<p>Champagne it is. Light the candles - as we are all dancing on the beach. It's Henry's Beach in Santa Barbara - wide washes of sand, the smell of petroleum just so faintly in the air, the day was long, the night will be sweet. We will dance too long to get cold.</p>
<p>The violin is small against the large roar of the Pacific. Dance all of us, dance for Jmson and his news, dance for Jmmom and her second home in Latin America. Perhaps a merengue breaks out as a moment of sheer happiness overtakes us and even the waltz seems too sedate.</p>
<p>You never know what will be the occasion for celebration. So we can't plan. So gather up any colored paper that you see and run run run to the ocean and tear it up as you run and throw it into the air. Confetti.</p>
<p>No flowing dresses, ladies. The breeze and our torchieres could create an incendiary situation. Hope sluggbugg arrives soon with a Dramatic Reading for sunrise on the ocean (Since it's a virtual party, we can have the sun <em>rising</em> over the Pacific if we want it). <em>I'll still be here</em></p>
<p>If I am standing in the shell I'm naked. Hmmm. I don't think I qualify as Venus any longer. So let's have sweat pants on and then the sun can rise. That sounds about right...</p>
<p>Y'know what? I say the human body is beautiful, at any age. You don't have to <em>qualify</em> as Venus, you just... <em>are</em> Venus! We all are!</p>
<p>Except you guys who are hanging around the fringes of our beach party. C'mon in, guys, it's OK, we can use help stoking the beach bonfire for sure. Y'all can be David, if you want to! :)</p>
<p>I've got a 5' tall sand castle going over here in the light of the bonfire, anyone want to bring me a bucket of slightly moist sand to make the turrets? And who's got the flag for the tippy-top one?</p>
<p>Okay here's how I see the parental fixups going.... (I have been thinking about this, because my last helicopter gasp, my final curtain call as a meddlesome mother, will surely be as primo matchmaker.)</p>
<p>STEP 1: We ALL agree to take our families somewhere non-suspicious for a week long holiday vacation. You know, say Cabo or Key West, or...? Whatever. Doesn't matter. Anywhere we can all get to.</p>
<p>STEP 2: Our kids, being kids, will naturally meet eachother at the pool, the beach, the bar, etc. We will have to be <em>very</em> cool, while being introduced to the cute boy from Johns Hopkins, the cute girl from Princeton, etc. Poker Faces, parents! </p>
<p>STEP 3: We will all meet each other, playing it cool and feigning no previous connection, as the whole hotel gathers under the palapa for lunch, or for the roasted pig, or the clambake or what have you.... </p>
<p>STEP 4: We will all have such a good time that the kids will think that they fixed <em>US</em> up! </p>
<p>I have the venue, SB! Our new place in Baja Norte. 12 miles south of the border. We close end of this month (assuming the Mexican real estate gods cooperate). Lots of room - that's why we bought it! A patio area for the meet and greet. Beach, golf, tennis, pool nearby. Slow-paced South of the Border ambience. Possible downside? Drinking age is 18.</p>
<p>Violates the rule in Step 3 about the feigning ignorance and all that. But we can work it out.</p>
<p>I would love to secretly introduce our kids. He he. I can see it now. All of us, sitting around the pool, pretending we don't know eachother. The pool guy we bribed along with 8 of his friends open, simultaneously, the 9 cages full of marmots we have prepared. Chaos ensues. In said chaos, well of course, chasing will have to happen, and bumping, and screaming, and the atmosphere will be quite charged and nature will take its course.</p>
<p>And us SA moms will sit around the pool chortling. Pina coladas in hand. </p>
<p>And cheers - hey - I was just thinking to myself I wonder how cheers is doing....</p>
[/quote]
That would be Alta California, SBMom. ;)</p>
<p>The cages of marmot chaos is an excellent ice-breaker, Alu. I do find myself wishing we'd chosen something a little cuter (puppies? kittens? Miss Pac-mans?) if they're going to be running around nipping at my heels though. :p</p>
<p>Not that I'm not eternally grateful to the little buggers, you understand.</p>
<p>!!!HOORAY, Jmmom & Jmson!!! Fan-*%#!!-tastic!! Watch it, I almost spilled my Chianti. :::baby carrots all around for our faithful rodent friends:::</p>
<p>And, Happiest of Belated Birthdays to BHappyMom, the Goddessiest chick in Sinner's Alley!</p>
<p>I have returned from 4 days of glorious tree battle at the Southern border (aka my backyard fence) last week. Axe-happy Evilneighbor tried to hack a heritage tree in my yard because it (the tree) had the audacity to drop leaves in her pool. The tree is, oh...about 400 years old. We had a little party one day with the Sheriff who told her unlicensed, uninsured workers not to climb their hairy butts up my tree. </p>
<p>I'm gonna open up a can of Whoop-Ass and apply for an injunction this week. And, I'm meeting with my arborist tomorrow morning to see what can be done about pruning the tree. The Klingons and the marmots are on standby.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, it's GRADUATION WEEK! Double-stuffed WOOTS on me! :)</p>
<p>Battle On Brave Sluggbugg! As I gaze into my crystal decanter I see in the dark of this very night, the Dryads from SA Park leading the Ents in single file to your evil neighbor's pool with Marmots nipping at their roots they all jump in,splash & pee. Hope the noise doesn't disturb ;)</p>
<p>Term disrupted by Hurricane Katrina - depressing
Second time around application process _ $#@!@*
Acceptance to great school - joy in the morning
.
.
.
LOL entertainment by rorosen, Sluggbugg and BHappyMom --- priceless</p>
<p>Yes, thanks for the entertainment over the past year.</p>
<p>I haven't been a frequent poster but have appreciated the information gleaned from CC (well, not necessarily from the Happy Hour pages!)</p>
<p>Now one son just graduated from HS and will soon sing at the grad. of his 8th grade brother. Oh my, I think I'm going to tear up again.</p>
<p>A friend pointed out the moms should be wearing the honor cords as we did the nagging to ensure homework was done & grades earned. For the class of 06, that was definitely true at our house, and we are PROUD!</p>
<p>Looking forward to a relaxing summer.....:)</p>
<p>Maybe that's why DS' honor cords hung from my dresser drawer pull for (too) many months after he wore them and had departed for the college world :). I thought it was sentimental claptrap, reminding me of him and his hs years. Now I realize I got them the Old Fashioned Way.... I <em>earned</em> them. Thanks, mommusic. (And make sure you have plenty of tissue for that grad ceremony).</p>