I know you’ll be shocked to hear I’m recovering from another wild series of semi-chaotic adventures in my private life, involving a party bus, a van load of Canadians, a Congressman,  a badly timed baseball game, grass stains and a rock band.   And that was just Saturday.

   It always seems to come in waves, and I’m just trying to stay upright and go along for the ride.

Forgive me if my verbal skills are a bit shot right now, I think I’ll lean on the photos to tell the story of our awesome and overwhelming past week.

 Saturday morning Calvin and Clara sang in the Earth Day festival.   Well, Calvin sang.  Little Clara just stood stone-faced with her mouth closed, but at least she didn’t cry. I almost did, just because it was so danged cute.

   No one told me Congressman Andre Carson and Mayor Ballard would be there - maybe I would have stepped up my efforts to look “pulled together.” Or maybe not. I was awfully tired.

   Here’s my friend Kristina, an American Sign Language interpreter and overall intriguing and awesome person, with me at the festival as we let our kids roll down a hill and get grass stains head to toe.

Then the Shepherd kids and I were off to pick up their Canadian cousins at the airport!  Ian’s brother, Scott and his wife Sue live in Ottawa, Ontario and we hadn’t seen them in a year and a half.  My nephew Alex was awfully tolerant of our 5-year-old, Calvin, indulging him in lots of video games, baseball, and sword fights. 

     7-year-old-Katie, whose curly locks make her look like an angel, lavished love and attention on our 2-year-old, Clara.  The two were inseparable, and absolutely adorable.  I don’t think I’ll ever forget how Katie soothed Clara’s tears by offering up her precious “Huggy Bunny,” who got her through several tough years of leukemia treatment. (she is now thankfully in remission and doing great)  I definitely have a soft spot for this little girl.  I think everyone who meets her does.

We got Cal all dressed for a ballgame and showed up at the field only to find out - I’d written down the wrong time.  The game was over.

Oops.  My mother-of-the year award chances just slipped again.

Got back home in time for the Nadas tour bus to pull up once again, with my husband’s hungry and dissheveled rock band showing up after driving straight to Indy from New York.

Simultaneously, my in-laws arrived.  Thank goodness for GT South’s BBQ.  I go into a cold sweat when I imagine cooking for such a big group.

An hour or so later our buddy Donnie shows up in his party bus (it’s his business so he can use it how ever he wants!) to take Ian’s family and I up to see the Nadas play. 

Here’s my friend Jill along for the hilarious ride.

Turns out the gig in Elwood is OFF.  Details snafu with the booking agent.

  So - we get half the band to pile back into the party bus with us and take off for greener pastures.  We found them.  It was a late, bizarre, and very, very memorable night. 

    Time to start picking up the pieces now - I’m looking forward to a very chilled out week ahead. I’m going to FORCE myself to slow down.  If a large bus, a rock band, or a herd of happy and hilarious relatives comes anywhere near me, please, please remind me to behave.

  Have a great week!

TS