The Mom with the Most Cake

Noodles Before Dancing
Originally uploaded by marytsao.

Tonight we went to the summer concert in the park and saw Bay Area Celtic rock band Tempest. Electric violin! Men in kilts! It was a lot of fun and the kids were inspired by the music to go up front and dance with me. Remember, my kids are still young enough to think it's cool to dance with mommy. In fact, other little kids were attracted to me like moths to a porch light. I was living my dream and it was lots of fun. Unfortunately, my stick in the mud husband doesn't think that kids dancing is cute so I have no photographic evidence of the event.

Maybe that's a good thing.

Here's a question for you, Internets. I am planning a party to celebrate my 38th birthday and I am wondering which of the following party options sounds more appealing:

• Cocktail party with babysitter. 5-8 PM. cocktails and appetizers. Kids are welcome, and I'll hire a babysitter to keep the kids locked entertained in the playroom.
  
  
• Post-children's-bedtime party. 8-? PM. Cocktails, more cocktails, and a few obligatory bowls of chips that nobody will eat until they realize they need to sober up and then they'll shove handfuls in their mouths like they've never eaten chips before ever.

The problem with party option #2 is that I'm afraid nobody will come. I mean, Mike and I rarely make it to parties that take place in the evening and are assumed to be adult-only affairs. I want to have a party with at least a little bit of adult ambience (read: alcohol and food other than goldfish crackers), but I have to be realistic about my crowd; most of my friends have kids and the cost of a babysitter usually outweighs the benefits of going out.

What would you do? Advice, please.

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Technorati tags: party planning, growing old, dancing suburban mommy