Dear Children and Friends,
Mother scored a touchdown Sunday with her ‘super’ Super Bowl party. I led the charge by drafting an invitation to my children weeks ago. Unfortunately no one signed up – doubtless thinking that my party would be really ‘lame’ in comparison to all the other events they would surely be invited to attend. But by mid week Josh and Bryn were beginning to show some enthusiasm for my “party” when I mentioned that I was planning on serving some awesome free food. Coryn called on Saturday evening to say that she and Jeremy were now planning on coming and that their friends Becky and Fred were considering joining the team too – my party was growing! Sunday morning Coryn confirmed that they all would be there so I ran out to the grocery store for more chicken wings, chips and dips. Bryn and Josh had arrived hoping for lunch but I was much too busy to cater to them. I warned them not to dig into my large pan of almond brownies which I had fortunately baked the day before – I would definitely need them for my growing guest list. Coryn wondered if Brent and Elizabeth had any plans so she called to invite them too - so not wanting to drop the ball on the party of the year they decided to get in the line up too. By four o’clock on Sunday afternoon our cul de sac was filled with my guests’ cars. I was in the kitchen shuffling my bean dip, relish tray and cheese and meat platter around in the fridge as I tried to pull out my sausages and crescent rolls to make pigs in a blanket, whilst trying not to disturb my homemade coconut cream pie. I considered whipping up another pie but Josh and Bryn convinced me that we had enough desert items. Jeremy arrived with wine and beer, followed by Becky and Fred with chips and guacamole. The Woodbury’s arrived with Mia and Drew and piles of diapers.
Throwing together a party at such short notice required all my Martha Stewart like skills: I decided an informal approach would be the best so I rummaged in the storeroom for baskets of various colors and sizes in which to serve my chicken wings and pigs in a blanket. I set out color co-coordinated paper plates and napkins on the pub table in the downstairs family room so that my guests could make a quick dash for food in between plays. Coryn was rummaging in the kitchen cabinets for something and came across the Sesame Street plates that I have for Mia – she decided they were more fun than my choice. My game plan went into a down ward spiral from this point – much fun was made of my food in a basket theme, especially when I placed baby Drew in my baby basket: one of the boys asked if he was a pig in a blanket too! By then I was a basket case and left the choice of Pizza up to the kids.
Drew was a party pooper for his first super bowl, but he kept up with the big boys when it came to drinking and peeing. Mia made a play on all the guys, tackling them all evening. She climbed into laps and pulled on legs in an effort to get the guy’s attention – she won out over the game frequently enough to keep her happy .Some of the time she had to settle for girl time with Becky and Coryn.
I had called Ming and Lori before game time to see if their party was going to be on the line with mine and sure enough we had similar numbers and menus. But of course they were ardent Colt fans whilst I was definitely going for the Saints feeling their need for victory was greater because of the devastation New Orleans is still experiencing after Katrina. Ming offered me a $50.00 wager – I was willing to do $5.00 – Ming thought that too low – how I wish I had been willing to take his bet now! Never mind he’ll be here next week for a quick visit so I’m sure I’ll have a chance to collect some kind of pay off – maybe some help in the kitchen?
Unfortunately Sean missed the party because he was on his first business trip! Cerner sent him to Santa Fe, New Mexico to help implement a computer system for the nurses’ use. It’s hard to believe that my precious baby boy is old enough to be checking himself into hotels, negotiating airports and new places with out his mother!
Norm had three medical appointments last month; one with his cardiologist, another for a bone scan and blood work and the last with his Urologist regarding his prostate cancer. His PSA has been rising and it was felt three months ago that we might have to make a treatment choice if the trend continued. Fortunately the bone scan showed no sign of the cancer having spread to the bone yet and his PSA level had actually dropped so we have some more time before we need to make the decision to either resume hormone therapy, try radiation treatments or just let the disease run it’s course.
Josh came along on the last two appointments in case I needed help getting Norm from the KU Med parking lot into the hospital building. Unfortunately it was I who seemed to be most in need of help. After successfully driving us there and finding a parking space on the highest level of the parking garage as usual, I led the way to the elevator to take us down to the walkway across to the hospital. Once in the elevator I pushed the number 2 button and waited, a Spanish speaking family with two small children joined us as I pushed the button again – unfortunately I failed to realize that I needed to push the button next to the numbered circle but the pre-schooler was only too eager to show me which was the right button. You can imagine how much Josh and Norm enjoyed my humiliation! I must have used the same elevator at least a dozen times before – obviously I don’t function well at ten in the morning on only one cup of coffee.
The following week we returned at an even earlier hour of the morning so I had to deal with rush hour traffic this time. Despite arriving at the crack of dawn, we still ended up on the very top level. I made sure to push the right button in the elevator this time. After we had hustled Norm into the hospital for his X-rays we had enough time for a coffee break before his doctor’s appointment .All this rushing around gave me quite an appetite so I decided to have a cheese Danish from the display case in the cafeteria: unfortunately I didn’t realize that the pastries were behind glass so Josh and Norm were delighted when I reached to grab one and smacked my greedy hand into the glass case. Red faced. I explained that I couldn’t see the glass with out my glasses on! Josh showed no mercy and immediately pulled out his phone and started texting his siblings about Mother’s latest faux pas. Once again it seemed that I was more in need of help than Norm. After the doctor’s appointment we returned to the parking garage and I was dismayed to find that some thoughtless driver had parked so close to my car that I couldn’t open the driver’s side door. Josh climbed in the passenger seat and moved over to the driver’s side and volunteered to drive home – doubtless thinking that divine provenance had saved him from his mother at the wheel.
The very next day I had to take Norm out to the dentist in Bonner Springs because his partial dentures were broken in about three different places, doubtless because he insists on eating many items such as cashew nuts that are on the dentists list of forbidden foods. Thankfully Josh was able to take him out the next day to have them refitted after the repairs as I was baby sitting Mia.You see your dad is literally driving me nuts!
Craig bought a new snow shovel for me when he was here at Christmas because he thought the one I had was a piece of crap – which it was. Marc bought it when he lived in Iowa City and somehow it ended up in my garage just like a lot of my children’s things that still occupy space in my home. But I digress; the snow shovel has really helped with my weight loss plan as I have been repeatedly shoveling snow off the driveway, path and porch this year due to all the heavy snowfalls. So thanks again Craig and maybe I’ll soon be in good enough shape so that we can talk about developing a TV show around me as a sort of younger Martha Stewart? I heard Craig was trying to peddle an idea about well known celebrity athletes doing a cooking show – well if that doesn’t work out I’m always available. My children know I’ll do almost anything to help them out.
Ming-Jon was able to fly out of Washington DC despite the record snowfall this week. He is now in Wisconsin on a recruiting trip for the Washington Center – he’s hoping to be able to fly back tomorrow but the airport may be closed again because more snow is expected. Coryn and Jeremy are spending Valentines Day in Miami as he wants to go to the boat show there Coryn persuaded me to shorten two pairs of jeans for her to take on this trip last Sunday afternoon in the midst of all my party preparations! I have noticed that every time she goes somewhere I seem to find myself altering dresses, bikinis or pants just before the plane takes off! Every summer I offer to teach her to use a sewing machine but it doesn’t appeal to her anymore than learning how to use a stove.
Marc is now driving around LA in a BMW convertible- still with an empty passenger seat. Never mind, Mother will fly out for a spin around town with him. For years he has been blaming his ‘crappy’ cars for his inability to attract a Heather Locklear look alike. Now he has the car and the money but still no girl. I’m beginning to think he may need to start working on himself!
Next week I will be whipping up Norm’s 82nd birthday cake – I’m still debating whether or not to have him attempt to blow out eighty two candles. I might need to start looking into cut price funeral homes so I can have one on speed dial just in case! It will also be our 35th wedding anniversary – what endurance we have!
Josh, Bryn, and Sean will probably be spending Valentines Day on the couch with me with Norm snoring in the background, but at least Lori and Ming, Leslee and Craig and Coryn and Jeremy have more than just their mother’s love to keep them warm. Don’t worry Ming-Jon and Marc; I have a warm spot in my heart for you too! My heart felt love to you all, with hugs and kisses, Mom.
