At most of the baby showers I get to attend, we don’t do games. It seems like most people scoff at baby shower games, or openly dread them. Maybe they secretly enjoy them but they’re too ashamed to say so.
Not me. I like them. Except the one where you microwave candy bars, squish them in a diaper, and try to identify by aroma – or taste, if you’re that determined to win. I’ve heard tales, but never been invited to try that game, for which I am thankful.
I especially like the one where you try to guess the expecting mother’s waist measurement, mostly because I’ve played twice and won both times. The first was long ago, when we had to guess the number of toilet paper squares to wrap around the guest of honor. Remember, Michelle? Last Saturday we used yarn, a more exacting media. I say it’s a math thing, and if you’ve been here long you know how I feel about math. Some people think in words or pictures; I think in numbers. I think English is my second language; algebra was first.
I don’t think the ladies in my church knew this. There was some joking about disqualifying me before the game started, but that’s just because I’ve been pregnant the most times. They didn’t see the confidence in my moves as I eyed the victim and wrapped the yarn around my arm the long way, fingertip to elbow. Twice and a smidge more. They didn’t know I was thinking in terms of Pi and cubits and – well, I guess past experience did help because I’ve measured my own pregnant belly more than once, but I knew skinny little Camille was going to come in way below my own measurements.
And so we all cut a piece of yarn that we thought would fit Camille’s bulging waistline. The pastor’s wife went first. Kathy is the life of the party. She had cut her yarn far, far too long, getting her first laugh from the crowd. When she tried in on Camille with 2/3 of the length left over, she got her second round of laughter. But we Presbyterians know when we’re on a roll, and Kathy didn’t stop there. She decided to wrap her yarn around Camille’s belly the other way. Vertically. Starting at her feet and up around her head, down her back to her feet again. The crowd roared as the ends met perfectly!
A few more had a try at it, and all were too long. Not far off – they were good guesses, but Camille is just a little thing, even at T minus 24 hours. Most of us look like we swallowed a watermelon or two at that stage. She looked like she has swallowed one of those $5 personal-sized seedless melons.
And then I was up. My daughter had ridiculed me when I cut my string. “Mom! That’s way too small! That will never fit!” At that, I had reluctantly added an inch or two, but I refused to add more before snipping. Now I stood before her to justify my decision.
It was too beautiful. It was perfect. Perfect. I wrapped it around Camille, and the crowd gasped as the ends met neatly.
See? Who says you never use higher math in everyday life? I love math, even though they’ll probably never let me play again.
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“See? Who says you never use higher math in everyday life?”
Everyday life? That qualifies as everyday life? I might spot you that, but truly pragmatic and normal life can and does go on completely oblivious to algebraic intervention. I prove that one every day in my own, personal, everyday life. B)
Very cute. I remember the first time we played that at one of my baby showers, Hannah #5. We used a pink ribbon, not knowing whether she was a boy or girl. I had never played it before, and I thought it was quite creative.
I eyeball things pretty close to exact measure too. Try to get me to remember someone’s name, and, well, that’s a different story!
LOL
Glad you had fun, and may the LORD bless the new momma in her labouring with health and quickness.
blessings!
Jacque,
I’m with you on the names. If only people had numbers instead of names, it would be a perfect world!
Mine are way too short… ALWAYS… I think I worry about ladies thinking everyone thinks they’re fat… LOL…
Have a blessed week!
Sallie
Love love love it!! I’m a math geek too
. Comes in pretty handy sometimes 
.
I read your blog frequently, but don’t comment much. I HAD to comment about the baby shower games though. I went to my cousin’s baby shower this last weekend. They played the exact same games. Being newly pg myself and still in the very nauseated stage, I could NOT bring myself to play the “squished chocolate” game! The thought almost sent me to the bathroom!! What a waste of good chocolate
)
Don’t knock the diaper game!! *grin* It gets tons of laughs especially the bars with ‘extra’s’ in it like rice krispies or nuts. We’ve had some funny photos come about from that game…..
Kim, I do remember that. You are so good at that game. I am not so good. Probably because I go to all these baby showers with women who are thin and have basketball bellies and I am not thin and have never looked like I swallowed a basketball. LOL
Have you ever played this one? Numbers figure into it somehow. Wait until after everyone has eaten….then bring out a bathroom scales!!! The reaction is about as fun as anything, and then you announce that you’re there to weigh PURSES (or diaper bags, etc). The heaviest wins the prize! You could set all the objects in a row and try to guess the heaviest without actually lifting, and then weigh. I’m not a shower gamer myself, but I like finding the odd game for someone else.
I like the one where all guests are divided into two teams. Each team is positioned before a clothesline and have a basket full of baby clothes. Each contestant then hangs up the clothes or takes them down whichever needs to be done when her turn comes–the catch–you must do this w/ a baby doll on one hip and a cordless phone on your shoulder! It usually becomes apparent who are the experienced mothers in the crowd!
I loved the story! You remind me of the algebra tutor I had in high school. She loved math and would do it just for fun. My mom was, well, math challenged so we traded babysitting for tutoring.
I’m good at estimating, not good at actual math, but I rock at that baby shower game.
I’m voting it’s having been pregnant so many times.
Blessings,
Kimberly
I’ve got to show this post to my “math” hating daughter. I keep telling her she will use math on a daily basis. LOL!
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That is terribly funny.
Thanks for posting, I’m going to have to share this with my dh … numbers are his first language, too!
Although he has a great grasp of English as well, leaving my own specialties in that area rather dormant! LOL
That diaper-sniffing game is awful. It’s been at every shower I’ve ever been to except my own, except they always used baby food instead of candy bars. At one, I saw the jars and gasped to realize that they’d used the high-end organic stuff that’s outta my price range – for a GAME!
The only shower game that I really love is the one where everyone gets a clothespin clipped to their top and then no one can say the word “baby”; if you catch someone slip up you take their clothespin and whoever has the most pins wins. I’m a pro at that one; it allows me to 1) start conversations with strangers and 2) be crafty.
I’m still laughing at this. At least I can say I came in at a close second. ;o)
This brought a smile to my face! Thanks for resisting the urge to add the inch or two more!
God Bless,
Camille