30 Years

This weekend was my in-laws 30th anniversary. Those of you who know me know that we have had an adversarial relationship, that has recently been peaceful due to an undeclared cease-fire. As long as politics are avoided, we can for the most part get along.

Brian was supposed to be at the firehouse that day. Therefore I expected to have the challenge of finding the restaurant in an unfamiliar area and wrangling three children all while not beating my in laws. Thankfully Brian took pity on me. He knew that it would very hard for me to do all of that. Especially because I do not like to drive, I avoid it whenever possible, I have a fear of getting lost, and there is not enough xanax in the world to help me find my way to Melrose Park (why Melrose Park???Why?) and the restaurant and maintain decorum with my in laws.

The party started at 11:00 am...a brunch thing...(I have said my in-laws are interesting people) A brunch party, in Melrose Park, at an Italian Place (My in laws live in Niles, hence the confusion over location, and they are NOT Italian...I do not get the brunch choice at all though)

It was a buffet creative food choices. I always eat before I go...food allergies...strange-ness.
So whatever, we get there and his mother is decked out in an off-white cocktail dress with rhinstone stillettos. Okay..odd...but sure its your party. (If she wanted to wear a cocktail dress have a cocktail party!)

We chat and make nice then get ready to sit. Finally...Brian gets a boutinerre for being his parents son...again okay, whatever. Then Mother in Law, who insists I call her mom, wants a pciture with 'her family' No wives, but she does want her grandchildren. Brian's brothers wife and I give each other a look and get on with it.

We eat. EVERYTHING has strawberries! EVERYTHING! Gah! Again I am thankful I ate before I came. She comes over to our table and wants to show off her ring. "do you want to see my ring?" (I am thinking not really, I really want a diet coke) sure show me the damn ring.

Next drama. Billy Burns himself. The kids experienced their cake multisensory style. Brian wiped them off due to the afore mentioned strawberries. I was nursing Zoe..Billy went behind my chair and reached down and touched a can light on the floor. Amazingly he did not shriek. He very calmly walked around to me and simply said, "hot", and showed me his hand. I was confused. Brian said it was because he wiped too hard on his hand. I did not want to explain friction to a 2 year old so we left it at that and he climbed on to my lap. This time I noticed his had was red and blistered. "huh? this is not from daddy wiping is it?" I asked. He answered "hot". I called brian over and showed him the burn, we looked around and saw the light on the floor and asked him if he touched it. He said he had. We let him play with ice for a while...Soon enough it was time to go home...and home we went.