The weekend rundown

So, this is what transpired in the Newland household this weekend.

Friday I went for a mini-playdate at a girlfriend's house. It was tons of fun, and unlike usual, I didn't have to spend the entire time chasing Adrien around...my friend finally got around to installing a baby gate upstairs in the game room portion of her ample home and Adrien was contained. (Adrien is the oldest and most -- only -- mobile baby at these mini-playdates) So it was just me, Ashley, and Erin chilling out with our babies. I picked up lunch from Sonic on the way over and when we got to Erin's house for the playdate, Adrien ended up eating quite a bit of my burger. (Shame on me, really).

Then Friday night came. We were invited to attend the birthday party of a guy who we used to attend Sunday School with. These people had moved to the complete other side of town and as a result, this party was going to be a gathering together of friends who hadn't seen each other in quite a while. We caught a ride with another young couple from Sunday School and another friend was with us. Her husband was unable to attend because he was at work. I would just like to start out by saying that the party was to start at 7. We arrived at 9. We got back home at 3am. There was hefty partying to be had by all. We had to stop a few times on the way home to let our friend whose husband was unable to attend puke...on the side of the interstate. We made a late night burger stop for the other guy with us on the way home. Technically I think it was a chicken strip stop. He needed to potty, and just as any 4 year old would do, he peed behind the Whataburger when he discovered the dining room wasn't open at 2am and therefore he couldn't use the facilities. (Said guy is not actually 4 years old) I didn't drink anything. I did, however, have TWO Dr. Peppers. I was really living on the wild side. I had planned on having a few drinks, but when I found out the female part of the couple who was taking us was bummed that she wouldn't be able to drink due to eminent pregnancy, I decided to make her feel better and be sober as well. All was good, and my mother-in-law did quite well with Adrien. Somehow she got him to fall asleep watching TV. I can never do that.

Saturday we had to head out to the in-law's which is a good 2 hour drive. We drove all that way to attend a church service and tiniest Methodist church EVER so that the church's new steeple could be dedicated to my husband's Grandad. He passed away a few months ago, and had apparently been working very hard to get a steeple for the church. The service was nice -- what I saw of it. I spent most of the time outside with Adrien because he was restless and in need of a nap. The sanctuary was so small that Adrien's hefty screaming voice definitely outweighed that of the country Methodist preacher's. This church was very quaint. It was nestled in the middle of a trailer park. Meager Methodists, I suppose. The whole ordeal wasn't as much of a freak show as I'd envisioned it to be. That was a bit disappointing.

The most exciting thing that happened on our excursion to the in-laws was on the way back. In some teeny tiny town, we passed a row of older-than-Methuselah homes. Out in front of one of these was one of those marquis that you can put the letters on. This was the type of Marquis one typically sees in front of an old restaurant or feed store -- you know; the ones with the arrow on top that's pointing at whatever edifice it belongs to. Anyway, on the marquis was this happy little announcement:

MY NEIGHBOR IS A THIEF AND PET KILLER LIKE JEFFERY DAHMER

How's that for neighborly love? I wonder if these country bumpkins know what slander or libel is. Which one would it be considered? I mean, it is written, although not published.

The whole trip made my husband and I wish (in a way, and only for money's sake) that we lived in the country. We could live like kings if weren't paying the cost of the living in the huge metroplex we reside. I remember being astonished when I first moved here (from Smalltown, USA) to go to college. I thought $2.50 for a loaf of bread was ridiculous...that was way before I was having to buy multiple gallons of milk per week for a ravenous toddler.

At least if we lived in the country, we might be able to have our own milk cow.