(Continuing on from my previous post, and the first part of our western adventure)
…Soaking up the sun and sights around San Diego – check
…Lots of revelry with friends – check
…Mounds of ice cream consumed – check
…Bonding-time with grandparents – check
…Panicked trip to ER for child’s broken arm (refer below for the Timeworn Mischief-Maker) – CHECK
Family vacation – Accomplished
LET THE WILD RUMPUS START!
I mean party.
SURPRISE party, that is.
For these two (Aged) Jokers.
Card design by the fabulous Merrick McSwiggan
As we Wrights had been staying at the Plaxico family homestead leading up to the Weekend Of Whoopla, and attempting (feebly) to keep hush-hush about the fun that was to follow, we were tasked with the job of delivering the Birthday Boy to the party location (as the Birthday Girl, my sister, was one of our co-conspirators). On Friday, we kicked off Pop’s birthday festivities with a perfectly normal, totally unsurprising sweet fest.
— Sugar. It’s what we do. —
And then we ventured out to the beach for a perfectly normal, totally unsurprising family outing. Nena led Pops and our troops on a “walk” along the oceanwalk, near a row of beach houses. And – to Pop’s complete and utter surprise (which is really a shock because it turns out that Yours Truly and Her Older Sister are truly terrible secret keepers when it comes to Events of Excitement and Anticipation) – one of those houses erupted with a gaggle of loved ones hopping about and hollering at the top of their lungs,
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, POPS!”
To which the Birthday Boy stood there on the beach, mouth open and eyes wide, in complete bewilderment.
Operation Surprise the Old Guy was officially a success.
Here’s the whole crew of Merry Makers…
We had a fun celebration that day, and the Birthday Boy enjoyed himself immensely.
And everyone else didn’t fare too bad either.
But that wasn’t all. Oh no. There was more to come.
The following day we took Pops back to the beach house for a “quiet little family lunch.” Except that it wasn’t quiet. Or little. Or just family.
More like 100+ of Pop’s and Ashley’s beloved old San Diego buddies, neighbors and co-workers.
(I wish I had a great big group photo here of all the fun, memory-laden, hilarious guests who joined us that day, but alas…the Plaxico Women were too caught up in orchestrating the party to capture one. These few will have to suffice, along with a big dollop of your imagination. But it must be said that we were so deeply grateful for all those who joined us that special day, and the time we spent together.)
Even Batman showed up!
With the “cat out of the bag,” and the drinks and vittles being enjoyed by all, we toasted the Man and Woman of the hour…
and then got down to some serious Beach Birthday Bash Business.
We ended the day in classic frenetic-Plaxico-style with a family volleyball match (trash-talk included), a splash in the ocean,
and a SECOND run to the ER. Cause you know…
Water + Cast = Bad
Even with the most expensive cast cover on the market. Sigh.
Then on Sunday, in honor of it being the official FORTIETH BIRTHDAY of a certain OLDER Sister of mine, we whooped it up some more.
We even enjoyed an awards ceremony, orchestrated by the fabulous Emily Garecht, for big “wins” during the weekend. I can’t quite remember what the categories were anymore, but I’m sure they were something like:
– Most Grocery Runs Completed On Behest Of A Certain Fervent-Party-Planning-Matriarch,
– Most Cheez-its And Root Beer Ingested When Mothers Are Not Looking,
– Highest Medical Bill Accumulated From Nearby Facilities, and everyone’s favorite,
– Most Elaborate Meltdowns During A Beach Volleyball Match When In Proximity To A Certain Competitive 70-Year-Old Who Can’t Contain The Trash-talk.
Good times.
We all survived.
And even still liked each other enough to enjoy one more day together at the tide pools.
Tra la la la la.
It was an exhausting weekend. And fun. And totally worth it.
And so with that the Wrights bid San Diego adieu.
Till our next journey beckons us yonder.
WOW – reliving it through your super post was almost as much fun as the real thing. Melts my heart all over again 🙂