Crashing a Parents Party on Halloween
My teen son decided to trick-or-treat this Halloween with a new group of friends. He’s in eighth grade and they’re in seventh, and I didn’t know any of these kids. When I dropped my son off, I made sure to go up to the house and meet the parents.
What do you know, there was a Halloween party going on.
I know it’s a fairly common tradition for families to get together on Halloween, the parents socializing and downing drinks while the kids run around the neighborhood getting candy. While I’ve been to some adults-only Halloween parties since my divorce, I’d never been invited to a family-friendly one by parents of my kids’ friends. I’d grown used to married couples partying without me, the single dad.
So when the mom hosting this party invited me in for some “witches’ brew”, I was hesitant. After all, I was supposed to head back home and hand out candy. More than that, I didn’t know a soul at the party. Our kids had attended different elementary schools. It was middle school this year that brought us all together.
I’d be crashing their party.
But the mom insisted I come in, and one vodka-laced drink later I didn’t want to leave. There were people chatting in the dining room, kitchen, family room, and out on the backyard patio. There was USC/Oregon football and Yankees/Phillies baseball on a couple of TVs. There was food, beer and soda along with the witches’ cocktail.
Fun times! Everyone was super nice.
At one point I was hanging out with just the moms while the dads took the kids out trick-or-treating. (I was in flip-flops and a T-shirt, not prepared for the cold.) The moms started quizzing me about being a single dad, since they had some friends going through divorces. We slowly learned we were connected through mutual friends. Plus, one of the moms realized she’d read my blog before. Small world!
Who would have guessed in ten years of divorce my first family Halloween party invitation would be extended by strangers?
Either they are nice, quality people. Or they drank a hell of a lot of witches brew before I got there!
(Haha. I’ll stick with the former.)
- Halloween is Great for Adults!
- My Dad Invented Google
- Why Does Life Have To Be Planned?
- Single Parent, Empty House, Full Life
- The Boys are Back – Movie Review by a Single Dad
- Vodka Martini Recipe with a Lemon Twist
| 
Subscribe | © 2008-09 David Mott, DadsHouseBlog.com. All rights reserved.
Comment by Ginger Magnolia
| November 2nd, 2009
Either way, it was nice of them. Glad you had a nice time mingling with new folks.
Ginger Magnolia´s last blog ..Halloweenie
Comment by Me Thinks
| November 2nd, 2009
I would definitely have said yes to a party like that. Great way to meet people, maybe you will have a date materialize out of this too? Keep sending your kid over to their house and see what happens…
Comment by Kelly
| November 2nd, 2009
This sounds like exactly the kind of perfect storm I’d like to happen into. Most of the stress of such an event; what to wear…who do I know…should I try to swing a costume….will my butt look big in said costume??? — the list goes on. Anywho — all of that gone! You have a great excuse to be under or over dressed. It’s known that you don’t know anyone and that you could possibly have a feared-single-guy agenda. I say PERFECT! Glad you had decided to give it a go and that you stayed. :)
Comment by Kat Wilder
| November 2nd, 2009
Not knowing a soul at a party is a great thing. You almost can’t go wrong because no one has dirt on you, ya know?
Kat Wilder´s last blog ..Does being Ms. Picky get you Mr. Perfect?
Comment by BigLittleWolf
| November 2nd, 2009
What a lot of fun. (The whipper-snappers weren’t dipping into the grown-up drinks, were they?) I’m wondering if you left with digits…
BigLittleWolf´s last blog ..Six tips to beat holiday blues
Comment by Just Me...
| November 2nd, 2009
Don’t you just love it when you find nice, new people like that? Never hurts to broaden your scope of friends..
Oh, and all the nice, new mommies you met? They have nice new friends.. And those nice, new friends wouldn’t mind a nice, new friend either.. :):)
Good Luck!!
Just Me…´s last blog ..The Weekend…
Comment by Andrea
| November 2nd, 2009
Nothing wrong with crashing a party so long as it’s a good time!
Andrea´s last blog ..Monday Redirect is also Monday’s Muse (I’m luring you in with a cute pic)
Comment by Senorita
| November 2nd, 2009
Did you end up getting arrested by a hot cop or cared for by a naughtey nurse ?
Senorita´s last blog ..Mistress Senorita is back !
Comment by StaceyO
| November 2nd, 2009
I don’t think it is crashing a party if the hostess invites you in… You seemed surprised that these strangers were nice. Is this something that commonly happens to you? Strangers being mean or rude? I don’t think it was the witches brew that caused their openness- i think they figured my child gets along with his child so lets see if we get along and can all enjoy a good time. Just my take on it.
Comment by Danielle
| November 2nd, 2009
Good for you. Sounds like a blast.
Any date prospects?
Danielle´s last blog ..Bend Over and Spread them
Comment by CheeryWise
| November 2nd, 2009
I too have had such spontaneous invites while dropping off the little buggers at my daughter’s friends’ houses who I didn’t know. Such fun. You would have regretted it if you had declined the offer.
Comment by dadshouse
| November 2nd, 2009
StaceyO – I have gotten used to hearing parents who aren’t strangers talk about their plans in front of me, but not including me. Whether that’s for families camping together, having dinner together, getting together for parties, heading to the beach, whatever. The surprise was finding a group who openly welcomed me into their gathering. It was nice!
Comment by QTMama
| November 2nd, 2009
Glad it worked out so well David!
QTMama´s last blog ..Weird Thing of the Week
Comment by staciesmadness
| November 2nd, 2009
awe, yay, how fun!!!
staciesmadness´s last blog ..Oops, there goes my skirt again..
Comment by StaceyO
| November 2nd, 2009
I am sorry that you have been excluded in the past. I am sure that the invite was quite a surprise then. I have only been single for a short period but my husband was never around so my friends always included me and were surprised if my husband showed up. I say never turn down a fun party regardless of what you are used to. It sounds like you had an awesome time.
Comment by ilinap
| November 2nd, 2009
Serendipitous fun is the best kind!
ilinap´s last blog ..The Problem with Reading a la Bret & Jermain
Comment by notasoccermom
| November 3rd, 2009
That is awesome!!! If only I didnt live in such a conservative neighborhood… bleh
notasoccermom´s last blog ..Whistle While you Work