“Look– a Flynn Rider piñata! That would be perfect for your Rapunzel birthday party!” Yes, Lira and I are pouring over the internet, discussing the logistics of her December birthday. Don’t all moms start planning 4 months in advance?
“Do you think you could find a Rapunzel piñata instead?” Lira asked.
“You and your friends don’t want to line up and smack Rapunzel in the head, do you?” (For some reason, smacking Flynn in the head seemed ok. Maybe because he’s pretty douchey for most of the movie.)
“What about if we line up to smack her in the face?”
I suppose we could beat Rapunzel senseless if it means we’ll be showered in candy.
“Ok, we’ll look for a Rapunzel piñata.”
And so it begins…
I will spend hours over the next few months planning the details of this party: I’ve started a Pinterest board where I’m pinning ideas from a bunch of other over-the-top moms. I’ll ask Dave countless logistical questions that he has zero interest in. And I’ll bother all of my kid-less friends (those are the ones who have time) to help me with all the DIY decorations.
There are a few issues that come up every year, and I always think that if I start planning earlier I will figure it all out.
- Which friends to invite? Classmates? Ballet friends? Swim friends? Neighborhood friends? Girls and boys? Just girls?
- Where are we going to put everyone? When you live on the Hill in DC and your house is the size of a shoebox, there’s not much room for a party. Outside isn’t an option because it’s December. And every rental option is at least a couple hundred dollars, usually more. Last year we had it at our house and there were kids everywhere… even in closets and under beds.
- What is my problem? No really. What is it? Why am I so obsessed with birthdays?
There should really be some sort of rehab for this…
Wow, you ARE a planner. Do you consider yourself over-the-top? I actually make a small effort not to go overboard. Don’t want to get myself used to doing too much ;). Anyways, I think it’s cute that Lira’s getting involved and that she’s ok smacking a princess in the face. Keeping it real. Those questions you posed — definitely hard to select guests when the kids get older. I can’t even imagine. But I suppose if ppl get their feelings hurt, they get their feelings hurt. They prolly weren’t that close to you anyways. It’s like wedding invitations all over again. And totally know what you mean about location. We have a slightly bigger home than a box, but even then, we had 10 adults for J’s party and it felt cramped. Good luck. I do find it ridiculous that places charge $300. I don’t care if you provide pizza and a gift baggie. And why are you so obsessed with birthdays? Did your parents not make a big enough deal out of yours when you were little? JK. I’m not trying to psych-analyze you at all! I think what you’re doing is great and is a creative outlet. That’s what I see it as. I don’t get to be very creative/artist being an engineer.
I would say that I dream big and wish I were over the top, but I can never get it together.
When it comes to the invites, it really does feel like wedding invitations. Maybe if my kids weren’t so popular. Such a curse (flipping hair over my shoulder)…
As for why I’m obsessed with birthdays… my parents were pretty big on birthdays. They were (are) different religions and backgrounds so birthdays were something everyone could agree on and celebrate.
PS- I saw J’s birthday pics so don’t pretend that you don’t go big on birthdays. I saw those DIY invites!
Are you holding a martini while also flipping your hair? Haha. And darn, I’m found out. Though I consider myself mild 😀