Two Weddings, a Picnic, and a Bee Sting...or Ten Epiphanies from a Crazy Weekend

What a weekend it was! Ellie finished her first year of preschool (a surprisingly emotional moment), Gramma and Poppy were in town and staying with us, and we had many a family function to attend. To say it was a whirlwind would be cliche but true. Now that the dust has settled and we are starting to dig out from a weekend spent ignoring the usual routine of house cleaning, yard maintenance, and general organization I have the chance to reflect on the life lessons we learned. So without further ado, I offer the following ten epiphanies from a crazy weekend!

1.) Never underestimate the power of a dollar store stuffed monkey. No kidding. Ellie's teacher gave each of her students a little monkey with arms that Velcro together, allowing the monkey to hang from the child's neck. (Let's just ignore the choking concerns for now, shall we?) These monkeys became quite the status symbol. Every kid at the end of year picnic wore one with transcendent pride. They were the monkey people. And nothing - not food, not playground equipment, not a near by hill ideal for haphazard rolling - nothing could detract their attention from the coveted monkeys. That is until the cookies were unveiled. At that point, forget monkey solidarity. It was every man for himself.

2.) Princess pajamas and a Snow White dress constitute perfectly acceptable attire for a school picnic. Considering Ginny insists on wearing this combo nearly every day, I'm not sure this counts as a true epiphany. Nevertheless, the fact that she will not consider any alternatives even for a public engagement warrants mention. Besides, I can think of few sights more adorable than a mini Snow White running around a playground while delicately lifting up her skirts like a proper princess. All together now...aaaahhhhhh!!!!!

3.) A little civil disobedience now and then can be healthy - even for a three-year-old. After nine months of faithfully wearing her proscribed uniform to preschool every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Ellie decided to assert her individuality on the last day of school. On Friday morning, with tremendous excitement she announced that on this, her final day at her current school (she will be attending a different preschool next year) she was going to wear pink. Considering her general willingness to don her uniform all year, and her giddy excitement over the very idea of spending her last day awash in a rosy hue, how could I refuse?

4.) According to pre-K set, weddings are really an opportunity for their own floor show. Never mind the bride, the groom, or the fancy decorations for that matter. Weddings mean people. And for my girls, an audience for whom they can exhibit their dancing prowess. Yes, much to our chagrin, Ellie and Ginny spent all of their time at the reception of Dave's cousin twirling, curtsying, and generally entertaining the masses. (To be honest, it was hilarious and ridiculously adorable!)

5.) Belle (i.e. the princess from Disney's Beauty and the Beast) is alive and well, and is a member of our extended family. If only I had my camera when Ginny laid eyes on Dave's cousin Rebecca in full wedding garb. Rebecca's hair was spot on for Belle's during the iconic ballroom scene - complete with a pearl tiara. Between the hair (which was even the correct shade) and the "poofy" dress (Ellie's apt description), Rebecca embodied the aforementioned princess. And Ginny was mesmerized. Every few minutes, my little girl would run up to Rebecca, say "Belle" in hushed and reverent tones, and dance away in sheer delight. (Incidentally, Belle is far and away Ginny's favorite princess!)

6.) Bee stings hurt, but constitute an unparalleled PR opportunity. Poor Ellie experience her first bee sting at Dave's uncle's wedding party on Sunday. She was innocently enjoying a beautiful spring afternoon when the cursed creature imposed his will - and stinger - on our girl. After the initial pain of it all, Ellie quickly learned that bee stings garner tremendous sympathy from anyone within earshot of her shrieks and cries. All the way home, all she could talk about was the fact that so many people love her and are worried about her. Ellie still cannot fathom how the bee mistook her for a flower - "I don't even have petals!" - but she is very relieved she survived.

7.) Walgreen's sunglasses are the height of summer chic. In the wake of the chaos inherent in getting two grandparents, two parents, and two little girls dressed, fed, and ready to attend a wedding, Dave forgot his sunglasses for the trek down south. Once we arrived at the wedding site, Dave ran into a neighboring Walgreen's to pick up a replacement pair of shades. He walked out in the grooviest pair of aviator sunglasses - with fabulous reflective lenses. I haven't seen glasses like these since the early days of Beverly Hills Cop. They were cool. Various relatives remarked that Dave could pull them off. We are still unsure if that is a fabulous compliment or a profound insult. We shall ponder on while we bask in the electronic stylings of Axel F...

8.) Uncle Matty rocks! On the way home from Rebecca's wedding on Saturday, we stopped by my brother Matt's restaurant for dinner. Now, Uncle Matty is a bit of a celebrity in our home. He was on a local news program last summer doing a cooking segment on barbecue ribs and Ellie couldn't get enough. We watched the tape ad nausium. To see him in person, in action, at his restaurant was beyond words. Not only did he comp our dinners (I'm still arguing that the preemptive refusal was not necessary in this case!), he took Ellie back to the kitchen to see the cooks at work. Ever since Ratatouille, Ellie has been nuts for cooking. To see a real professional kitchen was a mind blowing experience. Upon her return to the table, she was ecstatic. She clapped her hands and enthusiastically proclaimed "Uncle Matty believes in me! He made all my dreams come true!" Not bad for a Saturday evening at Famous Dave's Barbecue.

9.) October cannot come fast enough. Our cute and very generous Gramma and Poppy are taking our family to Disneyland this fall. For five days! And we are staying in the Disneyland Hotel. The girls can hardly wait for Peter Pan, the various princesses, and, of course, ride Dumbo until they cannot see straight. It's the subject of daily conversation and has been since the trip was scheduled in January. As a self-admitted Disneyland fanatic, I must admit to sharing in their excitement. (To this day, I harbor a not-so-secret desire to live in an apartment above Fantasyland!) While Gramma and Poppy were among us, the girls talked non-stop about the trip, and even made the family watch our Disneyland souvenir video so we could see what we are going to do. If they are this enthusiastic in June, I shudder to think what they will be like when September comes to a close. No kidding. October cannot come fast enough!

10.) I am no Donna Reed. Like Ginny's obsessive wearing of her Snow White dress, this doesn't qualify as an epiphany per se, but it was reiterated again and again this weekend. I am perfectly capable of having a clean house, a well-kept yard, and clean laundry - just not all at the same time. At least not if I want to see the light of day, play with my girls, or attend any kind of social function, not to mention getting any work done on my thesis. In spite of my best efforts, the upstairs bathroom was not clean upon the arrival of my in laws (for the record, it was spotless within a few hours), I still have overflowing baskets of clean clothes (at least they were clean!) in my laundry room, and I didn't manage to finish mowing the lawns until Monday afternoon. I never did wash the girls bathmat. Nevertheless, we had a fabulous, if exhausting weekend. This experience leads me to wonder if staying on top of my myriad domestic responsibilities truly is necessary for my sense of well-being and happiness. I'll have to think on that one. In the meantime, I'm off to fold some clothes. The laundry situation has been out of control for long enough and it's driving me insane!