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Married to GI Joe, and the Mother to GI Joe Jr (whom is currently addicted to the Wonderful World of Superheroes), I'm a WV Hillbilly plunked down in a subdivision. I have a backyard garden, crazy neighbors, and a goofy dog that we love on Tuesdays. We love to travel and explore new things, so feel free to browse our life. Sometimes it is exciting, most of the time it is just life. But we are having a good time at it.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Birthdays...how many kids are October babies!

In the realm of Three Year Olds...apparently this is the magic age that we, as parents, have to start throwing these big whoo doo birthday parties.

We threw our required birthday party back in August for his Big Three. I won't be doing a Frightening Four next year...the thought of doing all of that again gives me hives. I will wait until the Fairly Far Away Five, before I put ourselves through that again.

It's just when we do a birthday, we have to do a BIRTHDAY EVENT since both sets of grandparents live so far away, and the neighbors are close, and we have friends. I called it Birthday PaloozaFest. We had the morning birthday party at a site for his friends and daycare class. Then nap...(intermission)...then a backyard cookout and such for the neighbors, adult friends and both sets of grandparents. I was EXHAUSTED by the time we got him to bed at nearly midnight and DONE with Birthday PaloozaFest.

But now we have started the cycle of all of his little friends having their own BirthdayPaloozaFests.

Here's the deal...we did a non-present party. It was great. No presents, no fighting, no arguing, no tears. No parents having to find SOMETHING noisy for me to drag home and deal with. It was too eeeeassssy.

The trend has stuck. I didn't start it, so please don't name the trend after me. I mean you can try...I won't stop you. But I will have to give credit where it is due. It was my boss and her kids. I saw how well it worked for them and jumped all over that bandwagon. Believe me...I am riding that puppy as long as I can.

We have been to one Present Party since, and it was a nightmare. The kids didn't understand why they had to leave what they had brought. My son kept telling the Birthday Boy "You have to share!" And then he proceeded to attempt to carry out some of Birthday Boys random toys to take home. I guess it was a trading situation in Three Year Old Land.

Today was another birthday shindig. At a nice local park. Would have been really nice if the Birthday Parents had bothered to give an indication as to WHICH shelter they would be at. I didn't know their car. I didn't know their friends. And there were TWELVE shelters at this park...and I swear TEN of them were sporting children's balloons and party decorations. I narrowed it down to non-princess balloons, but I still had no clue. I didn't even think to ask when I RSVP'd, thinking they would have it MARKED.

No...I circled that place three times and really regretted not getting her cell phone number off of the email. I finally saw Birthday Boy and figured I was in the right general area. Then I spotted his mom, and we were good. Then I called two parents that I had already talked to, that were having the same trouble, and gave them the scoop. Guess I was the scout.

The party went well. It was a 'no-present, only your prescence' bonanza, and the kids had a blast. There was a huge playground nearby and the kids did what kids do. Went nuts.

The Birthday Boy absolutely beamed as everyone sang Happy Birthday and presented his cake. The Other Kids salivated and demanded certain pieces of the cake. My own child got in on the action and wanted the 'blue part'. Note: The cake was mostly blue. He loves Birthday Cake.

We used it as a potty training aide to get him going. If he pee peed in the potty at daycare, we had birthday cake the next night at dinner. Any cake is birthday cake for him. When he went a whole week of pee pee ing in the potty at daycare, we had a birthday cake with a candle and sang 'Happy Potty to you!' We did. I have it on memory card...can't say film anymore can we?

And once again, I got to drag out my new wonderful super gorgeous camera and get some awesome pictures of the Birthday Boy having fun. There were some great cake eating photos included. I took some of my kid too, but he wasn't being cooperative today. Birthday Boy's photos turned out great, and I just showed The Husband who pronounced them "Oh WOW".

Sometimes I think I need to start charging $25 an hour to attend your childs birthday. You supply the memory card. I snap pics, hand you the card, and leave. That way you don't have to. Wonder if anyone would pay for that?

Another birthday party next weekend, two the following weekend, and one at the end of the month. Then we should be done for a while...all these folks that conceived over the Holidays...gee thanks!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would totally pay you to take pics at my kid's parties. Takes the stress away from me from trying to relish in the fun but still capture the memories...on memory card.

And thanks for that tip. My birthday is in October. Which means my parents were doing it over the holidays. BLECH.

Seriously....Me. said...

LOL! Where are you...we might be able to work something out... :)

As for knowing when the parents conceived you...totally skeevy isn't it?

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