Last night was my step-SIL's wedding. Ally did NOT want to sit through it, but got through it just fine. Rob slid down the aisle with her and sat off to the side of everything and kept her mostly quiet. He's so good at that. I'm very impatient in that kind of situation. I really like weddings, and wanted her to be quiet, so I could look around. Anya was very tired, and about half-way through started fussing enough that I thought I had to go outside, but the church was big enough that I could walk around the back and keep her quiet and put her to sleep and then just go back to my seat. Right about the time I sat back down, someone started singing, and the speakers were quite loud, so I had to get back up because they woke Anya up. But, it was almost over so it wasn't that bad.
When we got to the reception, there were appetizers set up ("They're what you eat to make you hungry" ~ Cartman to the Ethernopian kid) Ally got to sit and eat crackers, watermelon, grapes, cantelope, honeydew, and more crackers. She was happy. When it was mealtime, she didn't really like any of it, but she had more fruit and a roll or two. Fruit? check. grains? check. Veggies and meat? ehh, not so much.
When she had enough to eat, she got up and went to the dance floor. No one was dancing yet. The wedding party kept going to the bar for a smoke, so things were running behind. But that didn't stop Ally. She twilred and kicked her feet and ran around like she was having the time of her life. She was in this pretty little (formerly) white dress with a big skirt (She told Meghan - the SIL - that they were wearing the same dress. They matched), so when she twirled or ran, the dress just fanned around her legs. She ran over to Rob's grandpa (who walks with a cane. He has diabetes, and his legs aren't so reliable anymore) and pulled on his arm and said "Grandpa, dance with me!" Rob's dad went out to dance with her for a while, and he just stood still and Ally ran in circles around him and crawled through his legs.
She was so un-inhibited. She was so beautiful. She was so happy. At one point I looked up and caught my breath. I told Rob "She's so gorgeous" She was running back to our table, skirt twirling, face shining, smiling so big, so confident and , oh I don't know. I'm not a writer. I can't find the words. All I know is that it made me so happy, I almost teared up. I hope she can retain that joy. The un-selfconsciousness. The ability to enjoy herself so thoroughly.
Rob's sister, Jenn, helped out by helping hold Anya off and on so that Rob and I coud corral Ally or eat or stand in line. All in all, it was a great time. Ally got to bed over an hour late last night, bu tof course, she didn't sleep in much this morning, and is currently wound up upstairs with Rob. She woke up this morning and I took her upstairs, turned the TV on, and she let me sleep another 45 minutes. Yay. Hooray for the TV as a babysitter. uh-oh, here they come downstairs