Commence Partying!

How was your Thanksgiving? Crazy? Join the club!

Thanksgiving morning, I got up, helped foil a turkey, and joined these crazy people:



That's my sisters Leah and Hannah, Hannah's husband Steve, and Steve's cousin Adam. These 'humorous' people decided that--new family tradition!--they were going to do the Gobble Wobble Thanksgiving morn. 5K walk/run.

And sit. I sat in the church, drank tea, and then stood outside for ten minutes to start snapping pictures of beloved relatives crossing the finish line. (For the full story, see Fighting Brimley.)

The dogs had a great time, especially Gater, who can fit through the fence and enjoyed escape several times. Not so much post-turkey, however. But still.

Then we went to my in-laws. Who had recently bought themselves a ping pong table for Christmas.

Really.



The kid insisted the Pooh Bear play ping pong with me. Pooh Bear is no Forrest Gump. Heck, neither am I. We spent more time searching for the ball under boxes and behind tables than we did actually playing. Still, when the kid actually managed to connect paddle to ball, he hit a few hum-dingers.

Am I old enough to say Hum-Dingers? Don't I have to be about 78?

The kid loves Grandma and Grandpa's house. Maybe it's because of the family farmland, the wide-open woods, the unconditional Grandparent love. But really, it's because my mother-in-law has every Little People toy and accessory known to humankind.



It's hard core. She even has the ill-fated 'square' Little People McDonald's set. The kid and I moved all the furniture into Sesame Street this time. I even found the Bert and Ernie beds. Sure, the foam 'mattresses' have long since returned to dust, and Bert doesn't have his pointy little head of hair anymore, but we did unearth Big Bird's nest this time. God is good.

Thanksgiving is over. Now is the time to sit back, unbutton the pants, and just relax.

NOT.

Do you remember 'Not'? Do you remember Wayne and Garth? How old are you, anyway?

No, there is no relaxing around here. It's time to PAR-TAY!

Do you remember Par-tay? Said with a 'hey, girl, hey' kind of accent?

Sad that these are my pop-culture references.

Anyway, so we came home Sunday night from a whirlwind four-day, four-grandparent Thanksgiving smorgasbord. We got in after seven. And we immediately began to clean.

Monday, I was throwing a party. The Holiday/Farewell/Drink Wine During Class party. Tiya, you see, winters in Thailand, and Monday was her last day, so it was a Farewell Party. Which was, technically after Thanksgiving, so it's a Christmas party, but not everyone in my class is Christian, so it's a Holiday Party. And I had it at my house, which meant I didn't have to drive, which meant I could drink wine during what was technically class.

This is Sami and Julie.

Julie brought cheesecake, for which I am eternally grateful. Sami brought root beer, for which the kid is eternally grateful.

This is Ting Ron (standing) and Goi. This is the only picture of Goi I can put up here, because it's the nice one. That's what she said.


That's Ting Ron and Sylvia, his wife.

They brought their son, who's seven. My kid tried mightily to entertain their son, but seven year olds don't really want to hang out with four year olds. Really.

This is G. She has a name that only sounds pretty when you say it in Portuguese, which I can't, so we just call her G.

She brought me a necklace made from seeds. It's lovely. Very 'cowgirl,' if I do say so myself.

That's my class. I spend two nights a week with them, teaching them all sorts of great English words. No, I won't tell you which ones. You aren't in my class!

That was only the beginning. This Friday, my nighttime boss is having an intimate gathering at her house. Then Saturday is a home party at a dear friend's house (Yes, Melissa, I'm coming!) Next Friday is the college-wide party; the week after that is the Community Education party. There will be neighborhood parties, work parties, family parties, and, just when I will be totally partied out, New Year's will be here.

Let's Par-tay!