Kids' Party Planning

I've always said kids' parties were out of control, but now that I have my own I can definitively say they are completely overwhelming.

 

I don't believe in keeping up with the Joneses'. Never have, never will. But every few years, I will throw a kids' birthday party for one of the boys. Not every year, though. They have plenty of toys. Having parties every year would require I rent a second home for storage purposes.

 

This year, my very-soon-to-be 7-year-old has requested a kids' party. We have agreed to oblige him. He had one when he was 5, but the rest of his birthdays have been spent with family only at home. I think the pressure of others' parties is starting to get to him (and I really mean us).

 

He is having his party this coming Sunday at a local indoor arcade. Fifteen kids will assemble, play games, eat pizza and cake, and get sent home with a treat bag. Not too stressful.

 

Then there has to be the family party. We decided only grandparents this year for a quiet get-together at our house on Saturday afternoon. We'll order pizza, have some cake and let the big boy open his gifts. Another non-stressful event.

 

Friday will be the day he celebrates with his entire class. That means supplying cupcakes and a healthy snack (grapes) along with some drinks and plates for his classmates to enjoy with him. Shouldn't be such a big deal, right?

 

I'm pretty sure I have it all under control, but it adds up. I need certain things for certain days and can't leave anything out or I will have one unhappy birthday boy. Never mind the fact that I kind of ordered his gifts a little on the late side and am stressing the fact there is the possibility that they arrive after his birthday.

 

How does one 7-year-old get to celebrate a 3-day birthday weekend while slowly pushing his mother over the edge? See above.

6WS

Call Me Cate at Show My Face hosts Six Word Saturday. Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words.

 

Little League has begun - Saturdays booked!

6WS

Call Me Cate at Show My Face hosts Six Word Saturday. Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words.

 

The times, they are a changin'.

No Filter Friday

 

I almost have no words for how angry I am this week at all that has been happening. Somehow I'll conjure up a few to get through this post.

 

The events that happened at the Boston Marathon on Monday and the subsequent attempt to capture those suspects today has me reeling. The simple fact that we as a people have to deal with things out of our control like death and cancer is bad enough. Having to worry about going to marathons, movie theaters, school because some psycho might shoot or blow me up is just too much to wrap my head around.

 

I refuse to believe that this is the world we live in and there is nothing we can do about it. I want to know how I'm supposed to live my life and expect my children to live theirs when there is a possibility this could certainly happen wherever we go.

 

I don't want to live in fear, but I feel that I am. This is "supposed" to be the greatest country in the world. How and why is this happening here?

 

I know the good outweighs the bad. I also know I'm not foolish enough to believe it could never happen to me or someone I love.

 

I don't have the answers. I don't even have suggestions. I just know there needs to be a change.

6WS

Call Me Cate at Show My Face hosts Six Word Saturday. Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words.

 

Abundant auction winnings last night - grateful!!

No Filter Friday

 

Taking off my filter and telling it like it is. Here's what has me going this week:

 

1. Not sure if any of you are familiar with this story, but it happened in New Jersey this week. A 4 year old and 6 year old boy were playing outside. The 4 year old went in his house and came back out with a loaded rifle and shot the 6 year old in the face. The 6 year old subsequently died. I almost have no words to describe my anger and heartbreak over this story. This is wrong on so many levels. Why does a 4 year old know there's a gun in the house? Why can he actually get to it? Why was it loaded? How does he know how to shoot it? Where were the parents? Was there no supervision of these children? Something must be done about this insanity before we all wind up shooting each other.
2. Hey North Korea - piss or get off the pot?
3. Spring is my favorite and least favorite time of year. I love the warm temperatures that eventually show up in the Northeast. I don't, however, enjoy the wild weather that comes along with it. We (finally) had 2 warm days this week - and by warm I mean hovering around 80 degrees. The thunderstorms that came through on the second night were no less powerful than July thunderstorms. Hey Mother Nature - what gives with the weather beating you've been hailing down on us lately? Take it easy. Plenty of summer to come in the days ahead.

6WS

Call Me Cate at Show My Face hosts Six Word Saturday. Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words.

 

A coach should instruct, not insult.

Friday Finds

MizB at Should Be Reading hosts Friday Finds. What great books did you find online, in the library or at the bookstore? What did you add to your TBR list? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!




"Life After Life" by Kate Atkinson
"The Smart One" by Jennifer Close
"Tapestry of Fortunes" by Elizabeth Berg
"The Obituary Writer" by Ann Hood
"Public Apology" by Dave Bry
"Shocked: My Mother, Schiaparelli, and Me" by Patricia Volk
"Life After Life" by Jill McCorkle
"All You Could Ask For" by Mike Greenberg
"The Perfect Ghost" by Linda Barnes

No Filter Friday

 

Taking off my filter and telling it like it is. Here's what has me going this week:

1. Why do teachers assign homework over break? It's a break. My 1st grader has homework every night during the school year. I get that you want him to stay up to speed and not forget how to think, but he's only on spring break for a week. This is why I think school should be held year round with a few breaks here and there. Having off for 2+ months is much too long. Their brain cells do start to atrophy from lack of use. But 1 week isn't long enough for those cells to forget. If it's called a break, it should be a break.
2. Oh, Carnival Cruise Line, where did you go wrong? Is there some sort of curse on you? First one of your ships loses power and must drift back to port amidst leaking toilets and scant meals. Now that same ship gets blown off its mooring in the middle of a storm while being repaired, crashes into another ship and kills a worker on the dock. If there's one lesson I've learned, stay away from all things Carnival.
3. A coach is defined as an athletic instructor or trainer. If your job is to instruct or train, what exactly are you instructing or training when you berate, belittle and physically attack your players? Shame on you, Mike Rice, former basketball coach of Rutgers University.

Loving Lattice This Spring

I am in love with all things lattice this Spring. I just want to redecorate my whole house with lattice accessories here and there. Here are a few ideas I have in mind:

 

{Amazon}

I've been eyeballing garden stools for a few months, and this one is so lovely. It just looks incredibly delicate, I'd be terrified the boys would knock it over the first day it arrived.

{Amazon}

 

I could, however, probably find a nice little corner or table close to the wall for this lovely vase. Less of a chance it will wind up broken.

 

{One Kings Lane}

 

A pop of color on a lattice pillow is almost irresistible to me. I'm in the process of swapping out some tired pillows for new pops of spring throughout my house. This one would do the trick nicely.

 

{World Market}

 

I'm not into owls, but this is a cute lamp with a little spring-like lattice. I could easily see this as an accent lamp in the foyer or study.

 

{Home Decorators}

 

This lovely lattice accent rug would brighten up any room. The emerald green color is right on trend with the color of the year. This design just makes me happy.





 

 

Kissing Cousins

My 6 year old was kissed this weekend. I'm kind of freaking out. Did I mention he's six?

 

Of course, it was innocent (she's a second or third cousin) and he's not even thinking about it anymore. He was the kissee, not the kissor. Which, as the mother of boys, is troubling on a few levels.

 

Girls are pretty aggressive these days. I never kissed a boy. I always waited to be kissed. And I never thought of kissing a boy when I was six. I thought they were cute, but they were still kind of dumb.

 

 

What are girls learning today if they think they should be kissing at six years old? How are boys like mine supposed to respond to these advances? I don't want my boys to think kissing is bad or wrong, but I don't want them doing it now. Is my 6 year old learning that when he goes on a playdate, it's ok or expected that he kiss a girl?

 

I'm trying not to make a big deal about it. I told him kissing Mommy or Grandma is fine, but kissing other girls isn't something he needs to be doing now.

 

I'm really not prepared for this. Can I just stop time right here and prevent the rest from happening?

Hello April