Whew!

What kind of friend am I? I drop an opinionated hot-topic bomb on you and then leave for two weeks? There are good excuses my friends. Good excuses.

Excuse #1 Visitors!

Excuse #2 More Visitors!

My brother and his family from New Mexico came to spend Valentines/President's Day weekend. The cousins were thrilled to be with each other; so thrilled they couldn't sleep at night. Spouse and my brother stayed up to the wee hours of the morning discussing important things like guns and freedoms and stuff. My SIL pulled through for me and helped out at our primary activity on Saturday morning. Spouse and I did our best to convince them to move closer to us. After a morning at the zoo, they left for home around noon on Monday.

#1 and cousin - static heads

It wasn't like this all the time. #2 and his cousin were great playmates.

My good brother and my good Spouse still solving the world's problems.

Lunch break at the zoo.

SIL, brother and their little baby, outside the monkey village - at the zoo, people, not my house.

Quick change of bedding, bathroom cleaning and a trip to the grocery store and we were ready for our next guests, Spouse's parents, who arrived Tuesday afternoon. As usual they came bearing gifts, hugs and happy times for us. Grandma J tirelessly read to, played with and indulged my children with grandmotherly attention. Grandpa J treated us to movies, boat-rides, and many meals out (something we don't do much of anymore). They left us with full hearts, an extra 5 pounds for me, and a closet full of pressed shirts for Spouse.

#3 and her Grandpa at the Tempe Beach Park

#2, #3 and patient Grandma playing Sequence For Kids.

Spouse's dad is a real guitar player, so he caught onto Guitar Hero quite naturally. Spouse's mom is trying not to get sick from the rolling notes on the screen. I can relate.

#3 rockin' out on the drums

#1, with her Grandma at Mimi's for breakfast.

Now it's back to reality and the responsibilities I seemed to forget while our visitors were here. That is unless I can entice any more visitors our way...... (hint. hint).

An all boys party

Several months ago Spouse informed me that #2's 4th birthday party was going to be with all boys. Spouse made baseball card invitations with #2's face superimposed over Kurt Wariner's body. He painted lines on our grass and set up a football goal standard. There was going to be nothing girly about this party.

And so 8 little boys came to our house yesterday to play soccer, baseball, football; break open a baseball pinata; and wrestle each other WWF style in our bounce house. I naively had planned fun little games involving the sports equipment. But 4 year old boys have no attention span, and resist being directed when they're interested in other things. After a while I just gave up and let them play. If I hadn't already been convinced, yesterday proved again how different girls and boys are.

For example, at a little girl's party the girls socialize and pretty much stick together as a group. They say please and thank you. They like organized games and can sit still for a number of minutes. However, little girls are fixated on order and fairness and who gets to sit where and by whom. And ultimately, someone's feelings get hurt and there are tears.

Compare that to a little boys party where the boys are happy to play by themselves and aren't very interested in what the others are doing. When there is a disagreement, the stronger one just rips whatever he wants from the little one and it's over. They aren't interested in rules and winning games. They just want to do what they want to do. Cleaniless and good manners are just things someone tells them to do and which they usually ignore.

You mothers of all girls may be smugly relieved you don't have to deal with the unknown - the masculine side of life - things like your almost four year old son exiting the bathroom in just his briefs with half of his privates squished out of one side saying "hey mom, look at this!" But little do you know how much you are missing of a boy's uncomplicated affection and easiness to please.

I think we could have thrown rocks at a wall for an hour and #2 would have been equally pleased with his party - providing there was cake and balloons of course. Next year I'll be wiser. Happy Birthday #2!