Old-Fashioned Parties or How to Make Anything Appealing!

As summer winds down, I am finding it difficult (read:exhausting) to come up with fun, engaging ways for the moppets and I to fill the day. While I have been known to resort to the baby-sitting prowess of my BFF (TV) and his posse of electronic cohorts, I try not to use that as a way to spend the day. "Kids, guess what we get to do today! We are going to watch TV all day and play electronic games all night." Okay, maybe I have said something like that, but only if I'm really sick... or tired... or sick and tired! So, we've had our fill of DVDs, PSPs, 3DSes, and Wiis, but even those are getting old (plus the sight of my moppets, zombie-like, eyes glued to the screen, brings me joy only for the amount of time it takes to shower, after that it just kind of makes me nauseous-except when I'm already nauseous-then it just makes me thankful!)

In my desperation...er eh, desire, to come up with some exciting things to do before school starts, I stumbled upon a new/old way to put a new/old spin on things! Okay, I must admit...it's kinda brilliant! And simple! Brilliantly simple, simply brilliant-either way-yippee! It just came to me as the moppets and I were enthusiastically singing "Karma Chameleon!" I find Boy George's inspiration both surprising and delightful! And his "colors are like my dreams, red gold and green, red gold and gre-ee-een!" I don't really know what that means-but believe me, it is really inspirational!

So, here it goes. You just put the words "old-fashioned" in front of anything you do and the word "party" at the end! I know, I know, can you even stand it!?! Since Boy George's Karmic inspiration struck, we have had an "old-fashioned ice-cream party", an "old-fashioned hair braiding party" and are planning an "old-fashioned dance party" for the fall! The true beauty is, you don't really have to do anything differently! Honestly, just say the words "old-fashioned" at the beginning and add "party" at the end- and ta-dah, you have an event!!!! "Old-fashioned nail trimming party" anyone? In the past, we've had family movie night. Deciding on a movie has always been the bone of contention (and the point at which I bid adieu and it turns into "dad and moppets movie night".) Well, this time we had an "old-fashioned family movie night party." And guess what? No one argued over what movie to watch! It was like an old-fashioned party miracle! Just kidding-they still took forever to agree on a movie, but it did seem less a little less painful somehow!

I feel like I have unlocked the secret of the universe! I realize that my moppets know that there is no functional difference between having ice cream and an "old-fashioned ice cream party"- but I have to say, it has been such a great reminder of the power of attitude-both positive and negative.

(And the importance of good PR!)

This is a picture from the "Old fashioned hair braiding party"-look at their joy! Really people!?! My precious angels put their arms and legs up in a cowering, defensive pose if I even look at them with a comb in my hand! Yet they let their siblings yank, pull, detangle, retangle and braid their hair in the name of "Old-fashioned hair-braiding party" fun! What. Ever!

 I've got to go, our "old-fashioned weed-pulling party" is about to begin! Woo-Hoo!