Saturday night we went to a wedding. This was a big deal because it was the first real social event that Caroline has been invited to just as an attendee, not a flower girl. Our friends Cyndea and Shane got married and let me tell y’all that it was a beautiful wedding. She walked down the aisle to “Come Let us Adore Him” and there were Christmas lights everywhere. It was like a magic Christmas fairyland.
If I had it to do over again I’d have a Christmas wedding, but 9 years ago when I was young and newly engaged there is no way in the world I’d have waited 4 more months just so a quartet could play Christmas carols as guests were seated. No ma’am, get me to the church and hurry, even though it meant tying the knot when it was 149 degrees outside.
Caroline did a great job of being quiet during the ceremony thanks to the steady stream of Mike and Ike’s that I had stashed in my purse. Anytime she opened her mouth, I just popped in a Mike and Ike and it bought us 30 more seconds of silence. So a big thank you goes out to my friends Mike and Ike who were a tremendous help in bribing my child. Yes, I said bribing and not only do I not condemn bribing a child, I give it two thumbs up.
Don’t judge me, she’s 3 years old and I live in a constant state of Don’t Anger It.
After the outdoor wedding ceremony (why yes, it was very cold), we moved indoors for the reception. I was already wondering how I was going to convince Caroline to eat prime rib for dinner when I noticed that there was a buffet table set up for kids that consisted of chicken fingers and french fries. It was like someone had just given me a million dollars otherwise known as a dinner my child would actually eat. Kudos to the bride’s parents for supplying the country club version of a Happy Meal.
I got her settled at the table with her chicken fingers and fries while P went to go find the adult food. She was thirsty and when they brought her water, it was in a glass goblet. She looked at it and said “Oh Mama, I get to drink wine too. Let’s say cheers!” So we clinked our water glasses together, said “Cheers”, and she looked at me with a french fry in her hand and said, “This is the life.”
And so yes, she shares a large portion of my genetic makeup that does enjoy the finer things in life like beautiful weddings at fancy country clubs and eating chicken fingers without utensils while wiping your hands on your dress.
After her meal was cut short by the arrival of wedding cake (and let’s be honest, why would anyone continue to eat anything of substance once there is cake?) she hit the dance floor. Our poor friend Erin made the mistake of volunteering to dance with Caroline, not realizing that Caroline’s signature move is to make you run around and around and around in circles as if she is trying to achieve lift off. For awhile we all stood around, watched them dance and made bets as to who would give us a another look at the wedding cake first.
Pretty soon, she was joined on the dance floor by a group of little girls just about her size and they danced and twirled their little hearts out. Nothing makes a mama more proud than seeing her little one shake her booty as the band plays “Brick House”.
Finally, when she was obviously about to collapse from exhaustion, we loaded her up to head home. She wanted me to carry her to the car and she was almost asleep before I got her in her car seat. I buckled her in and whispered “We partied ’til the cows came home.”
P walked around the car and as he was starting it, this little tired voice said “Daddy, we partied until the cows went to bed.”
Yes, we did.