I can barely believe it. I think he had a really good day. His birthday was Thursday. I went out with him and Blue to pick up some last minute things for his party. We were having the family over Friday night for pizza and cake and ice cream. Nothing too insane. Just a little family gathering to celebrate our boy.
I still had a ton of Sesame Street plates and napkins and things from Blue's second birthday. So we were going to use them and then I was planning to make an Ernie cake (somehow) and I had made little Ernie favors for William and Blue and our little neighbors, the Davenports.
We went to the party store and they each picked out a balloon. (Blue got one, too, so they would not fight over the balloon.) She picked out a Disney Princess balloon (and I have been told, several times every hour for the past several months that she wants a Disney Princess party for her birthday) and in a moment of insanity I spent $7 on a huge Blues Clues head balloon for the Lion.
Then we went to Wal-Mart to pick up sodas and ice cream and any other party necessities. While there, my mother called me on my cell and the pace of Lion's birthday changed completely.
She and Jonathan's mom were trying to get a hold of me to find out if I was still planning to hold Lion's party Friday night as planned.
"Do what?" I asked. "Why wouldn't I be having his party?"
It turns out, a huge storm was supposed to hit our area Friday morning and get worse throughout the day, into Saturday. Which explained why the Wal-Mart was a complete madhouse.
Crap.
After many frantic cell phone calls to Jonathan, his mom, my mom, Jonathan again, etc. I decided to just throw his party that night in case the weather was bad Friday. So I called everyone on my cell to see if they could come over that night instead. (And everyone except my brother Chris was able to race out after work and buy a gift for Lion if they hadn't already gotten him one and come over a night earlier. My family is truly amazing.)
I threw a bunch of random Wal-Mart crap into the cart, decided to bake Ernie cupcakes instead of an Ernie cake because it seemed they might be easier to decorate on the fly, and then had to race home, throw the kids in bed for a nap, clean the house and somehow pull two dozen cupcakes out of my ass for a party in 4 hours.
Luckily the house wasn't too messy. Because I really didn't want the party to feel as if I had thrown it together in 4 hours. Thank God for my mother-in-law, who showed up at my door a half hour early (with roses for me, no less) to play with the toodlers and keep them out of my way.
It was awesome. And if I sound like I am bragging, it is because I am. People, I rocked the house for Lion's second birthday! In the years to come, whenever I reflect on my career as a mommy, I will think fondly of Lion's second birthday and know that I did a fine job. And I am so grateful to all of my family for rolling with the changes and showing up and gifting my little boy with the most thoughtful, fun gifts any little boy could wish for.
PS The "storm" turned out to be a bit of rain on Friday. Of course.
tiger bag
