From a Communion to a Don Mills Wedding: Reasons to Buy New Shoes!

Middle Child had his First Communion last weekend. Mum brought back one of those white ribbon things Maltese boys wear on their sleeves. So he had a cool silver vest and tie ("I look like a man!" he exclaimed), hair styled in the best skateboarder shag I can do, ribbon pinned on and off we were off to the races. Middle Sister, her family and my parents arrived bright and early for the 8:45 mass.

The kids, Husband and I brought up the offertory. Irreligious Husband was a little freaked out because he didn't know what to do, but we looked okay. Turns out Husband is considering going to mass more regularly after a few of his patients phoned him up this week to say, "Hey, doctor, I saw you at church!". Husband thinks it'll be good for business. He just may be going to hell. I told him he may as well be golfing instead so patients can say they saw him there but he reminded me that we live in the bible belt of Ontario. The links are barren on Sunday mornings.

The highlight of the mass, though, was when the priest called up Middle Child at the end so the parish could applaud him. The kid turned around, puffed out his skinny little chest, arms to the side and had the most serious face ever. Actually, think "deer in the headlights" look and that about covers it. He explained later that he wanted to look solemn. Yeah, too bad his whole family, including Mum the über-Catholic, was shaking violently with the giggles.

I set out a pretty good spread for lunch. I made a pretty good braided smoked salmon tart that went over like a kegger at a frat house. My grandmother and aunt came with some yummies too so there was plenty to go around. Mum got a little cemented on the strawberry daquiris I made but was still fine enough to go to a Divine Mercy hour of prayer halfway through the party. No one minded. Daughter rented - with her paper route money - a karaoke video game because she knew how much Baby Sister loves to sing. Frankly, the whole family likes to sing. Middle Child's youngest son did a swell rendition of the Pussycat Dolls' "Don't Cha".

So the next event on the list, outside of parent-teacher interviews, would be taking Daughter to see Avril. She wants to skip school that day because she won't be able to concentrate. I'm already going to mortgage the house to gas up the car to get there; I don't want to pay for a sitter too. Then we have Baby Sister's baby shower. Oh! And we're getting a Winners, so I'm squeezing in a grand-opening trip this week. Then there's dental appointments, the spin-a-thon (thank you to all who are sponsoring me), Middle Sister's eldest son's First Communion (and grand opening of her renovated basement), and my godmother's wedding in Don Mills. I'm not complaining one little bit. I love parties.