Party Post-Mortem

We survived L's birthday party extravaganza without any major mishaps. There were a few tears from the b-day girl and her friends who had to leave early, but a fun time was had by all. Final count:17 for the party, 10 for the sleepover. So much for the theory that other parents would be hesitant to send their kids to an unfamiliar home for the first foray into the rite of passage inexplicably known as the "slumber" party. To which most thinking people would reply "Duh! Free babysitting for Valentine's weekend!"

After pizza, cake, and much shrieking, the girls got into the dress up clothes - which is a zillion scarves of all sort of colors and sizes. They got into our basket of assorted instruments, and I had Bob play some bouncy accordion tunes and next thing you know there are a bunch of girls singing and dancing and being crazy-joyful. I kicked myself for not having the video camera out, but I never do, so that regret can sit next to its' fellows in a long long line of self-recriminations. Ah, well.

I must admit while running around cleaning, making the cake, preparing games and activities I had a brief panic that it all wouldn't be enough, somehow. And I thought longingly of the pre-packaged, themed birthday party items that seem to be an instant party, just add plastic and Disney characters. I'm well aware that scratch baking isn't for everyone, and that most houses don't come equipped with a talented accordionist. It's just that now I have to be really strategic and resourceful, because easy answers come from Target, not the thrift store. Although the two bags of balloons I scored from Goodwill last month produced all sorts of entertainment: balloon animals, fun with static, using respiration for purposes other than shrieking at a pitch high enough to threaten the storm windows, and the like. But the essentials were simple: a house full of energetic kids, snacks, and opportunities to play. Cake was just a bonus.

In the hopes of slowing down the pace prior to bedtime, we did a movie and popcorn. The birthday girl chose "My Neighbor Totoro" which is a wonderfully drawn film filled with magical creatures from Japanese folklore. Only her best buddy had seen it, and it was amazing to watch the girls' reactions to something entirely new and different. They were still humming the theme song as they (reluctantly) left this morning. Pretty gratifying, all in all.

In case you were wondering, there were only two presents from guests. One was a handmade purse from a crafty gal and her grandmother, and the other was a great assortment of art supplies. Several parents pointedly mentioned the "no gifts" as a nice change of pace from the norm, and various other supportive comments. Which is reassuring, but let's face it: I've never been particularly skilled at appearing normal. I'm bucking the trend but just following a different one.