The Birthday Party List

Two clues that you have perhaps not overly prepared for your daughter's birthday party:

Clue #1
Nanny: Hey, Andi? I promised Bookworm that I would help her with her Survivor birthday party, since I had one when I was little. I know her party's tomorrow night, so if you need me to go buy anything, or decorate, or whatever, just let me know and give me a list...

Clue #2
Friend: Hey, Andi? Bookworm called to invite Leah to her party. I was wondering if you were still having it, and if you were really having it, since I've never heard anything from you...

You see, Gentle Reader, until today I had done very little to prepare for my daughter's tenth birthday. In fact, the preparations I did do went something like this:

Me: Really? A Survivor party? That seems like a lot of work. Let's just have a pool party and be done with it.
Bookworm: I promise I'll do all the decorations and set everything up myself.

Well, since I'm obviously selfless and full of givingness, I agreed to this plan. Bookworm borrowed my phone last week to make some phone calls. She informed me of who had agreed to come. She had arranged date, time, and what they should bring (swimsuit, sleeping bag, pillow.)

I took her word for it, and left it at that.

Wait. Do you mean you might have sent out invitations, and perhaps spoke with the moms yourself to see if said girls are actually coming?

Phooey on that I say!

She's ten in two days! Practically grown! She can certainly plan her own party.

This week we began to discuss the cake. Now, as many of you know, my mother in law has been in ICU. Fortunately she was medi-flighted to my hospital (as opposed to another hospital in the area), so I've been able to check up on her, and the staff has kept me appraised of what's going on...However, I am still worried, and I'm still tired...

I felt perhaps in light of this situation, cupcakes would be easiest.

Bookworm wants a cake. I always make the cake, and I always try to put some thought into it so it can be extra special, and this is her tenth birthday, and I'm pretty sure I'm like in first runner up position for Mom of the Year and making a cake from scratch may tip me over into first place...

*Sigh*

I decided to make a cake. I got it made and frosted tonight. I have to add a few details to it tomorrow before the party. The party that falls on a day that I will work.

So, in a not so brief recap, I will share my list with you on how to have a successful party. Of course, considering we haven't had said party, and may in fact have only one child attending, I will let you know how this revolutionary new theory works.

1. Try to refuse a theme, but crumble.

2. Have your daughter text her friends invites to the party on their mother's phones. Invitations are a thing of the past people! And it wastes natural resources! See, I'm not lazy! I'm ecosmart!

3. Hire a nanny who tends to leave your house cleaner than when she came, and make sure she is aware that the bulk of all parenting responsibilities will now fall on her delicate 16 year old shoulders. This step is very crucial. Please do not miss it. I fear disaster will result in the party if she is not their to keep you on task and do whatever work you are too tired/lazy to get done yourself.

4. Make a cake the night before. The beauty of this is, it forced me to clean out some space in my fridge so I could store it there.

5. Leave a grocery list of Roll-os, large pretzel sticks, small pretzel sticks, and gummy fish for the nanny to retrieve for you...In all of her spare time left from decorating, cleaning your house, and possibly even erecting the tent, if you're really lucky.

6. Whine to our father-in-law when he drags his weary carcass into your house at 7:30 pm that you are exhausted and have no time for a party, but obviously you are the Mom of the Year, and so you will make a cake. From scratch.

7.Decide to do a post on your wonderful plans for the wonderful party you have actually had very little to do with, and publish it for all the blogosphere to admire your absolute awesomeness.