“It’s a Family Affair” Party Planning For Little Pawner Madyson Blais…

Occasionally, my entire family “jump in with their ideas” on an event.  Although this “bossy” twin makes the rules around here, I do occasionally “bow down” to the coin toss which has been used as long as I can remember when the “vote” is at a standstill. 

Everyone is excited about our latest blessing with Baby Blais including my niece, Stephaney Mahaney and have their own ideas about where and when the shower we delayed waiting on Alex Blais to arrive on leave, will take place. 

Yesterday as my friend Tammi Leggett and I helped load my niece and all of the gifts along with the baby and Alex into the elevator, there was barely enough room left for me to hop over everything and jump onto the elevator! 

Leaving the hospital with Leigh Ann required two vehicles to get everything back to the DanielDivaDiggs.  Alex is on leave from the Navy for one month and had planned to visit Carswell AFB yesterday to add “Maddy” to the insurance.  However, Leigh Ann was exhausted and ready to go home when the rains began in Fort Worth causing our caravan a few setbacks when my niece advised Tammi and I that we needed diapers and formula.    
I would stop in Hudson Oaks at Walmart with Tammi to pick everything up and meet the family at Cindy’s Home aka The DanielDivaDiggs. Steve Daniel is currently out “on the road” working and has yet to see the new baby.  Their home is a little crowded with Leigh Ann and Alex home for the baby, the twins and Stephaney Mahaney under one roof.  Leigh Ann is a germophobic and doesn’t like anyone to use the hall bathroom that has been designated as hers.  Alex and everyone else (including me) are sharing the bathroom located in Cindy’s master bedroom which has caused a number of jokes! 

Tammi and I decided to use the bathroom at Walmart where we spent over an hour shopping for essentials other than the diapers and formula.  There are so many cute things that weren’t available in the “old days” when our children were born that we had a bit of fun finding this or that, lol. 

It’s a good thing this baby is mellow because she gets passed around more than the offering plate at our church.  Stephaney and Cindy both kiss her and talk to her attempting to wake her up every time they hold her. 

By the time Tammi and I finally arrived at Cindy’s House, both of the Little Pawners, Maryssa and Makenna Mahaney had become “hands on” nannies. 

Trying to “fit in” the belated baby shower with the Fall Festival in Gordon next Saturday may not work out as Leigh Ann is currently recovering from a c-section and although she is sore and suffering from sleep deprivation, loves Halloween and plans to attend all of our scheduled events and fundraisers including the Fall Festival. 

As my sisters family attempt to work through the bathroom issues and eight people under one roof, I’m reminded of the National Lampoon Christmas Vacation Movie with “hey, I was sitting there!” Or, you’re eating my dinner!” Or, ” I was watching that other show!” When Steve Daniel gets back home, he often stays outside working in the “back forty” due to the overcrowding. Steve Daniel Relaxing at WorthamWorld video shows my brother in law getting comfortable at my home where there is plenty of room and furniture to not only sit but also lay around on! Steve always looks forward to coming over and relaxing.  Seating in the living room is limited at the DanielDivaDiggs and I’m usually sitting on the living room floor with the twins when not helping Cindy.  The dining room is often used for homework by Maryssa and Makenna. At this time last year, Cindy was worried about being alone after Leigh Ann and Alex left for their new home in Washington and Stephaney was in Oklahoma.  After a lifetime of having an overcrowded house with many of the kids friends “camping out constantly” at her home, it felt “emptied” with Steve off working 3 weeks out of the month.   

The way things are going at Cindy’s House with everyone banging on her bathroom door or threatening to pee in the backyard, I’m considering renaming the DanielDivaDiggs to Camp Chaos or, Camp Crazy with the arguments over everything in the refrigerator to the bathroom and who’s car is blocking the other cars and everything in between-getting the twins dressed and to school on time has become a fiasco for my twin sister. 

This morning, Cindy had to listen to the twins argue about where breakfast was being picked up with Maryssa adamant about Starbuck’s and Makenna complaining about having enough time to go to McDonalds or Whataburger.  Hence, the customary “coin toss” around here!  Leigh Ann hates fast food restaurants and has her favorite dining choices. 

Dining out is a rare occurrence at my home since breakfast, lunch and dinner are cooked here.  Options are limited as to what is in the refrigerator and my menu plans.  There are rules regarding my three bathrooms too.  The master bath is “Matthews.”  The guest room bath is the first choice with my personal bathroom in the hallway being the “second choice.”  Like everything else in my life there are reasons, at our previous Lakeside Home, everyone used our master bath and more inpirtantly, my husbands tweezers, toothpaste, etc. 

I listen to the complaints at WorthamWorld about who drank the rest of the milk or put an empty cereal box back in the pantry with a degree of humor just like Cindy at the DanielDivaDiggs because when our husbands and children have a complaint- they will find us to make sure we know about it! 

A good sense of humor is required with my close knit family- otherwise the bickering battles would have Cindy and I going nuts! But, with our latest Little Pawner, Madyson “stealing the show” everyone are lightheartedly joking about living in a full house. 

Looks like we will he planning this baby shower by the seat of our pants and I can’t wait for my saucy sidekick sister, Cindy Daniel to “sum it all up” with a Cindyism ya all! 

Wendy M Wortham