You may have noticed that Dr.Wilma and I have daughters with birthday’s that are fairly close together. She just finished celebrating her daughters’ first birthday and my daughter’s 3rd birthday is rapidly approaching. If only it was the first - they’re so easy & mellow, a little family, a little meal and maybe some simple water fun and voila, a party fit for a 1yr old. As they get older, everything has to get more complicated it seems. I don’t know why I chose to have such a big shin dig for my daughter’s second party, I probably still could have gotten away with something tiny, it ended up about thirty people (adults and children) and it was almost completely missed by daughter who still took naps back then. I had to wake her up and sell her on the idea that cake and pizza and friends were waiting for her presence.

So now, here I am pregnant, the responsibility of another birthday party to plan and me, with a big belly to lug around and a lot less energy for perusing party supply stores and scouring Target (and the like) for knick-knacks that I’m hoping wont just get thrown in the garbage. This years theme: Dinosaurs. Yes my daughter is the would-be Dinosaur Princess. Last year it was bugs which also capture her heart in a special way, we could have done it again if I hadn’t asked her opinion, why do I keep doing that? I guess because I’m constantly impressed that she has an opinion, and so many of them at that!

I’ve downsized the event to about half, thank goodness, and simplified (hopefully) by throwing it at our house - we’ll see later if I think this was a good idea or not. I’ve got back ups coming, grandmas that will help a whole lot with the last minute round up of party crap… I mean of the details that will make it look like I know what I’m doing when it comes to all this party planning business.

Why is this so stressful? It’s a three year old’s birthday party for goodness sake. We’ve been to several already this year and I have to say some of these parents run the gamut from obviously putting zero effort into it (which is totally fine with me, kids play and have fun regardless) to putting in wayyy too much effort. Does a three year old need six jump houses and a clown making balloon animals? I can’t say I even remember my third birthday but then again my mom wasn’t much of a do-er.

Therein lies the issue perhaps. My mom was so NOT a P.T.A. mom, she never bought me Halloween costumes or took me to parades. She was a great mom in other ways but she had the attitude that she sure as hell didn’t want to do that stuff so I must not have any interest in it either. Or, like in the case of Halloween, she thought no one needs a costume for a one day hurrah. I felt I did and it was a big deal to me so here I am, feeling the need to do better for my kid. She’s had Halloween costumes each year and she will certainly get to participate in any kid friendly fun I can figure out to drag her to. Let the party commence!