Time to Party! Atchcoo!

Last Friday we decided to host a little party to celebrate the engagement. Kristen is very excited about it and immediately began to plan a menu, guest list and decorations. It will be desserts, somewhere around 10 families and assorted single relatives, and the theme is High School Sweethearts (why does that phrase always make me think of the song Beauty School Dropout??). We agreed that the Christmas decorations needed to be put away before the house is cleaned on Friday to prep for the party. No problem, I thought, we have all this weekend and Kristen is very helpful and efficient at that sort of thing. Then the next day she declares that she is going away to the mountains with Brad's family and will be gone all weekend. OK, I guess I will be undecorating without her. I've done it before, I can do it again. Then I talked to my good friend and neighbor Lisa who called to RSVP while gently reminding me that the date of Kristen's party was also the date of her daughter Elle's birthday party. The party which I had agreed WEEKS ago to help out with. Well, Elle's party is in the afternoon and early evening, so I can help with that one and still manage to get everything together for Kristen's event too, right? After all, John will be there to hel - oh whoops, of course, he will be working that weekend! Then Kristen mentioned a few more families she really felt the need to invite, and now I have come down with a cold!
Still, I have faith it will all come together. John was kind enough to get all the boxes, crates and other storage containers out, and if I start to put stuff away hopefully others will help when they have a spare moment. Kristen and Caitlin are going to do much of the baking, I will help shop, the girls can decorate while I help with Elle's party, at least for a couple of hours until Lisa sees that the police officer she has hired has it all under control! No doubt Brad's mom, Ann, will show up ready to help as well. I have plenty of antihistamines, decongestants, and other assorted drugs to get my cold under control. It should be a snap, really. A breeze. At any rate, as long as my mind is occupied with preparing for this little party I can for a at least a while, forget that there is still a wedding to plan!