Pictures will come later, but the party was a success! No one was seriously hurt, the right amount of food and drink was made and consumed, the recital was a hit and the pumpkins were carved --or at the very least toted off as a party favor.

We had Hilary, Jason, Mina, Leta, Cullen, Sarah, Dave, Ruth, Kathy, Cody, Amy, Rhyse, Dane, Jen, Ben, Tristan, Nat, Sarah, Luke, Zeland, Moslee, Sharon, Rev Tim, Sigrid, Heather, Matt, Angie, Zoey, Alora, Ann, Peter, Noah, Emily, Peter, Leo, Stepanie, Alison, Oliver, Laima, Leif, Rowan, and Rebekah = 42, add me, Tim and Morella and you get a grand total of 45 folks! Dang!!

I'd have to say that it was one of the more less stressful parties that we have thrown. I wonder if it is because we are getting better at it? Or because it was more low key. I swear, going by the mantra of "channel Kathleen" is really working. For those of you just joining, while we were in LA this summer on vacation, the friend we were staying with Kathleen (and Chuck) had people over for dinner one Thursday night. She just invited people over, baked some chicken and had folks bring over a dish. The party was a fun and I was so impressed at how she did it with such a low level of stress. She said 'No one cares about the food, they just want a reason to hang out." She is right and so when I want to start obbessing over details I just remember "It's a reason to visit and commune....it will be okay." And it was!

Morella had a blast! She was in baby heaven hanging around so many people and other babies. In fact, she was in such heaven that she didn't want to return the realm of us mortals and EAT. Gah. She had breakfast, a bottle and then took a glorious two hour nap while we finished up getting ready. She then had a lunch of cheese and crackers, had a sip or two of a bottle and that was it. She didn't want anymore. She wouldn't take her bottle at 2, or at 4 or at 6 or at bedtime. She just would chew on the nipple and then pus it away and cry. I finally got desperate enough to put the milk into a sippy cup and then she had a few drinks before more protests. Later, after everyone left Tim's parents had forgot to drop off Rhubarb. So Tim had to drive to Sun Prairie to meet them and pick it up. I had him take Morella because she was so tired and wound up. I figured it would take longe than it did -- and hoped she would take a nap during that. Meanwhile I stayed home and pumped because I hadn't done a noon pump at all. When he got home she woke up again, and after howling in her crib for 15 minutes, gave her a bath and got her dressed for bed. I read her stories and tried to offer the bottle and sippy cup again (no deal) and just sat quietly with her. She keep listening, and looking around, and listen for more activity. I have never seen her refuse the bottle this much. Finally, after sitting for 40 minutes reading books, singing songs and just chilling she was able to wind down enough to go to sleep. Man, I hope she makes up for not eating/drinking that much today. Scratch that, she did eat....she actually ate a whole sliver of pumpkin pie - the filling not the crust, and a lot of goldfish and several sips from the sippy cup. So maybe she did have enough to eat and drink. Hm. One thing is for sure, the party sure as heck wound her up!

Still, I think she will have a birthday party -- it's her first, you gotta have a party for the first! I think we are just going to order pizza though for it. Then I can focus on decorating, goodie bags invitations and what not. Yeah....

Did I mention that I got her a walker that converts into a little car type thing? I did. I was buying a birthday gift for Cullen (her first party on Saturday) and whenever I buy a gift for someone else I end up getting something for her! It's not that often, and since we hardly ever get hr anything, PLUS I had been looking for that exact thing for the last two months at garage sales with nothing, I figured why not. The deal was sealed when I saw that it was on sale for 7 dollars less than the orginal price. It was a like a sign from heaven that said "Get this now, because she won't need it by the time spring is here and garage sales are in full swing again." It would figure that her little friend Noah liked it more.

Tim's recital went well. He was nervous. Very nervous. But he managed to pull it together and get up in front of an audience packed into our garage to play a few pieces along with our friend Oliver who also did a very nice violin set (boy I wish I could play the violin like him!). My orginal idea was to do it outside but it was so windy today that it wasn't possible -- as was the fire. It was sort of a bummer, but I don't think anyone really missed it. I thought it was a nice touch on the party to have some live music, and Tim is extremely glad that it's over (until the next recital...ha ha...no just kidding. Kind of. No really, I don't have a deal set for him to commit....yet.....no wait, he gonna play Happy Birthday for Morella at her birthday...so that is something!).

That said, I don't think I am going to do a big Christmas party this year. I might do something with a few close friends...but nothing extravagent. I feel like the Fall party and the 1st Birthday party are going to take that up. Maybe my friend Jen or Sarah should have a cookie party that we can attend to gear up for Xmas...(hint hint). It would give us a reason to go up north so that Morella can visit her grandparents and I can see my friends....

We have a lot of pumpkins left, and a lot of seeds to roast. Yum. I guess I'm going to be carving this week...OR giving pumpkins away. Ha ha.

Okay. Time to use the john, pump and play some scramble.