Party, Part II

re: Party, Part II

gtmogirl — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 17:52:02 GMT

Never have I been so heartbroken as I was on my daughter's 12th birthday party. Her birthday lands on the last day of school. Her dad insisted she go to the family reunion on his side of the family which was his weekend. We couldn't have her party that weekend, so it was planned for the last day of school. 10 kids invited 10 couldn't come. My heart was broken at the sight of those giant blue eyes holding back tears. What really pissed me off? Not one parent bothered to RSVP. That is the end of birthday parties for me. It all ended good, but had I known that they all weren't coming I could have made different plans.

re: Party, Part II

Joe — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 22:14:56 GMT

I will assume Jackson enjoyed the popping cake girl? Beats Spiderman any day.

re: Party, Part II

mo — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 00:32:52 GMT

i had a kid turn 4 on the 1st of july and i too, had an anti-party. took some cake and juice and goody bags to the park and told the 'regulars' that we'd be there. didnt have to clean my house (hooray!) and i made WAY less food than i'd be inclined to make if it had been at home. and i dint have to clean up afterwards! everyone picked up their own rubbish. it was awesome.

for next year though, i'm totally implementing the 'your age plus one' rule.

re: Party, Part II

Donna — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 21:37:22 GMT

I have a 17 year old with a mid-summer birthday and it does suck because everyone is always away, always - especially if you have the nerve to try and schedule a party for the weekend.

When he turned 7, a bunch of the kids we invited told us that they couldn't come because they were going away for the weekend. Then the weather reports announced that a hurricane was expected for the weekend and suddenly, many travel plans were cancelled and we had 12 more guests than we originally expected.

Feast or famine, I guess. We found that as Matt got older, we had more success scheduling his 'friend' birthday party during the last week of school or the last week in Aug before school started. Good luck!

re: Party, Part II

Abby — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 21:28:50 GMT

I don't care where you post, I'll follow you anywhere!

(Online, not in real life. I quit doing that a long time ago.)

re: Party, Part II

tana — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 19:12:53 GMT

*Having a birthday that traditionally fell on the first couple days of school sucked too. It also sucks having your birthday become a national tradgedy (but I'm not bitter or anything).

*We have been on a tight budget (and the fact I'm much like you) for the 5 years of my daughters life so she has never had a 'real' birthday party. (Although we did celebrate her 2nd birthday at the buffet at the Rio in Vegas-that's festive.)

I spend all of February and March trying to figure out a cute but inexpensive party, but a week before her birthday (March 31) I end up buying juice, making cupcakes and we take them to the park for our weekly play group. I do let people know a week ahead of time so there will be presents.

I feel so cheap, all her friends either have parties at Gymoree, Travel Town and/or those indoor play/gigantic bounce house places.

*I have a love/hate relationship with Costco, I love wandering around and buying crap but I hate how big everything is and that I walk out of there with $200 more on my Amex. Does anyone ever finish those cakes at one event? I bought one for my sons christening with 50 guests and I STILL had cake left.

geeze- did I say enough?

re: Party, Part II

teryn — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 18:08:20 GMT

You remembered there were birthday candles in the junk drawer because there are always birthday candles in the junk drawer. I have 3 half packages in mine. Because sometimes I don't remember they're there, so I buy some more, and after I open them, I go to put them in the junk drawer and I put them right next to the other half package and think, "Wow. I'm not going to need birthday candles for years."

I always buy more because I don't trust that the ones in the junk drawer are there. But they always are.

re: Party, Part II

clarkorama — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 16:14:39 GMT

Your 6-year-old loves Styx? Now I wish I had a kid so your kid could influence mine with his ability to recognize musical genius.

re: Party, Part II

lizzy — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 13:57:30 GMT

Poor summer birthday kids! It's not your fault--sounds like you did a great job getting it all together during such a chaotic time. Lucky you have neighborhood kids, too!

My birthday was this weekend, too close to July 4(maybe the same day as Jackson's?). Plus, I grew up in the country with no neighbors. I remember two years in a row when my best friends were out of town around my birthday, and the other kids we invited from my class just didn't bother to show up. So I sat on the back porch waiting for them. All day. And one shy kid, or no one at all showed up.

My mother told me to stop feeling sorry for myself.

Give yourself some credit that it all came out ok:) And that he probably was still delighted with the way it did work out. Happy birthday to Jackson!

re: Party, Part II

Lisa V — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 02:13:46 GMT

I'm so impressed that you get to pick the ethnicity of your stripper. Here in the sticks we just take what we can get.

My 7th birthday was completely pathetic. December, it snowed buckets, gallons, mounds. Only my best friend came. We sat in the dining room decorated for 10 kids and looked at each other. My mom finally said "Let's go out!" She took us for Chinese food and to see Dr. Zhivago. We were 7. I still hate Lara's Theme.

re: Party, Part II

donna — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 23:53:03 GMT

no, this is how it's supposed to be!

i really believe that. don't chide yourself. thanks (again) for the inspiration.

re: Party, Part II

Lisa Milton — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 19:41:44 GMT

Ok, now you are charming us with two sites. I don't know if I can take it.

Great post.

You make birthday party horror sound at least entertaining. I mean, with the tequila and all.

And Mr. Robato. Wow.

re: Party, Part II

islaygirl — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 16:24:10 GMT

oh, sorry, i came back to push 'post' and didn't realize you had addressed The Cake Issue.

re: Party, Part II

islaygirl — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 16:22:51 GMT

I'm with Suzy. Get your cakes at costco. Sure they can feed an army and you only had 2 kids, but they're still cheaper than grocery store ones, taste a million times better, and the nice people in the bakery will even open a pre-made one to put Happy Birthday Jackson on it.

My ex used to laugh when i'd bring one back for no reason. "Hey! Happy Wednesday! So glad you could be here to celebrate!"

re: Party, Part II

mrskennedy — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 16:16:00 GMT

ALSO, I knew in advance that all his school friends couldn't make it, we intentionally made do with the neighborhood ruffians, and it was more than fine.

re: Party, Part II

mrskennedy — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 16:14:37 GMT

Okay, COSTCO MAKES GREAT CAKES. There, I said it, and it's true.

If anyone else needs me to take back any other retail-offensive statements, I'm here for you. If you give me cake.

re: Party, Part II

Judy — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 15:55:46 GMT

Shit.... my daughter's party is the 7th and I'm dreading the 'no guests show up' party. I've done that before with my older daughter's party (fucking ice storm!) and I've dealt with the inept grocery store people who could not write on a damn cake (which is utter bull shit, now I know because I am a cake decorator at a grocery store) who I forced to go get some disney princess plastic rings and shove them on the cake instead of writing. Damn them all at Super Target!

I think I'll double my anti-anxiety medication for this week just to make it through Saturday withough a mental breakdown (it's supposed to rain and the party is at the park! But there will be cake AND a pinata!).

Happy Birthday Jackson!

re: Party, Part II

Suebob — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 15:30:28 GMT

Oh thank God. Someone else who isn't a member of the Cult of Costco.

I refuse to shop somewhere I might be crushed by pallets of canned pineapple during an earthquake.

re: Party, Part II

Suzy — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 10:57:21 GMT

Ok, for starters, Costco here in LA makes the best cakes and pies in the known Universe. I don't need them for any parties yet I buy them because I'm uh..late for work? Not from this planet? Addicted to pie?

So take it back that you hate Costco.

I'm waiting.

Oh btw, I go in to buy toothpaste and come out with patio furniture.

I don't have a patio.

re: Party, Part II

bentthatway — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 09:11:57 GMT

Oh that sucks hairy donkey balls. My daughter is also fortunate enough to be born smack dab in the middle of godforsaken summer/vacation time. I was starting to get truly concerned about what the hell to do for her, when the heavens opened and I bumped into another mom of a girl S was in PreK with, who is having the same dilemma. So, god willing and the creek don't rise, we're just going to get little bitty cakes and go to the fucking zoo with the two of them. I'm sure they'll love it and mama doesn't have to host 12 crazy preschoolers, woot!

re: Party, Part II

Angel — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 07:31:08 GMT

Oh I feel for you. I'm so sorry those families were so rude to you and your son.

That happened with my daughter's 6th bday party. ONE kid showed up. Fortunately it was her best friend, but it was at the park and it POURED so we wound up taking both kids to an arcade. She had a blast, but it was all I could do to not sob at how people could be so thoughtless to a little kid.

re: Party, Part II

elizabeth wickersham — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 06:06:35 GMT

love you in general

love you more

in your native lands

hope to see you more often there

liz

re: Party, Part II

colleen — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 05:29:42 GMT

(generally read you at fussy, but am here now) and am wondering who, exactly, John from Cincinnati is? Is he an angel? an alien? a random rainman dude (you're a very good driver). exactly WHO is John?? Maybe this is a post for Fussy? ;)