Birthday Fever

So, Abby and Archie have both had their birthdays recently, and with said birthdays comes a certain squiggly little monster aptly named "Birthday Party." Last Saturday, Abby had her party. I let her invite about 8 friends and a couple of our college kids over for her party. I asked each girl to wear her favorite apron, and the girls made pizzas on English muffins and decorated their own cupcakes. It was very low-key. Today, since Archie also had a birthday but had not yet had a party, I decided to have a small extended family party. So, per Abby's request (for Archie), we had green birthday cake with green frosting. Yummo. It, too, was low-key and really sweet. Then, I rushed Kale over to a friend's house for his birthday party, while Kenny and the kids and I went to yet another house for a first-birthday party. All of this got me thinking...

What is the big deal about birthdays, anyways? What would be lost if we simply didn't keep track of them? I only ask this because my eyes have been opened lately to the reality that America (particularly Searcy, Arkansas, America) has the birthday party craze. Moms here will go to any extreme to have the perfect party. No matter the cost. I endured a conversation somewhere just on Friday with a mom who told me about taking her daughter for a manicure, pedicure, and massage for her birthday. One party Abby went to was held at the Rose Room at Ann's Briday. Complete with photographer (with a paid-for 5x7 photo for each girl), professionally-printed invitations, and real-live Disney princesses! Today, the party Kale went to was set up as a fair with castle bouncy, miniature golf, and a cotton candy machine! He brought home about 4 inflatable hammers (about 3 feet long) and one weird stuffed dog (whose head spins) just like you would win at the fair!No pressure, right?! No.

I am going to buck the system. And I'm asking you, the other parents and parents-to-be who read this blog to do the same. It is such a waste to spend all that money on a day to celebrate a day which otherwise holds no great importance. There are people in Africa who have NO IDEA how old they are, and I'm quite certain they are, in fact, alive anyway. I'm not saying that birthday parties are, you know, bad in an of themselves. It's just that I've come to believe that many of the birthday parties I go to are really not about birthdays. They are an excuse for overly zealous moms to try to impress all the other moms so that those moms will want to be just like them. Ah, but they can't be. Because next year, the party will be even bigger. Stop it! Seriously. Stop it!! Let's just let our kids be kids and stay out of the game! Can a sister get a break?! Talk to you soon!