So, I’ve been looking at my calendar for May and realize that each weekend is already booked with an activity and I only anticipate that getting worse as invitations to graduation open houses start trickling in (several graduating cousins this year on both my side and Hubby’s). In the midst of the already planned events and holidays, I have to try to plan The Princess’s FIFTH BIRTHDAY party.
She’ll be five on Memorial Day, and what we learned last year was that a lot of her little buddies travel with their parents for the holidays. Sooo… having her birthday party the weekend of her birthday would result in many of her friends not being able to come (which is great for me, boring for her). Hubby has repeatedly suggested having her birthday party the weekend before her birthday – which would be an easy, acceptable solution EXCEPT that it’s also the weekend of the dance recital (from hell). He’s telling me: “You do the prep work – the cake, the invites, all that — and the day of the party, I’ll run the show.”
Should this be the year I plan a hundred games for Hubby to coordinate for the kids? The party will likely be the day AFTER the recital (I am not COMPLETELY out of my mind!). I have thought of keeping it VERY simple – taking The Princess and two or three of her friends to see “Shrek 3” and going out for ice cream. I don’t know if that will satisfy her: she keeps talking about a princess party (but she seems only to be inviting boys – I’m sure they’ll dig that).
I really hate the birthday party madness. We have been to some awesome kids’ parties this year – but to be honest, Bounce Parties, frou frou stuff… it’s NOT my thing. I don’t want to compete in the birthday Olympics – I just want my kid to have fun and for my furniture to stay intact.
Suggestions?
(I know I should just dredge up my post from last year at this time… but humor me… she’s going to be five – and she’s an old five, like five going on fifteen).
I have no idea where you live, but it sounds much like the birthday system was when we lived in Alabama. Parents would spend horrible amounts of money for their children’s parties. The craziest one was at a place called “Pump it Up…a huge building with several rooms full of inflatable climbing, jumping, and maze toys… very cool. I had as much fun as the kids on those things. This one party though, this little girl had about 50 grown-ups from her family, another 75 kids from school and family, and all their parents. Her cake was a 3 foot diameter of Minnie Mouse’s head. It was 5 layers and had fancy fillings between each layer and was perfectly airbrushed. Most of the kids didn’t even like it because of the wierd fillings inside. Knowing where the cake came from, it probably cost them $600…. for a 7 year olds birthday cake…. that’s crazy.
I think the movie and ice cream idea sounds perfect. You could add a trip to a McDonald’s with a big indoor playland for dinner. My kids would all love that kind of party! Good luck!
I used to always do at-home parties. But then last year Girl insisted on inviting her class to Bouncing Off The Walls. It’s one of those giant inflatable places Grace described. This year she’s set on this new children’s salon place called Sweet and Sassy. It ends up being a lot easier than an at home party. And cheaper too. (I don’t go to all the extremes though. You can actually rent a Sweet & Sassy limo to pick up your girls for $125 and drive them to the salon). We’re doing the straight party with 12 friends, not getting any extras and it’s good.
All that said, I tried really hard to get her to agree to the movie party. She said no.
I think “easy” is the key word. It’s very hard to have so many kids invade your home…much easier to pay to go somewhere…anywhere…else.