Fun Times and Vomitous

When I was growing up, we would visit my mother's friends BJ and Bob. We lived near the shore and they lived in northwest New Jersey. My mother had known BJ since nursing school, and we became close with her blended brood of seven children. There was always something happening at BJ and Bob's house, a party or Sunday barbecue, and they had an open-door policy. If you were around, you were invited.

When the Captain and I were shopping for our first house, we settled on the town next to BJ and Bob's. BJ was our realtor, and when we moved in, Bob, a woodworker, made us a lovely armoire. We visited them during the holidays and for Sunday dinners, and their brand of festive chaos was an inspiration. I have always wanted my home to be like theirs--open, inviting, fun, filled with food and laughter. I think we hit the mark this weekend.

Thursday night we attended Three's middle-school production of "Little Shop of Horrors." Friday night we watched my nieces and nephew so my brother and sister-in-law could do the same. The next day we all got together again for Five's first Holy Communion, were joined by more family for the party afterward, and followed that up with a giant sleep-over so we could be together for Mother's Day! Both matriarchs are currently in residence, so we hosted breakfast for both sides of the family. As you may recall, my brother is married to the Captain's sister, which cuts down on holiday drive-time for them.

The cousins had lots of quality time together and the adults lolled about, eating, napping, and talking on the deck, soaking up the sun. Six and Seven (my adopted children) joined us at the end of the day for some intense Rummikub matches, and we forced ourselves to eat the remaining ice cream cake. It was a lovely day.

At four-thirty this morning I was reminded of how I earn those special days when Five came in and vomited. He laid on the bathroom floor with his head in my lap, and I rubbed his back until he felt well enough to climb in my bed. At that point, the Captain's alarm was ringing, so I never went back to sleep. Four had been complaining of a sore throat at bedtime and couldn't swallow this morning, so he stayed home from school as well. One was such a congested mess last night, I had already decided to let him sleep in, so three-fifths of the pack are now sprawled about on various couches, nibbling on saltines and ice pops.

I think we have fully achieved the BJ and Bob vibe, because there is always something happening here at Casa de Penii. As always, I hope your weekend was filled with more fun than vomit. Do tell!