"Pick a Date"

That's what Father said when I finally got to talk to him yesterday about the baptism. He said, "We can do it any day and anytime as long as I'm in town...so talk to your future husband and Kum and pick a date." Okie dokie I suppose we can do that. Father is a wonderful man but every so often when I call and he gives me one more tiny task to do I wonder this: when we first discussed me being baptized why didn't you say, "Read this book, decide on a Kum, pick a date and THEN call me." But he said "call me after you read this book," and then "call me when you choose a Kum," and now "Call me when you pick a date." I'm thinking much time could have been saved if I was given the full process rather than one step at a time. No big deal I suppose...just a thought that has crossed my mind.

I'm curious to see how the wedding plans will go with him. He already knows the Kum and date for that but will he be like "Call me when you decide on a time," "Call me to discuss the pre-wedding confession," "Call me with rehearsal dinner plans..." and so on. Perhaps this time, now that I know his routine, I'll just ask up front what the whole process is and when we should call him with details. He is very "step-by-step" which is good because I have no clue what the steps are but I feel like Eric who, when drawing a square, checks with me after each side is drawn to make sure it is okay.

So now I am trying to decide on a date. I'm leaning towards September 5 which is the weekend of my birthday. Mostly just because it seems like as good a weekend as any other but also because that whole "spiritual rebirth" thing that it symbolizes would be so close to my actual birthday...just seems kinda appropriate. Milan said he doesn't care when it is so I'll check with Kum Peter after church this morning and see if he's free. Then I'll call Father again and tell him and he'll say "Okay, decide on a time and call me back." Perhaps I should have one in mind so I can beat him to the punch. :)

Then there's the debate I keep having in my head of who I want to have there. We are very quiet, low-key people and to me this is a very personal thing to do so I don't know if I want Milan's sister and her family there, or the entire Kumovi for that matter. But somehow it seems that having them there is more logical (for lack of a better word) than having my family there. It isn't as though my mom is supportive of the idea...she doesn't go to church, doesn't really claim a religion and I wasn't raised with one so I'm not "betraying" anything by doing this. But she hasn't been overly supportive either...no, "Wow that is awesome you're willing to do that" or "That's great honey if that's what you want to do." Granted those aren't things my mom would really say anyway but still. So far the only comment she's made about it was after I told her Kum Peter said yes, "You must be really crazy about Milan to go through all this....or perhaps just crazy." What is that? Was that an insult? Does she think I'm nuts for doing this? Or was she saying "This guy must be really special, I'm happy for you." I have no clue. Mom is odd and after almost 32 years I still don't get her sometimes. I do know where I inherited my ability to be ambiguous from though. Oh I forgot, she did ask one time, "Do we have to have some big party for this baptism?" No, thanks for kinda-sorta-possibly offering to have one though? *shrug*

My sister specifically asked to be there and really she is the LAST person I want to invite. We don't get along (read: I can't stand her, she's oblivious and thus even more irritating). She has "special needs" and is 29 but mentally is only about 10-12 years old...can you imagine living with a 10 year old forever?!?! The insane amounts of strange questions she asks is unbelievable. So having her at something as very foreign to her as a Serbian Orthodox Baptism would just be enough to spawn a zillion questions leading me to want to do very unholy things to her. Not to mention, Father's accent is VERY thick and she wouldn't understand any of it, even if he performs it in English.

So anyway, I have no clue who I want to invite to this ordeal. Part of me wants to just have the necessary parties there: us, Father and Kum Peter. Milan said we can include whomever we want and that if we don't invite people and they are offended then so-be-it. That sounds nice in theory but I don't know if I want to deal with the aftermath. Plus I would feel bad...these people (Milan's family and Kumovi) have been very welcoming to me since day one so why would I want to leave them out of this?

UGH! I'm at a total loss as to what to do. Maybe I'll just do it on a random Tuesday and say "I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd be able to make it."