I won singing the English version of 99 Red Balloons

[link]

And I did Laura Branigan's Gloria a few years ago and was a runner up!

Welcome to the Jungle would be funny. Nobody else is signed up yet so it's an open field.

It's kind of sad this year because my friend who ran the competition before is moving away and so it's being done by some random karaoke person. I'm sure it will be fun but it won't be the same.

Kids opening gifts really can result in either tears or disaster, depending on the age of the kids.

Shower gift opening is tricky when it's a really big group. I really like Jesse's friend's idea of having something going on while the showeree is opening.

A friend threw me a virtual baby shower when I got pregnant with Sara -- which meant she mostly bullied people I used to work with, and she still worked with, into buying me gifts because she was so excited. It was horribly embarrassing, but it was also so very much appreciated -- at that point all of our baby stuff was long gone, because we weren't supposed to be having another baby. And boy does stuff change in just a couple of years.

Yes, Laura Branigan!! That's who I was thinking of. There are several songs that I would love to be able to belt (that one, and some by Heart, and...and...) but I am not a soprano, and will have to be content with "Son of a Preacher Man" and "Black Velvet" and the like.

Welcome to the Jungle would be funny

It is so much fun to sing, seriously. Full of theatrics and flat-out wailing. I tend to hit the deck at least once while I'm singing it. (Most memorably at my birthday, wherein I decided that it'd be a good idea to do the splits. Twice. Much Fernet had been consumed at that point.)

I thought baby #2 wasn't supposed to get a shower?

Dude, what would you do with all the stuff? Seriously I find it very stressful finding an eco-friendly way to get rid of all our baby stuff.

I tried giving it to friends who were having kids but they wanted to buy new stuff for their kids (and hey, all of ours was secondhand when we got it so I could understand). Most of it cannot be donated, at least not to traditional places like Goodwill and Council Thrift. I finally found a local halfway house that I hear will take strollers, pack 'n plays, etc. And is there any way to donate a used breast pump? Those things are spendy, there's got to be someone who needs it who can't buy it any other way?

I am not a soprano, and will have to be content with "Son of a Preacher Man" and "Black Velvet" and the like.

Which are fun, but your lower range means you can sing Guns 'n' Roses - belting galore.

I opened gifts at my baby shower. Can't remember what I did for my wedding - actually, I can't remember if I even HAD a wedding shower. Huh.

And is there any way to donate a used breast pump? Those things are spendy, there's got to be someone who needs it who can't buy it any other way?

Burrell-- how about a women's shelter? A lot of times those women have to run out with nothing and so many of them seem to have babies.

Well, you've managed to replace "Fish Heads" with "Welcome to the Jungle" as earworm of today, so thank you.

but I am not a soprano, and will have to be content with "Son of a Preacher Man" and "Black Velvet" and the like.

I'm a mezzo which, thankfully, allows me a lot of Dusty. "I Only Wanna Be With You", "You Don't Own Me" and "Anyone Who Had a Heart" are particular faves.

There's always "Twist and Shout" for getting a crowd going in that Ferris Bueller back when Matthew Broderick wasn't such a pansy sort of way.