Yesterday Adam spent some time in the local office here while I spent some time with my family.

Mom, Lara and her kids + Me and my kids all headed down to the dim sum place Mom frequents.

dim sum

I’m very lucky to have such a helpful family. This trip would not be possible without them. Mom and Lara took turns holding and feeding babies while Clay and Brandy entertained the older kids. At one point I noticed Jack and Ben poking Clay with chopsticks, but he didn’t seem too upset.

There was the usual fight over the bill. Lara distracted Mom while I slipped the hostess our credit cards. I knew Mom disappeared for a while with a baby, I’m sure she slipped our waiter another card because she’s not that subtle. Later when he was serving us, she was winking at him and grabbing his shoulder. He turned to her and said, “Don’t touch Chinese people about the shoulder. It’s bad luck.”

Not sure if that’s true or if he just didn’t appreciate being felt up by my Mom. Either way it wasn’t so upsetting to him to take her credit card over ours. One win for Mom, but Lara and I aren’t through yet.

Later we headed over to my father’s house. He had arranged for some of my Aunt Doris’ friends to come to dinner to see both our family and Lara’s.

Adam got back from work before the party and took Jack for a swim. While he did that I tried walking the twins around in the stroller. They slept their second nap in the car. As they get older, this gets harder to do. Aaron ended up with a short 20 minute nap and was exhausted all afternoon.

Real Men

Victor brought his homemade salsa and made margaritas for all. Dad put on an impressive spread. Jack and Ben ran around with Victor and Rhonda’s three sons, Victor, Waukeen and Alex. People held babies, Adam, Aunt Doris, Dee, but no one was more helpful than Lara. She volunteered her kids for babysitting Ben when he fell asleep in the car. She walked Ben and Aaron around the block. And so much more…

Double hold. Seriously, could she be more helpful?

Brother in laws