Sunday, September 28, 2008

After many sleeps




The birthday finally arrived. It has been a day long planned for and anticipated. There was organization the night before. Goody bags were stuffed with crayons, lollipops and cheap toys. The pinata was packed full of candy... or almost full... more on the pinata later. Bags were packed with buns, chips, plates and napkins. Cupcakes were baked, decorated with edible Dora faces and ready to go. The ice cream remained in the freezer, after a brief debate on the likelihood of it surviving a couple of hours in a cooler without turning into a milkshake.

Watches were synchronized for a 9:30 a.m. departure. Our spot at the park was reserved. Which was a very good thing. Since my kids aren't really into sports, I didn't plan on the park being crowded with boys and girls loaded into football pads and uniforms and tossing footballs left, right, and overhead as they waited impatiently to have their pictures taken for team photos. Oops! You'd think the words Recreational Park would have been a clue.

The birthday girl was too excited to notice. She was too concerned about when the opening of the presents would take place. It wasn't soon enough judging by the number of time I said: "After we eat, dear."

Friends and family arrived, ate lunch, sang "Happy Birthday" and applauded the generous gifts that were hastily unwrapped. Kids were lined up for the pinata fun. I even thought to provide each child with a bag for their candy. They lined up to pull the strings (one of which would open a trap door, releasing the candy). The candy.... didn't come pouring out. You see, I ignored Rob's instructions about just where to put the candy. Apparently the backpack part was indeed the correct place and Dora's massive, over-sized head was not. We had to do brain surgery on Dora and swing her about wildly to release the candy. A few kids may have gotten pinged in the head with gum and chocolate. No one complained, though.

Abby was happy. A good time was had by all and I sent children home loaded with sugar and stuffed with cake. I know their parents were grateful, so very grateful, for my thoughtfulness.

8 comments:

kurrabikid said...

Sounds like a lovely afternoon!!

Mary said...

It sounds pretty perfect to me too.

Although I am finding myself dismayed at how quickly she seems to have transformed from toddler to young girl!

Stomper Girl said...

Happy Birthday to your beautiful little girl. I'm glad she had a great party.

Something always goes wrong with pinatas.

Lesley said...

I made a dinosaur pinata for my daughter's third birthday — eighteen years ago, ye gods — and did such a good job on it that the little darlings couldn't make a dent in it.
I had no idea about creating a soft underbelly. Duh!
It took two dads wielding a couple of cricket bats to make a hole in it. And by then some of the kiddies were in tears as they watched the violence unleashed before them, with the alpha-dads yelling 'Stand back!' and 'Get out of the way!'

Hope your daughter had a wonderful birthday.

Melinda said...

Okay Lesley, I think I'm traumatized just reading about that pinata "fun". Pinatas do seem to be prone to problems though.

M said...

Happy Birthday Abby! Looks like a fabulous party.

Nothing like having to crack open a skull to get to the candy!

Fairlie - www.feetonforeignlands.com said...

How many of them will need therapy after watching you decaptitate Dora and tear apart her skull??

Pulling strings sounds like a most civilised form of pinata - all ours have involved sticks swinging madly, creating head injuries of the real sort...and eventuating in a mad scene as the pinata falls to the ground, the kids all dive onto it, and the one still holding the stick continues to beat at it (and the other kids) relentlessly.

Good times.

Looks like a lovely party - belated happy birthday to the gorgeous Abby.

Anonymous said...

Our Pinata experiences are spookily close to fairlie's, so yours sounds so much more user friendly. It just depends who the user is, right? Tell Rob you were right, but the manufacturers placed the strings in the wrong place. It's their fault.

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