The past few days:

Thursday I pulled Mali out of school to have her mole - the infamous blue nevus - removed. Unfortunately it was too inflamed to remove, so she has to wait a month or so. We did discover the German Sausage Deli, where I purchased a can of almond pie filling that combined well this morning with cottage and cream cheese to push our normally wonderful French toast into some new realm of deliciousness. Meanwhile, Andrew sleeps.

Yesterday Susy and I walked up to Alana's, and while we were up there Mali, Andrew, and Rian returned from the pool and made us a yummy bacon-filled waffle breakfast for dinner. Mali disappeared up to the school with her two amigos Rachel and Hannah, and a bunch of boys, and the rest Susy, Rian, Andrew, and I played hearts until Rian had to go home. (Guess who won!?!)

Wednesday night (without Rian) we all played poker after dinner, and we laughed so hard our sides hurt.

Andrew's Birthday! ~ ~ ~~ ><((((°>

I woke up early so I could work this morning, but I had trouble thinking past the excitement of Andrew's birthday. So I ran drove (no time for exercise this morning) to Safeway to buy all the types of sugar-free gum I could find that he might like (as he and I did for Mali), this time in a Costco box of Goldfish (crackers) his mom picked up for him yesterday. (He has already received his main gift: a new cell phone! Also his auxiliary gift: a digital camera.)
He needed his present this morning because we won't all be together until he gets home late from watching the Varsity track meet. I also retrieved his traditional birthday donut and even some chocolate and blueberry muffins as they were still hot from the oven. Susy was up early when I returned, making home-made chocolate muffins for the boy, so now there are many muffins for celebrating his birthday. He may even share. Andrew stumbled downstairs in his usual morning fog to a joyful, non-singing birthday greeting, and was happy.

I'm guessing there will be kids here this afternoon who will help him eat the muffins before I drive them to the track meet. Yesterday Andrew's friends Rian and Kyle were here until 8:00, since I let them talk me into playing a game of hearts after work. (Hey Mom: Guess who won!)
Mali had her friend Hannah over, helping her sort through her clothes - a Susy-decreed project. Hannah took payment of a couple of outfits, since she is slightly smaller than Mali.

Crazy Day is Over

Let's see...
8:40 -
Moose and I return from the school with the kids. They had fun running around in the dark. There was lots of mud from the downpour which ended just before they left the house. Shoes are now all on the porch, and Rachel is wearing a pair of Mali's pants.
8:45 -
Cake time! Moms (Michelle and Mari-Faye) have arrived and are watching with us. Andrew lights the candles while I take pictures, then we all sing Happy Birthday to Mali.
9:00 -
Presents are opened. Pixie sticks are brought out, and soon there is sugary pixie dust all over the place. This joins with the glitter from the make-up event to form an interesting new texture on the top of every surface.
9:15 -
Andrew breaks out the DDR upstairs. This placates the horde for awhile. People begin to leave, of course starting with Abbie (the sweetest one) who actually left with her mom from the school; followed now by Mali's co-conspirators Hannah and Rachel (the most useful - with their mothers) who both have to get up early, Hannah at 5:30! Hannah's mom Michelle is a saint, and helps clean up for twenty minutes before leaving. (Mari-Faye is great too, she was here for the beginning craziness.)
Most of the boys seem to be here for the long haul.

Now - Late -
I don't know when I've been this tired. I drove Rian and Jamie home. Jamie's parents didn't seem to be coming to get him. That's sort of understandable. He talks a lot. Susy says he's the only person she's ever seen successfully order Mali around. (Update - He also had Andrew doing his bidding, very surprising.)
Rian and Andrew were great. They saved us. Rachel and Hannah and Mali did a great job of planning everything out. There was plenty of activities, and it seemed like everyone had fun. I think this will be a party everyone will remember for a long time.

Good night.

Crazy Day, Part Three: Afternoon

1:00 -
Susy finds passport!!! It was in an envelope with her birth certificate - she had used it to renew her driver's license and left it in there.
2:00 -
Andrew and Susy leave for the allergist to get shots, and stop at Highland Park to pick up Rian from play practice (she's helping out the middle-schoolers). Mali leaves play practice with Sara to go see Horton Hears a Who.
3:00 -
Susy returns without Andrew, he stops at Rian's house.
3:30 -
Andrew and Rian show up, ready for the party.

Halloween!

Mali did her trick-or-treating with Hannah and Rachel - they left around 7:00, somehow returned to trick-or-treat our house around 8:00 with Andrew's friends Maddie and Joe, and then ended up at Alana's around 8:30, where Susy and I joined them and the full-scale party going on. There were over a dozen adults and what seemed like a hundred kids at Alana's - All the adult usual suspects and then some, plus scores of Olivia's friends. Alana had her usual gargantuan pot of chili, Jennifer brought an amazing apple tart, and of course Deborah brought more cookies and brownies then even the hordes could get through.

Andrew had Rian and Kyle over after school, then around 5:00 they headed over Kyle's party. Andrew, Tiana, Ethan, and Rian ended up at Tiana's house when the rest of the party went trick-or-treating, and Andrew finally got home around 10:30.

Supergirl Hannah, Waitress Mali, and Pirate Rachel.

More soccer

I was wrong - Andrew's team had another game yesterday. They tied it up at 2-2 only to give up a final goal with just a few minutes remaining to lose 3-2. They play again on Monday. Charag was playing for Westview, but I didn't even notice him until Andrew told me at halftime.

Mali came too, and watched with her new classmate Hannah, who's brother is also on the team.