WARNING: I AM GOING TO RANT!
I am annoyed and frustrated. OK -- here is my rant.
As you know, our block has been having block parties for about 30 years (all organized by me.) Naturally --- over the years, I have seen what works... and what is a disaster. By now, we are down to things that do work -- and the block parties are fabulous fun!!!
A family with two boys, almost 10 and 14, lives up the street. The almost-10 year old is charming, adorable, lovable. His birthday is next weekend. And -- he told his mother that he wanted to have a Block Party for his birthday. (I thought that was wonderful.)
So - the mom asked me how to get the permission to close the street. I printed out the forms, and a couple of pages of notes of how things had worked well, and put them through her mail slot. (She has gone to MANY of these block parties over the years. But -- if you aren't actually doing the work -- I guess you don't really pay attention to all the behind-the-scenes work.)
Then... the mom kind of waited for me to make up the "block party notices". (We use them as invitations -- and also, post them on telephone poles as notices. I didn't move very quickly... and a few days ago, the Mom sent out "email party invitations" to the guests for her son's 10th birthday party. (Which will be AT the Block Party).
When I talked with the mom a couple of weeks ago, she had said that SHE would arrange to place tables and chairs in the street beside HER house. And that she would invite the entire families of the 10-year old boy birthday guests to come to the birthday party/Block Party. And -- cake and ice cream would be inside her house --- NOT for everyone in the neighborhood who came to the block party -- but just for the 10-year-old boy guests at the party.
THEN - today - the mom said that she had decided that the birthday guests and their families would bring their one-dish pot luck contribution into HER house. And that the tables and chairs should be set up at the other end of the street in front of my house (by me.)
So -- today I printed up the Block Party notices/invitations -- and got them duplicated on colored paper at Kinkos. (I showed the birthday Dad the notice -- and he asked that something be added to the notice. (Namely: that a "rock band" including the birthday boy and his older brother -- would play in front of THEIR house at 6:00. Okey-dokey. I made the changes and printed up the notices.)
Now -- here is my dilemma and why this is a RANT!
The birthday boy goes to the local elementary school -- and his birthday guests AND their families have been to MANY annual block parties, in the street in front of our house. There are tables with food and tables with drinks -- lots of chairs -- everyone has a great time.
The birthday families (maybe 15 families) are invited to bring their one-dish food contribution INTO the birthday house. Cake, and hot dogs and hamburgers will be prepared IN THE HOUSE by the birthday Dad. Meanwhile, the usual tables are set up in the usual block party place -- down the block in front of my house.
The birthday guests have been told to bring water pistols to the party -- and there will be a big, running, water-gun battle -- around the creek, which is next to my house. So the kids will be OUT of the birthday house -- and down by my house -- where the regular food tables and drink tables are set up as always.
When the Block Party is in full swing -- I imagine that the 15 birthday party families will walk down the street to where their block parties have always been. And -- grab some wine or some beers -- and see what looks good on the food tables and make up a plate and enjoy themselves -- as they do every year. And watch their kids having fun around the creek. And talking to friends and neighbors that they haven't seen over the winter. THIS is what they ALWAYS do at Block Parties.
HOWEVER -- these 15 families have NOT been asked to bring beverages -- and their one-pot food offering is up the street inside the birthday house. So.... they will be enjoying food and drink as they always do, in their regular spot -- but we will be SHORT the contributions of food and drink from 15 families!!!!!
So - I AM FREAKING OUT.
I will TRY to write a very cordial email to the Birthday Mom -- asking her about the food & drink issue. Remember -- I absolutely adore the birthday boy and I do NOT want to do anything to cause stress to his parents and spoil his birthday.
THANK YOU for listening to the RANT.
Over years of experience -- I have found that you must SPELL OUT what you want people to bring to the block party. In the early years -- when we said "Bring a dish to share" -- we got 10 bags of potato chips with onion dip, a box of macaroni and cheese cooked up, and 10 boxes of fudge brownie mix baked up. NOT a good dinner!
I learned that you MUST spell out: Singles & couples: Bring a Main Dish to serve 8. Families: bring a Main Dish AND a SALAD to serve 8. EVERYONE bring beverages to share: soda, lemonade, beer, wine, water. And bring paper plates, cups, utensils, napkins to share.
OK.
