Wild Rumpus Party

When handed the hand-crafted invitation, I was really impressed. A 3-D monster with pipe cleaner wild fur and googly eyes begged for our presence on a Sunday afternoon in two weeks. We didn't know the family at all - just hey's and can you believe it's Thursday already's? from the pickup line at preschool, but Zoe loved Andy and when he was handing out invitations she gave an emphatic "I'll be there!" and a wink.

The week before we were walking through Target and I told Zoe we should think about what we want to get Andy for his birthday. She replied after giving the question some thought, "I think a present, Mom!"

The Easter Bunny had recently delivered The. Coolest. Gift. Ever. A wild and crazy bubble maker that guaranteed - and sadly, delivered - a thousand bubbles a minute. The Bunny thought it would fun to have bubbles all over when the kids came down on their morning egg hunt to show where the baskets were "hidden" (in plain sight on the kitchen table). Well, after saturating the carpet in suds, froth, and layers of bubbles, it is now delegated to the ceramic-tiled bathroom during bubble baths.

Zoe's eyes widened at a "Summer is Coming! We promise, Des Moines, we will wear shorts by July!" display and cried out, "Mom!!!! I know where the Easter Bunny shops!" and miraculously pointed out a majority of her Easter basket trinkets!

I love two year olds. She just trusted that a bunny shopped here for his wares as opposed to asking the all-important, heartbreaking question I will never be ready to answer or explain.

"Can this be Andy's present? It is so cool!" she asked, hopping off the cart she had been precariously perched upon in a single flying leap.

"A bubble maker? I don't know..." this is a pay back present. One perfect for the crazy uncle who gives your kids no-volume button toys guaranteed to make you insane, deaf, or mean mommy by 10am any morning they find it from it's "hiding" place. Andy's mom seemed nice enough, but I didn't know her. Would she freak out if bubbles were on her builder-grade carpet trashed from three years of kids, dog, and two cats like I do on a regular basis? Okay, I never flip out. I just try to make it blend in so one day, in a few more stains, it will look like cool tie dye carpet.

"YES!" and that settled it, as the bubble maker and Zoe were back in the cart already. We picked out some more bubbles as refills and a cool Diego bubble wand that the Easter Bunny had already graced us with, and remembered to ask for a gift receipt. Proud of myself I made a mental note to mapquest their address BEFORE we were running late to the party.

I plugged in the address twice, just to make sure that this was the house we were to spend two hours on a Sunday in... yep. The huge houses off a main street we always go by on our way home from Target.

I am a house nut. Seriously, I could go to Parade of Homes, Home-a-Rama, whatever, every day for the rest of my life. I love houses, house hunting, and all things that go in houses. So, this was more of a treat for me.

Emailing Andy's mom, I asked if parents were supposed to stay, leave, what? Andy's Mom was sweet and laid back - whatever you feel most comfortable with.

On the day of the party Zoe completely dismissed her cute new yellow Polo dress, Janie & Jack sweater, and leggings and would only wear her Gap hooded tunic and some new favorite 80's style leggings we were not about to leave the mall without. Really? To a party?

We pulled up and if we hadn't seen our best friend Zoe and her momma walking up the winding cobblestone walkway to the grandest house of all, I wouldn't believe it was this house. The nicest, most decadent house on the street. It was like a beacon of cedar, stone, and leaded glass with landscaping and sculptures from the coolest modern art garden you've ever seen in an ad.

The entry way did not disappoint. Andy was looking cute in his usual surfer boy duds and a smile on his face as his besties made their way into his gorgeous digs. Shoes were flung off as kids were off to the greatest of great rooms I've ever seen. The wood work alone in this house would make a Master Carpenter weak in the knees, let alone the walls upon walls of windows, and the decorative touches that made this house look like the perfect collection of eclectic taste that just made the lime, violet, and new blue shades work like a fine-tuned machine. No builder grade carpet in here. Actually, no carpet in here at all. Just miles of hand-crafted mahogany? teak? maple? that made my heart skip a beat.

Andy's Mom ushered us all into the basement and Other Zoe's Mom said it best with a, "I have to keep pushing my jaw up" as we entered a basement so open, spacious, and gorgeous that all three finished floors of our home could cozy up on this level alone... and correction, this visible part of the lower level. It was way bigger than our house once we started walking around.

Her craft room was decorated like something Martha Stewart would love to hate. It wasn't crafty. It was clean, organized, and chic. Galvanized steel tables the size of my garage, storage everywhere, and wooden scissors, three foot paint brushes, and phenomenal colors on the walls that weren't decked in floor to 15" ceiling windows.  Set out were all the fixins to make the monsters of the hour - and the kids dug in.

Andy's Mom looked at us and said, "I didn't realize they are all such capable little people!" and I had to agree. A half-dozen three year olds just scampered up stools and started working, mastering glue dots, craft tack, and scrapping supplies galore to create amazing 3 foot monsters. Zoe also liked being the Glue Master and made sure that her four-eyed creation would not only stick to everything in sight, but not dry by the next morning.

The kids were then welcomed into another area of the basement that made the coolest of play areas - public or private - look somehow boring and mundane. The carpet created a moat around the two story castle fit for the princesses and prince's who raced into it and started playing all kinds of great games only three year olds can create and enjoy.

I just looked around and realized that once again, a major portion of my house could fit into the playroom portion of this amazing basement.

The party went on like this - each new room to explore and create perfect entertaining venues for the pint-sized and adult-sized alike.

I don't think I could explain this house to you correctly, so I won't. But I can explain that I initially thought Andy's mom was aloof. She just didn't talk a lot at pick up/drop off and the few times we'd run into each other at Target or the grocery, she didn't do much more than a "Hi" and wander off.

In her own home, she was the consumate hostess, and opened up and just wanted to talk. I knew I liked her when we walked past the exercise room and the gorgeous art said, "Andy's Mom, put down the cookie and get in here!"

The party was low-key and perfect. Andy opened up his gifts with his best friends all around and the kids didn't care if they were in a castle or a cage. They were just together and that really was the most impressive part of it all.

Until Bestie Zoe said, "Mom! Can I have my birthday party at this place next year?" and everyone started laughing. Yeah, Andy's Mom... what are your rental fees? I'd love a night in this place!