Mi Noche

It's not everyday that you get your whole family (plus sister's bf) around the kitchen table to enjoy a good game of.... poker.  But that's exactly what we did last night.  Mr. Boy (which is how I will refer to him, protecting his identity) came over around 9:00 after my sister got off from work at The Pizza Place (again, trying not to share too much information here).  I was out on the three-season porch painting a painting.  A tube of paint had just exploded the wrong way onto my hand.  So I had a ton of rather green paint to wipe onto a paper towel in an effort to save some to be used in the painting.
So I said "hi" when I went in to change my water for my brushes.  They were eating pizza.
Mind you, it's 9:30 pm now.
They were eating pizza.
and fruit.
And this is a pretty regular occurrence  at my house.  We eat all the time.
Anyways, so they are sitting and talking, and I go back out onto the porch to keep painting.
A few minutes later, the door slides open and I hear Mr. Boy say, "Ashley, you had 2,000 texts last month.  That's ridiculous."  So I turn around, surprised that he is surprised by this.
"2,000 isn't that many.  Brooke probably had just about the same amount.  How many did you have?" I ask Brooke.
"I had 1800, but we just wanted to give you grief because you had the most in the family."
this is what our relationship is like.  Mr. Boy likes to tease.  And Brooke joins in, which I don't mind at all.  Mr. Boy can be a funny guy, when he talks.  He isn't a chatterbox, which is a contrast to other boys I know.  So he's not always talking about himself.  he doesn't talk much around my parents, but he will around me which makes me feel good, like I have encouraged him to be himself.  like he doesn't see me at a threat.
But, mark my words, I could be if need be.
So then, after a few minutes, the door slides open ominously again, and I receive an invitation to play poker with them.  So I accept and leave my painting for another day.  Then, after we finish playing (Mr. Boy won big time, due to many bluffs.  He has a good pokerface... sort of.), and my parents have gone to bed, we chat for a while.  Then, my phone rings, and as my ringtone is a little embarrassing, I pick it up immediately.
It's my friend who is in Chicago right now.  (Chi-town, as she calls it)  She wants to hear about my day, and I tell her about how I went to work two hours early and realized that there was no one there.  so I went back home and came back at noon after making myself some homemade macaroni and cheese.  I entertained children, averted crises, dealt with temper tantrums, and helped with crafts.  Then, on to the poker event.  Then, my friend asks about my Zefron day, so I tell her.  When I say that there were 7000 people there (which, apparently was the official count) she goes, "SHUT THE DOOR."  which was her expression of surprise and shock, much like other people would say, "shut UP.  no way."  she says, "SHUT THE DOOR."  the woman cracks me up like none other, I tell you.
and so now I'm off to work.  superdaycarehelper to the rescue.