Party On

Dear Connor,

When I was a kid and GongGong and PoiPoi threw birthday parties for me, they just tied a few balloons to the fence in our backyard, set out chips and soda, bought a birthday cake from Giant Eagle and invited the neighborhood kids over the week of--or sometimes even the day of--the party. I vaguely remember a game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey one year. Overall, my birthday parties were simple affairs.

Now I am throwing birthday parties for my own kids and they are definitely not so casual. The popular birthday party venues book up months in advance, so I have to start thinking about where to have your September party in May and secure a location. I like to have a theme and choose whatever character or show you're currently into (this year, it was Blaze and the Monster Machines). Then I find invitations, decorations and favors that are related to the theme and bake and design a related cake (for the first time, though, I cheated and ordered your Blaze birthday cake this year since we just moved into our new house and are in the midst of an cleaning and unpacking tornado). There are a ton of things to keep track of for the party and it's a lot of work.

And your birthday party today was that much more stressful because it was at an amusement park inside of a really popular city park near the site of the US Open during a holiday weekend, meaning parking was a NIGHTMARE. We arrived half an hour early to set up and 30 minutes later, we were still circling the jam-packed parking lot and adjacent blocks looking for a spot. We couldn't find anywhere to park, PoiPoi and Uncle Tony in their car couldn't find anywhere to park . . . and where were our 30+ guests going to find anywhere to park?! Miraculously, we did eventually get a spot, as did almost all of our guests (unfortunately, PoiPoi and Uncle Tony and Aunt Irene and your cousins Madison and Zoey couldn't find a spot and had to admit defeat and go home), so we were able to make it to your own party, albeit a little late. The party organizers were actually kind enough to extend your party by an extra half an hour for free--and you and your friends made the most of it! You all had so much fun on the rides and after we'd had pizza and cake and we were walking back to the car, you sighed contently and said, "That was the best." And that single sentiment is what makes all of the work, sweat and time I put into your birthday parties completely worth it.

Love,
Mom