Anticipation

Tomorrow is Miles's 6th birthday party. He has been looking forward to this for...months. In the beginning, I tried to explain to him that his actual birthday is April 3, but that we needed to have the party early since his birthday fell on the holiday weekend and so many friends would be travelling or have family plans. That explanation didn't go over too well. He's at an age where things need to be exact. He wanted to turn 6 on the day of his party...or else it's all a big lie, isn't it? The truth hurts sometimes. So now the word is that Miles is turning six when the candles are blown out on March 27. End of discussion. (...actually don't bring up the subject, but if he asks, you know what to say.)

As usual, I'm a wee bit stressed about it. I was going to say it's our first time entertaining at 4 Moon Close, but we did have cocktails one evening for donors to meet visiting MC people. No power. Generator hum would have been obnoxious. Had some candles lit all around. Brought in some more chairs and tables from D's office. Of course, people stood the whole time anyway.

Tomorrow about 12 kids from Miles's class are going to come dressed as their favorite hero/heroin/villian. I don't have anything terribly special planned: just two hours of kids running wild, maybe a game of freeze tag or musical chairs, a chocolate cake... It'll be the first time parents have been given the option to "drop off." That actually makes things easier for me. It's hard to entertain kids and parents simultaneously....especially with no David.

Yes, you may have heard the drama unfolding this week. D went back for Barbara's memorial last week. His flight out of Tallahassee on Tuesday was for some reason rerouted to Tampa, so he couldn't make his connection in DC back to Africa and had to stay two more days in Tally. Then on Thursday during his Atlanta connection, left his jacket on the plane with his passport, went back for it, they wouldn't let him on the plane, they looked and didn't find it, plane left for another city...D was stranded. So he went up to be with my parents in Chatt while all that got sorted. Luggage claim tickets were also on passport so baggage (with gifts and party things and other important stuff) were lost somewhere on the atlanta-dc-jo'burg-harare trip... It was all pretty wretched. I feel so much for my husband. It doesn't get much more stressful. No way he's making it back for M's birthday...so no surprise shooting off the rocket he got for M or meeting M friends or parents of M friends... Very sad.

But Miles wanted the show to go on...(birthday tomorrow without daddy or birthday in 3 weeks with daddy?...hmmm, let's think, 3 weeks is like an eternity...let's go with tomorrow!) And as I learned this morning, David's passport and luggage have been found (passport in Harrisburg, PA...what's the story on that??). So the gifts will arrive, and more importantly D's return won't be further delayed. Can't wait to have him back!

But back to Miles... He has entered the helpful, conscientious stage of childhood which is such a pleasure. He opens the stairs gate in the morning, fixes his bowl of cereal, and even helps make his sister's breakfast sometimes. He cleans up after himself and takes pride in knowing how to do things, protecting his sister on the playground, and setting a good example for Eliza. Yesterday afternoon when I was feeling that usual pre-afternoon-tea/coffee downward drag, I said I don't like being alone, the only adult with just children every day and night. And Miles hearing me from the other room said, Don't worry, Mom, we'll help you out! (Ah, the sincerity!)

And now for some party putting together! Lot's to celebrate...

Cinderella Series

Family Photos

Laying Down the Law