#258 Birthday Party Bliss

Birthday parties are in the air, or maybe I’ve just had too much cake…..




Yesterday we had my older son’s seventh birthday party at a local martial arts school. The kids all had a blast. They got to run through an obstacle course complete with a rope to swing from and a Bosu ball jump. They learned some punches, kicks and blocks and ended with some games. There was pizza and juice and cake and karate headbands for party favors. Everything a party should have.



Today I took my four year old to a birthday party for one of his friends. It was at a place called “Monkey Joe’s” which has lots of elaborate inflatable play sets guaranteed to exhilarate and exhaust your child. Again there was pizza, cake, party favors and thoroughly satisfied children.



It made me think about the birthday parties of my childhood. My mother was very creative (and willing to set and up and clean up her house) with my parties. We had an obstacle course in the backyard one year, a treasure hunt another year, and a talent show yet another year. It helped that my birthday falls in June so outdoor parties are possible.



Eric’s parties were another story. I’m sure every child who has a birthday around a major holiday has the same issue. The birthday tends to get forgotten or minimized. I can honestly say that we never forgot Eric’s birthday and it was always celebrated on time in the family, but somehow the party had a tendency to get missed. I think one year it was held in March.



With a January birthday in a northern state, outdoor parties are generally not a good idea. Many years in a row my mother rented film strips, yes film strips, and a projector and we watched cartoons. Wow do I feel old now.



When he was older he had a series of birthday parties at a video arcade.



I visited my friend who had a baby on New Years Day and I wanted to tell her to make sure they celebrate this little one’s birthday. But I figured between the c-section recovery, the baby’s broken arm and the general chaos of integrating a new member into the family, that message could wait. But she’ll have an across the street birthday party advocate for her when she’s ready.