(© Amreta's Graphic Corner)We were beginning to think that our children had outgrown that 'must invite every single little person I've ever played with in the school yard' phase when it came to birthday parties. For the entire year so far, the three children have been invited to just two parties collectively, both of which we were unable to attend.
Someone obviously opened the floodgates this past week because we've received not one, not two, but FOUR birthday party invitations - three alone for my socially confident 5 year old daughter. Oh. My. Gosh. When it rains, it sure does come down in hurricane proportions, doesn't it?
Thankfully, I've been on the ball this year and have picked up various low to mid-range gifts in sales that I've put away specifically for the rush of birthdays I knew was bound to happen eventually. Stuff that popped up during incredible sales (like 70% off). I just bought a half-price Tamagotchi for my daughter's birthday present in a couple of months and because they were half price, I picked up another to put into the Gift Drawer. This would be considered a relatively 'high end' gift - lots of 'bang for the buck' - but I'm just happy I grabbed something cheaply!
Tomorrow begins the stretch. We have a McDonald's party, a picnic at a large outdoor playground (the whole family is invited to that one), an evening party which I gather will involve dinner and a movie at the birthday girl's house (all very tame and fully supervised), and a Dora/Halloween dress up get-together. So far just one of The Piglets has had their birthday this year but we've had a standard choice for celebrating for a while now. We can either have a 'party' (and there are various ways of doing this from McD's through to an at-home-with-fairy-bread deal) or the birthday child gets to choose the entertainment for the family for the day. They choose the activity, the dinner (usually takeaway...and I'm all for that!) and a cake from Mum's super-dooper children's cake book. I've made castles and treasure chests and snakes until my knuckles have developed arthritis from weilding the icing knife, LOL. But its a tradition now and I love to do it. I must admit though, we tend to steer them ever-so-gently toward the 'family outting' side of things. It takes an enormous weight off my shoulders.
From here on out, we have birthdays and celebrations coming out of our ears, LOL. In our immediate family of Mum, Dad and three kids, the first cab off the rank is Boofah in July. Then a break (filled with birthdays of extended family) and Mum's next in early October. Master J in November, and Dad and Miss Moo (and of course, Christmas) rounds off December.
December is not a cheap month.
Cheers,
Lizzie
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