January 14, 2008
The countdown
A handmade calendar is taped to Tara's closet door. It is only the month of January. Because in the mind of a 4-year-old, it's the only month that matters right now. In less than two weeks, little Tara Vika turns 5. Every night before she climbs into bed, she puts a pink heart sticker on the day. She can see that we are moving closer to Jan. 27. She is ready to burst with excitement.
Meanwhile, I don't have a thing planned. I don't want to host another adult/kids party at my house, and I'm not real keen on some of the popular kids party places like Chuck E. Cheese. Screaming kids, loud music, scary mascot. No thanks. There isn't enough Excedrin to handle that. So what's a mom to do. And what's a last-minute mom to do. I'm checking out a few places like our local athletic club. They host kids parties, but they probably cost a lot. Sigh.
When I was a kid, we had our siblings and maybe one friend come over and sing Happy Birthday with a cake. That was about it. I had just one party, in sixth grade, a sleepover and it was awesome, except when my sister dropped me on my head when my friends were all lifting me horizontally with their fingers in some kind of voo-doo seance thing.
But kids today...well, now I sound like my Mom and others in her generation. It just seems like we all created this crazy birthday buzz and now our kids are bursting with anticipation for their next party. OK Tara, this year's party is the last one. Riiiiight.
Posted by Laura at January 14, 2008 09:34 AMPosted to Tara's Story
uhhhhh good luck, cuz!
I hate to tell ya, they have parties EVERY YEAR at VENUES!!! I'm sure you know this. I had one party when I was six, and one when I was 10. Or maybe it was the same party and I'm just remembering different sections of it. Because we wouldn't have played a Winnie the Pooh record when I was 10, would we?
hmmm
Oh my Goodness! I didn't realize that your Ukrainian treasure and mine were actually born on the same day!
Not only that but I am right there wit'ya on the whole birthday party nonsense (I mean planning.)
Our policy with the older kids was parties every year from ages five to nine. So now I've got a whole lot of nothin' when it comes to inexpensive ideas to make N's day special.
Please keep blogging when you come up with an idea!
Posted by: Knoonell at January 15, 2008 01:34 PMHow come I am responsible for dropping you on your head when clearly it was your friends lifting you up? Didn't Sharon and I serenade your friends with our singing of Beatles songs?
Can't believe Tara is going to be 5 years old. Wow.
Posted by: karen wiz at January 18, 2008 10:18 AM