Nov 14, 2006

Unusual Etiquette Dilemma. Please Do Help.

Thanks to Amishlaw for the no-knead bread link. They are taking Brother Peter's slow rise method about as far as it can go. Sounds great if you want a big round loaf.

Anyway, the other things that have been happening around here, in addition to a spate of weekend guests (which was lovely), is that Will is finishing up, today, his last "loop" of Tomatis therapy, which is intense sensory integration work. From what I hear from the therapists it has made a huge difference in his motor planning and coordination. I don't want to explain it all here, but if you Google "A Total Approach" you will learn about it. Will's teacher thought he had a few "sensory issues," so they directed us to A Total Approach. Some of the kids who do it have pretty significant autism, and one girl I think has a brain injury. That makes me wonder if Will really needed it. But it's good to catch this stuff early I guess.

Instead of waiting in the cramped windowless waiting room with the other parents, which makes me feel claustrophobic, I dash off to Borders and come back just in time to chat with the therapist about how it went. This enforced reading/coffee drinking time is really nice but I can't really afford it, as laundry piles up and dinner is cobbled together from food that's a day away from becoming garbage. But give me credit for not getting take-out from Foodsource, a very pricy store in the shopping center next to A Total Approach.

Now for the birthday party situation, ta-da. Because I know you all have been waiting to hear! Jack and Will want to share a party. Again! Still! And the theme is, I think you know, Captain Underpants. So I'll make some kind of semblance of C.U. on the cake. And the plan is to buy about ten cheap pairs of boys' underpants at Target, write the kids' names in them, and their C.U. names as per this website. With said garments we will have underpants-slinging contests, and kids will wear said underpants on their head during the whole cake-eating stage. And I really hope the other parents won't hate us forever.

Now here's the awkward part: I, of course, thought it would be an all-boy party, but a couple of days ago Will said he really wants Lydia to come. Lydia's parents are very religious, and out of the pop culture loop so much so that the mother never heard of Captain Underpants and got him mixed up with Sponge Bob. Please! Actually, she has no boys, so I guess she gets off the hook. Question for y'all: It seems weird to give Lydia boy's underpants for the games, but then giving her girl's underpants calls attention to anatomical differences, which seems awkward. My thought is to just pretend she's an honorary boy, and the less said the better. Her mom wants to know what Captain Underpants is. I'm supposed to call her. So I have to figure out a way to describe it honestly without using the word "irreverent," although C. U. is not irreverent toward God, it's irreverent towards authority. I should just stop thinking of this as a big dilemma. I'll just use as much Wedgie Woman Power as I can summon, and go forth boldly with no apologies. Unless I hear otherwise from my dear readers.

And please do share your Captain Underpants name if you bothered to look up the link, which I totally know you did.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I say let Lydia decide if she wants boys undies on her head, girls undies, or none at all. If she's the only girl she's off the hook for all of that.

That's my 2 cents.

THanks for turning me on to Captain Underpants! W loves him, and talks about him all the time!

jo(e) said...

I will admit that I have no idea who Captain Underpants is. Cartoon character? Televison show? Kids' book character? That's my guess from the context of what I've read on your blog. And I am guessing the word "silly" might be appropriate? And that would be enough explanation for me as a parent.

I would give all the kids the same "boys" underwear. When it comes right down to it, girls can wear that kind of underwear. I can't imagine it would be a big deal to any of them.

Anonymous said...

Booger Banana Buns. My son is Greasy Banana Buns.

Give her boy's underpants. They are far more comfortable, after all.

Anonymous said...

Ok, had to check it out.
I am Pinky Wafflebrain.
SO true, so true.
Guess we have to start reading Captain Underpants now.

Unknown said...

Stinky Girdlelips, here.

I only know about Captain Underpants through my nephew. Since he's a boy, I think Lydia should have the boy underwear.

L said...

Booger Barfhead here... just to please you because even though I recall seeing C.U. somewhere, I know just as much as Jo(e). Wow, Jo(e) comments on your blog -- cool. Well, I have to admit that she did comment on mine a few times ;)

I have no idea what you should do... sorry about that. I guess Amy's suggestion of letting her decide is a pretty good one.

Anonymous said...

Um, Flunky Barfbuns? I'm the mother of girls so I don't know about C.U., clearly.

I think your planned strategy is just fine. Forging ahead with the truth is usually the right thing to do. It's up to the other mama to decide how she feels about irreverence and what sounds like mild potty humor.

Oh, and if it were my girls going to your party, I'd want them to be getting the same underpants that the boys got. I think they'd probably want the same.

Scrivener said...

Snotty Bananachunks.

I'd give Lydia the same underwear as any of the other kids.

Anonymous said...

Snotty Wafflechunks reporting in--does this mean Scrivener and I are somehow related in CU-land?

I have no clue about Capt. Underpants myself, but I'd just keep the same party favors/activities for all the guests.

Crockhead said...

I thought I'd ask my Amish Aunt Tillie what she thought about your dilemna. This is what she said to me (verbatim): "Well, I do declare, the problems the English get themselves into. The idea of letting the little boys and girls go running around the house with their underpants on their heads makes me wonder if this woman is all there. And she thinks her little son was just innocently asking that the little girl be invited to the underpants party? She sure doesn't know the ways of the world, for such a worldly woman. We have enough trouble keeping the teenagers in their underpants,we sure wouldn't want to start it in kindergarten. I think your friend should send those little children out to rake the leaves. And I think she's going to have her hands full when those little boys of hers get a little older." (The views expressed here are not necessarily mine.)