Methinks the Bar Requires an Increase in Altitude

if for no other reason than the kids blew me out of the water this weekend.

Let's be clear: there were plenty of downsides. G is a lot farther behind and needs PT more desperately than I first thought. His last tee-ball game was less than stellar. Nic had a lousy time at R's pool party (NEVER again--too crowded, too crazy, and two kids who he rides the bus with spent the entire time pushing his buttons, which, btw, is a huge part of the reason he is coming off that bus anyway). And Nic saw B at the block party and asked him if he liked his new shorts.

I really don't know what to do with that kid.

So that said, fresh off the triumph of Friday night, we went into the dreaded block party run by the Stepford wives. Frankly, I think they are settled doing it on our block because they get the least amount of pushback. DH is actually making noises about us living somewhere else by the time it rolls around again. But anyway.

So I made my (now famous) paella and cleaned the house while everyone from the association was doing everything but taking a toothbrush to clean the streets outside. Nic looked out the window from time to time. Dh and G were out. And I was working myself into a mighty fine froth about the afternoon when a thought formed like words spoken aloud: This is only a few hours out of your life.

In other words, I was really working myself up for nothing.

This is kind of hard. I'm socially awkward anyway, and being put in a situation where I am forced to be with people who I would never otherwise talk to is AWKWARD. These people consider my kids THOSE kids. And for that I have nothing to say to them.

So I took Nic to his party, and on the way home considered we might have been better off sitting it out. We came back and G has already been bouncing in the moon bounce a good hour. Nic got out his scooter (after having his hamburger and hot dog) and raced around with neighbor boy ("He looks normal," DH observed, a little surprised). DH and I hung out together, watching our kids, then talked to another couple who is out on the fringes before the skies opened up around 4.

Both boys raced into the house. I followed, wondered if God heard my wish for this thing to be rained out. We bowled and played a few games on the Wii before heading out for a bit. Every one was still huddled under the tents, the DJ still blared music, and I was glad to be excused from this exercise.

I'm usually all about 'free'--our outings usually cost nothing. But my mom had given me $10 for the boys to use at Dave & Busters, so I kicked in a couple bucks of my own, charged the card, and played for a bit. While we were roaming around the mall, it occurred to me that I should have checked the show times for UP (that was my plan B to get out of the block party)--called hubby and had him look it up. And, it was do-able.

Okay, 7:30 on a Saturday night is prime time move night, and I never took my kids to a theater without accomodations before. I told them we are committed once we buy the tickets. They yessed me to shut me up.

You know what, WOW they were so ready for this. Their first movie, sitting in a theater, with the lights fully down and the sound fully up and really, they were no worse than any of the other kids in there.

The partyers were gone by the time we got home (now going on 10), but DH, who had been working on a grant, reported that they were out there going at full obnoxious Animal House bore until 8:55. ("really, a lot of these guys are pushing 50, aren't they a little old to be acting like that? They were totally drunk off their asses!")

Funny from some one who has done more than his fair share, but he hasn't in years and doesn't understand the mentality of people who haven't moved on from college.

High marks for plan B.