Weekend of 10/26/07

Jim’s stepfather was released from the hospital on Friday afternoon and I was surprised to come home from work to find not only him and Vickie (Jim’s mom), but Jim’s stepsister Laci and her daughter Nicole too (Bill, Doug’s friend, was supposed to drop them off at our house, not Laci). The only time I’ve ever stayed in the hospital was for my Nicole’s birth, and I actually liked the hospital food. What did Doug want for his first meal post surgery!? SKYLINE CHILI.

That night was CRAZY. Sean and Jessica were scheduled in for a game night at our place Friday night and they brought their kids who go to bed right away upon meeting. When “big” Nicole got home from Wal-Mart with Laci she was all wound up- banging on a toy piano, throwing balls on the hardwood floors, slamming cabinets, you name it. As you can imagine, the noise woke up Em and Ben and put “little” Nicole into a frazzle. I was literally about to lose it when all 4 kids started crying in chain reaction. Jim’s parents felt the same way and went to bed at 9:30.

At the end of the evening it dawned on me that somehow I didn’t re-read the chapters I was to teach on Saturday morning so I was up after the Gardners left, reading about Demand Analysis and Product Development until about 12:45.

Up at 6:30, I got ready, fed Nicole, and bid everyone good-bye as I headed out for class. Things went well there and I came home to Jim putting together our new desk. Finally I spent some actual quality time with Nicole playing with her toys and reading her stories in the afternoon. We were both exhausted from a long week so she took a bath and we both conked out before 9:00.

Sunday we got up, I had brunch with Lori in this ADORABLE coffee house in Hyde Park and then we rushed around to get dressed and ready for the evening. Jim and I attended Geoff’s wedding which was a lot of fun – lots of laughing (an unashamed “geek”, Geoff talked Roswitha into having their first dance be “She Blinded Me With Science” and they cut the cake to “Just Eat It” by Weird Al) and very touching toasts by the parents. Nicole meanwhile attended a Halloween party with my aunt where she took her first hay ride, watch the kids play games, and got oodles of attention from all around including a waiter who held her for a while.

We did miss Greg's visit - he stopped by on his new motorcycle to show it off. He'll have to come again soon!

Vickie and Nicole are getting along better now. For several days there’d be crying as soon as I was out of Nicole’s site and normally she’s not too picky with who has her. I didn’t want it to give Vickie a complex though it apparently was as the comment “she doesn’t like me” came out once or twice when asked how she and her granddaughter were getting along. Anyway, on Sunday I came home to grandma and baby “talking” to each other while rocking in the nursery. Both seemed very enthused with their “aughhhh”-based conversation and I was happy to gain some comfort that they can peacefully co-exist without me checking in every 15 minutes.

Here I am, back at work, yawning. Time to start the madness all over again!