A Mountain of Gifts
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Shower day. The squirrels were numerous in their new neighborhood. Collette never recalled seeing more squirrels, except when visiting Florissant.
Rose had decided that working at Subway was not sufficiently paying off her debt to Dad for the trip to Egypt and her digital camera. So Dad had given her permission to go to work with Carrie-Bri that late afternoon to get her first taste of The Columns. At least Rose fully understood that her social life would soon become non-existent as a result. She would be entering the dark cavern of Columns, perhaps not to fully reemerge emotionally and socially for a very long time. Working at Columns seemed to take a weird effect on people.
And OLeif spent his morning “painting” a spaceship and planet on his computer with his drawing board for a picture for baby’s room.
Collette received a surprise at the shower – Mrs. Lord-Welches had driven all the way down from Iowa for the baby shower. And she gave the devotional after passing around two pictures – one of herself holding Collette as a baby, and the other of Mom and Dad still somewhat newly married. Dad had more hair at the time and Mom was making her funny face for the camera, which always made her very embarrassed after the fact.
It was a full house at the Popples’. Mom and the girls were there. Carrie and Rose were already sitting in the living room side by side, both dressed in black pants, white tops, black ties, their hair and make-up the same, even the same expression of their faces. It was truly like they were twins. Grandma Combs, Aunt Corliss, and Aunt Tuuli were also already there. Grandma Combs, Aunt Petunia, and Lucia drove up a little late in the red Monte Carlo, due to a little trouble with directions. Denae, Lace, and baby Ju had just pulled up as Collette arrived. Ivy was there already, Idelwild, Athena, Lady & Gretel, Libby (who had taken off work to come), Rosie, Truly, Mrs. Cuthbertson, Mrs. Lord-Welches, Madge, Loraine, and Georgia. Susie and Sunrise came in later as the cake was being served.
A spread of tasty things was set in the dining room: cheese and crackers, fruits, muffins, the cake prepared by Rosie, and plenty of chocolates and candies… And of course the pineapple raspberry punch.
Before Collette knew it, nearly three hours had passed. And a mountain of gifts had been opened, which barely fit in the car. There was definitely a theme going that day – jungle animals, and a nice variety of Cardinals items. Everything from stuffed gorillas and Rainforest sound-making gadgets to hand-crocheted and hand-embroidered blankets. Baby was certainly set for a long time to come. The generosity was overwhelming. Everyone seemed to have put special thought into preparing their gifts. And Collette was truly thankful that Ivy had also thought to add two packages of thank you cards to the pile of gifts so that Collette wouldn’t have to hunt some up that coming week.
Diana looked very smart that day – very much like a professional journalist in a sleek black dress and heels, with her hair pulled back in a smooth ponytail.
“Oh, Collette, you’re going to have to change diapers now,” she said with a wrinkled face, as the realization hit.
Come evening, Collette showed OLeif some of the gifts in particular. The “Monkey and Apes Toob” was an instant hit for OLeif and he immediately opened it to begin playing with the miniature apes and monkeys, imitating their sounds in the process.