The oddest birthday party setup/situation that you have encountered

[Anonymous]

I want to speak up for the goat-renter--we were just at the petting zoo in Central Park. The goats were the most fun of all the animals we saw--tons of personality, made us laugh, were very creative in getting food from people (you could buy it for a quarter a handful).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Birthday party for 1 year old on a Saturday at 1. Pizza, soda, cake, so far good time. Lots of parents and kids that knew each other. 1 year old birthday child's naptime was 2. Mother brought child to room to start naptime routine while father continued party (bringing out more dessert, drinks) as we all tried to leave. Father insisted we all stay "no need to leave just because baby's sleeping" and kept bringing out drinks, Mother joined in when she came back out BUT at the same time insisting everyone be very quiet and only whisper.
So we are trying to whisper our goodbyes, having beverages put in our hands, being chastised simultaneously for being too loud and asked to stay a little longer.

LOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Birthday party for 1 year old on a Saturday at 1. Pizza, soda, cake, so far good time. Lots of parents and kids that knew each other. 1 year old birthday child's naptime was 2. Mother brought child to room to start naptime routine while father continued party (bringing out more dessert, drinks) as we all tried to leave. Father insisted we all stay "no need to leave just because baby's sleeping" and kept bringing out drinks, Mother joined in when she came back out BUT at the same time insisting everyone be very quiet and only whisper.
So we are trying to whisper our goodbyes, having beverages put in our hands, being chastised simultaneously for being too loud and asked to stay a little longer.

LOL

I'm the PP of the "ssshhh" party....the best part is that we actually stayed for awhile and whispered to each other, other guests, the other 1-3 years olds, to please the hosts and make like it was totally normal and we're having a good time. When we see this couple, we still go back and forth with each other about if we should have left, were we really supposed to stay and whisper, etc. All in a whisper, of course

[Anonymous]

DS age 2 was invited to a birthday party for a daycare buddy. The family had a handful of snacks for the (few dozen) kids & parents, and then off to the side there were two buffet-type tables set up with copious amount of food - but there was a clear plastic cover draped over that table. A clown performed in the backyard and people ate a few chips and goldfish. After a little time went by, the cake came out and we ate it in the blazing sun.

We were then all hustled out of there, because birthday boy's relatives had begun to arrive. As DH and I left, birthday boy's mother was removing the clear plastic from the buffet tables and fussing with the copious amounts of food and drink, preparing them for her second round of guests.

Weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can cite many examples of ginormous Cleveland Park homes (usually paid for or owned by grandparents since the couple with the kid usually worked for politically perfect ngo's or had cutsie "cool jobs" as documentary producers or some such sh*t) where there were "stations" for the 3-4 yo to shuttle through, an elaborate spongy or felt "craft"and a hay maze in the backyard. In 90º weather, they eccentrically had no air conditioning in the house and I had to beg the hostess for a dusty glass of tepid tap water. Then there was there was the party in the Palisades at a 4 story, Martha Stewart perfect mansion complete with 4 flights of tightly winding stairs (which was awesome to navigate with 3 yo) Of course, there were "station activities" on each floor. The crowning moment was when the hostess stood in front of the group bewildered parents that had been sequestered to the back porch. She forced us to all smoosh in together and say: "cheese" for a photo-op with her GIGANTIC Canon 7D that was so unwieldy that as she went to focus the lens she lost her footing and fell face first down into the porch in front us and actually smashed the camera to the floor. I don't generally laugh at such things but, many snickers were stifled while feigning attempts were made to help her get off the ground. She was physically unhurt but her pride and her 3k+ Canon were totaled. If the hostess is reading this now, just know you will NEVER be forgotten.

I've enjoyed (and been horrified at) most of these stories, but you sound kind of bitter, PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS age 2 was invited to a birthday party for a daycare buddy. The family had a handful of snacks for the (few dozen) kids & parents, and then off to the side there were two buffet-type tables set up with copious amount of food - but there was a clear plastic cover draped over that table. A clown performed in the backyard and people ate a few chips and goldfish. After a little time went by, the cake came out and we ate it in the blazing sun.

We were then all hustled out of there, because birthday boy's relatives had begun to arrive. As DH and I left, birthday boy's mother was removing the clear plastic from the buffet tables and fussing with the copious amounts of food and drink, preparing them for her second round of guests.

Weird.

I've had this happen as well though not at a little kid's party. At a HS graduation party scheduled to start about 6 pm, the guests were fed nothing for the first hr. Then there were some limited appetizers -- samosas and Indian snack food, which I love, but not everyone ate as we grew up in the middle of no where and many of the grad's school friends had never tasted ethnic food. 8 pm rolled around and then 9 - at which point there was still no dinner service. All of us school friends bailed at that point and hit the fast food joints on the way home. As we were leaving, the dinner buffet was starting to be set out. It was clear that the grad's parents viewed this as a party for their friends and family and the "school friends" were token invites; we were supposed to stop in with presents and then leave so the real party could start. Years later it still leaves a bad taste and I don't understand why the 18 yr old grad even invited her friends if that's how she and her family was going to treat them. If you can rent out a ballroom venue for a high school graduation, you can certainly afford to feed everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you know they were in bed? Did they actually tell you?!

Through a mutual friend. They were college students and so embarrassed they couldn't cop to it or answer any of my calls. I almost lost my job after meeting my husband, so I understood. And I think they're still together.

[Anonymous]

PS - they're not local, and they don't do parties anymore. No worries.

[Anonymous]

My nephew's two year old birthday party, many years ago, where 4-5 children were playing in his bedroom. My brother's MIL, who is old school and very anal. Kept telling the children, over and over, "Before you play with another toy, put back the first toy where you found it!" She kept repeating this mantra over and over, to no avail. In the midst of this, toys strewn literally everywhere. I was trying so hard not to laugh I had stomach cramps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I want to speak up for the goat-renter--we were just at the petting zoo in Central Park. The goats were the most fun of all the animals we saw--tons of personality, made us laugh, were very creative in getting food from people (you could buy it for a quarter a handful).

I love goats--they're delicious. Only kidding, I just wanted to know the context.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS age 2 was invited to a birthday party for a daycare buddy. The family had a handful of snacks for the (few dozen) kids & parents, and then off to the side there were two buffet-type tables set up with copious amount of food - but there was a clear plastic cover draped over that table. A clown performed in the backyard and people ate a few chips and goldfish. After a little time went by, the cake came out and we ate it in the blazing sun.

We were then all hustled out of there, because birthday boy's relatives had begun to arrive. As DH and I left, birthday boy's mother was removing the clear plastic from the buffet tables and fussing with the copious amounts of food and drink, preparing them for her second round of guests.

Weird.

I've had this happen as well though not at a little kid's party. At a HS graduation party scheduled to start about 6 pm, the guests were fed nothing for the first hr. Then there were some limited appetizers -- samosas and Indian snack food, which I love, but not everyone ate as we grew up in the middle of no where and many of the grad's school friends had never tasted ethnic food. 8 pm rolled around and then 9 - at which point there was still no dinner service. All of us school friends bailed at that point and hit the fast food joints on the way home. As we were leaving, the dinner buffet was starting to be set out. It was clear that the grad's parents viewed this as a party for their friends and family and the "school friends" were token invites; we were supposed to stop in with presents and then leave so the real party could start. Years later it still leaves a bad taste and I don't understand why the 18 yr old grad even invited her friends if that's how she and her family was going to treat them. If you can rent out a ballroom venue for a high school graduation, you can certainly afford to feed everyone.

Okay - just a different perspective - that timing is totally standard for Indian parties. I wouldn't come to the conclusion based on the food alone. In fact, serving dinner too early is seen as pushing your guests out; two rounds of food is meant to be hospitable to people for the whole duration of the party. I am so sorry it came across like that. I bet theirr families thought you didn't like being around their family and left early for that reason. Again, dinner service at 9 or 10 is totally standard for a big Indian party. Also, a party starting at six, guests aren't expected to arrive until 7 at least. Everyone is told to come at the same time. (Indian Standard Time, as we call it). Please don't stew on that - they weren't being rude, it's just that the cultural norms are different than what you're used to. That being said, your friend probably should have warned you. At my mehndi (pre-wedding party) some of my non-Indian guests didn't realize dinner was coming (at 9) and loaded up on appetizers. For the wedding the next day, word was out that there was going to be dinner served later, so people paced themselves appropriately.

[Anonymous]

^ Im not Indian, and even I know that. In fact, I find this to be true for my Indian, Iranian, and Pakistani friends.

It is sad that the poster was so sheltered she had no idea this is pretty standard and instead chose to take offense.

[Anonymous]

We also unfortunately wound up at a party (dh's boss at the time) where no guests were allowed in the house, everyone sat or stood outside in the yard on a hot July day.
After a couple hours I needed to pee! I knocked on the sliding glass door..through the door I could see about a half dozen family members sitting and chatting in the kitchen at the dining table.
They gave me dirty looks when I asked to use the restroom, the person who answered my knock sighed and grudgingly directed me to the basement toilet. Later a coworker told DH everyone was supposed to use a port a potty they had rented. Which I didn't even see, it was on the other side of the house or something.

OMG I could not wait to get out of there, felt so unwelcome, and my youngest was about 4 or 5 and getting overheated and cranky. We got the hell out of there as soon as we could politely extract ourselves.

If you don't want anyone in your house, don't host!

[Anonymous]

Re parties that are held outdoors:

My husband is from the Midwest, and we've attended parties back there where teh entire party is held either in the garage or a garage/driveway/outside combo. I thought it was the saddest thing like maybe the people had just moved in and had not yet had their houses set up to entertain, and wondered why the heck these folks didn't just wait to entertain until they were ready. I admired all the other guests and how they could "pretend" that this was wonderfully fun when, really, it was kind of sad and boring and not really fun to be in a party in someone's garage. I thought everyone was just more loose and flexible and easygoing than I, and reminded myself to just loosen up and enjoy it.

COME TO FIND OUT: per my husband, this is customary. It's basically done all the freaking time, like for Memorial Day picnics, Indy 500 parties, Labor Day, housewarming, BBQs, you name it. I call it a "garage party" but I don't know if they have an official name for it. I don't know WHY the heck they do it. My DH was so used to it he cannot even explain really why, except maybe to prevent everyone from making a mess inside your house? But then I say, then why hold a party at all?? He cannot really explailn it.

So, this is all to say: this is the weirdest type of party I have been too!! A Midwestern "garage" party: a party of any sort which is basically held in the garage! Yuck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Went to a one year old's party at an exclusive country club in Lima, Peru. A hundred guests at least, dressed to the nines, uniformed nannies chased children around while gorgeous adults partied. There were rented amusement park rides, popcorn, cotton candy, sno cone machines, bouncy house of course, and a professional photog to document it all. There was also a cake cutting moment just like a wedding. In fact, it was a lot like an expensive wedding.

Anyone else attended one of these? I was astonished, but had a great time.

Not that unusual in DC--I used to go to one like this every year for some twins who live in Crestwood--they basically have a carnival in their yard. --it's not a show off thing so much as it is a thank you to the friends and community that support their family business--it's PR. They could probably write it off on their taxes...almost!