The Wedding

Good morning! Although of course the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary school is on my mind, and I have plenty to say about it, I wanted to write today about something happy and hopeful instead. My girls' first and best non-family babysitter, Jennifer, got married Saturday night. She has been keeping my babies since they were only a few months old and she was a teenager. I have to say that I didn't know how hard it would be to trust someone else with my children until I became a mother. For those (including myself, now that my kids are in school) who have to do it on a daily basis, I know how difficult it can be. I also know what a relief it is to be able to leave them with someone you know loves them and would do anything for them. There are so many opportunities that I personally and our family would have missed out on if it hadn't been for Jennifer, so when she asked our girls to be her flower girls, of course we agreed.
My big girls have been in a wedding once before. Their Aunt Casey got married when I was 8 months pregnant with Sheridan. They don't remember a whole lot about that one, but I think this one will stick with them for awhile. After the ceremony when they came back in, both of my kids were bawling. Literally. Tears pouring down their cheeks. I scooped one of them up and asked what on earth was wrong. She looked at me, face all red and blotchy, and said, "I'm just so HAPPY!" Yep, that's my girl. I can't wait until PMS hits around here. I swear I'm moving into the pool house.
So with one child's crisis handled, I proceeded to ask her sister the same question: "What on earth is wrong with you? Why are you crying?" She sobbed several times and then said, "It's just so SAD. Now that Jennifer's married, she'll have to leave her parents!" Trying really hard not to giggle, I said, "Sharlee, she wants to leave her parents! That's why she got married. She's not moving away!" "But we might never see her again!" "Well, I guess that's possible, but I think she's coming over on Tuesday."
It was really sweet. I guess Jen will know that they love her! I have to admit, it was pretty emotional for me, too, but not just because Jen was the one getting married. Her 5 year old niece was dressed in nearly identical wedding dress, and was totally Jennifer in miniature. But seeing that kid in that dress really hit me hard. I had a flash forward to my own daughter's wedding day, and I couldn't help but think: Is that how I will see her? Looking just like she does now, playing dress up in a wedding gown? I would say the odds are pretty good. And will we have a wonderful man like her Daddy to "give her away" to?  I sure hope so. I pray about it every day. Now that I am a little older (gasp) and can look back on the decisions I made in my late teens and early twenties, I marvel at the fact that I'm still alive and happily married to boot. If you are looking for proof that there is a God and he is in control of my life, there you have it. My own stupidity and impulsive decisions could have led me to a very different place than I am in now!
But back to the wedding! As all children are, my kids were totally enthralled by the wedding cake. It was beautiful (and delicious,) made by the bride's mother and adorned with the initials of the bride and groom. They were dying to look at it, so after their dad issued a very stern "two foot halo rule" about that cake, they took off to marvel at it. When they came back, I said, "Well what did you think?" and my daughter replied, "Well, it's really pretty, but there's not a little tiny man and woman on top." She sounded so disappointed. Guess they think all weddings are supposed to be like the ones in the cartoons!
Naturally, the highlight of the wedding for us was our kids being in it. ALL of our kids, even the two year old. To say that I was nervous about how she would do is an understatement. I was on pins and needles all day hoping I could keep her clean in her white dress until the wedding. And true to form, she tried to steal the show. My three kids came in together, walked slowly down the stairs into the room, and stopped for a picture, just like they were supposed to. And then it happened. The big girls did perfectly, heading to the front on the room in unison, waking slowly and dropping flower petals. And then I realized that I couldn't see the baby. She had obviously stopped, so I strained trying to see what was going on. I was trying to video, but I couldn't see from where I was. I heard about twenty people whispering, "Sheridan" trying to get her attention, so I stood up, about the time she realized she was supposed to drop the flower petals. And then, my child proceeds to turn her entire basket upside down, empty the petals, and then beat on the bottom of the basket at least five times, just to make sure she got them all out. Naturally, the whole room just died laughing. When she turned around to head back up the stairs, her dad reminded her to go to the front, so she did. At a dead run. I can't be sure, but I'm thinking she may have set a land speed record for flower girls.
All in all, I think they did pretty well. Providing some comic relief seems to be the family business these days. My kids are loads of fun at parties, and watching them dance I became aware of another topic we need to revisit. I'm fairly certain we have outgrown the days of if all else fails and you don't know how to dance, just pull your dress up over your head...