Polite Society

An old and dear friend came to visit us yesterday with her husband and two boys in tow. Because she lives in California, I rarely get to see her. She called en route to let me know her approximate arrival time and to apologize that she was coming "empty-handed". I told her that moms with little kids should NEVER be expected to bring anything other than the actual kids to an event. How can someone think you are arriving "empty-handed" when your hands (and arms and back and any other part of the body that can be used to transport) are overflowing with diaper bags, sippy cups and favorite blankets, not to mention the kids themselves.

I really think that it should be a national policy (called "Ashley's Policy" perhaps?) that the rules of polite society don't apply to any mom with more than one kid under the age of five. No expectation of bringing wine to a party, of RSVPing on time, of ever writing a thank you note or of sending out a Christmas card before Valentine's Day. Of course, as my friends can attest, I have been living by Ashley's Policy for quite some time now. I strongly encourage all the other moms out there to join me!