Results tagged “parties” from Momtourage: Blogger Knows Best

  Halloween has really become like another holiday in our culture.  This year, with it falling on a Saturday, the madness was really ramped up another notch.  Lily and her cousins trick-or-treated for hours.  The day culminated in a rousing Halloween pizza party complete with 10 screaming, costumed kids.  Here's a picture of Lily as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, her cousin as Raggedy Ann and her other cousin as the Naked Cowboy (from Times Square Fame - he's always an original this kid, no psuedo-edgy Harry Potter stuff for this munchkin).  Don't worry, he was wearing a full body stocking with long underwear underneath.....but with all that sugar coarsing through his veins he couldn't feel a thing anyway.

Lily's class had an Easter slash Passover party last week.  She absolutely adores both holidays so the party was a real treat for her.  I have to admit I love spring too...in fact I wish it would show up one of these days...it's cold as ever and miserable here in the northeast.  So, any kind of celebration that marks a change of season is always welcome to us.  Her teacher asked us all to donate $5 for the supplies so I didn't even have to bake for this party.....I'm loving her teacher more every day.

Do you remember Bushs' ball gowns and boots inaugural party dress theme?  I know, it's all a blurred bad memory now.  Well, we came up with a variation on that theme for this holiday season: Exhibit A - see Lily on the left.  This is what people all over the country will look like this holiday season: all decked out with snow boots.  Don't you just love Lily's deep turquoise party dress...with her pink snowboots??  We attended my husband's annual Christmas Is For Kids office party last Friday during the snowstorm.  We braved the sleet, snow and falling temps for a fabulous time at a Downtown hotel in Manhattan....and it was all worth it.  Happy Holidays dear readers!!  Love, your Funny Mom

I don't know about you but I'm getting the feeling that America is like a junkie looking for it's last big fix before rehab in the new year.  Open bar!   It's like the fall of Rome.  To hell with reality and cost cutting, let's just have a big ole Holiday Party and forget our troubles...that seems to be the mentality in New York City.  However, my husband's company (forever making wise choices) literally gave their employees a choice this year:  big company wide holiday party or bonus.  Thank goodness they chose the bonus.  His department will still have their much looked forward too gathering (pot luck style).  After the news last night that the senate did not pass the bail out for the auto industry, I wonder if all those big financial firms down town will still be having their holiday parties...hopefully they'll be byob this year.  Lily's Kindergarten class is still having the prerequisite cupcake party.....now that I can afford.  Is your company still having a holiday party?  If so, what changes have been made to it?  Now just be thankful you still have a job.

I've written about it before in past blogs, juice boxes are full of sugar.  Lily's class is going to have a little Halloween party next week.  I was elected to bring the juice boxes.   Now considering how much sugar these little munchkins will be consuming later that day and at the party (with all those sugary, frosted baked treats), I'm bringing lowfat milk and wateroos instead of juice boxes.  I'm sure none of the kids will be like, "It's not apple juice?!"  Well if they do who cares anyway?!  What's the matter little Johnny?  Need a fix?  Juice boxes are like a gateway drug for meth.

This post was inspired by a recent opinion piece in Cookie Magazine entitled "Party Police" by Sally Schultheiss. The author seemed to echo some of the questions I had regarding the abundance of birthday invitations with stipulations, particularly "no presents, please."

I too, am guilty of stating this on an invitation for my elder son's first birthday. We wanted a low-key celebration, thought he was too young to miss gifts (and deemed it unnecessary), and many of the folks we wanted to invite were friends from the neighborhood, and we didn't want them to feel obliged. To my surprise, nearly all of the attendants brought gifts, ranging from a small board book to an obnoxious bright plastic ride-on/push toy that played a peppy tune resembling "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt," that of course, grabbed the attention of all the kids present.

But since so many people ignored my request, I now feel that I would appear cheap or thoughtless if I come empty handed to any party, even when no presents are requested. Sally seconds this: "Should I listen and risk being shown up by others who've ignored the stated wish? Or should I bring something and risk the host's annoyance?" And while many parents preach that they don't want the excess, I agree with Sally, when she asks, "what kid doesn't want presents?" I remember that that was part of the fun of having a party when I was a kid--though I definitely could do without the opening of presents ceremony during the party while everyone watches.

Another mom told me that she added the line: "In lieu of gifts, please consider making a donation to the following charity ___, or another of your own choice." She included information about the organization and said that she didn't receive presents from guests, except from relatives.

I'm wondering: Are we denying our kids the pleasure of presents on their birthday or teaching them that it's about celebrating with loved ones (and of course, having cake), and not about material gains?

Here's our friend Lora looking very pregnant at my friend Gen's barbeque on Sunday.  The barbeque rocked, the kids were in the pool for about four hours.  Gen & Lora are part of my Brooklyn Momtourage.  Lora was scheduled for a C Section this Friday (7/25).  However, she was experiencing some pre-labor pains at the table that were intense.  With her first child, she went 5 weeks early so she hadn't experienced the 'final week' before.  I have.  All I could think was 'you're at the end kiddo'.  We were all thinking that......it doesn't take a genius.

Well, we were right!  (We should start charging.)  Lora delivered a healthy, 5lb 11 oz, baby girl yesterday - Gianna Grace.   We're all so happy for her and her husband.  It's so exciting, can't wait to meet the newest member of our tot-tourage.  Welcome to the world Gianna Grace!!

I went to a baby shower this weekend.  I was a little disgusted and surprised when I received the invitation as the mother-to-be is not a first time mom and her first child is only 4.  It was weird.  I had the strangest sense of deja vu as I can even remember what I gave her for her first shower.  This is her second child but she's expecting a girl this time so her family felt compelled to have yet another one for her.  They were kind of aware they were pushing the limits of taste too as they called it a Baby Sprinkle.  They just should have called it what it was, "Another Opportunity For Someone Else To Spend Money On My Children" or  "Oh you're pregnant again, here take my wallet."

This is up there with the people who get divorced and married again but have the nerve to invite their friends to another bridal shower.  I'm like, "Just use the gift I gave you for your first marriage...if you didn't already break it over his head."  Actually, I stand corrected.  Maybe a second bridal shower is appropriate after divorce as he may have taken half her stuff. 

Any rate, back to the second baby shower.  Have you ever heard of such a thing?!  Is this just a New York thing?  People in this state spend $30k on confirmation parties so I guess the new trend of having more than one baby shower per mom per child is not such a stretch.  7 of the 7 women at my table were all surprised too.  In fact, when my friend Carol (also a friend of the mother-to-be) asked the sister-in-law why she was having yet another shower the woman became all defensive and said, "It's the new thing.  Haven't you heard?" 

Have you heard?  Am I behind on this?  What do you think?  I'm a little peeved.  The mom-to-be-again was also very shocked by the shower (and slightly embarrassed), she said to us on the Q.T., "I'm grateful and it's lovely to see everyone again but this isn't my first."

That's right, I love my friends but they're expensive.  We just attended our third confirmation party this year and it's only May.  We love the parties, we love being included in the guest list, we love seeing our friends and better yet partying with them but for the love of god, I hope they don't have any more children.

I don't know where you live but here in NY (and NJ) for that matter, family celebrations are huge, expensive events.  I have a friend in Kansas City whose daughter's confirmation barbecue was held in their back yard and attended by only 20 people - and that was enough.  Here, confirmations, communions, sweet sixteens all rival weddings.  Between ordering invitations, planning the menu, buying the dress, I look at these parties as Weddings 101 for parents because they seem to be practising for the big day.

Celebrate Mother's Day Weekend with MAMA'S NIGHT OUT. 

Just wanted to let you know that the hilarious comedy show (if I do say so myself) MAMA'S NIGHT OUT is coming to the Avalon Theatre, Easton, MD this Friday for a special Mother's Day weekend show.  See here for more details. 

MAMA'S NIGHT OUT is comedy by mothers for everyone.

  When the temperature outside drops and the weather turns nasty, we head for indoor play spaces.  Thankfully, we have many in Brooklyn that we frequent, it's the one saving grace to being an urban parent.  My friend and fellow comedian Karen Morgan lives in Maine.  The closest thing they have to an indoor play space is her local PetSmart store.  She tells her kids it's an indoor zoo. 

When I was growing up indoor play spaces were called something else:  other people's houses.  Today, between most moms working and daycare, Lily and I have made many lasting friendships at play spaces that graduated into play dates.  An Indoor play space is like a mom's MySpace:  you can network with other lonely, desperate women who are dying to speak with someone over 3 years old.  And if you're new to the indoor play space or party gym experience, it won't take you long to get over the whole ball pit phobia thing.  I think all the germs they pick up in the ball pit only make them stronger in the long run.  In fact, when Lily dives into a ball pit now I literally hear that song Stronger by Kanye West in my head. 

I can't live without my weekly dose of Project Runway, so you can imagine how excited I was the day Laura Bennett came to visit the iVillage offices. She's a modern mom juggling marriage, six kids and an incredible career as a fashion designer. We just had to find out how she does it all -- and we had to share her secrets with you. So each month, Laura will apppear in Laura Bennett: Case Clothed, as a colorful crusader for all style-conscious moms. She's on hand every month (and just in time for those holiday parties) to help you turn your fashion basics into a fashion statement. Read the comic strip (illustrated by another Project Runway alum, Robert Best!) --- and send your style dilemmas to Laura! This month, enjoy "The Case of the Party Primping Predicament."