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14-6-2009 - Sophie's first birthday party!

My mood while writing this blog: amused

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So yesterday was baby girl's first birthday party which my loving husband wanted in his home town with all his family. Ok. It's graduation weekend in a tiny backwards small virginia town and every park is reserved for parties and my MIL offers to let us have it at her house. OK. She's very controlling but was very hands off while I was planing it so I'm thinking this time will be different. And by controlling I mean she cancelled our rehearsal dinner because we told her no crab dip as one of my sisters is deathly allergic to shellfish. She called the groomsmen and changed what we'd picked out for them to wear.

Anyhow I made a menu and two days ago she called and offered to pick some stuff up so we don't have to cart everything down there so I told her my menu and asked her to grab a few things. Then she called Yesterday and told me they went ahead and bought all the meat for us. Great I"m really grateful! I tell her I'll spend the day baking the brownies, both cakes (hubby's and daughter's) and cookies. And that I'll make the cake and frost it that night at her house so that I don't have a horrible mishap in the car during our 2 hour drive. And that I'll need to put the cakes overnight in the fridge in the garage.

I get here to discover she's changed my whole menu. Instead of grilled chicken it's hamburgers and hot-dogs. She's swapped out my grilled sweet potatoes with baked beans and chili. This is mildly annoying but she's gone to a great deal of work and expense and I do appreciate it. And I do know that my family is very different and theirs may not in fact be willing to eat the fancier food I'd planned (during the party I was told I couldn't tell anyone that baby girl's cake was grapefruit cake or no one would eat it...and not to mention that there was cinnamon in the chocolate cake for hubby). She left no room for constructed cakes in the frigerator so I just slide the layers in there overnight and left the icing for the morning.

That morning I spent the two hours making frosting, frosting cakes and adding the trim and fondant flowers and butterflies I'd pre-made for DD's cake. The cakes got made, the food got set out and the decorations put up. About two hours before the party I ask my husband to put the bubbles and glow-sticks into the favor bags. She exclaimed that I hadn't pre-made the bags before coming down (all ten bags with three things in each bag...took him 5 mins to do) and then made a big deal announcing that if left on my own I'd never gotten anything done. People would have shown up to no party. Now I'm the daughter of a college professor who did massive research in physics. I've thrown tons of parties for him and my mom. With a hundred or so research scientists from around the world. But I bite my tongue and thank her for all the hard work she's done.

The other thing she insisted was that they cook all the meat about an hour beforehand. The meat was done by noon. The party was at one and the guests arrived at 2ish. Even wrapped in foil in the oven the hot-dogs and hamburgers were kinda lukewarm. Not a big deal to me but as I said culture clash was happening. In my family we start the meat as guests arrive so they can choose how they like it cooked and add cheese to burgers and such. It's one reason she thought I'd have flopped the whole party. We just have different priorities lol!

As we put out food my SIL goes to cut up my brownies to put them out. MIL tells her no she bought brownies and to put those out instead (I TOLD her on the phone I was making some). I bite my tongue again and let it slid. But I do make kick-ass brownies :O(.

We have a fabulous party, baby girl adored everything and MIL spoiled her with too many gifts. My sister (only person in my family who made it) mentioned offhand something about my dad and hubby's aunts act all shocked and surprised that I'm half Hispanic. Now I look pretty white but I've mentioned to them numerous times that I'm Hispanic often when their kids were making smart assed comments about Hispanics. How many times is this going to be news?

As I said the party itself was great. She now has a sand and water table, several dolls, toy phones and the most beautiful wardrobe ever for the end of summer. New books and so on. The kids loved Sophie, the bubble machine and glow sticks. The adults drank my sangria, ate cake and seemed to enjoy themselves. LOL and best yet hubby said as we went to bed that his mom was insane.

After the party was over his family resumed their social routine of watching TV together. I really have no interest in watching action movies but sat in the room with them to be friendly. My MIL looks at baby's pile of toys and exclaims 'Where did she get the black doll from?!'. Now first of all it isn't actually black. Looks more Indian or Arabic really. And um hello I'm not white. Do you think I'd have a problem with her playing with a non-white doll? I just told her it was the one my daughter picked out at the store. Hubby did back me up on that. LOL and the sad thing is I think she picked it out because she likes the green outfit it's wearing.

I do like his family mostly but lord do they drive me up the wall!

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6 Comments on Sophie's first birthday party!


monkeymamma - Monday, 15 Jun
Wow, I don't think I could have kept quiet on everything! Koodos to you!!!! Good to hear it all turned out well in the end.

beachmama - Monday, 15 Jun
Happy 1st birthday Sophie!!! Glad you didnt let your MIL ruin the party...to much! Sounds like all had a grand time!

erica93 - Sunday, 14 Jun
Wow, you were so patient at her party. I don't think I could I have done that. Especially with all the time you put into thinking of the menu and decorations...glad they liked the cake though!

thebigtomato - Sunday, 14 Jun
Happy birthday to Sophie! I'm sorry your MIL was so controlling and drove you batty, but you survived! I would have snapped, I think, so you're a far more patient person than I!

Cherryb0m - Sunday, 14 Jun
happy birthday sophie!! i cant beleive our babies are 1 already!!!

nmck - Sunday, 14 Jun
Thank goodness you have so much patience!! I guess that will be the last party at your MILs!! Since we had M's party at my mom's, we ended up giving up things we wanted and ideas of how to do things too because she kind of took over. I was actually grateful though, since I was kind of going crazy around that time. I am glad you were able to focus on the positive and have a good time!! I look forward to seeing pictures!