Wedding Shenanigans

Mike and I were attendants in our friends Heather and Joe's wedding party last weekend. Stan Bear was a guest and what I didn't expect or didn't even think about until the day before the wedding was, "What do we do with the Bear while we're standing up there during the ceremony?" Oh my. Of course when I posed this question to Heather she said that it was o.k. for Mike or I to hold him during the ceremony. Thank the stars for a laid back bride. I thought, piece of cake, easy peasy, no problema.  Big FAT HA! So, we walk out there (it's a lovely outdoor wedding at the botanical gardens) and for some reason we decide that Mike will hold the Bear. His pocket is full of Mum-Mums and a pacifier just in case...maybe that's why: he had pockets and I didn't...oh, and he was closer to the escape route a.k.a. the trail away from the ceremony. So we all get out there, Mike and I are on opposite ends of the "altar" and right from the get go Stanley Bear sees Mama across the way and does his little hands out wave thingy:

the wave from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

He then starts to squawk and squirm. I motion to Mike to just put him down and thankfully he runs straight for me (but in between the altar and the guests...)  Now I have the Bear but no Mum-Mums and no paci. He starts smacking my chest as he does when he desperately wants milk. Oh dear. So he's very squirmy and squawky and I can't even hear what Joe is saying to Heather and I'm standing right next to Joe's Mom...so I make the decision to run back towards Mike and grab the Mum-Mums and paci and walk up the trail. I do and the paci quiets the Bear down so that I get to listen to the vows which were very personal and lovely and emotional. I love weddings like this!

Here he is with the boys. L to R: Earl, Mike and Stan, Josh, Chad, Adrian and Joe the Groom.

After the wedding we take and get our pictures taken. This was a challenge too. I told Heather that I could take the formal pictures but again, I didn't think about how clingy Mr. Bear would be. I took some, Mike took some but many were blurry or rushed. Thankfully there were other folks with cameras snapping away like paparazzi. Stanley is, what seemed like, in every shot either squirming or holding his flourescent pink water bottle or wandering aimlessly in between the bride and groom shots. UGH. Now that he walks he wants to walk and wander and get into everything.

Bear and I are the blurry ones. The rest of the ladies (aren't our colors pretty?!) from L to R: Lisa, Margarite, Anna, Michelle and Heather the Bride.

Even during the reception it was a non-stop Bear chase. There was no relaxing for this Mama Bear. Other than all of that it was lovely. Lovely to see Joe and Heather (who have moved to Colorado. ENVIOUS!!) and good to meet their family and friends. And fun to watch the Bear interact with new people and new situations.

Here he is running around the reception with another little boy (who was 5). Stan Bear LOVED him.

This is basically a great example of how he was constantly on the move all night. 

Next time, babysitter, so Mama can drink her entire glass of champagne.