Needed: A Head Examination

When LP was an infant the Hoos and I were unsure of how to develop relationships with the other families in her day care class. We recognized people, and in some cases even knew their names, but basically our interactions were limited to a "hi" and "bye" at drop-off and pick-up. We felt that it would be important both for our social lives and the social life of LP to build some sort of network with her friends and their parents.

Fortunately, several of the other parents in the class were not as new to the whole parenthood thing as they had older children. They recognized our need, and stepped up and offered to hold a brunch at their home for the "Firefly Class" families. It was really nice and two years later I am now friends with a few of them, going on mom dates, swapping stories and advice, and chilling on the playground in the spring and summer.

Alas, the time has come for me to be the seasoned mom. The parents in AK's class have been emailing and dancing around the whole idea of getting together. They all appeared to be casting furtive glances at the group through email suggestions, but no one was willing to take the plunge and offer up their home for a brunch. So, of course, I did. And now I am wondering what the heck I was thinking.

For some reason the email list (from our "parent representative") is not complete, with only nine families in on the conversation. Of these nine, five responded within seconds of me extending the invitation that they would love to come to the brunch. So far that is 10 people and five babies, not including us.

One of the other moms suggested, to me only and not the entire email list (thank goodness) that perhaps we should put up a sign in the infant classroom about the brunch. I quickly shot that idea down. I am not trying to be mean and exclusive, but there are 16 kids in AK's class. If you do that math there is the potential for 48 people to attend this little shin dig. Our home, while lovely, is quite cozy. I don't mind shoe-horning people in, but there is no way that 48 people could fit into it. As it is I am petrified of the potential for 27 people.

Regardless, it will be very nice to forge relationships with a new set of parents. The other moms seem very excited at the prospect as well and they are going to be bringing over a boatload of food. I am sure LP will enjoy being the big cheese, overseeing a group of mostly immobile munchkins (with my luck half of them will learn how to crawl over the next couple of weeks).