celebrating

For months before graduation, there's a buzz an a lot of chatter going around about what people's plans are for graduation.  Family members fly in from around the world to attend - these are not casual visitors folks.

The biggest questions was, "where are you having your graduation dinner?"

Just like hotels in the area, restaurants were totally booked.  Not a reservation to be had in the city for that night.

Not that I tried, I didn't.  But people were talking and talk is loud and fast at HBS.  Having a 5 day old baby, in the crazy heat of summer, a tiny apartment with a host of visitors made for a tricky situation to celebrate.

I didn't want to go out with a baby - well with my kids - I'm sure Amelia would have been the least of my concerns.  There were too many people to have at our place and I sure wasn't up for cooking.  I rarely am, if I'm being honest.  But people have to eat, right!?!

And that's why I love my friends and family - particularly my husband.

"Sweets - anything you specifically want for a graduation dinner?"

He thinks..."maybe pizza?"

Done.

We shamed the HBS culture by having a pizza party to celebrate graduation.  12 year old birthday party-ish?  You bet.

We did make it a bit more grown up by having it on the rooftop of the building.  Ooooh, luxury.  Not really, but it made for a great view as well as a great venue to shoot off Martinelli's.  So amongst the swealtering heat, we had best friends to laugh with, family to catch up with, a host of root beer options to taste test with, deep dish Domino's to fill up with (glamorous I know), maple donuts to top sweeten it up with - Spencer's favorite - and Martinelli's to top it off with.  We did things our way and loved it.

Speaking of topping it off.  I think Henry stole the spotlight of hte day when he went and pulled the fire alarm for the WHOLE building.  Awesome.  We've had some crazy fire alarm experiences - middle of the night, building next to us actually on fire, another building next to us evacuated during the Boston lock down, fire alarm during hurricane Irene - just to name a few.

I had just come from picking up family members from the hotel and as I'm walking up to our building I hear the alarm.  I text Spencer and ask if he's coming down...things have reached the 'boy who cried wolf stage with these dumb, deafening alarms.  My eyes rolled out of annoyance for the utter inconvenience. So I walk in and sit in the lobby, along with tons of others.  As I'm sitting there I hear someone near me say, "it's probably some kid..."  To spite them I said, "it's not my kids! They don't even know what the fire alarm is!"  Just then I get a text back from Spencer

"Henry pulled it, not coming down"

And I about died of laughter.  I immediately hit the up button for the elevator and as the full load of people get off, I get on and head to the top.  Turns out Henry didn't know what a fire alarm was until he pulled one.  Now he knows.

Cherry on top to a pretty awesome and memorable day if you ask me.