In the world of blogging, blogging mothers seem to always write a birthday tribute to their children on their blogs that is very sentimental and touching. I had no desire to do this this year. Even my journal entry on her birthday was very lack luster. Probably because I have spent the last 8 days preparing her the greatest little one-year old party I could ever think of (on a very small budget.) It was magical. I spent last Saturday at my mom’s house with just a vague idea of what I wanted to do floating around in my head; Ladybugs. So mom and I spent the day planning and practicing cakes. It took hours. There were parts that were not even fun anymore. They even, I think, stressed me out. That is, until I had a talk with myself. “Self,” says I, “This is a party. Parties are fun. If you are not having fun, and you spend this next week blowing your kid off because you’re trying to throw her a party, you are doing something wrong.” SO. I made a list of everything that needed to be done and when it needed to be done, and I stuck to it, and pretty much, I had an entire week of ladybugs and lots and lots of fun loving up the tiny party girl. Hopefully similar feats can be managed with later parties. Though I suppose there will be some of both: stress and no stress parties. I commented to a friend that I couldn’t believe how much time I had spent on these assorted lady bugs and she reminded me to think of what I would have been doing if I were still working and then I remembered, I am a mom. Just a mom now. And this is what I do, I celebrate life with my children. And celebrate we did.
Everything was ready by 6:00 when the guests started arriving. I handed Grace off to her willing aunt from Tennessee, and painted lots and lots of little faces (and my brother’s shaved head) while Paul barbecued hot dogs.
Then we ate the hot dogs with lots of salad and chips and drinks. Then, it was time for the piñata. The incredibly crafted and ingeniously engineered ladybug piñata. The design was mine, but Paul master-minded the bug's aviation. And that Ladybug sure did fly. We started with the littlest kids first and they all took swings until the biggest (Alex--age 13) punched—with his manly fist—the tar out of that bug and sent the candy and cookies and marshmallows flying (marshmallows and cookies had been wrapped in baggies days before.) The children, who had been standing in a PERFECTLY straight line behind the appointed blanket, eyes bulging with anticipation, squealed as they collected loot in everything from their shirts to their broken arm slings.
And on to presents. Grace never quite caught on to the unwrapping, but she had the playing down perfectly. And so did her cousins and friends.
Then came the cake. A four-plate, tiered, culinary feat. Gracie had a plate sized little lady bug cake complete with 3D chocolate feelers, and descending in tiered steps were three plates of 59 little lady bug cupcakes. Complete with their own coconut grass lawn; cake ball, pink-frosted, polka-dotted bodies; and of course, own little chocolate feelers.
Gracie enjoyed eating her cake one finger lick at a time, until her mom, at the suggestion of her aunt, shoved her entire hand into the ladybug’s back. Well, that was one too many party games for her and the wee girl cried because she wanted to. At which point she was wiped clean (another reason to cry) and then cuddled with her new toys as dusk fell. Like I said, we had a celebration.
And I must say thank you to everyone who came out to love my little lady, give gifts, and pitch in on food. Grandma and Papa, Blaine, Katie, Hailey, Jamie, Blake, Alli, Josh, Grandma and Grandpa, Rob, Tim, Kate, Scott, Chelsea, Addy, Crystal, Clark, October, Alfred, Jen, Karlene, Tanna, Trenton, Jim, Amy, Morgana, Sam, John-David, Julian, Tennyson, Amelia, Eleanor, Jen, Bismark, John, Lisa, Alex, Courtney, Zach, McKenna, and Jordan, Thank you. We love you.
And to you, my Little Love Bug, Happy Birthday. I love you with all of my heart.