Mike had about a thousand jobs he was hoping to accomplish. Among other things: van tires needed changing, a broken van window needed replacing (though we've thoroughly enjoyed the classiness of driving around with a white garbage bag for a window), and the leaking garbage disposal (that had left us with only one useable half to our sink for several days) needed switched out.
Naturally all he hoped did not quite occur. They sent him the driver's side rather than the passenger side window he'd ordered for one thing, and, in general our life these days doesn't typically allow for accomplishing all we hope (or even ... a small portion of all we hope). Still the day was full of tools and errands and acquiring parts for him. And it is a glorious thing, from a financial standpoint, that Mike can fix all things. From the perspective of time, however, it is rather a shame he's so handy; as, before the most pressing projects can ever get completed, other equally pressing needs raise their little heads and there is never some outside person coming to just take care of it ... not on our time. (Which perhaps explains why, looking at our sink the day after our disposal started leaking, Mike sighed disappointedly and said, "Well, it looks like this garbage disposal isn't going to fix itself after all.")
On top of all of that, Penny had the Saturday matinée showing of her Anything Goes play to be readied for (a process that takes me nearly an hour). And, while we'd all seen the play earlier in the week, several of us managed to procure tickets to go again that very afternoon. (It had been so fun to watch her that we wanted to go again anyway, but when Summer, the morning after she'd seen the play and been thoroughly captivated by the glamour and magic of the stage, woke up actually crying, "Can't we see it again? I just want to go watch it again. I just loved the costumes and the dancing, and Penny looked so pretty!" we figured we better make it happen. [Summer has been totally enchanted and keeps asking me things like, "Mom, do you think my hair looks like Penny's?"])
Naturally my going to the play (and taking all of the older, helpful girls, and not taking most of the littler kids) didn't help Mike with his day for working on projects. (But look at all these fun pictures I got! And it is a true little miracle that we managed a fitting 30s hairstyle. Everything I tried -- despite Google tutorials and the like -- was a discouraging disaster. I just have zero natural talent with hair and trying to whip her long hair into a short glamorous style or create set and defined curls was completely beyond me. As Penny looked more and more deflated after each of my attempts, I prayed and prayed some angel might be sent to help me -- perhaps one of my grandmas who were both young and stylish in the 30s. And then, one day, a little idea just formed itself in my mind as I looked at Penny. Almost as if someone were explaining it to me right on my minimal skill level. And ... wahlah! She was so elegant, graceful and lovely that I nearly forgot she was only 13 and felt she was fully grown.)
On top of Mike's project and Penny's play, Goldie had posters she needed to have done by Monday in order to run for office. She needed me to take pictures of her for them. And she also needed ... a goat for some of those pictures. So the day also contained finding someone willing to rent us their goat for a few weeks. (We figured, as long as we were finding a goat, we may as well keep it through Spring Break as has become our custom. We've now had a runt piglet, a bum lamb, two baby goats, and this new goat for Spring Break week. I'm surprised really at how many people -- total strangers -- agree to Mike's unconventional proposals that we rent their animals.)
A friend (who also happens to be the sister I minister to in my ward) also called a bit panicked because it looked as if whoever she'd thought was taking dance pictures for her daughter's Prom that night would not be able to. I was incredibly tempted to say I couldn't, it was just SUCH a day, and late, and the house in shambles, and Mike still having one hundred things to do, but ... how many opportunities do you get to minister to your ministering sister right when she really needs it? So off I went to do that.
All of those things would be demanding enough on their own, but throw into that a backdrop of kids needing fed, and stopped from running off into the road, and bathed, and put for naps, and dinner needing provided, and of a thousand messes (truly a thousand) being created by practically a thousand :) little people unceasingly while all of the above occurred, and well, it made for a very full and demanding Saturday!
But we all somehow remained relatively cheery throughout and Daisy was home for the weekend (which always feels happy) and we got things settled and kids to bed only ... a tiny bit ridiculously late.
2 comments:
I'm amazed that Penny's only 13!! She looks so grown up in those dresses and with her hair up. I came back to look at these pictures on the computer (Instead of my phone) so I could see them closer and she looks SO CUTE! The wedding dress is my favorite. But a close second is that green long-sleeved dress. It is perfect. I wish I could have seen her! I feel like I ought to know the story of Anything Goes and have maybe even seen it? But yet I can't remember anything about it.
And Goldie's pictures are so adorable. I am intrigued as to how she worked in goats and lemons. But how could anyone not vote for that cute lemony, goaty girl??
I know! She really did look so elegant and grown that Mike and I both said it was as if suddenly we could really imagine her old enough to be getting married. And that green long sleeved dress was such good fortune. I was having the hardest time finding anything that fit the decade well, and then I found that on Amazon for cheap as could be but it was clear it was a knock off site and I had doubts about it coming like the picture at all. But then it was perfect! We just had to have my mom take in the back and sides a bit. Anything Goes was such a fun/funny play! I’m guessing the original maybe had to be tamed down to be appropriate for junior high? But it was just funny and charming. It all takes boats on a ship. A gangster dressed up as a priest. The real priest mistakenly arrested for the gangster. A debutante (Penny/Hope) engaged to a good-natured rich Englishman who she doesn’t love because her mother says they’ll be doomed without his money. But actually in love with Billy who of course has no money at all, but who sneaks on board (necessitating help with disguises from the gangster) in hopes of somehow stopping the wedding. The Englishman falling in love with the singer hired to perform on the boat. And everyone married happily to who they really want to be in the end (including Hope’s money hungry mother to Billy’s rich boss —haha).
Goldie used Vote for the GOAT (Vote Goldie Harris). Apparently GOAT stands for greatest of all time with the kids these days. But then, you know, a real goat, so. ... And the lemons. Hmmm. Something about lemons and lemonade but now I can’t recall what the poster actually said.
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