I should've known it was a set up...

Alicia's parents had a fish fry Friday night & Alicia was "nice" enough to invite me over.  Wasn't that just the SWEETEST of her?  I mean - she's a giver...  

(because when I say "nice" I really mean "she enjoys the torment her children give me".)  

All was well with the world when I got there...adults in the house, chatting & it was QUIET.  I only saw a couple of kids when I got there (but I knew the others were lurking somewhere...)  It was nice to catch up w/ Marcia & Alicia for a bit.  I had to fill them in on family gossip & other nonsense of course!  Alicia's foot is still hurt & she was wearing a boot so I asked what was going on.  She said, 'NOW I'm on crutches'  I said, "UHM - I don't see any crutches..."  So she tried to explain WHY she couldn't actually USE the crutches - to which I responded how her foot would NEVER get better.  

It's what we do, people...

 That was basically the end to any rational conversation...you'll see why... 

I'm not sure what Joe put on that fish but the kids lost their minds after we ate.  They all HAD to be in the middle of the adults trying to talk in the living room.  No, no, no it will never do to be loud & crazy in a room alone where no one can appreciate it.  DUH.   At one point Alicia was letting Nora ride 'horsey' on her 'good' foot.  I said, "Maybe you shouldn't be doing that since your foot is all jacked up."  And like a true friend she said, "You're right - YOU do it.  Nora - Jaime will ride you horsey."  Touche'.  

 I am no match for Sam, but his uncle Matt is!  Ya'll know Sam secretly (like deep down - deep, DEEP down...) loves me because of how much he loves to hit me & that he hates my hugs.  I gave him a kiss on the cheek & you would've thought it was burning his skin off.  

 Exhibit A.  An on-looker may think, 'oh - she is torturing that child!  She should let him go!'  Let me tell ya - Sam was hitting near me ALL night.... he likes to act like he doesn't like me - but he's not fooling me...  Tell me he's not totally laughing & smiling!

 Jake must've had pure sugar on his fish.... he came in bouncing around like this.  

And ya can't forget the screaming... I will never forget the screaming...

Even when he put his underwear on outside his pants he was still a blur.

At the end of my torture  the night they decided to take a family picture.  Of course I hopped up to take the picture, but they weren't having THAT.  Sam tried to tell his dad that I wasn't really part of the family (see how much he loves me?) but Daniel explained that argument was a bit silly since we have the same last name & all.  TAKE THAT, SAM.  (Daniel also included that even though they may not agree w/ cousins B-rad's decision they still had to support him...I love these people!)  

Alicia worked to get her phone set up, don't mind that beer can propping it up...

 The kids have to check everything out for quality control.

 The beer can was a necessity.  (See Alicia's boot?  But ya don't see any crutches, DO YA?!)

The Gettelfingers have a joke that the 'in-laws' always make sure to sit really close to the original family or hold a kid so they don't get cut out of the picture. (See how Robin hogged TWO kids?!)  When I found out they wanted me in the picture I immediately started to recruit a kid.  Jake agreed to sit on my lap so I couldn't be cut out of the picture but then he wanted to give Kaitlin & I bunny ears...  He was wired for SOUND.

 I decided it was time to head home when pants started coming off.  I did NOT sign on for that...

Thank you, Alicia AND Marcia for having me over!  It's always fun to catch up & remember why I don't have kids...