Birthdays 101

W

e gave up goodie bags a few years ago.
They just aren't that huge a deal around here (thank goodness) and, in
fact, are seen as kind of "babyish" by a lot of the kids.

I started just putting out a big bowl of "kiddie candy" and letting
kids take a fistful home in a bag. They seemed to love it. Now I've
even stopped that.

I also gave up trying to "plan games" when I realized I was pulling
kids away from fun "free play" to make them stand in line to pin a tail
or smack a pinata.

  We do very simple parties these days. Matthew's 12th will be held in our barn on a Saturday afternoon. He will
have a few choice friends over to swim and play video games on the big
movie screen (a Wii character 10' tall!) and sleep out in the barn all
night.

I plan to get pizza, an ice cream cake and some chips, snacks and
drinks. They will be fed donuts Sunday morning and sent home! Good
times 

Our son, being very easy
going and hasn't made any real "demands" for his party beyond "can we
get pop?"

So he, being a boy, is perfectly happy hosting his friends in a BARN.
Seriously. A big block structure with a drywall movie screen ( a
powerpoint projector to put the video game or movie on it), cast-off
furniture, etc. Trust me, it's not HGTV ready. It's a BARN. His only
request wasn't that we sweep or paint or even, I dunno, put out some
napkins. It was only this:  "mom can we put something over the sofa. It's
FLOWERED." 


So, apparently, you can host your friends in a BARN as long as you don't ask them to sit on anything floral.  


Good to know!