The Baines' clan was in town staying with us, Friday - Sunday, for Leaf Party IX. As always, we had a great time, a great party and, as always, the weekend went by way too fast. We started the Leaf Party tradition nine years ago - which, in itself, is hard to believe - when Cyndi and Troy moved home to Florida with their two kids (three now), Wolf and Scout. The party was a way to get them back to town, something unique and really, created as an event for friends of theirs (and ours) to come to our house to see them. At that point, Jude and I didn't have a child, but we absolutely loved hosting the party and playing int he leaves with all of our friends' children. The Leaf Party is more meaningful for us now, since we can share it with J.P.
I took Friday afternoon off work, so Jude and I could meet Cyndi, Troy, Wolf, Scout and Finn at our house when they arrived, about 1:30 p.m. After spending a few minutes in the front yard marveling at how big Wolf and Scout have gotten, we piled into the mini-van Cyndi had rented for the trip and drove over to 12South to pick up lunch at a new restaurant, Sloco. We bought sandwiches and walked over to Sevier Park. While Jude and Cyndi talked quietly, sitting on a granite wall by the swing sets, watching Finn, Wolf and Scout explored the culvert where water flows, creek-like, when it rains.
We dropped Cyndi off at Rumor's Wine Bar to meet a friend for a glass of wine, then Troy, Wolf, Scout, Finn and I drove to Bongo Java. After I got a cup of coffee, we walked over to Belmont and kicked the soccer ball around on the soccer field. It was a gorgeous afternoon and we alternated kicking the ball back and forth, playing "monkey in the middle" and sprawling in the grass.
Jude's parents came to our house to watch J.P. and Finn, while Jude and Cyndi attended their law school class's 15th reunion at Vanderbilt. Troy and grabbed a bite to eat, then came home to put the kids to bed.
Jude came in late - after midnight - and Cyndi came in really late, but that's another story. Suffice to say that when Jude's law school classmates get together, and it's rare that it happens, trouble isn't far behind.
Saturday morning dawned clear and cool - Leaf Party Day! I headed out to run errands - grocery store, liquor store, etc. - while at home, it was all hands on deck (kids included) to get ready for the party. While the leaves didn't cooperate this year - they're late falling, though we did have the party a week early - our friends and their children had a blast, as always.
After everyone left, it was nap time for Jude, J.P., Troy and Finn. Cyndi went for a "punishment run," and it really, really punished her. Wolf, Scout and I went on our "secret walk" to Belmont, a tradition we started several years ago. We walked to Chago's Cantina on Belmont Blvd. and sat at an outside table, drinking water and eating chips, then walked across the street to Buzzy's candy store. Next, we played frisbee on the soccer field at Belmont. It was one of the highlights of the weekend, as it is for me every year, just spending time with Wolf and Scout. I've know them - literally - since they were born and I've watched them grow up (11 and 10 years old now). They're amazing kids and it tickles me to death when they call me "Uncle Phil." We pretended we were spies on the way home, ducking and hiding behind trees, telephone poles and anything else we we could find.
Saturday night, we watched football and ate takeout food from Smiling Elephant, an amazing Thai restaurant on 8th Avenue, within walking distance of our house. Sunday morning, I went for a run and finished at Bongo Java for a cup of coffee. We ate a big breakfast when I got back, then Troy packed the mini-van and off they went, back to Florida.
As they pulled away, Cyndi looked at us, teary eyed, through the open window of the mini-van. I looked at Jude and J.P., sitting on the wall in our front yard, bordering the sidewalk, and noticed Jude had tears in her eyes, too. The Leaf Party weekends are all bittersweet to us. It's so good, so very good, to see Cyndi, Troy and the kids and we pack so much into a weekend. Still, it's so sad when they leave. For me, I feel sentimental and nostalgic, knowing it will be a year before I see them again and that the kids will have grown and changed in ways that will astound me.
Life is, you know, life. It's messy. It's complicated. It's hard and it's wonderful. It's memorable. It's sad, sometimes, but it's fun, too. Life makes you laugh and it makes you cry. The key, though, to me, is having people in your life - friends - to share it with, even if it's only once or twice a year. For us, the foundation of our friendship with Troy and Cyndi was laid long, long ago (more so for Jude and Cyndi, obviously, who met in law school) and it's strong enough, I think to withstand the tests of distance and time. It just works, without much effort and without any real explanation, as all good friendships do.
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