Here's a run-down of our day:
1. I was awakened by Ray telling me he brought me McDonald's for breakfast. What? Before I even woke up, Jon and Ray went to 6:30am Mass, the bank, and McDonald's. (I hate that the bishops have waived the obligation to attend Mass this year for All Saints... but I can't rant too much because I didn't go.)
2. After breakfast, I packed the van with more stuff than we usually take on a trip to Michigan. I had supplies and outfits for several events. We left the house around 9:00 and did not return for more than twelve hours. I don't know how working/schooling families do this every day.
3. We went to a very fun All Saints Day party with our homeschool group.
We didn't have a lot of time for making costumes this year, but both boys were happy to wear their "suits of armor" (Thanks Pappy and Mary!) and be Saint George. Adam added a red cape to his.
As it turned out, there were several Saint George's and one Saint Michael the Archangel. Needless to say, several swordfights broke out during this party.
Fortunately, there were lots of sweet little girl saints to balance things out!
Here are the boys decorating crowns:
We played several games, including Halo Toss, Saint Anthony Lost and Found, and When the Saints Go Marching In. 
4. We joined some of our friends for a fabulously non-nutritious lunch at McDonald's. (That's right, we had McDonald's for breakfast and lunch. Yikes!)
5. We headed to our Monday co-op class. After playing on the playground, the boys had fun in their class making compass rose crafts and clay landforms. I crazily galloped through African Geography with two groups of older students, handed out sweet potato chips, and laughed with my friends about the Liberian Sweet Potato Pone ("LSPP") debacle.
6. We went to my sister's house where the children played with their cousin and ate dinner. (Yes, I think they actually did eat some fruit and vegetables to counteract the McDonald's overload.)
7. Here's where the day got strange! Jon and I left the boys with my sister so we could go to a party hosted by one of his "A Clients" (???). This client does political advertisements and this party was a celebration of the end of the campaign season. We thought it would be a cocktail party, a quick meet-and-greet, in-and-out affair. Ha. Ha. Ha. I felt like I had entered the Twilight Zone, a completely different world from where I normally dwell. I was exhausted from my planning/cooking whirlwind of a weekend and my crazy-busy day. I had no idea what I was walking into. The fancy invitation requested "business casual" attire. Fortunately, I had changed into some black slacks and a decent blouse. I wished I had brought a nicer coat.
We followed the map WAY into the outback regions of Dublin. We arrived at some kind of club/health spa where we boarded SHUTTLE BUSES. I sat behind a lady wearing a black lace dress, very high heels, and sparkly things in her hair. I knew we were in for an interesting evening. The shuttle drove about a mile and turned down a long driveway to a farm.
We entered a huge barn through a fancy green awning. We greeted the "A client" and signed up for door prizes and had our picture taken with a person posing as a statue. We were given champagne with berries floating in it. We were escorted through a beautiful corrider into "Las Vegas." That's right. "Vegas baby." We had our picture taken with a very skinny, busty, sparkly, feathery, showgirl. Wow! We were each given $25,000 cash (FAKE!) to spend at the twenty PLUS gaming tables. There were three food stations serving everything from brie to lamb to sushi. There were ice sculptures, a bar, DJ, entertainers --- showgirls, jugglers, a guy on stilts. There were video horse races and slot machines.
I am not making this up. We had delicious food. Jon played some black jack and I stood behind him looking around at this crazy menagerie. I was laughing to myself as I compared and contrasted my world to this world. Both are loud and chaotic, but this world seemed so empty to me. I didn't feel inferior to the gorgeous, fashionable, polished women... but I did feel out of place. This hoopla felt so different from my normal hoopla.
We had told my sister we would only be gone for an hour or two. I managed to break Jon away from the fake gambling and as we left we passed the Queen of Hearts, who was doling out desserts from the rolling table that was part of her outfit. As we waited for the shuttle to take us back to the real world, a prominent local politician came in and shook our hands.
Jon and I really laughed on the way back to my sister's house. It was a wonderful way-over-the-top-party and we did have fun, but it seemed somehow strange to us. We talked for the millionth time about our priorities - faith and family. We talked about the irony of spending this holy All Saints' evening in this way.
8. We returned to my sister's house around 9:00 (way after the boys' bedtime) and found the boys sitting on the couch in their pajamas watching TV.
9. We drove home, plopped the sleeping boys into bed and plopped ourselves into bed. I didn't unload the van or check email or voicemail. I think I brushed my teeth.
What a day! I apologize for this long-winded blog, but the point is in the details. I raced through a crazy day instead of observing a holy day. As I wrote in my last post, I know I need to keep things more simple. I need to keep returning to the priorities and letting go of busy craziness. It's not that anything I did was foolish. It's more that I got really wrapped up in it all and frazzled.
As I lay in bed, exhausted, I prayed a simple Litany of the Saints. I felt sad that I had "missed" the holiness of this day, but I also knew the presence and prayers of the great cloud of witnesses who have preceded me in this sometimes-crazy, always grace-filled life.
All you holy men and women, pray for us.
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