On Partying and Parenting

It's that most wonderful time of the year when there are lots of holiday parties.  These parties tend to be in the evening, and often start at Lucy's bedtime.  This always leaves us with the question of whether or not we should bring her along. We have a couple of babysitter possibilities, but when we broach the subject with Lucy, it goes like this:

Bridget: Rebecca is coming over on Thursday evening.
Lucy: I DON'T WANT TO BE BABYSAT!
Bridget: But you like Rebecca.  You had a great time with her last time.
Lucy: I DON'T WANT TO BE BABYSAT!  Are you going to a movie?  I can go to a movie now!
Bridget: We're not going to a movie.  We're going to a.....thing for Daddy's work.
Lucy: Is it a party?  I want to go.

So you see, it's a problem.  But we got our babysitter despite Lucy's outcry.  And in fact, she does have a very nice time with Rebecca, despite the protests.  So last night was the party, and I began to feel that the world was conspiring against my going:

First, the babysitter didn't have a car due to some unusual circumstances.  No problem: I would pick her up and drop her off. 

Next: I have a cold with a nasty cough and have been feeling pretty awful.  But I decided that a night out would be good. 

Next: I am dressed and ready to go. The babysitter is here, getting situated.  I am in the bathroom with Lucy.  She throws up.  Directly onto me.  Wow.  So I'm trying to calculate the process of getting her cleaned up, me cleaned up, getting all of us back into the car to take Rebecca home, call it a night.  But Lucy is miraculously saying that she feels fine.  She's fine.  Can she watch Dora?  With Rebecca?  So after consultation with Jake (who is at work, waiting for me) and Rebecca (who very kindly tells me that her brother used to make himself throw up when he didn't want to do something), I decide to change and go.  Right on.  Vomiting child WILL NOT STOP ME.  (Quick, call the "Best Parent in the World" prize committee!)

After a drive to pick up Jake, and then a drive to the party, we end up circling for 45 minutes -- I am not exaggerating, it was 45 minutes -- in order to find a place to park in Davis Square (this is not, I suppose, an entirely unusual thing in this neighborhood).  It was nuts.

But finally, we made it: to Sacco's Bowl Haven.  They have candlepin bowling.  And they have pizza.  And beer.  And it was awesome.  It was our first time doing the candlepin bowling, and we're hooked. ALL work parties should involve bowling.

And they even had a goodie bag for Lucy.  All the other kids of the folks at the office were there, so we were feeling, again, like candidates for that "Best Parents Ever (NOT)" award.  But she really was having a a fine time with Rebecca.  And we were having a fine time without her.  Hooray!

More posting should be expected tomorrow: Lucy's school's Winter Songfest is this afternoon, and there's sure to be something to say!