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Single momhood and other things
Oct. 15th, 2007 03:11 amIt's just me and Alan for the next 2 days - Mark had to go to a convention in Chicago (the Direct Marketing Association one) for work from 10/14 to 10/16 - his first business trip and sadly timed :( So early Sunday morning I drove him to the airport, bringing Alan for the ride. (Fortunately we live only 20 minutes from Newark airport). We then went home and crashed for another 2 hours.
Then we went to Shoprite for some stuff. After that it was time for soccer. His team won yet again - the official score says 6-1, but it was more like 10-1. Alan played goalie briefly and made a save - then our regular goalie came. Alan was so-so interested in playing - he would rather work on his robot machine (sticking branches around a tree - he has a thing for playing with big sticks). But he was happy. After that we went to my SIL's (my MIL drove). Then we came home, I did laundry and tied and finally gave him a bath, read him a new book he got for his birthday (Are You My Mother?) and we crashed. He wasn't too much underfoot between watching Nickelodeon and playing with his birthday stuff fortunately.
On Saturday, we had Alan's party. I invited 40+ kids (AM class, daycare, soccer, 2 former daycare friends, and our friend's son). We had 8 responses of yes, (and a few no's - by phone, in person, or e-mail) but I bought more stuff (goodie bag stuff, food) anyway. I rushed around in the morning, stopping in Target, picking up the grill at my MILs, and to get balloons - I managed to lose 3 balloons before they made to the car, and later the replacement 3 balloons (Thomas mylar ones) vanished - but that was the worst problem of the day.
Got the park, set up and put the grill together (a park security guy helped me out, I need 3 hands at one point and only had 2). (The grill had to be slightly disassembled to fit in my car). Started the grill, then Mark, Alan and MIL showed up with the cake, perishables and fruit salad. People came around 12 - we ended up with about 20 people, including 2 friends of ours we invited at the end - one took pictures which I hope to have soon. It ended up being mostly Alan's long time daycare friends + 2 kids from soccer (who will be in public school with Alan next year) and our friend's son and his dad.. Everyone got along and there were plans made for some of his friends and Alan to go bowling some weekend time as well go to the pumpkin patch in town next Saturday.
We ended up acquiring a party-crasher - a 7 year old girl met up with the kids while they were running around. She was very friendly and we had enough food to share anyway! The kids also enjoyed that we paid for them to go on the train around the zoo in the park and the carousel. We did have our friend's son and his dad disappear - Jeff (son) really didn't know the other kids and I think he tends to be shy unless he's one on one with Alan. (Although Alan missed Jeff's party this year due to illness, Alan would have been more social with kids he doesn't know - he was introducing Jeff to the other kids!)
Alan got nice presents, nothing to be returned. His favorite one was the Leapster my MIL bought at my suggestion - he is getting into computer games and I think is old enough to have this. We did get him his 2 favorite cartridges - Thomas and Cars which didn't hurt. I like the Leapster - I played it a bit, the content of the games is not really for me, but I can handle the level of dexterity (cars don't go off the road easily) that it expects - wish all video games were at that level! Oddly enough NO one gave him Thomas anything (it was on the invite as a Thomas party) - I guess they figured he had it all!
We did have some food left - we gave some meat to my MIL (and saved some for my SIL). I had extra goodie bags, so I gave them to the other members of his soccer team on Sunday who hadn't come - we had a full team for a change! (I have cookies for his classes today - can't wait till it's just 1 class next year!)
Anyway, I should go back to sleep - I need to wrap Alan's present in the AM (a little thomas write on book). And tonight I'll get Wendy's (kids meal) with him - he deserves a treat.
I'll post party photos when I get them from our friend - I'm looking forward to seeing them.
Then we went to Shoprite for some stuff. After that it was time for soccer. His team won yet again - the official score says 6-1, but it was more like 10-1. Alan played goalie briefly and made a save - then our regular goalie came. Alan was so-so interested in playing - he would rather work on his robot machine (sticking branches around a tree - he has a thing for playing with big sticks). But he was happy. After that we went to my SIL's (my MIL drove). Then we came home, I did laundry and tied and finally gave him a bath, read him a new book he got for his birthday (Are You My Mother?) and we crashed. He wasn't too much underfoot between watching Nickelodeon and playing with his birthday stuff fortunately.
On Saturday, we had Alan's party. I invited 40+ kids (AM class, daycare, soccer, 2 former daycare friends, and our friend's son). We had 8 responses of yes, (and a few no's - by phone, in person, or e-mail) but I bought more stuff (goodie bag stuff, food) anyway. I rushed around in the morning, stopping in Target, picking up the grill at my MILs, and to get balloons - I managed to lose 3 balloons before they made to the car, and later the replacement 3 balloons (Thomas mylar ones) vanished - but that was the worst problem of the day.
Got the park, set up and put the grill together (a park security guy helped me out, I need 3 hands at one point and only had 2). (The grill had to be slightly disassembled to fit in my car). Started the grill, then Mark, Alan and MIL showed up with the cake, perishables and fruit salad. People came around 12 - we ended up with about 20 people, including 2 friends of ours we invited at the end - one took pictures which I hope to have soon. It ended up being mostly Alan's long time daycare friends + 2 kids from soccer (who will be in public school with Alan next year) and our friend's son and his dad.. Everyone got along and there were plans made for some of his friends and Alan to go bowling some weekend time as well go to the pumpkin patch in town next Saturday.
We ended up acquiring a party-crasher - a 7 year old girl met up with the kids while they were running around. She was very friendly and we had enough food to share anyway! The kids also enjoyed that we paid for them to go on the train around the zoo in the park and the carousel. We did have our friend's son and his dad disappear - Jeff (son) really didn't know the other kids and I think he tends to be shy unless he's one on one with Alan. (Although Alan missed Jeff's party this year due to illness, Alan would have been more social with kids he doesn't know - he was introducing Jeff to the other kids!)
Alan got nice presents, nothing to be returned. His favorite one was the Leapster my MIL bought at my suggestion - he is getting into computer games and I think is old enough to have this. We did get him his 2 favorite cartridges - Thomas and Cars which didn't hurt. I like the Leapster - I played it a bit, the content of the games is not really for me, but I can handle the level of dexterity (cars don't go off the road easily) that it expects - wish all video games were at that level! Oddly enough NO one gave him Thomas anything (it was on the invite as a Thomas party) - I guess they figured he had it all!
We did have some food left - we gave some meat to my MIL (and saved some for my SIL). I had extra goodie bags, so I gave them to the other members of his soccer team on Sunday who hadn't come - we had a full team for a change! (I have cookies for his classes today - can't wait till it's just 1 class next year!)
Anyway, I should go back to sleep - I need to wrap Alan's present in the AM (a little thomas write on book). And tonight I'll get Wendy's (kids meal) with him - he deserves a treat.
I'll post party photos when I get them from our friend - I'm looking forward to seeing them.
