<p>My mother has a singer she adores, when I told her I could order CDs online, we ordered 15 on Amazon and she listens to them constantly.</p>
<p>In my research I found that he would be in concert nearby within months. A gift of tickets was a delight and reasonably priced as he is not popular with the younger crowds. Can you find anyone she loves performing nearby?</p>
<p>Because Mexico is so darn hot in the summer, you can get very reduced hotel, plane-hotel packages, there. Even though you said, ideally, no flying, you may still find something reasonable, no more expensive than what you can do, driving distance, from home. Given the activities you said your mother would like, I would suggest you look in to Club Med at Ixtapa, Mexico. We know people who paid 1/3rd, because of going in summer, of what we paid to go in the Spring. It’s a beautiful setting, infinite food and activities included, and safe!!</p>
<p>[Resort</a> : Ixtapa Pacific (Mexico), HOME - Family resort and all inclusive vacations with Club Med](<a href=“All inclusive resorts for families | Club Med”>All inclusive resorts for families | Club Med)</p>
<p>Que disfruten!!</p>
<p>07Dad, I never heard of Chautauqua. I think that she would enjoy this, but my brother has a toddler, so this creates a problem for something like that. I will run it past my SIL. My SIL is involved in the arts and would appreciate this as well. Yes, the BD is next summer, so the timing for this is perfect. </p>
<p>somemom, yes this is possible. To celebrate her 75th BD we took family to a show and dinner, so we have done this before. This time there is a toddler in the mix and they live OOS, so hiring a sitter becomes an issue.</p>
<p>Mexico is not happening. Nobody in our family wants to go there.</p>
<p>Toddler? Here are activities for 3 to 5 yo. Another link indicated that they have a service/network to connect visitors up with local baby-sitters. </p>
<p>Heck, I’d volunteer to have a picnic with the kid(s) down by the water in the photo on the website.</p>
<p>[CHAUTAUQUA</a> INSTITUTION - Children’s School](<a href=“http://chautauqua.squarespace.com/childrens-school/]CHAUTAUQUA”>http://chautauqua.squarespace.com/childrens-school/)</p>
<p>Cool, but unfortunately the preschool would not work. The toddler would be 23 mos. old, so a shade under 2. He is used to daycare though, and SIL has brought sitters with her when she has traveled in the past (pricey, but I guess worth it for her).</p>
<p>NEM, remember that saying “There is no such thing as fun for the WHOLE family.” LOL…</p>
<p>[Family</a> Activities](<a href=“http://www.smuggs.com/pages/summer/activities/family-activities.php]Family”>http://www.smuggs.com/pages/summer/activities/family-activities.php)</p>
<p>Now this place claims that they do have it, though! It’s in Vermont.</p>
<p>^^I remember looking at their brochure when our kids were little. We never went because they were so expensive. A friend of mine did go, but stayed in a hotel and just paid to use facilities during the day. This was more than 20 years ago, I think.</p>
<p>How about a coffee/tea dessert party with all her friends at a local establishment.You could make copies of pictures of her life and spread them onto all the tables. You could put together a nice dvd to run on a loop with pictures of her life too. She could be the guest of honor and you could control how long it is. You could ask her friends for their favorite memories and put them all down in a book for her. Priceless and it does not have to cost much.</p>
<p>sax, this sounds great to me, but my mother expects more and it will end up being a sit down meal. I don’t think that she will be happy and I will hear about it. She will want to at least turn this into a pricey brunch and have a million people there. I will run it past my brother, but I think that we both feel that we are better off with a family meal in that case and a gift. It is just that I think my mother will want something more than this. She would love a weekend away though.</p>
<p>Just to add, she will want to invite relatives from other parts of the U.S. and then she will tell me that I could not invite them for just a dessert! This is how the snowball will begin… it won’t end there either.</p>
<p>^are they sending tourists up in spacepods? We gotta get a handle on this gal’s expecatations for the guest list!!!</p>
<p>Lol, not going to even try! This is why I do not want to go beyond a family celebration.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I could be wrong, but basing on your writing it seems like your mother isn’t satisfied with anything,</p>
<p>In a word, yes. She is very critical of her children. We cannot do anything right for her. My goal is to keep “the peace”.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’m sorry to hear that. In that case, I would just do something very small and don’t spend a lot of money since she won’t be satisifed wither way.</p>
<p>I want to do something that we can afford to do, and yet keep the peace (keeping the peace is the hard part).</p>
<p>We did the whole dessert party thing as a celebration of my parents lifes together. All the friends and family loved it (open bar)</p>
<p>Of course we did this immediaetly after they had passed away…so they never got to complain 
</p>
<p>true story , lol</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I am sorry that it turned out that way.</p>
<p>How many siblings are involved here (sorry, can’t remember if you mentioned it)??? Maybe you should all just take her out to the Casino and then let HER choose where to eat afterwards - the rest of the family could join you for dinner.</p>
<p>If keeping the peace is an issue, I wouldn’t recommend a trip out of town - too much time, for too much to happen. Something short but sweet might be better.</p>
<p>There is only one sib and spouses involved, plus the toddler. I was thinking about taking her to a casino hotel in AC, but I don’t think it is fitting for the toddler and I do not want to make things difficult for my brother and his wife. I was thinking about getting show tickets and doing a nice dinner at one of those hotels, and staying over, but it isn’t a good situation for a toddler (whether he stays home with a sitter, or comes along). I’d rather it be something that is family friendly.</p>