously don't drink, just a bit for taste....

So, I did feel a bit funny at the party. My mother-in-law must've been doing a lot of talking about our family, from what people were saying to me...I don't mind, I just felt like a big phony somehow.....these people were saying how wonderful the kids were, how beautiful, what a good job we were doing....but what did I do to deserve praise? Honestly, I have accepted the kids one by one, thankfully with open arms, from God. And gotten through the days seemingly sometimes by the skin of my teeth. I have felt overwhelmed, overchallenged, exhausted.....and I have gotten to stay home for these 24 1/2 years......I think it would be harder to have 2 or 3 kids, and have to work....but anyway, Paul's mom is a sweet woman, and she has some very nice friends, very kind and sincere. And especially since my mom died, I really enjoy talking to older, or middle-aged women.....sometimes when I just see an older woman's wrinkly hands pushing the shopping cart, I get that sudden yearning for my mother, and want to hug the woman, and make friends with her....(see how I get distracted?)

And the good news: they sent us home with leftovers!!! A huge bag of sliced Italian bread, which we put in the freezer downstairs, which is in Joe's room - he could eat it and never have to come upstairs......a huge aluminum pan of lasagna, which also went into the freezer, lots of roast beef, fruit, and salad....and some chicken...I will not have to cook dinner tomorrow!!! Which is worth several milllion dollars.....

I don't know if there was leftover cake or not....but that's okay....we don't need it. But guess what? There were two pinatas for the kids! That's when I started asking all my kids if they brought those nice cameras we bought them for Christmas....of course not. It was adorable to watch them....Evelyn was the one who broke the first one, and she just kept on smacking it, and candy was flying out, and the kids just stood there in amazement....I guess we are doing something right with the kids, because they are big sharers....they made sure everyone got some.....

I do have to mention, and I really don't mean to be braggy, but the little girls were really cute today....they wore those matching dresses I bought for $4.99 each at the outlet mall in the spring....Camille's was only $3.99....so Evelyn, Suzanne, Sonja, Charlotte Claire, and Camilles' dresses were the same print, different colors......I figure, I may as well have them wear them before they all grow out of them....

One of my mother-in-laws's friends, Anne, is very old. She is eighty-something. She came from a family with 11 children, and said when she was little, they had no electricity or refridgeration. Her mama worked extra hard. Anne has fond memories of being a child....in what, the 20's or 30's? She was just thrilled to see the children....

And just to clarify things, the kids behavior was, thankfully, excellent. Charlotte Claire is not a clingy child, she is very friendly. When anyone said hello to her, she would try to tell them she was 3 years old....which is a lie, she is only two. Camille is the smileyest (that SHOULD be a word) baby I have ever had, with big toothy grins and "hi"s for everyone.....and the kids who seem so challenging at home, obviously have been listening to something good.....no fighting, biting, or major spills....no stinky diapers, barfing, or talking back.....and Joe brought his guitar, so he was okay.....

But of course, as soon as we got home, people were so hungry!!!! And hyper!! I didn't keep proper track of the number of full sugar sodas they consumed......but I ask, how could they possibly be hungry?