Phew, we survived! Although I still feel like a train drove over me repeatedly. Last week was intense.

While Ruby was phasing into school on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I was feverishly preparing for a trip to Miami Thursday through Saturday for work. This phasing in meant that I had to pick up Ruby midday and drop her with Marie, which cut into my worktime and increased my stress steadily (while of course being relieved that school was going so well!).

On Thursday I left at 4am. Ruby and David were up at 5.45am to welcome EJ, who needed a ride to school a few hours later. Marie took Ruby and at 4pm dropped her off at EJ's house where Megan watched the babes until David was done with his new Thursday evening health and safety class that he has just starting teaching for one semester.

On Saturday David had to work too, but thankfully the folks at the Workplace Project love Ruby and she's always welcome during their events and meetings. On his way home he rushed up to Port Authority to pick up his mom, Grandma Pat. They were all snoring soundly when I came home at midnight.

And Sunday was the big day: the birthday day! Late Saturday afternoon David and I consulted via phone and decided to shift the location from Prospect Park to the back room in a local bar because of the expected rain on Sunday. We both agreed that it was actually better because it would mean less prep work Sunday morning and we felt like we could use a break. Ha. As I started what I thought was a 20min job of asking our caregiver network to reach a bunch of parents for who we didn't have cellphones or email addresses to inform them of the venue change, Marie asked us if we had prepared some goodie bags for the kids. I said I hadn't and was it really necessary? "Yes," she said. And she knows better, so off rushed Grandma, Ruby and Marsha to get stuff for the goodie bags and ballons. David rushed off in another direction to get some other last minute things that we realized we should probably have (like juiceboxes for the kids, given the bar part of our location). And we all reconvened about 5mins before the party was due to start, tired and stressed.

The party was a lot of fun though. It really was. I just spaced out on taking a lot of pictures. But Grandma had made and brought down on the bus two awesome cakes which everyone devoured (I didn't get one, for the record, but the drink I finally got from the bar when most folks had left perked me up and all was good!). The kids loved their goodie bags (thank you Marie!) and Ruby was both happy and a little afraid of all the attention she got. Just remind us to take seriously the party and schedule it more wisely next time so we can all be present in body and mind for the crazy fun!