Thursday, April 23, "My Big Fat Greet Wedding"

Today is Rocio's, Adriana's sister, birthday.  Party for her started last night when she went out with some friends, took the wrong train home and didn't get back to her house until 1 a.m.  She came over here this morning to see the balloons and decorations for the "cake" this afternoon.  "Cake" means, "come over and have some cake and celebrate."  So at 4:00, "cake" began when two of the Colombians cousins, currently working in England and improving on their English, arrived, Rocio and her two girls came in, and an English friend, Jo, with her two boys, 7 and 5 showed up.

Adriana and I had arrived home one hour earlier after spending the morning/early afternoon at a great children's park/petting zoo which is only 20 minutes from here but which took the proper English voice on Tom-Tom, their GPS system, over an hour to guide us to after first bringing us to a surgery center and then to an elementary school.  Anyway, both the children fell asleep on the way home, and we stopped and got gas ("petrol") for the car and then the cake (where I fell asleep waiting in the car with the children) and got back here.

Adriana set up their inflatable bounce house in the back yard, the exuberant cousins and Rocio strolled in, immediately kissed everyone several times, the energy level rose about 3000%, and the English friend, Jo, and I looked at each other with understanding.  The party had begun.  

Two hours later, sated with cake and juice for the children, and, fortunately, only one bottle of wine shared among the adults, the Colombians and the British family left, and Adriana and I worked on calming Joshua and Samuel and starting preparing them for bed (we're not doing very well).  There is still yet another party at Rocio's house later.  I've got to beg off.  There is no way I can do this.  Jonathan is slated to keep the children, and considering how wired they are, will probably appreciate my presence in the house.

Samuel's separation anxiety is at fever pitch right now.  When the cousins showed up, it just made things worse because they've kept him before when Adriana and Jonathan have left.  In just two weeks, Adriana and Jonathan are planning on a week away at Jonathan's best friend's wedding in the Dominican Republic and the cousins and Rocio will be caring for the children.  Can't imagine how they are going to be able to cope.  Sammy is on the verge of deep hysteria every time his mother gets out of his sight.  Tough time.  And periodically, Joshua feels the need to copy him, leading to some pretty wild moments around here.

Par for the course with the household of two small children.  I keep telling her that it will indeed get better.  Both are amazing parents, and doing a spectacular job with the children.  They do indeed get civilized in time.  But it doesn't happen quickly.  

I'm planning to go to London tomorrow, probably alone.  There are just some things I want to see, and trying to take the children would make for a tough day.  We could ask Rocio to take the kids . . . but I'm not sure it would work.  However, I know Adriana could use a break away from them.

Raising kids this age really needs lots of hands.  I could never have managed without the help of my own mother.  Thank you!