A Night of Surprises

As if she even needed to ask. But she did. She wanted to have a surprise party for her husband at our house. Of course. Anytime! Saturday? Oooooohhhh sorry, Saturday's not good for me. We're going out of town on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, so it'll have to be on Friday night. Is that cool? Ok, we're on. Party at my house on Friday. Wooohoooo!

All week my kids were enthralled with the idea of a surprise party. They have never been to one before and weren't sure how it all worked. Jade who is destined to be my hostest with the mostest is especially enamoured with the details. "Do their kids know?", she wants to know. "They are too young to know without spoiling the surprise", I explain. "Did you not tell us things when we were that small?", she asks. Exactly. There are still things I don't tell you, even though you're not that small. But lets not ruin the surprise of those details til you're like 30, ok? I hope I only thought that in my head and didn't actually say it out loud.

The guests are all invited and the day is finally here. Sara bought the groceries and arrives at my house so she can bake the cake. But she's completely distressed and doesn't know what to do...

SURPRISE #1:

Christopher, her husband, got called to a meeting for work at 5:00pm. Guess what time the party was supposed to start? Yup, 5:00pm.

To have the party or not to have the party? THAT is the question. We can't move the party to a different day because we won't be home. Can we push the party back? And Sara has young kids which complicates the equation the most. How long can she push their bedtime? Sara has invited a few close friends, but are they flexible? After much contemplation and deliberation we decide that Christopher's meeting will eventually be over. So we decide to go ahead with the party and just delay it a bit. We'll just hope Christopher can make it. Maybe the surprise will actually be that we totally have his surprise birthday party without him. Then we can just take pictures of us at his party and post the photo album "Surprise" on his facebook. Ok, that's worst case scenario, a game I like to play from time to time. Ok, I play it all the time because it totally entertains me in some dark twisty way.

Sara arrives at my house with her kids and the turkey pumpkin chilli she made which spilled all over her car with all the speed bumps and pot holes on the way from her house to my house. Her kids are oblivious. They are just excited to have a playdate with my kids.



One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?

Did you guess which thing was not like the others?
Did you guess which thing just doesn't belong?
If you guessed the girl with the beautiful smile is not one of my kids,
Then you're absolutely...right!



While the kids played, Sara and I put out the food and guestimated when Christopher might be done with his meeting. And then our guests arrived. They were the nicest people I have never had the pleasure of meeting before that moment. Tariq, Alma, Alma's sister also named Sarah and Tariq's mother, Mama Kadeshia. We chit chatted and chowed down Sara's delicious chilli while we waited for Christopher. And then before we knew it, he was done and on his way over. Except that we did know it because he called Sara to tell her. YAY!

SURPRISE #2:

We quickly discussed where to surprise him, as we hadn't really thought that far in advance. I suggested that I thought the most "surprising" surprise would be Mama Kadeshia jumping on the trampoline shouting surprise. And surprisingly, Mama Kadeshia was totally up for it. So the coolest, hippest, youngest 73 year old (hell she's the youngest person at heart I've ever met) mounted the trampoline. And at that very moment I knew exactly what I want to be when I grow up. Mama Kadeshia.

I totally wish I had her jumping on video, but it was just too dag-gum dark! Seriously, this was killing me. Luckily, Craig captured it on film though.



And when Christopher finally did arrive and River escorted him in through the gate, he was greeted by shouts of surprise and Mama Kadeshia jumping. The look on his face says it all. Whhhhhaaaaaaaatttttt?
Finally. Let the party begin.



As Jade put the candles on the cake, we rushed to light them all before they melted into a pool of wax. All these candles might make you feel old any other night, but not tonight. Not when you just saw the epitomy of youth, a woman very near her 74th birthday show you that age is just a number.



We sing happy birthday and he blows out the candles. I'm including this gratuitous close-up of Christopher for one of my friends who thinks he's really hot. I'll pause for a moment here. Then I'll remind you to wash your hands cause I know where you read my blog posts...



Then Craig asked Christopher what we ask our kids every birthday after they've blown out their candles. What wisdom can you share with us this year? And what did he impart? Be. Do. Have. It was very poigniant and powerful. Our kids have never come up with anything that good. I think I may have gotten do-be-do-be-do before. Oh, that was probably my wisdom actually...



SURPRISE #3:

Cause you know things always come in threes right?

Somehow, it's just not a party until someone pukes. And no, it wasn't Mama Kadeshia. See that cute little kiddo at the bottom right of picture? Isn't he adoreable? After we all ate some cake, Christopher picked him up and held him until he was fast asleep. Until he woke up suddenly and spewed his guts all over Christopher in the best birthday present a dad could get. The contents of his son's stomach. See, Liam was taking his dad's advice. He was BEING such a good sport, staying up way past his bedtime. Then he was DOING everything, including eating lots of goat cheese and jumping on the trampoline. But these things make you HAVE to throw up. And when you have to throw up, you have to throw up.

PARTY OVER.