Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Family Night

(Because it's fun to lay out the pieces of the quilt I'm making
on the floor and watch the dog walk all over them
even after I've told him a million times not to ...
)


Tomorrow is International Family Night at Our Fine School. It is not a night for international families, but rather a family night with an international theme. The evening starts with dinner and ends in the gym, where a plethora of international delights will be on display. I don't know what said delights will be. I imagine they will involve lots Plaster of Paris and a few dozen informational posters with pictures of the Eiffel Tower drawn on them in purple marker.

International family night is an annual event at Our Fine School, and in the seven years that our family has been sending its youngest members to matriculate, we have yet to attend. It's not that we're not international types, it's more that ... well, we don't have anybody to sit with.

Isn't that sad? We are most poorly socialized people I've ever met. Oh, the boys are fine. It's me and the Man. The idea of walking into a room with our plates of spaghetti and garlic bread and scanning the room for a friendly face ... oh, it's too much. It's just too, too much.

***

The good news is, Will no longer seems so sad. Although given the gloomy weather we've been having, I can't imagine why not. We're in the middle of a week of rain and cloudy skies. My garden buzz is gone. My chocolate buzz is full-on.

***

I'm really just checking in. It's a quiet sort of week. I'm revising a novel and doing laundry and working on a quilt that seems to be more or less making itself. I'm writing letters. Is this the stuff of blogging? It would be if I could tell a story about it. But it's raining and the dishes are calling. No stories here. Just chocolate.

13 comments:

Pom Pom said...

I love your words, Frances. You are a word queen and you share. LOVE you for that!
I do not want you to go to International Family Night if you won't see anyone you want to eat spaghetti with. Grown ups are so dumb. They don't know how to be friendly and parents get sort of territorial with their roles at school, be it a friend role or a "I help with important things around here" role. It's hard. You're so honest and you make me feel okay about being anti-social a good bit of the time. Thank you for that.

The dB family said...

Wow, that one is a beauty too! We would sit with you. We're not exactly outgoing either and I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have attended for the same reasons you site.

So good to read that Will is happy again. Does that mean all the second graders are happy again?

Blessings!
Deborah

Leslie said...

Chocolate is always good. And your quilt fabrics are beautiful. I can't wait to see more of it. You crack me up. My dog doesn't obey either. I hope International Night is fun. Once a shy friend told me that when she goes to parties it helps her to pretend that she is the hostess. Sort of a self imposed job that gets her talking to people. I would rather be the person serving the spaghetti than eating it. Blessings!

Sara Padrusch said...

That quilt is going to be gorgeous and will match my bedroom perfectly, so feel free to just send it along when you are done. King sized please if you don't mind.

I understand about feeling anti-social. I bet you would have plenty of people to sit with- who wouldn't want to share a spaghetti dinner with you?

xoxo
Sara

Tracy said...

Chocolate is always good, and your quilt is absolutely amazing. I love it. I think it would love to live with me....oh wait...that's right, I have two that aren't finished. Perhaps I should just do that!!!?

Frances, I would absolutely sit with you at a such an affair. And so would my girls. We'd have a very fine time and laugh a lot at the little boys in our lives.

Ali said...

I'm the same with school functions - everyone else just seems so very chummy.

It's easier to be friendly with chocolate.

Melissa E said...

Glad Will is not sad anymore! I have hated this rainy weather too! I have always felt that I don't have anyone to sit with, no matter where I go! I would sit with you!

magsmcc said...

I like it when you check in! I like the sound of the mizzly weather and the silence where sadness was. I like the look of the quilt squares and the image of two grown-ups worrying if anyone will talk to them- just exactly how we feel at every single Prestigious Primary School torture we put ourselves through!! Including the Spring Ball Saturday Week! Hope it was all fine and lovely- and that there were indeed lots of lovely Tours Eiffel!

Angela said...

So glad Will is happy again. Chocolate and quilts are good.
I find managing a plate of pasta hard enough with my nearest and dearest [I am such a messy eater] the thought of doing it In A School-Related Social Situation is terrifying.
Stay home, shoo the dog off the patches, and stitch!!
Blessings xx

debbie bailey said...

Have you tried Lindt's Sea Salt and Chocolate bar? Oh my! It'll make you cry. It's that good. I owe you a postcard..coming soon!

Pom Pom said...

I meant to tell you that the quilt is glorious! You are a speedy quilter!

GretchenJoanna said...

My big event for the day and week - going to D.C. to a lecture I wouldn't understand anyway - just got cancelled by someone's back going out (not mine) and I am so relieved that I don't have to go and meet strangers. I can stay home here at my home-away-from-home and catch up on everybody's blogs.

Gumbo Lily said...

Great quilt. I look forward to its coming together and coming out party! Socializing is not my thing either. I like people, I just don't like socializing.

Chocolate is always good. I made chocolate-mayo cupcakes tonight. Mmm.

jody