General discussion - Mom and Dad Esq.

[Flinty_McFlint]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
Invite the ones who didn't recoil in horror when you offered to let them hold the newborn. Don't invite the ones who did. Both categories of friend will thank you.

Check. Do not invite the Grinches.

You're welcome.

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by Flinty_McFlint
Check. Do not invite the Grinches.

One, I apologized immediately. Two, I'd simply never seen anything quite that hairy. It was more surprise than horror.

[Flinty_McFlint]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
One, I apologized immediately. Two, I'd simply never seen anything quite that hairy. It was more surprise than horror.

All is forgiven. You and the Grinches will be invited. Be sure to wear your flea collars.

[viet_mom]

Okay - this is my worst nightmare, as a single parent who often works from home and is pretty much a loner.

I could definitely see 5 days going by before work sent a cop to the house and I often go 5 days without talking to my family on the phone. Daycare also doesn't call if your kid doesn't show up. At least a two year old would probably think to drink the toilet water and maybe even rummage around for food. It's too awful to think what an infant would do. I remember the incident where Sheila Bellush was murdered while with her 4 infant quadruplets and the quads spent all day slumped over her dead body, crying. I'm relieved the Babe can climb out of her crib and (usually) open doors.


Sorry for being such a bummer today!

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by viet_mom
Okay - this is my worst nightmare, as a single parent who often works from home and is pretty much a loner.

Sorry for being such a bummer today!

The second most distressing thing about this is that your source trumpets the fact they carry Rush Limbaugh. I know this is America, but given the level of idiocly and hypocrisy that this guy spews, why does he still have a bully pulpit?

Why, Bilmore, why?

[baltassoc]

Originally posted by viet_mom

Sorry for being such a bummer today!

I finf these two stories unimaginably depressing. The Bellush one especially (I Googled it)because a) I have multiples, and b) her kids were roughly the same age as the baltspawn are now. That is one creepy story.

Her 13 year old daughter found her body with her 23 month old quads running around naked except for each wearing a life preserver and covered in blood. Nobody knows why they were wearing life preservers, or who put them on them.

Originally posted by Flinty_McFlint
First, who is supposed to be invited? Ms. Manners, please help.

We have no family here other than one set of the kid's grantparents and an errant uncle who works weekeds and that's a pretty lame party. We have several neighbors that I would like to invite and many more who would like to be invited - I am wrestling with how to pare it way down. That is our biggest problem. Oh - that and the fact that Mr. Lex wants to have the party AT a football game. Men.

Oh, and can someone post something happy? - I came here to get the CNN images of the dead Russian kids out of my head.

I may have to go and browse the talking pinatas again.

-TL

[Flinty_McFlint]

Originally posted by TexLex
We have no family here other than one set of the kid's grantparents and an errant uncle who works weekeds and that's a pretty lame party. We have several neighbors that I would like to invite and many more who would like to be invited - I am wrestling with how to pare it way down. That is our biggest problem. Oh - that and the fact that Mr. Lex wants to have the party AT a football game. Men.

I have to admit that going to baby parties doesn't exactly fill me with joy. But one baby party I went to had a no limit hold em tournament for anyone who wanted to play (mostly men), and that wasn't too bad at all. If it's for a small kid who won't care anyway, it might not be a bad idea to have something the attendees can do--say, watch a football game, drink themselves blind, etc.

eta:For entertainment at our baby party, we're planning to mock and tease the Grinches for wearing flea collars after Labor Day, quelle horreur.

[Oliver_Wendell_Ramone]

I wouldn't normally think of Wagner's "Flying Duchman" as dance music. But, somehow, a 4-year old girl at a "symphony in the parks" event can pull it off.

Originally posted by Flinty_McFlint
If it's for a small kid who won't care anyway, it might not be a bad idea to have something the attendees can do--say, watch a football game, drink themselves blind, etc.

No problem with football and beer at my house. He wants to do it at the game. I should add that both the attending grandparents are British, so as you may imagine, they are not real big football fans. Plus, the cake will probably melt on the tailgate.

[baltassoc]

Originally posted by TexLex
No problem with football and beer at my house. He wants to do it at the game.

I hate to be negative, but you are married to either a madman or an idiot.

A one-year old at a football game? With a tailgate party of some sort? In November (I realize it's in Texas, but it could still be cold. Or at least cool. Okay, not blazing hot.)? And you're going to feed the kid cake?

1) It's not going to be fun for the kid, who'll have to sit still waaaaaay longer than he wants to. 2) It's not going to be fun for the adults, mainly because of 1). 3) Fewer people can participate on a casual basis (i.e. neighbor pops in to drop off cool toy and grab a piece of cake on the way to taking kid to soccer game).

Unless, of course, you have access to a skybox of some sort. Then I take it all back. That would actually be pretty cool. We're trying to swing this for baltspawn birthday number 3, but they (a)really like baseball and (b) will be 3.

ETA: Upon rereading, I don't think I adequately conveyed how much this would suck. Especially for the kid, and therefore the parents. No way you're getting to stay until halftime.

Originally posted by baltassoc
you are married to...a madman...

Possibly. He obviously hasn't thought this through and I can guarantee it won't happen anyway, because I won't be there and if I'm not there the kid won't be there either (I wear the boobies in this family!). We will have a normal party between naps at home on Sunday so Mr. Lex can enjoy his game on Sat.

-T(I can hear someone jabbering in his crib when he should have been asleep 45+min ago.)L

[tmdiva]

Originally posted by Oliver_Wendell_Ramone
I wouldn't normally think of Wagner's "Flying Duchman" as dance music. But, somehow, a 4-year old girl at a "symphony in the parks" event can pull it off.

Dude, PM me next time you're going to hit one of these--I'd love to see Magnus and Ruth Bader having their first dance together.

tm

VM --

It looks like you didn't get any answers to your own party question, while you were answering others'.

1) Yes, you should invite the whole street over, even though it'll be more of a pain than it seems now and you'll spend more attention on the neighbors than you really probably want to at a birthday party. You can't do a clown on the lawn and not invite everyone. The good news is you'll have fulfilled your social obligations for a while.

2) There is no need to serve adult food at a 2 y.o. birthday party, esp. if it's midafternoon. Expect that most of the adults will take a piece of cake (if you get a large sheetcake you can always cut pieces based on how many people show up).

Good luck!

Originally posted by viet_mom
The Babe turns two and I was going to have just the cousins over around 2 pm on a Sunday (only day available) for cake and have the clown from last year do his thing for an hour at about 3 pm. But....I don't know what to do about the neighbors, all of whom have kids (at least 2; all young) because none of us have fences, our yards all sort of go together and they'll all see the clown. I've met many of the families already and some have brought "welcome" gifts.

My feeling is the more the merrier so I would welcome the kids over. But do I go around to the different houses and give personal invites (I don't have phone numbers yet) and can I just serve sheet cake for the kids and not even have food offerings for the adults?