Between Oriental Trading and Party City, I got some cute animal decorations, party favors, cupcake picks, games, piñata, and so on. Lizzie was a bit disappointed that there weren't more elephants, but her overall enthusiasm for her decorations eventually led her to forget her disappointment.
Today I prepared myself to entertain at least ten 4-5 year olds, along with various older children. However, I didn't prepare well enough. I'd forgotten how exhausting that many preschoolers are as a group. The one poor preschool boy that showed up spent most of his time attempting to protect himself from the craziness of the preschool girls. The preschool girls spent most of their time running in circles around my house, engaging in call and response activities (one would say something, and then they would all have to say the same thing over and over and over very loudly in unison), and hatching plots to try to go play upstairs, even though I had the gate up.
However, I did try to entertain them with stickers, musical chairs, pin the nose on the lion, a pull-string piñata, cupcakes, and party favors. This was apparently not enough to fill up the party time I had allotted, so then we ended up with duck duck goose and Simon says, played after a long period of the girls marching around the downstairs rooms declaring not-quite-in-unison that they were a marching band. I was cursing the rain we had last night, since it meant I couldn't just throw them out into the back yard to play. However, the parents that stuck around with their kids assured me that everyone had a great time, and that I kept them busy. I think they kept ME busy. Thankfully, Mom and Elis were here to help, so I did survive the experience.
Now, on to The Case of Too Many Presents. We have a toy problem around here. I believe it is common in other households, too. It's called "way too freakin' many toys have taken up residence in this house." So on the invitations for Lizzie's party, I specifically stated that presents were not expected, but that if they wanted to bring something they could bring stickers or paper or something for drawing and coloring.
Last year, Anna was invited to a party where the mother specifically asked that no one bring gifts. I honored her wish, although Anna was mortified that she was going to a party without bringing a gift. We got there, and there were gifts all over the place, the mother was a tad flustered, and Anna was pointing and rubbing it in that other people brought presents. However, the mother did thank me profusely for listening to her and not bringing anything.
Today there were a couple people that listened, but the majority brought gifts. The kid raked it in today. And the whole time she was opening her presents I was thinking, "If this is what happens when I say not to bring gifts, what would have happened if I'd said nothing? Would I be totally buried in Palace Pets and Hello Kitty right now?"
I am grateful that these people care enough to buy a present for my child. But if I tell you not to bring presents, or to keep it simple, I'm not just trying to sound hip. I really mean it.
But even though my wish for fewer material things entering my house did not come true, it was still a great party. And it gave me a great idea for the kids' birthday parties next year: do them out of the house, at a venue, so I don't have to deal with the cleaning before and then cleaning up after, and other activities are available with no planning on my part to entertain the crazed, sugar-high masses. I think it's the best idea I've had in a long time!
