We have just passed an exciting two weeks with all our children.

Well, it has actually been two weeks for two of them.  One of them came home for a week and one came with his wife and two children for about three days.

This higher math has been quite hectic and enjoyable.

It is a wonderful warming feeling to have them all together, sitting at the table or in the living room, talking about their good times.

On several days we also had their friends, our friends, our son’s girl friend and her mother, her brother and his wife and two children.

What a brouhaha! What a joy!

The youngest children played with toys we had pulled out of storage and dusted off.   We found old books we could read to them and listened to old records my own children enjoyed when they were little.  My grandson loved playing with (let’s see if I can get this right) my third son’s girl friend’s niece, who is about year younger than him.  I am sure he was pleased to have someone who just wanted to follow him around and do what he did.   Yes, but is it the basis for a long term relationship?

Our friend, who is a retired teacher brought over some of her old teaching materials, including hand puppets for my third son who is completing his education to be a high school teacher but is also interested in the use of drama, puppetry and clowning to teach people of all ages.  The children loved it and talked to the hand puppets as if they were real people.   They got into discussions and arguments with the puppets, although they seemed to be fully aware that these were simple gloves worn on my son’s hand and that the puppets’ voice was really my son’s voice.

I can honestly say we ate well.  This is an understatement.  My wife organized all the meals, but the longer she does these things the more she seems to resemble my own mother.  She was there telling us we had to eat up everything, that because there was a lot of lasagna we had to have two helpings, and finally that she had forgotten to serve the asparagus.  This was eerie, like a scene out of the twilight zone, where she is now enacting the behaviours she used to laugh at when we visited my mother’s place for meals.

This means I must resemble my father - not a completely comforting thought.

But in the end of it all, we just enjoyed being with each other and even my two youngest sons were affectionate with one another.   Unbelievable.

For some reason, it was actually a relief when we got snow on Christmas day.  The snow plow came down our street and our snow blowing service arrived to do the driveway.   I think they did this primarily to make themselves feel better - that they are actually of some use.   Up to now, they had not been needed at all.   The snow plows indeed were basically scraping the asphalt, the first time they appeared and in any case the snow melted and disappeared a few days after it fell.

Well, I guess we paid for it so they might as well do it.       

I went to the movies with my daughter and her friends to see “Night at the Museum” with Ben Stiller.   His mother had a small part in the film and it was a bit of a shock to see her.  People can seem to grow old so quickly when you don’t see them for a while.  For me, the change in her appearance was dramatic.   I think I’ll go look in the mirror and look for new wrinkles and liver spots.

The movie itself was entertaining enough but not really one of those gut busters or one that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The upshot was that I got to do something on New Year’s I would otherwise not have done.   It was a great break from all the resting I do lately.  It makes me feel tired to be so rested.

Tomorrow, the last two of our children will depart the nest again.   For a brief moment, the house was full of life and activity.   Maybe we need to adopt someone and have them bring over their friends every evening.   That will keep us hopping.  In the meantime, the house will seem a little emptier than usual for a few days before I recall that, actually, I really love being able to take the car when I want and doing as I please.

Unitl next year.