Now that March is almost over and the thank-you notes are out, I can write all about Owen's third birthday festivities -- and there were many. He had a party at school and a small family party at home, both on the day of his birthday, then a bigger family party the following Sunday. Now it's all fine and good BEFORE having children to say "I'll never do a crazy thing like organize three separate birthday celebrations for my THREE year-old. THAT is RIDICULOUS!" It's kind of like the night before Valentines Day when I was addressing Spiderman valentines to 26 of Owen's schoolmates and his 6 favorite teachers. I say to myself, "Why am I doing this? He's TWO." And yet, the following day when we arrived home with valentines aplenty in tow, I was awfully glad that I had sent my little Cupid in with a Spidey love note for everyone. His teacher had made each one of her students a little Valentines care package with goodies, and many students had accompanied their valentines with candy, play-doh or little press-on tattoos. So if we take all of this in context, a Thomas party tablecloth, two boxes of Dunkin Donuts Munchkins and a loot bag for each classmate was ACTUALLY quite a modest birthday celebration.
As for our own little family celebration, I was amazed at how much more dextrous Owen has become since Christmas. He can unwrap at warp speed. And Jason noticed that Nicholas hit a mini-meltdown during all of Owen's gift opening. Poor little fella -- it'll have to be the Hunt for Next October for him... But that event on Tuesday did give me a fun game idea for Owen's bigger family party on Sunday, one where we would be hosting 6 other little ones, all aged 4 and under. Remembering what it is like NOT to be the center of attention during someone else's birthday, I figured, why not come up with a game where the guests could unwrap? I went downstairs and uncovered a few spare party favors (2 childrens books, a bottle of bubbles and a paddle with a rubber ball attached), and I wrapped each of them -- in about ten layers. The game was a race to see who could get all the layers off to get to the prize. And the kids loved it. It made for lots of garbage -- and for the quick use of old worn-out gift bags and wrapping paper, but it was a bit of fun! It also cleared everyone's system once the time came for Owen to unwrap his gifts.
Call me a foodie, but my favorite part of any of these events is the cake, and Rockland Bakery did a fabulous job on this one (much a I love to bake, I am NO artist). The specialty Thomas cake was chocolate with chocolate mousse filling. This was by Owen's request, and of course, much to my pregnant delight! Other than the cake, we tried as best we could to keep things simple with sandwiches, salad, chips, beer, soda and juice boxes. No stress -- no mess! We kept cake and coffee until the very end so we could send the kids out into the yard to play after the sugar rush. Owen hit his melt-down after his guests had gone home, around 3:30, and we brought him upstairs for a very late but much needed nap.
I'd have to say that this is the first "special day" that has truly been as special to my child as it has been to me. On Christmas Eve of 2007, when Owen had a 105 temperature and we were driving home early from family festivities, I remember crying "Christmas is ruined!" Jason said, "Honey, it's just his second Christmas," to which I replied, "Then why do we bother to do anything if he's not even going to remember?!" Really, why put up the tree, why wrap the gifts, why tackle all the minutiae if, in the end, my child will not even remember it? Answer: Because having children brings back the magic of what Christmas is, what birthdays are, and even before they can remember these things, I can be their memory keeper. But there is nothing quite like seeing the cognition of my son as he realizes what a birthday is and what his birthday means. More than the Radio Flyer tricycle sitting on our patio (which, by the way, he has zero interest in riding at the moment), more than the ten new trains that line the wooden tracks in our playroom, the greatest gift for Owen's birthday is his own memory of it.
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