It was with great sadness that I recently remembered my negligence in posting about the fabulous visit my family received from the great Mrs. Lost A Sock and her baby bootie, Marin, while her boys were off at Notre Dame for the annual Blue and Gold Game a couple of weeks back. I love Molly more than my luggage and had an absolute blast laughing at our children together. Plus, Luke and I don't get many visitors, so her and Marin's willingness to drive three hours for a day-long playdate (God, I hate that word, it sounds so pretentious, but what else do you call a scheduled time for children of different households to interact with each other?) was especially appreciated.
So, without further adieu, may I present highlights from Baby Day 2009, Indy Edition:
One of the biggest goals Luke and I have for Kara this year is to find ways for her to mingle with other children on a regular basis. She loves other kids, adores them, even, and with Marin's happy-go-lucky personality, it was a no-brainer that the two of them would hit it off right away. It helps that Marin is used to being tackled like a football and Kara is happy to oblige.
Kara inches ever closer to her prey, shrieking with delight at the multi-colored gumballs dancing before her eyes, until...
Baby touchdown! Seven points for Team Dunscombe, or however many you get for demonstrating such athletic prowess on a young child who is unable to defend herself.
Meanwhile, Nathan and Marin weren't exactly popping open the formula bubbly to celebrate their eventual betrothal quite just yet. But hey, even Scarlett and Rhett had their share of troubles.
Marin: I've only known this guy for what, eight seconds, and suddenly my mom's all, "Take our travel swing, Marin's too big, Nathan's so handsome, blah blah blah." Meanwhile, I'm stuck in this totally boring bouncy seat that's covered in frogs and snails and turtles with nary a bright light or fishie in sight. Just wait, you good-for-nothing swing-stealer, you. Just wait.
Nathan: Boat?
Marin: Here they go again, forcing the two of us onto each other in hopes of setting the stage for the next Harry and Sally. Forget this. I shall now roll away gracefully in search of greener, less vomitous pastures.
Nathan: I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave. Also, brrrrrp.
Marin: I've got you now, punk. You think you're all that and a bag of Pampers, eh? I will make you regret the day you were born!
Nathan: My mom done told me to watch out for cougars!
Oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally, golly, what a day.
* * *
After a long, gut-busting afternoon together, the members of the Frema-Useless Clutter household had no choice but to bid a sad farewell to our Lost A Sock girls. Molly and I asked Luke to get some shots of all the women and children together.
That went well.
The two little ones got through it OK--Nathan's happy to suck his own fingers, why not somebody else's?--but poor Kara was already an hour past her bedtime and therefore an hour past her prime. She went from slap-happy to what-in-the-sam-hell crazy in sixty seconds flat.
Why does my son look like he's undergoing Baby's First Hangover? Marin, smile! Kara, where are you going, honey, the camera's over here...?
Good flippin' enough.
This kinda made my day. Love the captions, especially Nathan's. He's a funny dude. Glad you guys had a good visit!
Posted by: Jen L. | May 04, 2009 at 09:02 AM
Give it time, I bet Nathan and Marin will be sweethearts yet! Poor Kara, she looks so tired in the last picture! It's amazing how quickly they can go from fun to freaked out!
Posted by: Parsing Nonsense | May 04, 2009 at 02:59 PM
Great captions ("all that and a bag of Pampers!!!!" Freakin hilarious!
Glad you all had fun!
Posted by: Jenny | May 05, 2009 at 12:00 AM
Those two Nathan-with-big-wide-eyes photos are awesome!
And I can't BELIEVE how much hair Kara has. She is beautiful.
Probably never gets mistaken for a boy.
sigh
Posted by: eva | May 05, 2009 at 12:23 AM
re: Marin as a Cougar.
Too funny. I'd write LOL, but then I'd have to punch myself.
Posted by: rkmama | May 05, 2009 at 03:05 PM
A good time was had by all. They are all doing so very well. The moms,too.
Posted by: daddyd | May 05, 2009 at 11:30 PM
This looks so fun! It's so wonderful to have family friends like this.
Posted by: Katie | May 06, 2009 at 11:50 AM
When did Kara become a little GIRL? I am sure you hear this all the time, but she looks SO MUCH LIKE YOU. She's beautiful!
Posted by: Operation Pink Herring | May 06, 2009 at 12:47 PM