When kids don't listen

Several weeks again as Dolores and I were approaching our significant birthdays, we told our daughters we didn't want a party. We had made plans to go away for a weekend to Portland, ME and would schedule a family dinner to celebrate.

Saturday, Nov 23rd turned out to be the date among the various calendar commitments that worked for the six of us to go out to dinner. Carolyn and Dan would be home from Boston. Allison's travel for Assumption would be finished. Brad didn't have a game event to go to. All would work out well.

Saturday arrived, Dolores and I divvied up the chores and then we got to our errands. Dan's parents were going to meet us for a drink and late lunch at British Beer Company. We'd come home and be ready for dinner somewhere local with reservations for 6:30 PM.

The day flew by, the chores were accomplished, the meeting and conversation with Dan's parents went well so we left (just before 5:00 PM) with time to spare to be home and then go to dinner. Why we even had time to add a few steps to the walk across the parking lot to Stop & Shop to get some Molly McButter as that had been on the list for shopping and two stops were unsuccessful. The third time was going to be the charm!

As we walked across the parking lot, Allie texted to let us know that Carolyn and Dan had arrived. Good. I replied back that we were about to stop for the Molly McButter and then be home soon. We did get it, drove home and as I was unloading the other items from our earlier errands, Allie was on the landing waiting for me to get to the stairs. Did we stop and think there might be something up? No. She was greeting us as we came home. She had done so before. However as the door opened, there was a shout of "SURPRISE!" and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!...

Yes, the girls as well behaved and such good upstanding young ladies as they are had not obeyed our instructions. No, not at all. So instead of a quiet dinner for the six of us at a local restaurant, we walked into a host of family and friends, many of whom had traveled some distance to surprise us.

Surprised? Yes, we were. I certainly was. I had no clue.

The party had a fifty's bowling theme to it and was a combination of home goods, crowd sourced and catered food and drink. Plenty to go around for all. we had taught the girls well!

Dan and Cassie at the ice cream soda fountain

One of the better parts of the evening was that there were no gifts to be brought. Instead, we were honored to collect over 100 pounds of food goods and over $150 for the Franklin Food Pantry!

the collection for the food pantry

So when your kids misbehave like this, what would you do?

I had tears in my eyes as I thanked them many times!



Note - there will be additional photos to share. A slideshow was put together of Dolores and I through the years. Many gems to be seen there!