Wow. Preach three services, teach Sunday School, then host seven girls in your home. That’s the very definition of a full weekend.

So I’m leaving tomorrow for Woo-woo Guru Deep Breathing Angels on Pinheads Retreat. I need it so badly. Don’t we all? Aren’t we all overworked and overstimulated?

It has been a real push to get everything done beforehand. I promised R that I would take care of the little things for this week, like filling out Valentines for C’s class on Wednesday and putting together “packets” of outfits for the girls each morning. Every little bit of assistance with the morning routine!

I had arranged with a youth of the church to borrow his Nintendo Wii for the week for R to play around with—his consolation prize for single parenting for the week. When I told R about it a couple weeks ago, he went from “grumble grumble grumble” to “when are you leaving again?”

So this morning, I was at church getting ready for early service when we received a call that a member of the church had been rushed to the hospital after collapsing in his front yard. This is a mid-40s man with a teenage son and elementary-age daughter. Wife is very involved in the church. During Sunday School hour we found out that he had died.

We are all deeply grieved at the church. And the support has begun. Those of you in a faith community know—this is what we do well. We rally. We bake. We send flowers. We help with logistics, we coordinate funeral receptions, we hug and pray and send cards. Having been on the receiving end of it, I know how powerful it is. The first woman I told was a newly ordained elder (I mean, ordained the hour before) who immediately jumped in her car and went over there to sit with the shocked family.

As it happens, the teenage son happens to be the one who promised us the Wii. Poor kid, poor family. And of course thoughts of the Wii went out the window. Nonetheless, when Senior Pastor visited the family today, the boy gave her the box of stuff that he had packed up for R. Part of me feels awful that he was even thinking about that at all today. And part of me knows from experience that feeling useful, even about something so small, does help one cope with grief.

So, the party went well. We had fun with the “under the sea” theme but didn’t go overboard. We had hung blue crepe paper “waves” from the ceiling with a few plastic fish and seahorses and such, and had blown up a couple dozen blue balloons to simulate ocean. After the kids got there we made mermaid crowns (posterboard, glitter glue, stickers) and colored Ariel pages (internet). Then the girls played with the balloons for awhile, then we played “hot potato” with a cheap stuffed Flounder doll (Ariel’s fish friend) that I found on the internet. Each of the girls got a candy necklace when they went out, and since I had forgotten to think up a prize for the last girl in, well, every girl wanted to go out. So the hot potato wasn’t so hot.

After a quick snack of goldfish and carrots, we made sand art—awesome idea, Beth, thank you so much. Next was the hunt for buried treasure. After a little drama with the birthday girl wanting to be the first to receive the clues, we got them all traipsing up and down the stairs and having a great time. Treasure was a baggie of chocolate coins for each girl. Then we had cake and ice cream and played a little more. To close the party we had made a fishing rod that each girl used to “fish” over a doorway draped with a sheet, in which they “caught” their goody bags.

Everyone got along beautifully, though next time we will have fewer kids. Lesson learned is not to overinvite on the theory that some won’t come; instead we’ll invite the number we want, then continue to invite as children decline, I think. With fewer kids, I think we could go longer.

C did end up opening a few presents right before the end of the party. And of all the great fun we had, of course the one mommy moment that will stick with me is when I yelled “C!!!!!” to try and stop her from barreling through the presents and at least acknowledge the giver. Got real quiet. Bleh. Bad mommy.

M, for her part, had a blast. She woke up from her nap to a houseful of people and blue balloons. She was in heaven.

But now I am exhausted. In a mostly good way. I have much to do before meeting up with PPB tomorrow at the WWGDBAPR. My plan this week is to eat, sleep, chat with the Bear, sit and stare at the wall, sleep, write, walk, read, and sleep some more. My intention is to spend no more than an hour a day on blogging and related activities. I’ll check in with you if you check in with me!

And many thanks to my awesome spouse for his making this week possible, and to MaDear who is on-call for this week as well. Think good thoughts/prayers—it’s supposed to be Wintry Mix for much of the week, which could mean, no work, no school, and cabin fever for all.