Party Pet Peeves

There is nothing, NOTHING, that bugs me more than being invited to a party, wedding, or shower by someone whom I really don't know.

How does one know that one doesn't know someone who sent an invitation:
1. You don't recognize the name or address, even upon opening and reading the invite.
2. You don't see or communicate with the people often (as in at least once a month or more).
3. You don't have a long history of significant relations with said person (even if you don't talk or email or see each other once a month).
4. You know only the person's name who sent the invitation. You don't know how old they are, how long they've been married, what books they might like, some difficult experience they have lived through, have a long-standing relationship with the family, anything of any prominence.

If D, N or I rarely see, hear from or speak to someone, we should not be invited to anything they are hosting.

I know sometimes people send invitation purely out of courtesy because they don't want anyone to feel left out. I never mind feeling left out because I usually would prefer not to attend if it is someone with whom I have virtually no relationship. It really doesn't phase me one bit---ask people who actually know you and care about whatever it is you are celebrating. Don't waste paper and stamps on me and mine.

If I don't know you, chances are I don't even have the ability to like you (since that requires getting to know someone). And if you do send me these pointless invitations, it is only going to make me NOT like you because it seems like you are just fishing for presents.

This invitation craze is especially aggravating now that N is in the picture. This is one of the things I DREAD about her starting preschool. I don't want N to be invited to 12 other kids' birthday parties for a number of reasons:
1. I don't want to shop for 12 kids birthday gifts. (Yes, I am both cheap and on a budget--hello---stay-at-home mom here---I don't poop money.)
2. I don't want to invite 12 kids to N's birthday party in reciprocity.

Now there are some birthday parties I am more than happy for N to attend. Her cousins' birthdays--no problem as she only has 3 cousins. Her little neighborhood group of friends that we see every week and sometimes many times a week (but this is a small group, mind you---I might feel differently if we were a group of 30).

I guess I have long understood the difference between friends and acquaintances and how these 2 are fluid and change with time and circumstances. Some people, though, seem clueless on these issues.

Anyway, I just had to vent because in addition to N being invited to something by someone we really don't know at all, she was given the invitation 2 days before the event, so even if I cared enough to send her, I don't have time to actually go out and purchase a gift and rearrange my plans for the day of the party---which is further evidence that we were an afterthought, so why give N an invite in the 1st place. I'd rather someone not invite her than me feel all of these peevish feelings.

AGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!