Ramblings: Crazy, party of 13--your table's ready

Thursday is a jam-packed day at our house lately after school with Maddie's ballet and Alex's soccer practice. We usually don't get home until almost 6:30 and everyone is hungry, tired, and cranky and there's still dinner, showers, and homework to deal with. So when we found out it was half price wing night, it was a perfect excuse to head over to Buffalo Wild Wings--someone else cooking dinner and then NO kitchen to clean afterwards=mom's dream come true. Plus, everyone screams and yells in there anyway, so we were right at home with our brood. We met up with the cousin crazies and their parents and Uncle Greg and Brooke. Our typical crazy table for 6 grew to 13.

Maddie got bored waiting for her food so she hijacked Brooke's camera and impressed us with her photography skills. (Of course, we were also trying to distract her because she kept staring at these three skimpily dressed ladies in Miller Lite cheerleading outfits that were choking on their own cleavage that was up to their chins. She couldn't figure out why they were walking around wearing barely any clothes.) Apparently the cool face to make when you're posing for a picture as a kid is to grab each corner of your mouth in an attempt to stretch your lips all the way around your head--each of the kids did this without prompting or influence from each other.

It was just their immediate response when the camera was aimed in their direction. But I even managed to catch the cheerleader in this one of Maddie--see the orange arrow.

Avery entertained us with impressions...this is his best Stevie Wonder. And remember when I told you Jeremy is still working on learning to smile without his mouth hanging open? He may need some more tutoring on this. Tara managed a slightly different version of the face stretching pose.

Cate was too busy coloring to be interrupted but Tara and Deanna posed obediently for all 43 pictures the kids took of them. Alex's skills with the camera weren't as good as Maddie's, but once he got his fingers off the lens he did snap one of Brooke and Greg.

Aidan was just trying to figure out how to get his hands around my ice cold Diet Coke. He tried more than once, that devious boy.

And see that maroon plaid sleeve in the side of the last picture? That's all we managed to catch of Uncle Todd in the picture mayhem. (Note Alex's mouth stretching reflex--he can even do it while drinking from a straw.) And I believe baby James slept through the boneless wing fest of a dinner . I didn't see his chubby little bod peek out of his stroller once--but I have a feeling it won't be long before I wedge a little slimy buffalo wing in his hand for a funny picture.