In an attempt to explain why I/my party is ridiculous, I share with you the history of the winners.

I thought it would be fun to have it be a contest, and (some) people report that they love that aspect of the party. If you’re wondering, I just use simple counters. Everyone gets three and you put them on the board of the house of your choice. Then we make Michael count them.

(Michael is super awesome. He is in the second grade this year, and I have known him since he was a baby, when I taught his mom freshman Algebra. She had him when she was 13, and he is seriously one of the best-behaved children I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, even though his mom goes to school full time (to be a math teacher) and works three jobs. He is also very good at math. He is frighteningly polite, extremely helpful and an all around amazing kid.)

Year 1 Winners:

The winner the first year. Only a few other people were crazy, but I was already friends with far too many architects, designers, and engineers.

1. Token child (Michael above)-lovely 5 year-old-and-mom-made creation

2. Designer friend-3 story beach palace of !!!

3. Lawyer-shack. He didn’t realize we had more graham crackers in the kitchen and his house fell down so it was really a lean-to but he gave a great spiel about recycled building materials, sustainability and LEED certification. Of his crackers. So he got 3rd.

Well received. Had a good turn out. Remembered I am friends with architects, engineers and designers. Also one child. Determine I may want to have multiple categories, since people who came planning to build saw the crazy and were scared off.

Year 2 Winners (in the wrong order because I can’t remember):

2010: When people started being insane.
This is the only picture I could find from this year.

-Engineer: 2 car holiday train

-Planner: Model of the first two stories of the (at that time unopened) new Children’s, where he works

-Child again. No surprise there. (He’s a great sport. He tries to give his prizes away every year, even though his family is poor because his mom is my former student and still in college and my friends are not poor. He can’t help it. Love the kid.)

 Problem 1: intense professionals monopolized my table. Problem 2: People are still scared to make anything. Problem 2a: My memory is fuzzy, and I don’t think I’m remembering the winners right. For next year, I’ll have THREE divisions, and I’ll say that if you use a standard house structure you are in regular and if you build a scale model or something else nuts you are in pro.

Year 3 Winners:

Pro-winners:

2011 Overall Pro Winner

1. Token Jew (Hi Robyn!)-she was so excited to get invited to the party, and assured me I shouldn’t worry because even though she was Jewish, we’re totally good at these things. The trains were really delayed that day and she got there at 4:30 instead of 4 and was upset to have missed building time. It was awesome. Interestingly, her house is only a little past basic but very nicely done.

2. Architect- Church. Minus decorations from also chasing her one and a half year old, but it was amazing architecture (duh)

3. Designer (and wife on construction)-8 site campground with open doors (to match their Christmas card theme)

2011: 3rd place in the pro division, with a nice tie-in to their Christmas card that year, “Open Doors”

Regular winners:

1. Guy from year 1, now with girlfriend who did extensive internet research and brought in supplies-Beach house. With palm tree. And fake water. [Most. controversy. ever. I heard about it for months, and will hear about it now as soon as invites come out. “They should have been in pro”]

Beach Cottage. Well-researched, well-executed, and the most contentious thing to ever happen at a party.

2. 2 more people (sorry other winners!)

Child winners:

All of them! And then one kid is like, “Mom, we can’t all be winners. There’s only one first.” Crap. Next time I have to figure out how the kids win too. This is getting ridiculous.

I needed more rules. Seriously. Seriously?!?! The people who won 3rd in pro even tell me the first place winners from regular really should have been moved up “even though then we wouldn’t have won.” I go to a friend’s New Year’s party, and a third friend walks in as I’m mentioning something from my party, and both friends discuss how “that one house really should have been in the pro category.” I have no idea why people care so much. But they do.

So, I’m probably still crazy, but I have three years of this party under my belt, and I want everyone to have fun and minimize ethics-related concerns. That means a future post about rules of attending and competing in my party.

Have you ever needed to make extensive rules for a party? Do you think I/my friends are crazy?