Family Water Party

Good Wednesday morning!

I'm having more and more difficulty breathing as Thursday night inches closer and closer. Tonight, all the graduates dress in cap and gown and walk to the front of the church and sit with their classmates during the service. It will be good practice for me, I think. I will be sitting in the balcony with the video camera as Austin and friends walk down the aisle. Mikie will be on the floor taking pictures as he stands in front of the church with Pastor Kevin. I will have an extra battery, an extra tape and an extra box of tissue. Perhaps I will cry myself dry. That would be nice. I could work on eye puffiness all day Thursday, and look good for the pictures of me and Austin Thursday night.

Who are we kidding? I'm going to be blubbering Wednesday AND Thursday. Austin is giving one of the two commencement addresses. I've read it several times so there will be no emotional surprises. I've heard him actually say it several times, also. Hopefully, this will desensitize me to the fact it's my little green-eyed, freckled face boy standing in front of hundreds of people reminiscing and saying good-bye to the Class of 2009. Just shoot me now!

I've added yet another Showcase Pic from our Nashville City Adventure. This one is from our third activity... Miss Marples Comedy/Murder Mystery Dinner Theater. It was declared one of the top two favorites of all the things we planned. It was a very small group. Only six tables of eight (48 people total). We dined on prime rib, mushroom chicken, green beans (the crunchy kind... I love those) and mashed potatoes and hard roles. The meal was finished off with homemade pecan pie and ice cream (which I couldn't eat, but was assured by Mikie and Austin was very, very good).

After we finished our main course, we were entertained by the Gimme Award Show featuring Dolly Darton, Sonny and Share and Garth Rivers. The impersonators were all nominated and then we, as the audience had to vote for Entertainer of the Year. Well, of course, Dolly Darton won. Then she was murdered before she could accept her award. All of the people who worked at the award ceremony, as well as the other nominees, were suspects. It was our job, as a table, to figure out "whodunit" and turn in our correct guess before anyone else. (Unfortunately, we lost. However, the only prize was a plastic badge. Except for Roxie, we were able to let go of the loss and the prize pretty easily.)

In between the "show" and the meal, we were also serenaded by some very talented waiters and waitresses. Beautifully performed country music.

It was so much fun. We had our pictures taken with Dolly, Garth, etc. We've never done anything like this as a family before, so it was our something "new" on this trip.

At the beginning of dinner, the hostess stood up and recognized several different people. One table was made up of a dad, his grown daughters and his wife. He had just gone through chemo, and this week he was going to have open-heart surgery for a different illness. His daughters had surprised him with the dinner as a celebration for finishing chemo, but also to spend some special time with their dad before he underwent another major medical procedure. After the show was over, his wife came over to me and told me how wonderful, and how important it was to spend this time with family. I totally agreed. I'm sure she would have loved to have gone back in time when her daughters were younger and her husband was healthy. It was another "moment" to take in... remember... hold tightly. For her family, it was a break from sadness and worry and wondering what the future holds. Thankfully, for my family it was just some time to spend together. I did not take her advice lightly.

Family Water Party

Plan a backyard water party for YOUR family. Put hot dogs in the crock pot for three to four hours on low for dinner. At the end of your water fun, you'll have a quick, simple meal ready and waiting for a picnic on the back deck. Here are a few easy games you can play (year after year) with your family:

Water Balloon Batting Practice - You'll need lots of water balloons, a baseball bat and at least two players. Have one player pitch the water balloons to the batter, who takes his or her best swing. There are no home runs, but smack the balloon and you'll be rewarded with a nice, cool blast of water.

Water Balloon Toss - You'll need water balloons, some water and at least two players for this old favorite. Fill and tie lots of balloons. You'll go through them quickly. Stand a few feet apart and gently toss the balloon back and forth. If it doesn't pop, everyone gets to take a step back. Keep playing until everyone is drenched.

Pinaqua - You'll need some plastic grocery or trash bags, water, rope, a bandanna or scarf, a broom or baseball bat and a tree limb or some other sturdy spot. Fill the bag with water and tie a knot at the top. Tie one end of the rope just below the knot and have a parent throw the other end of the rope over the tree limb. Tie the rope securely around the limb. Each child gets a turn to be blindfolded and spun around three times before taking three swings at the pinaqua with the bat or broom. (NOTE: We've done this a couple of times. It is a lot of fun. Especially for the kid who finally knocks a hole in the garbage bag. It is like a river of water falling on top of them.)

Splat - You'll need more water balloons, markers, a bed sheet and several players. Have each player write his or her name on a water balloon. Put the balloons in the middle of the sheet and have everyone grab an edge. The object of the game is to shake the sheet and bounce the other players' balloons off. If the balloon falls off, but doesn't break, toss it back on the sheet. Once your balloon goes splat, you're out!

Game ideas from The Birmingham News, Saturday, July 15, 2000.

NOTE: I know this is a party, but having a party the same time each year (Memorial Day Weekend, for example), having the same games, having the same menu... that's a tradition. It's something to look forward to each and every year at this time. If your family is small, invite some cousins over to participate. While some things may change over the years as the kids get older, you could keep one or two of the games just because they are funny or silly, and add new ones (horseshoes, water balloon/gun wars, etc.). If you don't have a Memorial Day Weekend tradition, think about adding this fun and simple party/cookout to your annual list. You will NOT regret it!

Have a glorious Wednesday. "They" say it will stop raining in Alabama one day. I'm not sure I believe them, but everything here is lush and green... and the grass is high. When the boys gets a dry day, they're cutting two yards at a time trying to play catch up. Tomorrow I'll have the date I promised you LAST WEEK for a teenager or a spouse, so check in for a VERY SHORT post. I'll also have the pics from our Day in Downtown Nashville. And don't forget... Graduation Day! (Code for WE'LL BE SKIPPING "WEEKEND FAMILY FUN" THIS WEEK... OR WILL WE?)

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.