A Different Kind of Dinner Party

It wasn't the kind where I took a long shower, did my hair and make-up and slipped into a little black dress. I did shower, however, it was with a toddler. She lined up her rubber duckies in size order and was babbling away at them. The only things I understood were "no-no!", "mama", "daddy" and "baby" for the most part. At one point the ducks were having a party and she was feeding them all cake, for sure.

After a very entertaining shower I pulled on my comfy jeans and a t-shirt. Mike was similarly attired. I didn't so much "do my hair" as brush it, which is an accomplishment when a wet almost two year old in a hooded kitty towel is circling your legs saying "meow" and tugging on you. I had planned on make-up, but I was concerned about Roo going pee-pee one more time before company came and it was diaper time.

In the end I wore no make-up and Roo was so overcome with excitement she piddled in her clothes. The guests (Boo and her Mommy), however, were not dressed in their finest, air kissing us at the door and offering over the obligatory bottle of wine. They waited, happily playing while Riley got cleaned and diapered up. We had steak for the adults and hotdogs for the kiddos. The guests brought zucchini and squash to go with dinner (so much more practical than wine). When bibs and sippy cups were distributed everyone dug in or ate off their mother's plate as the case may be.

It was paper plates instead of cloth napkins. We didn't light candles for safety reasons, but we did have some flowers Mike brought me the day before in a vase.

After 3/4 of the table was done eating everyone, but the pokey little puppy made a break for the backyard. We didn't have quiet conversation we had laughter and shrieks of excitement. When I joined them out back there were tiny people barreling down the large slide, swinging and playing the sand. It was quite a spectacle. They played with the same enthusiasm until it started to get dark.

It was then that the "adults" remembered themselves and hurried everyone to the bath or car. Stillness came, but smiles hadn't faded. There had been no dessert, just play time. Brandy and cigars in the study was replaced by bath time and bedtime stories. We had the essentials of any successful dinner party though, good food and good company.

Let the Good Times Roll.