Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Lions and Tigers and Baby Showers, Oh My!

I was approached this weekend by a dear friend of mine from my Spiritual community about the impending baby shower. Oh, was it impending? Well, apparently according to her, yepper...let's get it booked and thrown!

I have to admit that I hadn't given much thought to having a baby shower since there are still vast aspects of the BABY I haven't given much thought to. Suffice it to say, I am game, but was a little non-committal in the moment. I will chalk that up to having left my Crackberry (i.e. portable brain) at home inadvertently last weekend.


In thinking about a baby shower, I harken back to baby showers I have attended where we ate gross things, did stupid games and generally were just looking for an excuse to consume as much spiked punch as possible while making ourselves sick on onion dip and veggies. Not that much fun really. And during most of the showers I have gone to the child was totally irrelevant. So, when faced with the daunting task of having to organize my own, I shuddered.

Enter, my saviors, Xena Warrior Tick princess and K, both amazing strong and fearless women from my community who have willingly placed themselves in the face of oncoming indescribable danger called "A BABY SHOWER". /shudder.

THEN, of all things, Father Paul, my newly ordained Jesuit priest friend, offered to host it. (!!) Now, this is going to be a party folks! Not only will there be a meeting of most (if not all ) of my eclectic (and potentially heathen) circles of friends but it could be lousy with Catholic priests! Yahooo!!!

So, in the interest of assisting my pals, I am looking for suggestions for meaningful activities that can take up the baby shower time. Meaningful, in that, they would be easy for anyone to participate in without fear or trepidation AND might even involve or reference the baby. Novel I know.

I have to admit that despite my rowdy exterior, I am not really someone who likes to take the spot light and be the center of attention. Nor do I want to participate in anything where there is even a whiff of a roast, hazing or embarrassment. Call me crazy but I will gladly stage manage any event of any size but put me in the spotlight and I am *really* uncomfortable.

So, I am taking suggestions for how to honor or include or focus on the BABY at this baby shower, not the mama.


Feel free, however, to carry BP around in a chair (Ala the scene in Yentl) and shove spiked punch down his gullet.

Lay them on me! Suggestions for activities, foods (adult), beverages, ways to get the multi-cultural crowd mingling and involved, etc.


If you are out of town and interested in attending make sure to let me know so I can get addresses for invitations. The information will also be posted here. Everyone (boys and girls, dogs, cats, babies, chickens,) are welcome! This baby is going to have a diverse community to support it, we might as well party a bit together before the Tenant arrives.

I will say, one of the baby blogs I follow has a mama who is due any day with her 4th (!!), and she just posted this awesome photo this morning...I might have to do this.



How awesome is that?

Swimmingly,

KT and Tenant

4 comments:

Catherine Just said...

you can do the similar type of ribbon prayer ties on a stick like you did at your wedding but for the baby.

you can have people bring a jewelry bead and say a prayer and put the bead on a leather strand that you wear as a necklace from the baby shower up through your labor so all of those people and prayers are with you. they can also make 2 bracelets instead if you want - one for you and one for BP.

Henna the belly!

Bring onsies and puffy fabric paint and have people paint onsies for the baby. hang them up to dry on clothes pins on a string outside. It will look like a long prayer flag thing of onsies. ( I brought this project to my friends shower and it was a huge hit. everyone got involved ) Personal hand painted onsies for the baby! With your crew I bet they will look terrific!

you can do a ceremonial foot bath for both you and BP! although that puts you in the spot light. But it's pampering for the mama and papa.

that's all I got. Hope it's helpful. I'm excited that your tribe is going to all come together for you!

Katye said...

I really liked the henna idea. Especially since I had henna done at our wedding, it would be a nice echo of that.

And I think the onesie idea is particularly awesome. Especially since we will need many of them in many sizes as the baby grows.

I am still hoping a gang of rowdies carries BP around in a chair like at a Jewish wedding. Wouldn't that be FUN? (if not totally out of place, I know)

Catherine Just said...

yes you must do the jewish chair thing with BP! Someone needs to video tape it too!
I wish I could fly up there - we'd bring paint for onsies and Jerry could be one of the chair lift people!
:)

P.S. you are so on top of it with the registries!
I need to get going I suppose. I think I am still in denial about adding more STUFF to our little house.

Anonymous said...

I like the idea of the ribbon prayer or maybe everyone can bring a peice of material which can go into a homemade quilt. The baby will be covered with love from family and friends.
You mention a theme and the only thing that comes to my head is "The Birds and the bees", why, I don't know???
I think the henna thing is cool too.
Sis