Bradley's mother put her foot down. The birthday party invitation list would include family only. His brothers would be there and he could invite cousins. That was it. No one else. He could decide if he wanted a sleepover with male cousins only, or a pizza party with the girls. Bradley chose a sleepover.
Since her son shrugged off every attempt to elicit menu or entertainment ideas, Bradley's mother bought salsa and chips (his favorite), popcorn, and pretzels. Even though the party would start after dinner time, she picked up ingredients for chili dogs just in case, and she baked a chocolate cake with chocolate icing (also his favorites). She and Bradley's father rearranged furniture in the basement to make room for corn hole, the game these cousins always ended up playing when they got together.
When asked about Bradley's birthday, his mother told the neighbor across the street that they had decided to go low-key with a small family affair. Finances were tight. Besides, she and her husband were not fans of the way birthday parties had become huge, expensive, out-do everyone else, who can schmooze and get the most gifts, impersonal, often out-of-hand bashes. Their siblings agreed and had all decided to return to family events for birthdays. The neighbor shrugged and said it didn't matter much to her since her kids didn't really like Bradley much anyway.
The next day, the neighbor stood on her front porch, shaking a fist in the air, and screamed about how horrible it was that Bradley's family hated neighbors. She told everyone who would listen that she was the first and only person to think that people spend too much on birthday parties, that her kids had never been friends with Bradley and never wanted to be friends with Bradley. Sensible neighbors scratched their heads and wondered how she could make such ridiculous claims since, for years, many of them had talked about how ridiculous it was that their children were invited to elaborate parties by classmates who obviously were either trying to buy friends, or were just looking for gifts since they had nothing to do with their kids any other time. Why would this neighbor think they were foolish enough to believe she was the first and only person to make such claims?
On the evening of Bradley's party, hours before guests were scheduled to arrive, the obnoxious neighbor's son and three daughters dropped by Bradley's house. When the son picked up the bag of pretzels and started to open them, Bradley's mother took the bag from him and said she planned to serve them later, when the invited guests arrived. The three sister's yelled a bunch about how rude Bradley's mother was.
The brother pumped his fist in the air, shouted and raged, and insisted that she make chili dogs immediately, and he wanted three, with chopped onions and brown mustard, neither of which she had on hand. Again, the sisters told her she was rude for not jumping at his command.
Bradley's father came into the kitchen and told his wife that she should remain positive and polite, and try to accommodate. "But, they crashed the party and they don't even like Bradley," did nothing to change his mind.
Since her son shrugged off every attempt to elicit menu or entertainment ideas, Bradley's mother bought salsa and chips (his favorite), popcorn, and pretzels. Even though the party would start after dinner time, she picked up ingredients for chili dogs just in case, and she baked a chocolate cake with chocolate icing (also his favorites). She and Bradley's father rearranged furniture in the basement to make room for corn hole, the game these cousins always ended up playing when they got together.
When asked about Bradley's birthday, his mother told the neighbor across the street that they had decided to go low-key with a small family affair. Finances were tight. Besides, she and her husband were not fans of the way birthday parties had become huge, expensive, out-do everyone else, who can schmooze and get the most gifts, impersonal, often out-of-hand bashes. Their siblings agreed and had all decided to return to family events for birthdays. The neighbor shrugged and said it didn't matter much to her since her kids didn't really like Bradley much anyway.
The next day, the neighbor stood on her front porch, shaking a fist in the air, and screamed about how horrible it was that Bradley's family hated neighbors. She told everyone who would listen that she was the first and only person to think that people spend too much on birthday parties, that her kids had never been friends with Bradley and never wanted to be friends with Bradley. Sensible neighbors scratched their heads and wondered how she could make such ridiculous claims since, for years, many of them had talked about how ridiculous it was that their children were invited to elaborate parties by classmates who obviously were either trying to buy friends, or were just looking for gifts since they had nothing to do with their kids any other time. Why would this neighbor think they were foolish enough to believe she was the first and only person to make such claims?
On the evening of Bradley's party, hours before guests were scheduled to arrive, the obnoxious neighbor's son and three daughters dropped by Bradley's house. When the son picked up the bag of pretzels and started to open them, Bradley's mother took the bag from him and said she planned to serve them later, when the invited guests arrived. The three sister's yelled a bunch about how rude Bradley's mother was.
The brother pumped his fist in the air, shouted and raged, and insisted that she make chili dogs immediately, and he wanted three, with chopped onions and brown mustard, neither of which she had on hand. Again, the sisters told her she was rude for not jumping at his command.
Bradley's father came into the kitchen and told his wife that she should remain positive and polite, and try to accommodate. "But, they crashed the party and they don't even like Bradley," did nothing to change his mind.
No comments:
Post a Comment