A Day Out with the Girls: Mama, Gabby, Gracie, Sara and Dora!

(click here to see <<<->>> to see more pix on my PICASA online album)
My pal, Angela, invited us to her grandson's first birthday party in Big Spring, Texas.

Rudy and Veronica were nice enough to allow Gabby and Gracie to go with us. They (Gabs and Gracie) thankfully are very comfortable with us and vice versa and Angela knows them. She knows Rudy since Rudy was younger than Gabby - maybe even Gracie's age when Angela first met him. When we were in high school and Angela had her first car, we would often pick Rudy up from school (Marcy Elementary - where Angela and I met and befriended one another in 5th grade) and then take him riding around with us until either Betty got home, or I had to go to my job at Kmart -then we would drop Rudy off at Blums. I hope Rudy does not mind this next tid-bit, but Angela used to have a nickname for him...Rollie Pollie. Just because she liked Rudy and the moniker for him... We always enjoyed having him with us just like we (Sara and I) now enjoy having his girls with us any chance we may get. Thanks again, Veronica and Rudy, for letting Gabs and Gracie-bonz hang out with us.
As I said in the title, Mama went with us and we were especially grateful for that. She had a lot of fun as well. We all broke out laughing quite often at things that were happening or being said the entire time. I rode in the back with the girls, in the middle of them on the way to and from McDonalds. After the eventful day there, I called Betty to say that we were getting ready to leave Mickey D's and she said we would meet us at Mom's, it took us a while to gather up all the things (the left-over food, which was still edible -plus- I did not finish all my grub while there, the cake Angela was nice enough to pack for us in a "to go" container, the drinks, Gab's bag, their overnight bag...you get the idea) and to gather up all the people (you know who - hee, hee!) so we could leave and head over to Mom's to meet "grandma honey". It was just too comical trying to do all of this. We had a difficult time with Gracie's car seat - we should know it like the back of our hands by now, but NOOOOO...so Gabs has to get out of her booster to show us how to latch it up and such. I'm already strapped in the middle of the back seat so I can't really move. Stuff is falling out of the car. Mama is trying to catch some of the stuff. I forget I am strapped into my seat belt already so when I and try to get up to help out...bam, I get an abrupt reminder that I cannot move unless I unbuckle. Sara and Gabs get Gracie situated and locked into her car seat, then Sara is trying to put the stuff she is carrying into the back of the SUV. Mama is riding in the front and I commented that with what we were going through just trying to leave and all the other funny things that happened while we were inside that I felt like we were in a bad "Abbott and Costello" movie or a bad "I Love Lucy" episode. Mama, who is not yet sitting in the seat yet, but is standing outside with the door opened...well ...she sighs and then places her elbows on the seat with her hands covering her face and starts laughing and laughing. Sara and I joined in uncontrollably then Gabs joined in (Gabby was old enough to get the inside joke) and even Gracie (yeah, like she knows about Abbot and Costello or Lucy - hey, maybe she does. LOL.). It was a riot. We laughed the entire ride back to Mama's home. We would not trade a day like yesterday for the world.
Betty came over to Mom's as she said; Gabby ran to her and gave her a big hug, but Gracie had fallen asleep, but when she woke up later, she would have the same greeting for Betty like Gabby had had for her earlier. It's sweet! Betty and the girls stayed at Mom's for a few hours. The girls (Gabby-girl and Gracie-bonz) entertained us the entire time. They put on a gymnastics's show and wrestling match for us. Occasionally Sara and I took turns indulging the girls with one and one play time. Sara is good at the advanced "patty cake" games which Gabby loves and is also great at playing. I totally suck in that area so I usually play the "thumb wrestling" with Gabby - she beats me all the time. For sure we all partook in "hide-n-seek" with both girls. We had Mama and Lucky laughing. Heck even Mama entertained us all at some point with her own dancing. She had the girls laughing as well. They also love "their Momo". I enjoyed that 'after the party time' as much as when we were at the party, plus, visiting with my sis, Betty whom I had been missing. I love seeing Betty interact with "her girls" - her grand-girls. Betty, Gabs and Gracie left late because things were too much fun to end sooner, and so we helped Betty gather up all of their things so she would not experience the "Abbot and Costello" or "I Love Lucy" issues.
Sara and I were still willing to take Mama and Lucky to Wally-World, but they were tired and wanted us to be on the road earlier than usual. With Sara's new job, I guess Mama could tell Sara was sleepy, but we would have taken them anyway. I even volunteered to take just Mama and Lucky and let Sara stay behind, but Mama was not hearing it. Besides, she (Mama) looked sleepy, too. We laughed a little more after Betty and the girls left, but then we made our way back to Midland. It was a nice day.
Aside from the good time with the family, while we were still at McDonalds for the b-day party, I was able to visit with my pal, Angela, and her mom (Kay) and Angela's grandma whom remembered me, and we all recanted stories of old. Sara even saw her good friend Margie from Midland. Margie knows Veronica since Veronica was a little girl and could not get over how Rudy and Veronica's girls looked just like Veronica. Margie's older daughter, Amanda, just moved to Big Spring (Sand Springs actually) with her boyfriend and so they were all there eating at Mickey D's, too. It was all a chance meeting. We could not have planned a gathering with those very people together like that had we tried...you know how life's chances are and such or what happens when one tries to make plans.

To add - I guess Mickey D's is the "hang out place" in town. LOL.
Enjoy the pix.