notes on sunday

A family get-together at my brother’s (aka The Banshees’ dad).

~ First, and most important, I made my Mocha Chip cupcakes. Whenever I excel in the kitchen — you know, based on my own impartial estimation — I think of Jayne. I want her to be proud of me. I’m needy. It’s embarrassing. I mean, I talk to Jayne in my kitchen. Out loud. I tell her what I’m doing. “Jayne, look at the espresso beans I’m using for these cupcakes.” “Jayne, check out my mushroom cream sauce.” Stuff like that. So, uhm, also: I’m insane and possibly hallucinatory.

~ Original Banshee and Baby Banshee wore matching dresses. They looked adorable and yummy so I gobbled them up whole. Kind of a bummer, really. They didn’t get to have any Mocha Chip cupcakes, but on the upside, they were just as tasty as I always imagined.

~ So to my many outstanding attributes, add: cannibalism. It’s a real flaw.

~ And you probably wouldn’t think an outing involving cannibalism could be fun, but you’d be wrong, peaches. You’d be so very wrong.

~ Older Nephew handed me his iPod and let me listen to some tracks he’s recorded. Uhm, the kid’s pretty good, if I do say so myself.

~ Younger Nephew was forced to show me his abs. Meaning, I forced him, naturally. As his aunt, I feel I need to be kept up to date on their status. Current status: Six-pack, maybe even seven.

~ Within 15 minutes of his arrival, Younger Nephew plopped himself on top of his mom and me on the sofa. You know, we’re just hanging out, having some semi-private sister time and a nearly 15-year-old kid who is taller than both of us throws himself across our laps all because he knows I will rub his head. And I did.

~ Later, an impromptu volleyball-with-a-beach ball game broke out in the backyard. Baby Banshee was in charge of “serving” the ball over the net. Since she’s only 14 months old, this involved her cousin, Younger Nephew, lifting her up above the net with the beach ball in her chubby hands while she squealed and plopped it over the net. So cute. Younger Nephew is so good with little kids. Gets me all choked up.

~ When the Doritos and chips were brought out and we all began munching, Original Banshee started running over from the volleyball game about every two minutes — breathless from standing there in her dress — and saying, “Oh! I need more energy!” while stuffing a Dorito in her mouth. It was hilarious. The way she said “Oh!” as if she had the vapuhs and needed her smellin’ salts.

~ At one point, we all trudged down the road to a nearby canyon to check out the rope swing. Now Piper, who ADORES her Uncle Beloved, wanted to walk with him and talk with him and hold his hand. Original Banshee, who ADORES her Cousin Piper, wanted some to walk with Piper and talk with Piper and hold her hand. Alas, these were conflicting desires, you see. Piper wanted Uncle Beloved all to herself. But I’ve discovered one can never underestimate Piper’s understanding of what makes people tick and one can never underestimate her perception into a given situation. It doesn’t matter that she’s only eight years old. She has an uncanny insight about people and she definitely knows what makes Original Banshee tick. So as she was holding Uncle Beloved’s hand, she said slyly to The Banshee, “Hey, Banshee. Our group needs a leader! We need someone to lead us there!” And — KAPOWW! Piper lands the knockout punch! What? A leader? The spotlight? Me?? The Banshee was GONE instantly in a puff of Banshee smoke. MB just looked down at his little niece holding his hand and said, in that kind of “you’re busted” voice, “Piperrrr ….. you’re a tricky one.” She just smiled up at him and said, “I know.” Hahahahahaha. I’m still laughing about this. You go, Peeps.

~ We were all treated to a performance of “Put on a Happy Face” by Original Banshee. Girl can sing. On key. And she’s very cute. But she IS a little performing monkey. She just craves that spotlight and will probably arrange to have one following her around for the rest of her life. (Why everyone seems to blame me for this tendency, I have NO idea. When I was five, I couldn’t put two words together, I was so cripplingly shy.) Piper sat on her mom’s lap and watched her little cousin sing, just agape. It was like she was thinking, “What is she DOING??” Piper’s energy is much more laid back and easygoing, so I think she wearies of her little cousin more quickly than The Banshee knows or would even suspect at this point. I literally had to stifle guffaws watching the performance because, just looking from one cousin to the other, their differences were so glaringly apparent: the Banshee performing as if no one but Piper was even in the room; Piper plainly astonished by the spectacle of it all. Those two just kill me.

~ The Mocha Chip cupcakes were devoured. In spite of what I said before, Baby Banshee did get to gobble a portion of cupcake and then, well, probably didn’t sleep that night because of the ground espresso in the cake.

~ As we left, both MB and I scored hugs AND kisses from Original Banshee, which is a decided step forward. She just has her way, you know. We drove away into the night feeling all high and victorious and warm inside.