off topic as far as cruises but I wanted to give you all an update on the decoration and toyless Fourth of July party I told you about a couple days ago.
First of all, it turned out fine. Even though my boxes of goodies are still sitting on the porch of our old house in Maryland (I called the next door neighbors and they confirmed that), we managed to enjoy our food with out red, white and blue paper goods and flag table coverings. The kids had a good time without the distribution of toys and novelties since it was stinking hot and all they wanted to do was swim in the pool anyway.
As it turned out I hurt my lower back the day before the party trying to lift something too heavy out of a spot that was too high up. That could have been a disaster since my husband had been out of town until Sunday afternoon and there was more work than time left to get ready for the party.
Fortunately, the damage wasn't so bad that I couldn't get around. I did a lot of food preparation and cooking sitting down. My sons helped lift, fetch, do laundry, and whatever I couldn't do.
Sunday afternoon, when dh did get home, I sent him to Home Depot to get the kit and supplies to build the kids' swing set. That's a 4-6 hour job. No big deal, right? That's IF the builder doesn't decide to make his own modifications to the design. LOL. So, dh was busy with that the rest of Sunday, most of Monday, and before the party on Tuesday.
Thank God for the kind of friends who say, "Call me if you need any help," and really mean it. My friend and her family came a couple hours early on Tuesday. While my husband finished building the playground set and mowing the grass, the rest of us managed to get everything else ready.
Dh was still working on the set when the bulk of the guests arrived. Soon it was time to fire up the grill but besides making a steak for the family, I'd never managed the grill before. Fortunately, before I was forced to do so, my friend's husband said, "I was born with a spatula in my hand." I think he must have been. He grilled the dogs, bratwurst, burgers, chicken and beef without dropping or burning anything and he amazed me with how many things he could cook at once.
Dh did finish his work on the swing set in time to enjoy the party. Unfortunately, it was so stinking hot none of the kids wanted to get out of the pool to eat let alone play on the new playground equipment.
About 5:00, our fun came to an abrupt end when a storm blew in. Fortunately, it gave enough notice by way of wind and thunder that neither we nor our food and clothes were soaked. Several people started taking things inside and a few praiseworthy adults started dissembling and packing the canape, folding up the tables and chairs and moving everything into the garage.
Most everyone left but a few families stayed. It was a nice relaxing ending to the day. The younger kids played in the basement. The older kids played chess in the dining room, and we adults just visited and chatted in the living room. Someone joked that we should make a tape of thunder. Next year, when we have a party and we think it's time for it to end, dh could sneak up on the roof with a sprinkler hose and I could play the thunder cd.
This part of the story doesn't really fit in anywhere but I'll tell you anyway. Another thing I had dh pick up at Home Depot when he went there for the swing set project was enough 1/2" PVC pipe, elbows, tees, and caps to make 20 minimarshmallow shooters. I cut all the pieces the night before the party and assemble the pieces into kits. I wasn't sure at what point during the party I was going to gather the kids to make the shooters. The opportunity presented itself with perfect timing. Right before the thunder started, a kid had the kind of accident in the pool in which you HAVE to clear the pool. I didn't want to embarass the little guy so I blew the whistle and told them that dh had a special project for them. Dh herded the kids to another part of the yard where they assembled their marshmallow shooter and played with them for a little while. That's when the thunder and the wind started and the party was pretty much over.
I hope you all had an enjoyable Fourth of July. My back still hurts and my kitchen's still a mess but it was worth it.