pahr-tay

We had the girls third and sixth birthday parties at the Maine Discovery Museum this year.  With birthdays only 3 weeks apart, this strategy has worked for us thus far but I wouldn't be surprised if this is the last year. As Ella said at Halloween, "Do I HAVE to match Maya again next year?"

The thing is it just makes good sense to have one big party since all the same people would come to both, 3 weeks apart.  But I get the whole individual identity thing and very soon more self-choosen school friends so I guess I should budget for two parties next year.  The truth is, I love parties.  I love throwing parties.  Kid parties?  They make me break out in a cold sweat. This two-fer has been a saving grace- a party on steroids but 3 hours later, it's all done.

 This is Ella with Allie and Brady.  The three of them were some sort of possee in the 3-4 year-old class at Highland Preschool 2 years ago. (And yes, it felt as bizarre to write that as it did to read it.)

It was a zoo trying to make sure 14 kids were supervised (many parents were there but we did have our first drop offs!), kids weren't excluded, feelings weren't hurt and Maya wasn't in holed up in the pretend doctor's office performing illegal strep tests with lightbright sticks.  Many times I commented that I felt like I needed to go home and have a beer (we did.)  Near the end, my sister looked at me and said, "You look like you need a drink."  (I did.)

In truth, some unusual things happened at the party.

First, new talent was discovered.

Already demonstrated talent took a bigger stage.

(If anyone has been burning with curiosity about what I looked like when I was a child, look below.  Headband, microphone, singing.  All that is missing are the fishnets and legwarmers.  So in other words, only the fishnets.)

We had a baby driving a Vespa,

a 2-year-old driving a mac truck,

and a seven-year-old captaining a freightliner.

Reedo somehow got wind that we would be serving lobster at the party and he was going to have some come hell or high water.

Skyler got stuck in a wire bird nest...

and Superman made an appearance!

Sandi's co-worker Jess made this amazing cake. (If she had a website I would insert it here.)  It was beautiful and tasted just as good as it looks.

Who would expect anything less from Maya?

And then, all sugared-up on to some more fun...

There are a lot of things to be grateful for in life: having a roof over your head, food to eat (especially if that food is Sandi's homemade cheesecake or popovers hot from the oven), amazing friends, exceptional wine (especially if it is Ange's homemade wine), a kick-ass run, a cozy fire, healthy, capable bodies, someone else unloading the dishwasher, first snowfalls, dinner made for you, holiday music, pain medication, hot showers, the perfect cup of tea, sisters, a kiss from your beloved after a long day, the smell of your child's hair when you pull them in tight for a nightime snuggle, a really good sale on running clothes, new shoes, hearing your favorite song, REMEMBERING a funny joke long enough to tell it, having flowers delivered to you, sleeping in (till 7 am), the push of the first spring crocus...you get the idea.

New on my list:  a successful DUAL birthday party.  Phew!