Tonight we attended the sweetest birthday party for the sweetest little 2 year old you've ever seen. However, when the hostess thanked us for coming, I had to comment she'd 'set the bar way too high' for those of us whose children are beginning to pick up on the fact that many parents host "friend" birthday parties for their kids. I've always tried to keep things simple. I count it as a personal victory that last year was our very first "friend" birthday party.
Most of you know that I am a very...how shall we say?...frugal person. Thrifty? Creatively resourceful? OK, OK, NOT willing to spend a great deal of money unless it is absolutely positively necessary. Case in point, my children wear hand-me-downs. I've been known to wrap up hand-me-downs and give them to the girls as birthday and Christmas gifts. (I mean, seriously, the TAGS were still on some of these clothes!!) Although I must say I felt a tugging on my heart when we opened up this year's box of hand-me-downs and the Pea asked, "Mommy, do you think we'll ever get new clothes?" (I think that falls under the job description of Aunts?) Anyhoo...
We generally have "family meal" birthday celebrations. In fact, after last year's Rollerskating and Bounce House extravaganzas, the girls ASKED for family meal celebrations in 2009. The kids get to choose the meal, help me decorate the cake, pick out an activity and create decorations. The four of us dine together, and if grandparents happen to be in town at the time, they are always welcome to join us! This year, The Bug chose to have tacos and ice cream (poured into muffin tins for 'mini-ice cream cakes'). Of course, when her birthday actually arrived, she said she'd hoped for a friend party. (WHAT??) She frowned and fretted and fought with her sister. She proclaimed, "This is the worst day of my life!" I told my grumpy bickering daughters if I heard one more word, I was outlawing birthdays altogether. Suddenly, our family party perked up.
On her birthday, The Pea chose to have spaghetti & meatballs, peanut butter cookie cake, and a Palm Tree Pinata. We debated over where to hang the Pinata. The Pea thought the best plan would be for Daddy to stand on a folding chair, hold the Pinata in front of him, and The Bug and The Pea would swing -blindfolded- with a baseball bat. (Daddy was not too keen on Plan A.) We ended up hanging the Pinata from the monkey-bars, and using the sticks at the end of their stick ponies as the "bat." The girls insisted on being blindfolded, which certainly added a whole new level of adventure. Thankfully, with only two participants, the odds were in their favor that one of them would bust open the Pinata. The stick pony cracked the Pinata after a few whacks and candy fell on the grass below. (I'm happy to report no hospital visits or critical injuries.)
I will probably give in to their requests for "friend" parties next year. Perhaps an "every other year" plan of alternating "friend" and "family meal" parties will work best. But, so help me, if the girls start complaining...no more birthday celebrations...ever!
The night before school started, we gathered together for a nice "end of the summer" meal. We generally ask the girls about their favorite part of the day. However, this last day of summer vacation, we asked about their favorite part of the summer. The Bug answered first, "I loved everything!" she said. Daddy replied, "No fair! Tell me your absolute favorite!" She thought a moment, grinned, and proclaimed, "Well, if I have to pick just ONE day...I'd have to say my birthday!"
Kids...just when you think they're gonna zig...they zag!
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