Party Planning

Thus far, Maddie's experience with birthday parties consisted of a group of friends playing, the birthday boy/girl opening gifts, and then everyone eating cake and ice cream. Her birthday parties were always low-key. For the last 2 years we had them during our weekly playgroup time. No big deal, but lots of fun.

A couple of weeks ago, we went to a birthday party for a girl in her class. It began like any 4 yo birthday party. The parents were talking amongst themselves, and the kids were running around like the little hooligans they are. The mom of the birthday girl came into the room and said, "If everyone would please come into the other room- the magician is here."

That's right. A magician. Complete with balloon animals, cards, and a top hat. He entertained this group of preschoolers with snot jokes and a fake magic wand for about an hour. Maddie had a wonderful time, but, to my relief, she never mentioned it again.

Until we started planning her party. She suddenly remembered the magician and how much fun she had. I nixed that one, off the top. We settled on inviting some of her friends to Chuck E. Cheese's.

But, apparently, some doesn't mean the same to a 3 yo planning her birthday party. When I asked her who she wanted to invite, she named all 20 kids in her class. She named all of the kids in her former play group. She named kids I have never even heard her mention before.

I sent out invitations. To her old play group members, her best friend, and 3 friends from school. But she doesn't know that.

I'll probably just tell her that the others couldn't come. And they won't be able to, because they won't know about it. Right?

And, realistically, she won't even care. She'll probably be too upset and crying under the table because her mom was too cheap to splurge for a magician. Oh well . . .

Please Come Back, Ronald!!

Do you remember, not so very long ago, when the commercials during the morning hours were for sugary cereal, McDonald's Happy meals, and dental hygiene nightmares? It's only the first week of December, and I wish they would come back. Really. I miss them.

Now, every time I turn on a children's program, there is a different toy that Maddie just has to have. And none of the commercials are for the toys I already got her. Oh nooooo, those are so last month.

"Mommy, mommy, did you see that?!? I really, really want that! Maybe you can get it for me, for Christmas."

"I've already got your present. It's wrapped and under the tree."

"Is it that toy (doll, train, princess, dog, movie)? Oh. Well, this is what I really want. I'll ask Gram or Pop or Granny or somebody else. They would LOVE to get it for me. I know they would."

"Honey. . . That's not quite how it works."

"Okay, I'll just ask Santa. I've been really good. And he knows it. He and God see everything."

I get this all day long.

Super sugary cereal with marshmallows of every color and a free toy in every box doesn't sound so bad now, does it?

We Got Hosed

Every October, sometime before Halloween, we get Maddie a pumpkin and let her paint it. Since we are going to be out of town for the next 2 weekends, yesterday was the only day we could do it as a family. We had seen a little place to buy fall items and decided to try it out.

Maddie hops out of the truck and can hardly wait to pick one out. While she and Justin try to find the perfect pumpkin, I go to the stand to ask about prices. The only sign says, "Due to drought, prices are higher this year." That should have been my first clue. The lady with plastic spider earrings told me they start at $8. I thought that was a little high, but there was no way Maddie would let us leave without a pumpkin.

She finds one. Then we find another one to carve while she paints hers. We take our 2 mid-sized pumpkins to the checkout. "That's $24.04" WHAT!?!? And we were stuck. We couldn't tell Maddie that the pumpkins were too expensive and we couldn't buy them. She would have been heartbroken. And truthfully, I really didn't want to deal with a tantrum at that moment.

So we loaded up our precious cargo and Maddie and left. We decided to stop at the store so we could get some carving utensils. Right in front of the door, like a slap in the face, I see a sign.

"Large Pumpkins $4.99"