Shannon from Welcome to the Nuthouse has the honor of providing the last post for the SNOTW Birthdaypalooza. I love Shannon's blog because she always makes me laugh. She also loves things I do. Like Daniel Craig. And Lost. And Glee. And a good book.
Also like me, she has daughters born both in the same month! Well, mine are sons, but the same month. I am currently ALREADY wondering how we'll handle the birthday so close together, so this post definitely made me think!
***
Planning birthday parties for my kids probably shouldn't be as hard as I make them out to be. (But I'm a little bit of a control freak)
I have two daughters, both born in February; they're only 2 years apart in age. The first few birthdays were easy... we just invited the family over to the house for cake and ice cream. And for their 2nd/4th birthdays, I was even able to throw a joint party! Over and done with in one day!
But all that changed when my oldest turned 5.
She was in preschool and wanted to have a party with her friends.
And so it began. The pressure to pull off the "Best Birthday Party EVER!"
That year her party was held at a local indoor playground. Since then, my girls have had their parties at a local rec room, gymnastic center, and this year, I allowed them to have a slumber party (note to self: Never. Again.)
Deciding on the party "theme", buying the plates/cups/napkins/party favors, baking the cake/cupcakes, making goody bags, mailing the invitations (and then the thank-you notes, after the party)... and then there's the actual party: cutting the cake, serving the cake/cupcakes/ice cream/drinks, opening gifts, playing games, breaking the pinata, the clean-up when the party is over... it's enough to drive me bonkers!
One year, my oldest wanted to have her party at the local indoor playground again... but to save money, we decided to use the local rec room. During the party, I overheard my husband say "I think I would have rather done this at Partyville and let them do all this work".
It's a good thing there wasn't a sharp object within my reach, is all I'm sayin'.
My oldest is now 9 and I admit I am glad she's getting "too old" for birthday parties! We've told her this was her last (thankfully, she's ok with that!)
My youngest just turned 7, so I still have a few more parties to throw for her (it's only fair she get the same number of parties her big sister did, right?)
Maybe by the time she reaches age 9, I'll still have some of my sanity left.
Maybe.
