Marley's Birthday: The Party
What do you do when you realize that all of the eighteen children you invited to your six-year-old's birthday party are coming? And you just had a front lawn seeded, and your home in no way accommodates thirty or so guests?
You move the party to a town park less than a mile away! With a playground and a swing set, and a picturesque bridge spanning a river, and a covered picnic area and plenty of room to run around! Especially if you know that the weather will be unseasonably balmy! Like summer, even though it's the middle of October!
Todd and I planned for Marley's party to be a low-key, relaxed event. In fact, we didn't plan much at all. To begin, Bean said she wanted a Hello Kitty party. First of all, who is she, Mariah Carey? Second of all, aside from a Hello Kitty cake and branded plates and cups, what does that even mean? Hello Kitty is not a theme, or at least not one I care to explore, Mariah. (I would argue that Yo Gabba Gabba, however, is a theme, and a ridiculously delightful one at that. At Rudy's party, I will be in full DJ Lance Rock costume, and we will enjoy a spectrum of Yo Gabba Gabba tunes because, "Listening and dancing to music is...AWESOME!")
You move the party to a town park less than a mile away! With a playground and a swing set, and a picturesque bridge spanning a river, and a covered picnic area and plenty of room to run around! Especially if you know that the weather will be unseasonably balmy! Like summer, even though it's the middle of October! Todd and I planned for Marley's party to be a low-key, relaxed event. In fact, we didn't plan much at all. To begin, Bean said she wanted a Hello Kitty party. First of all, who is she, Mariah Carey? Second of all, aside from a Hello Kitty cake and branded plates and cups, what does that even mean? Hello Kitty is not a theme, or at least not one I care to explore, Mariah. (I would argue that Yo Gabba Gabba, however, is a theme, and a ridiculously delightful one at that. At Rudy's party, I will be in full DJ Lance Rock costume, and we will enjoy a spectrum of Yo Gabba Gabba tunes because, "Listening and dancing to music is...AWESOME!")
For us, a Hello Kitty party meant, sure, there's a mute-looking cat on a cake and branded plates and cups, but mostly we're just going to hang out and play. We went all old school and kept everyone entertained with Duck Duck Goose, Red Light, Green Light, and Simon Says. Todd was the ring master, and aside from several insurrections when all the children simply charged him like maniacs because half of them didn't really get the rules and the other half didn't really feel like following them, I think it was a good time. And everyone got a prize from the dollar store around the corner for competing, and then it was back to the playground.
The afternoon, in the end, was a low-key success. Marley had fun running around with all her pals: cousins, bus stop friends, classmates from kindergarten and preschool, and mostly, neighborhood kids. It was warm and sunny, and Marley was wearing flowers in her hair and her new favorite dress, a replacement for the one our friends bought Marley on their vacation which was literally along the Silk Road. Her new dress is from Oriental City, at the mall one town over.
In short, it was a very happy birthday, and I might just always send guests to the park for such occasions, because when we left for the party, dishes were piled in the sink and the beds were unmade and I didn't even care. And then, the cleanup was step one: wrap up trash in our tablecloths, and step two: toss them in the trash cans and go home! Hooray for Six!
In short, it was a very happy birthday, and I might just always send guests to the park for such occasions, because when we left for the party, dishes were piled in the sink and the beds were unmade and I didn't even care. And then, the cleanup was step one: wrap up trash in our tablecloths, and step two: toss them in the trash cans and go home! Hooray for Six!
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