Yay!

It's over, it's finally over! Yippee!

The graduation was lovely. It was held at a performing arts center down in the big city, and was wall-to-wall people.

Of course, typical to form, all my ex-in-laws arrived much later than scheduled, so Hubby and Mom went in to try to save some seats while I waited outside with the tickets so they could get in. When they finally got there, we couldn't FIND the family at first, but got sorted out at the last minute.

I got my wish. Like I said, I adore my ex-MIL, but didn't want her anywhere near the video camera. Luckily, my Mom got some seats on a different level and sat there with all the in and out-laws.

Hubby got seats in the balcony. Found him, and Big Kid and I got settled right before everything started.

Then Big Kid had a massive panic attack. I don't blame him a bit. These seats were HIGH and steep. And not only were they high, but they were designed so that everyone could have an unobstructed view, and the heads of the people in the next row down were pretty much between our feet. It gave the illusion that you could stand up, make a wrong step and fall right off the balcony, even though we were three rows from the edge.

Told the Big Kid to move over a seat to the end, so he could grasp on the railing. We held hands between the empty seat. I got a little bit of vertigo myself. For a few moments I was afraid I was going to yark some Diet Coke into the back of the head of the woman in front of me.

The ceremony was really nice. Little Guy's class gave him a standing ovation when he was called to get his diploma.

I cried my eyes out, of course. We are so proud of him.

The next day, we held an open house between 11am and 2pm. Lots of friends dropped by to congratulate Little Guy and wish him the best. Again, true to form, all the ex-in-laws showed up at 1:30pm, and stayed for about 4 hours after everyone else had gone. ::sigh::

My ex-FIL and ex-MIL got into it (they've been divorced for at least 35 years), and at one point we thought she might just knock his block off (she's like 5 feet tall in heels and he was 6'4 in his prime, but have to allow for some shrinkage). He was pompously "advising" everyone on retirement income tips and kept insisting that her "current" husband (of 30 years) had been dishonorably discharged after 14 years in the Navy. Not true, and she got supremely pissed off when he constantly reiterated it. No wonder.

Then we thought ex-hubby and ex-FIL might come to blows. Scared the kids a bit. Old family crap that has never been resolved but plays out during the infrequent times they all get together. feh. Amazingly enough, no alcohol was served at all. But like we've said before---there IS no pill for "asshole". I think it runs in the family.

We finally got rid of them when ex-hubby and ex-MIL took the kids to dinner and a movie (they came together). No reason for ex-FIL to stay, so they all left at the same time.

As an aside: I KNEW ahead of time (because I know this family) that ex-hubby and I had to have a plan in advance. He was staying with his mom for this trip, and hadn't seen the boys in a year. He wanted to spend some time with them on this very short visit, but didn't want to spend time with his dad, who has historically tried to take over and "decide" what everyone was going to do.

I had said to ex, "we have to have a united plan, because if we don't, you know your dad is going to try to hang out here while you're out with the boys, and then try to rope you into doing what he wants you to do the minute you all come back. I won't have it. Hubby won't have it."

Now mind you, twice during these 4 after-party hours, ex-FIL went into the bathroom for like 20-30 minutes. The second time around, I declared to ex-hubby that if his dad had fallen down in there, he better not expect either Hubby or I to go in there and pick him up. Fortunately, ex-FIL was ok, and emerged on his own.

15 minutes after we got rid of them all (successfully, we thought), and hubby and I had kicked our shoes off and were trying to relax, ex-FIL CAME BACK and announced that he thought he'd need to use our facilities again before getting on the road.

DOH!! No problem. ::sigh::

30 minutes later, after emerging again (at about 6pm), he tried to sit down and engage us in a discussion about the gold standard, and do just exactly what I predicted he'd do. Hubby, bless his heart, kindly but firmly ushered him out of the house and deposited him in the front seat of his car. And stood on the porch waving until ex-FIL drove away.

I opened the door to the bathroom to go in and open the window and let the fug out. On the floor in front of the toilet was a skillion pieces of potato chips.

WTF? Was he shoveling them in as fast as he could poop them out or what? yeck! How bizarre is that?

On Sunday, I woke up with a big huge bloom of herpes blisters all over my lower lip, along with the achy flu crap that goes along with these kinds of outbreaks. I spent most of the day in bed. Today too.

I can't remember the last time I had an outbreak like this.

Oh wait.

Yes I can.

It was the last time we had this whole crew together at BIG KID'S graduation!

Ha!

Hope you had a great weekend!