I like hosting events...

Even though I was ready to pull out hair an hour beforehand, when I couldn't find our big thermos jug for cider... our ice skating party came together and I enjoyed it. We had 22 people, 16 of them skating. 13 adults and 9 kids was a good balance, too.

Kudos to cyan_blue for helping at the door, to tenacious_snail for bringing supplies and particularly to patgreene for her hours spent baking and running errands. :) I felt loved and supported. And got to spend time with kids and friends and sweeties... helped some of the kids skate for the first time (Maddie and Sprout/David). And skated with Teri and Les and Geri and Kevin and David, and hung out with groups of friends, some of whom don't otherwise overlap much. Les said that I was practically glowing by the end, although that was probably just sweat ;).

Otherwise... today I test-fit and left in place the new stainless countertop in the kitchen...

James growing up... and morning dropoff

James's high school had their Winter Ball at the Hyatt in Santa Clara on Friday evening. I noticed that the boys' level of dress was significantly lower than the average for the girls. The guys mostly wore dark jackets and white shirts... many even skipped the jacket. But the girls were wearing prom or LBD cocktail dresses, some barely thigh-high, with jewelry and heels. James was natty in a red shirt and one of my dress jackets, and he danced and circulated... and got two phone numbers. He met and slow-danced with one girl... got a kiss... and enthusiasm about seeing him later. She'd even heard of one of his garage bands. He was practically bouncing with ebullience, by the time I picked him up, and he talked excitedly all night (grin). Possibly a first-significant-kiss, although I imagine that he and A. must have kissed, sometime when they were dating at 14. Anyway, I'm pleased that my teenager is willing to talk to me and give me some visibility into his life.

Last night, patgreene was tired after the party, so I brought in Thai takeout and we had a quiet night together at home, watching teppanyaki chef competitions.

This morning... up at 6:45am, rouse the kids... twice... threatened David with ice cubes after the third warning. Found clothes, got Kevin fed (David was too late for breakfast), left the house at 7:40. Dropped off David at 7:45, James at 8am, worked my way through traffic, dropped Kevin (with trumpet, so he doesn't ride the bus on Mondays) at 8:15, went to the 24-hour Walgreen's to pick up David's refill prescription at 8:30, back to David's school at 8:40, waited while he was pulled out of class and sent to the office to meet me, then finally back home to shower and start preparing for work at 8:50...