For the fifth year running, some dear friends of mine from college who call themselves the Rabid Goats (don’t bother asking,  I have no idea)  have gotten together in western PA or Ohio for an Independence Day bash (bash… ha ha!  Just wait!)  For the first time, we were able to go this year, and I could never have anticipated what a fantastic weekend it would be.

Here were my top ten delightful surprises this weekend:

1. I am a rock star.  That’s right.  I never stray very far from my WOW hymns CD for everyday listening, but given the chance, I can rock out with the best of them on Guitar Hero II for Nintendo Wii.  Pat Benitar, Rolling Stones, whoever recorded “When You Were Young”… no match for my strumming prowess.  I am a rock and roll goddess.  Who knew?  (Oh, and for the record, Trevor is a rock star, too.  And a  better one at that.  Oh, well.)
2. Life without internet is just fine.  This was a particularly nice surprise.  I really thought I’d be desperate to get back and check everything, but not so much.  As much as I love my internt friends, it turns out my IRL friends are pretty great too (but I already knew that, really).  Not that I’m ready to cancel my internet service or anything!
3. Caitlyn.  Aww.  This sparkly little cutie pie a few months older than Ro absolutely stole our hearts and made the perfect sidekick for our middle girl while the big girls left her in the dust.  We’re so sad she lives in Ohio!
4. Caitlyn’s mom.  I had never met Justin’s wife Corrie before, but I knew when we ended up talking about natural childbirth at the grocery store check-out about an hour after we met that we were going to get along just fine.  Again though, lives in Ohio.  Sigh.
5. Caitlyn’s mom’s pasta salad.  Oh my!  Very, very yummy stuff.  I had it with every meal for three days.  I think I’m in withdrawal now.
6. It is possible for Pippa and Romilly to sleep “loose” in the same room.  We converted Ro’s crib to a toddler bed as soon as we got home thanks to this discovery.  She slept on the floor, but at least everyone still slept!
7. *All* of the Hight family were there.  I had somehow gotten it into my head that my friend Brandon was leaving his wife and two little ones at home for the weekend, but (of course) they were all there (would I let my husband leave me home with a 4-year-old and a 7-week-old while he went to a weekend-long party?!?), which meant playmates for Pippa and for me!  Carina and Pippa were inseparable, and it was wonderful to get to meet (and hold, and smell… ah…) baby Elodie.
8. I didn’t straighten my hair for 10 days, and the world did not fall off its axis.  Whew!
9. Matching 4th of July T-shirts from Wal-Mart for $2 each!  Could they be any cuter?
10. Smashing stuff is *totally* fun.  I knew that there was some silliness and tomfoolery that went on during these get-togethers before we went.  I had seen the pictures from previous years: everything from obsolete electronics to watermelons gets pitched like a baseball and everyone takes turns at bat.  I looked on with disdain at such childish and potentially dangerous activities.  But wow, this was such a case of “don’t knock it till you try it.”  (Oh, and that would be a keyboard that my very sensible and straight-laced husband is destroying, in case you were wondering.)

Thank you so much to Matt and Alan for organizing this marvellous event, and especially to Alan for hosting it.  Six little girls under the age of five in one house… you deserve a medal.  Also, a shout-out to Greg for being the true Guitar Hero guru and an excellent coach.

Rock on, Goats!