Tonight as I tucked in Casey for bed, I went through our typical bedtime ritual, telling him how much I love him. When I went to kiss him good night, though, he had some questions for me:
Casey: Mommy, are you and Daddy gonna get married?
Me: Casey, Daddy and I are already married. Just like Aunt Megan and Uncle Timour (pronounced Tee-more).
Casey: What does it mean that you gonna married?
Me: It means that we love each other and promise to be faithful to each other until we die.
Casey: Die? You gonna die? (Jason enters the room and joins us on the bed.)
Me: (back-pedaling) Well, let's just say that it means that we promise to love each other for-ever and ever. Is that okay?
Casey: (Silent)
Me: Casey?
Casey: (holding up his stuffed ladybug, tucking its legs under) Look at me! I'm a bug with no legs!
Glad that conversation went well. . .
It turns out my nephew Sal recently had a similarly amusing conversation with my brother. This is how my sister Megan tells the story. One important tidbit is that she and Timour have been living together for two or three years now.
Bob: Sal, do you know what it means that Aunt Megan and Uncle Timour are going to get married soon?
Sal: That they're going to have babies.
Bob: No. Not for a while-- I don't think so, Sal.
Sal: Then what's the point?!?
Showing posts with label wedding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wedding. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Cousins
Yes, it's been quite a hiatus. Honestly, I've been too busy playing with the kids when I'm not working to report about our goings on. It's a terrible excuse. But here I am now.
My sister married the love of her life yesterday. It was such an honor to participate in the festivities, which began last Thursday and had me running more or less nonstop until just now. I'm so tired, we're putting the kids to bed early tonight because I honestly don't know that I will make it past 7:30 p.m.
I have plenty to tell about as far as the wedding goes. But one of my very favorite things about the wedding is that I got to see my entire family. It's been too long since were were last all together-- 18 months, actually. In fact, the last time we were all together, Timour (my new brother-in-law) proposed to my sister Megan. That's how long it's been. So I suppose it's appropriate that their marriage brought us all back together again this weekend.
In the intervening year and a half, we had an addition to the family, Ethan. Who turned a year last month. This brings the total number of cousins (that is, my children and the children of my siblings) to seven. Marcie is still the only girl.
The kids didn't attend the wedding or reception (blessedly). They had a slumber party or two over the extended weekend, though, which was a lot more fun for them-- and for us. But I did manage to snap a photograph of all seven of them before three of my nephews had to begin their long trip back to the Bay Area. Here's the "money shot." And it's not perfect by any stretch. But have you tried getting seven children under the age of 7 to even look at a camera all at the same time, much less smile? I'm just happy they all sat relatively still long enough for me to capture this moment in time:
Gosh, I love my family . . .
My sister married the love of her life yesterday. It was such an honor to participate in the festivities, which began last Thursday and had me running more or less nonstop until just now. I'm so tired, we're putting the kids to bed early tonight because I honestly don't know that I will make it past 7:30 p.m.
I have plenty to tell about as far as the wedding goes. But one of my very favorite things about the wedding is that I got to see my entire family. It's been too long since were were last all together-- 18 months, actually. In fact, the last time we were all together, Timour (my new brother-in-law) proposed to my sister Megan. That's how long it's been. So I suppose it's appropriate that their marriage brought us all back together again this weekend.
In the intervening year and a half, we had an addition to the family, Ethan. Who turned a year last month. This brings the total number of cousins (that is, my children and the children of my siblings) to seven. Marcie is still the only girl.
The kids didn't attend the wedding or reception (blessedly). They had a slumber party or two over the extended weekend, though, which was a lot more fun for them-- and for us. But I did manage to snap a photograph of all seven of them before three of my nephews had to begin their long trip back to the Bay Area. Here's the "money shot." And it's not perfect by any stretch. But have you tried getting seven children under the age of 7 to even look at a camera all at the same time, much less smile? I'm just happy they all sat relatively still long enough for me to capture this moment in time:
Gosh, I love my family . . .
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Dear Wedding Guests
No, I'm not getting married again. But I have several friends (and a sister) who are. And watching them go through it brings it all back . . . quite vividly. My wedding planning actually pretty smoothly. My parents (bless their hearts) insisted on hiring a wedding coordinator to help me because they lived on the other side of the country. And so from Nina I learned everything I needed to know about proper wedding etiquette.
Unfortunately, I am apparently in the minority on that. And I really don't get it. I mean, if you've ever hosted a wedding or been involved in planning one (or a friend to someone who is), how could you not know how to properly read a wedding invitation? Is that snobbery on my part? Perhaps. So here is my letter to those of you who may be invited to a wedding in the near future:
Dear Wedding Guests,
If you have recently been invited to the wedding, please follow these simple rules to aid the Bride and Groom and having a happy wedding day:
W: Hi MOB, I just got Bride's invitation, and I noticed it says children are not included.
MOB: Yes.
W: I don’t understand what this means. My girls are 12 and 13.
MOB: Mmm. Hmm. What don’t you understand?
W: Well, the invitation says no children, but we don't really consider them children.
MOB: Hmm. Well, Bride and Groom haven't included any children under the age of 15 because the venue liability insurance won't permit it.
W: Well, okay.
Now, let's flash forward three days. W calls my friend, Bride. And repeats the exchange. All the while, my friend Bride is thinking: What do you mean you don't consider them children? What are they? Can they vote? Do you let them drive? Can they enter a contract legally? Do you let them gamble? Smoke? Drink? Last time I checked, 12 and 13 year olds were children!
Over-reaction? Maybe. She is studying for the bar. But there's a lesson in here-- don't keep harassing people until you get the answer you want. Seriously. Just be happy you were invited!
Unfortunately, I am apparently in the minority on that. And I really don't get it. I mean, if you've ever hosted a wedding or been involved in planning one (or a friend to someone who is), how could you not know how to properly read a wedding invitation? Is that snobbery on my part? Perhaps. So here is my letter to those of you who may be invited to a wedding in the near future:
Dear Wedding Guests,
If you have recently been invited to the wedding, please follow these simple rules to aid the Bride and Groom and having a happy wedding day:
- Please RSVP to the wedding on time. Thousands of dollars and months (or even years) have gone into planning this event. Your response is necessary for determining seating arrangements, expenses, and just so the bride and groom don't go crazy. If you can't go, let them know. If you plan to go, let them know. The key: let them know.
- If do RSVP that you plan to attend the event, and then something happens which is preventing you from attending, please contact the bride or groom. It doesn't matter that it's the night before. Or the morning of the wedding. Leave a message if no one answers. Even though it's common for a certain percentage of people who have RSVPd to not attend the wedding in the end, it's just polite to let the bride or groom know you won't be there. Life happens. They will understand, but they still care that you aren't there even on the day of their wedding. They invited you after all.
- Please don't RSVP to bring more people than listed on the invitation. What am I talking about? Check the envelope and see who it's addressed to. If it's addressed to Mr. and Mrs. S, please don't RSVP for Mr. & Mrs. S and your three kids and your kids' friends. Often time space (and budgets) are limited, and those invitations are carefully crafted. If "and family" is not on the invitation, your kids are not invited. Similarly, if you're single and your invitation does not include the phrase and guest it's because the bride and groom are expecting you there solo.
- If you don't like that your invitation is just to you and your spouse (and not your kids) or just to you (and not your boyfriend or girlfriend), don't bother the bride or groom. It was not accidental. Nothing about wedding invitations are accidental. If you're pissed, don't go. But don't harass the bride or groom into letting you bring a date (didn't we learn this from How I Met Your Mother?).
- If the invitation or response card actually specifies that children are not included, do not call the bride or the groom (or their parents) and ask if you can bring your kids because they are so well behaved. Or breast-feeding. Or because your babysitter is out of town. It's rude. Your kids are still kids. They aren't invited. If you're in doubt about whether or not your kids are invited, they probably are not.
Oh. One more thing. If you found out that someone you know just got engaged, please don't assume you'll be invited to the wedding. Weddings are expensive affairs, and funds are limited-- this means that if you aren't invited, it's not that the bride and groom don't like you. They just don't like you enough. Just kidding. Seriously, though, don't take it personally-- I like to think of it as an honor when I'm invited, but I'm still happy for friends and colleagues and classmates when they get married and I'm not there to help them celebrate!
Love,
Karen
P.S. All this wedding invitation etiquette talk was prompted by my friend, I'll call her Bride. She is getting married in September and currently studying for the Bar. She's finally turned off her cell phone because she keeps getting calls about the wedding invitations, sent out a week or two ago. This is a rough rendition of the initial exchange between Mother of the Bride (MOB) and Woman (W) after W received Bride's invitation,which says on the response card that children are not permitted at the wedding venue (in this case, it' s liability issue):
W: Hi MOB, I just got Bride's invitation, and I noticed it says children are not included.
MOB: Yes.
W: I don’t understand what this means. My girls are 12 and 13.
MOB: Mmm. Hmm. What don’t you understand?
W: Well, the invitation says no children, but we don't really consider them children.
MOB: Hmm. Well, Bride and Groom haven't included any children under the age of 15 because the venue liability insurance won't permit it.
W: Well, okay.
Now, let's flash forward three days. W calls my friend, Bride. And repeats the exchange. All the while, my friend Bride is thinking: What do you mean you don't consider them children? What are they? Can they vote? Do you let them drive? Can they enter a contract legally? Do you let them gamble? Smoke? Drink? Last time I checked, 12 and 13 year olds were children!
Over-reaction? Maybe. She is studying for the bar. But there's a lesson in here-- don't keep harassing people until you get the answer you want. Seriously. Just be happy you were invited!
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