I’m hoping you sense the irony in my title? “FUN: Toddlers at a fancy event” pretty much goes against everything I believe in and is frankly a walking contradiction. Was it fun? Really? Formal events are my FAVORITE. Always have been. Always will be. Fabulous dresses, wine, frilly desserts… So when my two little devils angels were graciously included on a recent formal engagement invitation, I hesitated. I must’ve asked my cousin’s mom (whose fancy event it was) if there was some sort of mistake. Honestly, we don’t have to bring the girls, I insisted. It’s no problem to find a sitter. Really. Because, let’s face it, having my little darlings with me all night meant that my champagne swishing would be kept a minimum.
I will be honest: I was NERVOUS to take them. NERVOUS that we wouldn’t have fun, NERVOUS that they’d accidentally smash something pretty and valuable, NERVOUS that they’d somehow ruin my cousin’s party just because they’re toddlers (despite my iron-hand). But we took them. Here’s how it went:
They matched the black and white decor. (Fabulous, now they’re going to think they belong at things like this.)
They sat side by side (LilMiss in her booster chair, which we brought along) and mussed with the satin napkins, banged the forks and spoons on the gold charger plates before I could whisk them away, smeared hummus and cheese on the gorgeous tablecloth and generally just ran back and forth between the main party the dance floor, the uplighting equipment and the bathrooms while squealing. ?!?!?
But they also:
Actually seemed to listen a bit and applauded when everyone else did (during the speeches), tossed back their milks and drank the rest of us under the table, danced their little hearts out and jumped up and down on the dance floor (in the middle of everyone) like someone gave them espresso shots (no, I did not) and then promptly passed out when they’d had enough.
They most likely won’t remember it, but they had the time of their lives. And, surprisingly, so did I. I used to roll my eyes at parents who talked about how they “Can’t remember what life was like before kids.” (I won’t go so far as to say that, but there is some truth to that phrase that I hate to admit.) With my devils angels in tow with us that night, the fun was bigger, the laughs were more, the memories are brighter and I think I made up for not doing any cardio last week just by chasing them around in that 4-hour period (that’s how long we lasted: from 6-10pm). This coming from a girl who “kindly” asked on my wedding invitation that children be left at home. Wow, how far I’ve come. (Or, how far I’ve fallen? You choose.) Not to mention, I only managed to have a little more than ONE HALF a glass of champagne… which saved me from a massive hangover the next day. (Hey, I’m being honest here.)
Turns out, toddlers can be pretty fabulous when they’re dressed up and want to be… As long as you don’t skimp on the snacks.
HAVE YOU EVER TAKEN A TODDLER TO A FANCY, FORMAL EVENT?
