Kaylene's 17th Birthday

Kaylene turned 17 today.  Homer is a difficult town for a high school aged couple to celebrate a birthday in.  Willie told me on Monday that he had invited over Kaylene for her birthday dinner.

Unlike everyone else in the family, I can process not only that information, but the schedules of everyone in the family, all pets, and a couple other people in town.  When I ran this information through my motherly processor the image I came up with was far from what a 17 year old girl wants to do for her birthday.  Imagine sitting at our dining room table with a bowl of hot dog curry in front of them and two kids asking the young couple when they were going to be getting married.  "Can I be your ring barer?"  Willie's humiliation palpable, Kayleen beet red,  ducks screaming outside, the sun streaming through the grime on my windows.

No, this was not going to work.  I remembered my mother having a similar problem with my brother and his high school prom. She gave me a solution.  I made a suggestion to Willie, "Why don't you find out what she likes and if the weather holds we can plan a special meal?"  He was into it and started really thinking it out.  This morning he mowed the lawn before he showered.  He told me what I should pick up from the store. 

On the way home from town I told the kids what Willie was up too.  "When is the wedding?  Can we be flower girls?"  How far off the mark was I?  In that 10 mile drive home the two got all their marriage questions answered and out of their systems and got a firm understanding of how not to humiliate Willie.

Falcom and Marina were both excited to help decorate for the dinner.  Valda lent us the table and the flowers.  Willie was willing to let the kids serve the food which made them so happy.  He sent texts to me when they were ready for the next course.  Falcom really put his best effort into the part.  Marina was a great photographer and candle lighter.

I liked the Baliness of the thing.  Here they were.  Crystal.  China.  A view people pay thousands to see on vacation.  A para glider buzzed the house.  Ducks.  Ducks quacking.  Marina put candles around to ward off these curious creatures but they only had partial success.

Afterwords, when the kids were in bed and Kaylene had left for home (in time to keep out of trouble), Willie came in and plopped down besides me.  He was glowing.  "Now I have a memory.  Everything was great!  Thanks Mom."