the famdamly

Great blessings, despite this crazy Sunday, with weather that ranged from hot sun to sleet to chilly rain to hail ... freezing! And then sun. Glad I didn't plant anything last weekend.

Yesterday, Eli's fourth birthday party, and miraculously, the horrible weather cleared just enough to let the kids play in Anna's yard. The many many kids - perhaps 12 or more, ranging from 8 months to 8 years. Insane - and if they'd had to be inside, impossible. But they rampaged on the slide and scooters in the yard while the adults, many of them, huddled inside. Anna of course had prepared vast quantities of food, Thomas barbecued, friends brought more food, the birthday cake was spectacular, the birthday boy had a very good time, and all was well. Grandpa and I, who got there at one p.m., and Uncle Sam, who came at 5, were all happy to escape at 7, leaving a giant mess for the hostess, who was fine with it all.

Today, a long slow morning with two of my favourite grown-up men, and then the family arrived and chaos ensued. Despite the weather, we walked to the Farm.

Lunch - all over the face, the high chair, and the floor

Sam's latest girlfriend whispers sweet nothings

 The boys

The beloveds. Sam was chasing the stroller which was rolling down the hill.

This afternoon - I thought of my friends Lynn and Denis in France, who play host to their many children and grandchildren in the summer, and much, much cooking is expected. This afternoon we were all here, and the TV went on - the Raptors were playing Game 7, the semi-finals, an important game. To some. "As if it matters," I scoffed, and Anna said, "Says my mother, who is one of the seven people who watches the Gillers!" The Canadian fiction awards. She's right.

True. They watched, we ordered Swiss Chalet take-out, they ate chicken and fries watching the game - an exciting game and the Raptors won! - while I bathed babies and played with them and saw the end of the game. It was not a French family gathering, it was a Canadian one; the food was not nearly as good, no question, but it was a hell of a lot less work. And the Raptors won!

Now Grandpa is off at Sam's bar with him for some drinks, Anna is at home putting her boys to bed, and I'm cleaning up and going to watch "Call the Midwife." "Come back to watch it with me," I told my son. "It's about midwifery in England in the Fifties."
"And what time is it over?" he asked.

I love them all so much, and the best thing is, we make each other laugh. A lot.

And for final good news, this was the headline of an article in the Guardian:

Books are back. Only the technodazzled thought they would go away.