  We tried to duck it, but in the end we couldn't possibly miss Aidan's best friend's birthday party two years in a row. Plus, he attended Avery's birthday party this summer, so missing Elizabeth's would be such a slight!
And so I found myself on a rainy Saturday afternoon, walking awkwardly while pushing a stroller, holding an umbrella, and toting a toddler around the block for an event I could only hope included alcohol. If you caught urlLink Sex's season finale , you know why the parents were unwise to tell us on the invite that urlLink Rowdy the clown would be entertaining. I walked in the door, my son ran into the living room where Rowdy was working her magic, I was directed to the bowl of margarita punch, and then onto the dining room where adults were talking .
I have to say, if there is such a thing as a recipe for a successful 3-year-old's birthday party, this is it. I met my new neighbors, yes it was the boycott France bumper sticker couple, but they actually removed it last week! Maybe they read my blog. I'm a little sad that I didn't have the guts to sneak in the night to put a Peace is Patriotic sticker over it, but I'm relieved they've turned away from the evil ways.
Anyway, they're expecting, in fact, she's due Tuesday. You know how I love to give advice to parents to be, so imagine how happy I was when they said, after I said I bet you guys have had all the advice you can handle by now, that they don't have any friends with kids so they actually haven't gotten much advice they could use! Clowns are creepy to those of us that read or watched It, but apparently my son didn't get that memo.
It helped that this clown was a skinny woman, pretty non-threatening. And she didn't give off the all too often clown feeling that this person isn't really a nice person in their normal life. She blew up balloons and painted faces, keeping a crowd of at least 10 toddlers and kids entertained while their parents knocked back the booze and enjoyed some adult interaction. I stand corrected for my stance on birthday parties. 
