Children's birthday parties

 

Children's birthday parties are an entirely new and different world to me. Henni was invited to a party over the weekend where the theme was "snowflakes." Rachel, who was turning two, is really into ballet these days, and apparently loves to watch various performances of different ballet theaters on TV. So her mom made tutus and prepared matching tiaras and wands for all the girls that got invited. All the girls, dressed in pinks and purples (Henni happened to wear all black, but her purple tutu still looked pretty on her dress) were so cute, sharing their pink toys, eating nicely with their forks (for the most part), and just fluttering about like little fairies. They got to eat snowflake-shaped PB and J sandwiches and a yummy cake with pretty sky-blue icing with marshmellows on top. It was a very nice and wholesome party with lots of attention given to what kids enjoyed doing. Henni played with the wand and the tiara for many more hours even after we came back home, and continued talking about the party. I realize one could get really creative with children's birthday parties, and I am sure I will get accustomed to this new world real fast. Thank you, Rachel and Rachel's mommy, for inviting us to a nice party!!

We've been to and have heard of all kinds of children's parties by now, some that are quite extravagant and not necessarily focused on the birthday child. Growing up, I never got birthday parties like the ones we get to go to with our kids these days. I only remember one birthday party from my childhood days, and that was when I got to have 5 friends over for a special lunch at home. I felt a little guilty, after having been to Rachel's party, because Henni's 2nd birthday was not as nicely thought out. She just had a store-bought cake with Elmo on top, with some Elmo balloons and Elmo stickers strewn around. Then I wondered whether or not Henni will even remember this party down the road. My earliest memory is from about when I was 5, and even that is with the aid of some old pictures. People keep saying I can't compare what I got and got to do as a child to how I am going to do things with my children because they now live in a different world altogether with different audio and visual overloads. Perhaps they will remember more of their early childhood days than what I am able to. I still don't want to be one of those over-the-top parent who has to give my child the best and the most fabulous things and experiences in everything. In the end, what they will cherish about their childhood will be whether or not they were loved unconditionally and consistently, right? (Some aspects of mothering is not at all about parenting, but about self-imaging, especially when things get competitive and cliquish between a bunch of (well-educated, stay-at-home) moms, but that is another topic for another day.) I hope I will stay vigilant in getting the important things right as Henni and Junjun get older and I am required to parent in the community of other parents and kids with all kinds of different ideas and standards for things.