Birthday Party - a personal ramble

Whenever I have conflicts with self and the stubborn voice inside tells something opposite of the polite/proper/necessary/civilized/etc voice, I know I should always listen to the stubborn voice. That voice usually takes good care of me when the civilized voice takes care of everybody else.

Tonight I attended a kid's bday party hosted by a one-time great friend. I didn't listen to the little egotistical voice. So instead I had 45 minutes to mull in my head how disappointing our meeting was as I drove home.

I tried to sort out what exactly ticked me off. I know it wasn't the fact that I didn't get the memo re: >3.5 heeled shoes - self and some senior citizen were the only 2 grown up women with flats on. When this was pointed out to the friend, I was told ' you know how my parties are.' 'Now I know' was all I can say.

Maybe that was it. I didn't know what I got myself into. Having an inkling is not quite the same thing as stepping right into something. And it's rather hard to find someone who wants to exchange small talk with you when you don't have the uniform on. I did succeed to have a quite pleasant conversation with the senior citizen (not once mentioning the only thing we had in common). As for my friend - we barely exchanged a few words. I know the hosts are usually busy, but that busy?

I didn't know how her parties were, and I no longer knew her either. Even if I put on my 4" Stewart Weitzmans (the skinniest and highest heels I've got), she and I wouldn't have much to say besides our mutual admiration for each other's kids and our assurances how much we missed each other/hope to see each other soon.

Another one of life's disappointments to note and get over with. And a lesson to listen to the little voice, politely excuse self from attending bday parties, and send gifts by mail.

Addendum (March 30th): I just got an email from Banana Republic with their 'most wanted' list. Apparently, 4" heels are in. Back to the cave I go.

Why I shouldn't organize parties

Though lists are not my thing, this time I decided to follow SubjugatedWife and Dave Letterman and make a list of reasons why I shouldn't organize any more parties in the near future:

1-I'm not organized. I never was but now my disorganization's reached glorious hights;
2-It's been years since I enjoyed a large crowd;
3-It's been years since I enjoyed a small crowd;
4-The art of mingling eludes me;
5-I kept forgetting whom I've invited to the party;
6-Ditto for who RSVPed;
7-I felt bad for people who are bored at my party;
8-The party didn't get intended results;
9-I got too much exposure with those whom I had to invite and insufficient exposure with those whom I actually wanted to see;
10-There were obvious clicks at my party!

Birthday party vs potty chair

In order to see ( or hear ) similarities in these you either have to be one who's ESL or a 22 month old.

On Sunday Eh, SiM, and I went to visit Papi and Beddy. Then, SiM stayed with Papi and I drove back home with Eh. On the way home I told Eh that we were going to go to a birthday party, and asked her if she was excited to go. Eh said "Mama, Eti, Abba go birday potty chair". I didn't even catch on right away. So I told her, yes, Eh is going to come home and go on potty chair and then we are going to a birthday party. So she repeated " birthday potty chair' story a few times more until I finally realized what she was saying.
I presume it was a combination of my accent and her toddler associations- she is well aware of what a potty chair is but the concept of party was new to her.
Anyway, once we arrived to the birthday potty chair, Eh had a blast - danced a lot, ate her favorite bread with hummy, and even had a big cookie ( though she she only ate less than 1/2 a cookie and said ' no more').
By the way, this was the rescheduled birthday party ( chair) that didn't happen a couple of weeks ago... I didn't tell my friend Eh's name for the even- these things can so easily be misunderstood.

A very happy unbirthday

One of my friends invited us to her daughter's 2nd bday party. The party was called for 6:30p on a Sunday, approx 1 hour drive from us.
When I first got the verbal invitation (approx 10 days prior), both of my kids had colds so I told my friend there is a chance we won't come.
Then, as the happy day was getting closer, I was a bit disgruntled about the whole party idea- 630p on the day when the clock was changed was , for all intents and purposes, 7:30 for my daughter. And, that's her bedtime. Then, there's the 1 hour drive, etc, etc, etc
Eventually, hubs, I and Eh decided to go.Eh was chosen to attend since, after all, it was someone's 2nd bday party
I spend over an hour picking out a bday gift and a house warming gift (we were going to friend's house for the first time. yay!), Eh got dressed in a pretty new outfit. I even put on some make up for the occasion.
Sis came to us to babysit SiM. So, off we went ( somehow managing to leave the house close to the time the party was called for).
Husband asked me to call and say that we are on our way.
When I called my friend, she told me the party was cancelled. Her daughter was sick with high fever the night before, they spent the whole night in the ER, and the party was cancelled by 12 noon... (The natural question that was running through my mind was "Where was I when the cancellation happened?!" She went on to say that since I initially told her that I wasn't sure re: our attendence, and since I didn't call to ask for directions,she thought I won't come. Blah!
At that point, hubs made a uturn (thankfully we didn't get too far) and said that since we are all prepped up, might as well go to the city for dinner (!).
However, to my embarrassment and for the first time in my history, I declined an invitation to have dinner in the city ( possibly because of our little company who, in the meantime, was enjoying the ride with parents).
In the end, we settled on a restaurant in BP (the next best thing to the city:)).
Eh got a hotdog with KETSUP (or I should probably say ketsup with hotdog on a side) and was one of the best behaved kids in high chairs with a white cloth napkin for a bib. We even got a compliment on her good behavior from a mom of a squirming toddler sitting 2 tables away from us. She also enjoyed some chicken soup, and fries.
Then, to treat her, we ordered dessert. But it took the waiter a looooooong time to get it -Eh got a bit cranky waiting for it. And once it came, a little upside down cake didn't seem to impress her. However, she very much enjoyed the ice cream that came with it. And we just loooved watching her ( and of course, helping out with the upside down cake).
This was the first time the 3 of us went out since Pesach. A very happy unbirthday ( which was close to celebrating Eh's 22 month bday but not quite it), thanks to my friend for cancelling the party!
PS. Friend's daughter is feeling better...