Birthday Parties

This weekend Isabella was invited to her friends birthday party...actually it was a dual birthday party, two friends shared the party.

Now as you may know I teach at a private school and both my kids go to this school, so needless to say my kids are the poor kids on the block.


Do you know what teachers get paid these days?...Shameful I tell you shameful...


Their own birthday parties consist of having a few friends overnight and bowling, or mom directed crafts in the backyard. However, they attend very extravagant soirees.

Now mind you, so far they have not complained one bit...they are very happy to have simple parties and go to hum dingers...Now mind you I said "so far".

My favorite story to share on this topic is about Andrew. He went to public school the first year we lived here and started attending this school in 3rd grade. His first party that he was invited to was at this mansion in a gated community. They had their entire estate set up like a carnival...snow cone booths, churros, pizza booths, an arcade the whole nine yards...hey where did that saying come from...huh...but I digress.

I was standing talking to another mother when Andrew came running up with the most excited look on his face and said in a very excited, loud, 8 year old voice "Mom, Mom, you're not going to believe this, but the Pizzas are FREE"

Obviously this boy has been used to going to carnivals where we pack our own lunch because usually the pizzas are an arm and a leg...there is another odd saying...hmmm.

So the party my daughter went to was no exception. It was at the community center of a very posh gated community. The moms hired two coaches to run various games...they hired a tattoo artist...a shaved ice cart...tons of food and had two pinatas, and invited the entire 3rd grade.

Here is my Bella with her tattoo...thankfully she chose her arm...the other girls got their tattoos on their stomachs, AND she was very worried about going to school with her tattoo...thank goodness my brainwashing is working.

Here are 20 kids waiting to hit the pinata...nothing says Happy Birthday than beating a fake puppy with a bat until his head busts open. Really nothing says Happy Birthday like 45 kids pushing, shoving, and clawing each other for a laffy taffy or roll of smarties. Again thankfully my daughter just hangs back and usually ends up with the most candy.

Let me tell you something else the party favors are cool too. No couple of pieces of gum, stickers, and some lip gloss...no sir-ee they got the huge bubble wand swords. They all got them out at the end and started blowing bubbles and chasing them. Bella got smart and put hers away stating "Well I am not wasting my bubbles...I'll just chase everyone elses"

...thank goodness my brainwashing is working.

More Later

-A Ro