Chrissy-Mas Party (ya' see what I did there?)

Today was a momentous occassion in the Curran/Deegan house.


It was Chrissy's first ever party that wasn't family related.


Yes, after going to Toddlers at St Joes since we moved to the new (now not-so-new) house, it was the last day of term today, and so it was Christmas party time.


I have never been to one before either, and assumed that one would be expected to dress ones child up, hence the "party" aspect.


So, after receiving a gorgeous dress and cardi set for review a few weeks back (check it out at http://www.mummyreviews.com/- shamelss plug I know!), I decided to go the whole hog and buy new everything to go with it.


I bought some very sweet silver flat (sorry, Suri Cruise maybe a pretty kid but she'll have calves like a rhino at 20 if they keep putting her in heels) party sandals from Next. These were a fairly reasonable 14.00. And will match all her other party frocks (I've been doing quite well, PR wise at the moment).


Then I went hunting for tights. I wanted little white party style tights. I had a pair when I was about 5 (so about 1987), that were white with tiny black stars trailing up the ankle at the back.


Maidenhead is not exactly bursting with oppotunities to couture on the cheap your child- there's Monsoon, Ethel Austen, Next, Peacocks and M&S. That's it. I looked in all of them, bar Monsoon,  but couldn't find the right thing.


At this point, Ed pointed out that although the 80s revival is gathering pace, it was 20 odd years since my mum had purchased my party tights, so maybe I should just buy some wooly ones instead, as it was only a toddler party in a hall.


Undettered, I told him to bog off (well, actually it wasn't as polite as that), and went into Monsoon.


Now, I have only ever been in Monsoon once, when I was looking for something of an approximation of a Christening dress, for the christening that never happened due to scary swine flu. It was really quite gorgeous and if I was rich, I would've walked out with the entire stock- for Mini, Edward and me too.


However, I am quite skint, and Mini is the cause of painful death to clothes, so I had relegated myself to staring fondly at the window displays, wishing I had met a very rich man at 18 instead of a struggling nurse, turned actor, turned painter and decorator. And had a daughter not quite so fond of mud. And mess.

So, in I went, and found not one, but several pairs of different white, pretty, party, tights. They even had "Party Tights" on the packaging. Hurrah!

Then I noticed the price was seven pounds and nearly gulped. But, I bought them anyway.

When Ed met me outside the shop, I had a triumphant grin. He then asked how much they were.

At which point I pointed out that

A) The dress was free, saving me a tenner,
B) That there are no childrens shops in Maidenhead so it's not my fault I was reduced to paying that much,
C)That a train ticket to Slough and back would've cost about a fiver, so it was a false economy to trek over,
D) That it was her first party and she'd look cute in them.

He still looked like he'd been run over.

Anyway, this morning, I got her ready-I let her sit on my dressing table stool in front of the big mirror, which she loved.

She even let me (sort of) without struggling and screaming do her hair in a ponytail with a ribbon.

Clutching a tiny clutch bag of mine left over from the days I needed only to carry a key, phone and purse, to mimic a handbag, we strolled along to the hall.

And no one bar me, the lady who runs the group and two other Mums out of 25 children and Mums there, had bothered to get the glad rags out for their child.

Never mind I thought, thinking I'd refrain from mentioning this to Ed for fear of reprisals over the tights.

Mini had a lovely time-she met Father Christmas, and looked like she was going to faint from shock. I've never seen her so in awe of anything. This is the first year that Christmas has really hit home to her, so she's excited enough as it is (every morning she asks for Father Kissmus, as she pronounces it).

We played Limbo, pin the tail on the donkey (although Min cheated as she wouldn't put a blindfold on), and musical statues, which none of the kids understood until we said "show me your groovy moves" like the Beebies show and they all got the idea.

I even won some lovely bath stuff from the raffle.

Well, its playschool soon after Christmas. My little baby is growing up. It brings a tear to the eye, looking at her, chatting away and dancing to songs, all by herself.

I am truly looking forward to this Christmas- one of my very good friends has decided to up sticks from Kent and move to Berkshire, with her little boy (we were pregnant at the same time with her son and Mini), so she is staying at the house until she rents a new home for the two of them. Ed's nephew has also decided to take up residency in the conservatory, which is now my office and the part-time Berks branch of Mummy Reviews, as well as an impromptu guest room now too. Edward is well, whereas last year he was ill and was only out of hospital two weeks before, so was on oxygen and lots of medication (I was so scared I'd forget to do something important on Christmas day I didn't even have a glass of wine!). It will be our last Christmas all together, as I'm sure Ed will find a new home after Christmas (yes, he's still moving out), but I'm determined to make it special regardless (maybe my Christmas wish will come true, but I don't hold much hope).

Well, I shall keep you all posted up until Christmas.

Thanks for being great readers and followers!