Mashed Potatoes, Mimosas and More: a Leapfrog party

Silicon Valley Moms Blog parties are usually a lot of fun, and the latest one, sponsored by LeapFrog, was no exception. Our sister site, the Chicago Moms Blog, held a family-themed LeapFrog event recently, but I'm kind of happy that ours was held at a very small, child-unfriendly conference room at the Four Seasons. After all, I rarely get a chance to spend some child-free time with my blogging peeps.

We knew we were going to have a good time when we were offered mimosas and red wine even before entering the party room. We feasted on ahi tuna rolls, prosciutto and melon, and the big hit of the night, a mashed potato bar. If you don't know what that is (and I didn't until that night), you choose from 3 different kinds of mashed potatoes -- including a purple kind! -- and a yummy toppings like roasted garlic, sour cream, sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, (I'd better stop. Alfie and the kids had pasta and tomato sauce that night so he might feel bad if he realizes exactly how much better my dinner was than theirs. I still need him to babysit for future bloggy events), and more.

The other big hit of the night (what? bigger than a potato bar??) was the spirited discussion on the importance of early literacy skills, led by Dr. Anne Cunningham of UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Education. The SV Moms are passionate about their children and education in general, so it's no surprise that practically everyone in the audience chimed in on topics ranging from bedtime reading, improving opportunities for low-income students, challenging gifted children, and working within the bounds of No Child Left Behind. It was a fascinating discussion. My main take-away? That it's ok for 3Po and Jammy to doodle on paper or spin the wheels on their Matchbox cars while I read to them; they're still soaking it all up.

I really appreciated the fact that no attempt was made to plug Leapfrog products during the main discussion; it was just an engaging exchange of ideas about literacy in young children and in our public schools. Not that Leapfrog needs such a hard sell in this technology-loving community. In fact, I found out that almost all of my blogging sistahs already own several Leapfrog products. Still the Leapfrog people let us try some of their products and even gave us a few (ok, more than a few) to take home to our kids. Thanks, Leapfrog, for sponsoring such a great night!

For more Leapfrog products (and a coupon), visit my review site, Bonggamom Finds.