Lots of family drama.

This weekend was fun, but I am not sure I want to do it again. My family from the north did not arrive until after 3 o'clock. We picked up the family from the south at 10:30 am . We all went, my mom, sis and her two girls and me. It was not too unpleasant considering neither of them got a nap. That part all in all was a good time. Most of Saturday evening was pretty good. I missed that there were snarky comments made from one cousin to another. We also had a choking episode from my oldest cousin, we actually had to give her the heimlich to get her breating again. No more celery for her. The adrenilin rush was big and we were really upset by this. Although it would be nothing compared to what happened the next day. We, meaning us "original girls"-my mom and her sister, me and my sister and my aunt's two girls all stayed up together until about 1 am. Then the "old ladies" went to bed. My sister and older cousin were grouped together and my cousin that is my age and I grouped together. Then we dualed on American Idol. We had a blast and were up until after 2 am. Then I drove home and showered. It had been a long day, but mostly fun. I returned the next morning about 8. I did not want to get over to my sister's house any earlier cuz I figured they would just be getting up, and I was right. I had gotten up at 7 but waited so I did not wake everyone trying to get in. That is when the real nastiness began. My "step" cousin started being a pest about what time they were leaving. Now mind you, they got in around three the day before and there she was wanting to leave by 9 am. She was complaining about the drive home and how long it would take. My sister was yelling at her girls who were still tired from the day before and were now being cranky. The kids were having a lot of tears and screaming. My aunt and one of her daughter's were discussing that she would make a deposit for my cousin since there is no branch of her bank in her town and there is for my aunt. Then my "step" cousin started hollering about how she said she would give some money and she will, why is it a big deal. So my cousin came to tell her to chill out, she was just discussing a deposit, not making a deal out of it, and really did her financial situation need to be shouted throughout the whole house. At this point I very very loudly pronounced that I was so glad I came over, every one is so pleasant this morning. That got me some stares, but come on, we were supposed to be having fun and everyone was snarking at each other. I could easily just go back home. Everyone stopped loudly arguing but it continued throughout the morning........Until we had a very BIG BIG problem. We could not find one of the babies. He is about 22 months old and no one knew where he was. We searched the house and no one found him. We went outside and searched and eventually realized the bike was gone. No bike and no baby. We frantically took off in all directions yelling as loudly as we could hoping for an answer. I got around the corner and a few houses up and found the bike in a front yard but no baby.....We kept yelling and looking and as I made my way towards the end of the block I realized someone was waving at me. They were at the intersection of the road I am on the highway. The baby was by the highway. I started running as fast as I could and then my mom went flying around me in her car. I was so intent on the person waving at me, I did not even hear the car coming up behind me. By the time I got to the end of the block, my cousin (the one that is my age but not the mom) had already arrived from the other side of the block. My aunt snatched him to get him back to his mom who we think is walking around my sister's house looking for him. We got there and her car was gone. No one could call her and tell her we had her child because she had loaded the cars already from "step" cousin complaining about leaving and all their purses and phones were in the car. I had my phone, my new one by the way, but did not have her number. And since everyone programs their phones, they did not really know the number either. Then my cousin S (my age) arrived back and found her phone. She is the one that came on the train so her phone thankfully was in the house. My mom is also out driving around looking for the baby's mom. S called her sister to tell her we found the baby and I tried calling mom and discovered she had left her phone in my sister's house. So, now we had no way to contact her to tell her that we called the baby's mom and she was on her way back. Fortunately, she happened to see my cousin drive back to the house and she pulled into the yard and came around the house to where we all gathered. In the meantime, baby was smiling and laughing as if nothing had happened. We were all trying to recover from the heart attacks we were having. That was pretty awful. Based on where the bike was and where he was found, we were figuring he had been gone for at least 20 minutes before anyone realized he was gone. It was one of those everyone is in and out, loading the car, and the folks inside thought he was outside and the folks outside thought he was inside. Most of us were assuming he was with my sister's kids as they had been playing so well all weekend. It was an awful feeling and he was not even my kid. They folks from the north left then. Us gals that were left finished cleaning up the dishes and helped pick up a bit with the toys. Then we watched a movie. Well, the baby napped and Drama Girl watched a movie, I read a book, and my sister, mom and cousin all napped. I really wanted a nap was there was no chance in hell that I was going to close my eyes with Drama Girl still up. If she had napped I might have rested too, but I was not taking any chances. My sister's girls have never pulled anything like that before so it's not likely, but it ain't happenin' on my watch!

So while it was a good time and I am glad to have seen my aunt and at least two of my cousins, I do not want to relive any of that drama again. It was just kind of a sour ending to a morning that had been unpleasant. I am super glad to have found him safe and sound though. We will see if there is going to be another weekend.....And if I have the fortitude to attend.