Party Time

We were invited to a party last Friday and the invitation included Tim and Charlie so naturally everyone (including Chuck) had to get spruced up. We ran a little short on time that day so I opted to bathe him in the back yard rather than going to our favorite dog wash and with a little prodding I was able to get Tim on board for the task. So first, we gathered up our gear, ...

... and then got right down to business. Tim happily showered Charlie ...

... and Charlie happily showered Tim.

Now that everyone was clean it was time to fret about the party. Tim LOVES parties but you just never know how things will go (A Club parents surely know what I'm talking about here.) Plus, it wasn't just Tim that we had to fret about ... what if Charlie lost his wits and demonstrated some yet unseen wacky behavior? We (actually, just me) were starting to feel a little pressure about this event.

I'm a big believer that preparation is the key to relieving stress so I decided to work with Tim on preparing for the party. We knew that there would be two other little kids there so we spent the rest of the afternoon practicing names and thinking about ways we could introduce the children to Charlie.

As expected, Charlie was a brilliant ambassador for North Star and our family (except for his need to "download a brown load" in the host's well manicured yard. Did I mention that the host was Andy's former boss? Andy quickly removed any evidence of this minor transgression and I don't think anyone was the wiser.) The children threw tennis balls for Chuck to chase, walked him around the yard like a small pony, offered countless sticks for chewing, and eagerly posed for pictures.

I think Chuck was particularly fond of this little guy because he managed to score a few mouthfuls of pasta from him during dinner. (I saw it all transpire but it was simply too cute to correct!)

While it's always great to see Charlie showered with attention, what really thrills me is when I see Tim being welcomed into a group of kids to play. No doubt Charlie was the ice breaker - these kids clearly adored him. But after wearing Charlie out, the kids all played together and that's what really makes my day.

Yup, that's Tim right in there with the other kids. Can't think of much that makes me happier than that. Of course Tim was tickled pink to play with other kids and their toys. Even today as I type this, he's been peeking over my shoulder looking at the photos and saying, "let's do it again."

Phew.