First Eucharist, Birthdays and Brothers

I have been very busy as Miss 9 made her First Eucharist yesterday, for those of us older than 25 that's First Communion, for the non Catholics, its when children first eat the wafer stuff at Church. So I was busy organising her party ( but it's not about the party ...Tell THAT to a 9 year old) and her present from 2IC and me ( but its not about the presents, tell THAT to a 9 year old) and amidst it all, attend my friends hastily organised 40th birthday dinner and a Candle party she was having. Phew!!!

My friend, AJ and I have been pals for it seems forever. She was bridesmaid at my wedding, her hubby was our best man. They both went to school with 2IC which is how I met them but AJ and I have stuck firm in our friendship. We share the same age for 24 hours and yesterday she turned 40!!! Our birthdays are one day apart and our wedding anniversaries are one day apart. AJ is as solid as they come and has had a lot of stuff to get over, a lot of which she gets over by herself...Often I do not find out about something major happening until its past..That's what she is like, non alarmist and non fuss. Anyway she was having a candle party (Partylites) which was REALLY GOOD if you are into candles and such but really expensive if you are into candles and such LMAO. Anyway, W, another pal of AJs decided that as AJ's hubby wasn't organising anything for AJ that we'd go out for dinner after the candle party, but as AJs mum wanted to come and her older sister and her niece and nephew and Miss 9 was with me and S ( AJ's daughter) we had to go cheap rather than "swanky, once in a lifetime, you are turning 40". We ended up at Pascoe Vale RSL..............Nice meal, great service, what can I say..AJ was happy after the two,three, four, five, no, it was four or was it seven Barcadi and Raspberries..W and I plied her with all night. Oh, and AJ if you are reading this... The big one was a DOUBLE!!!And Adam, AJs nephew; topped it of with his masterful fireworks display using two tennis balls and the compound from a packet of sparklers..Don't ask; the boys from the bush and sings kareoke!!!

We decided to have family only over after the Mass and as it was the later Sunday night mass, we hoped the family would all eat and run far, far away. It worked, all and sundry gone by 8.30pm...wonderful!!!My cousin, Simone; who is also Godmother to all three kids; came by at about 2.00 which was fine as she was coming from Bendigo and we hardly see each other much anyway. But when my Dad and his partner arrived at 4.00 I was a tad peeved, Mass was not until 5.30!!!! And I was still cleaning up, and we had to get three kids ready and 2IC was working in the yard in the veggie garden...Now I had to make coffee and chat pleasantly all whilst trying to do this other stuff. SHIT
Any way we got the Church and 2IC's family meet us there, ( they are non Catholic so are really lost in Church) There were only 6 children from school celebrating their first Eucharist last night and two others from outside schools ( non Catholic schools) and strangely enough the pew behind us( as all seating was allocated) was empty but had a place name attatched...Had to ponder that one, piked it? Illness? Forgot about it? Changed their mind? I am still wondering about it. Mr 3 and Mr6 were reasonably well behaved, Mr 6 let out groans of "Oh Man!!" whenever the priest started to speak again, and "oh, No!" when the singers started again...NOT GOOD!! And all this from the front pew with his school principal standing nearby and his religious education co ordinator as one of the singers!!! Gotta, hand it to him, he's not afraid to speak him mind, in volumes.

All the while, before Mass commenced; Miss 9 was turning about to check if "Unca T" had arrived, my errant, non compliant younger sibling. I had to invite him, he is family and he is also Miss 9's godfather ( god help her) I half expected him to turn up fashionably late as he did at her baptism ( however that time he arrived with his then new partner who wore a white leather mini, white CFM boots and a leather bustier...Simply stunning) But he did not arrive to my knowledge,( but not my surprise) much to Miss 9's dismay. When we got home, his car was at our house and he told me he was to the back of the church and left as soon as Mass ended...BULLSHIT. I have been his sister for all of his life and I know him, he did not attend Mass, no biggee, but don't lie to my kids about being there ok?