I'm following up with a handful people to see if their kids are coming to Christopher's birthday party. I suspect they are. Usually, we do hear from the people who can't make it. I just want to know how many cupcakes, juice bags, and goody bags I need to have. And then I'll over buy anyhow, for the kids whose siblings invariably end up at the party.
When I was a kid, my dad invited my whole Kindergarten class to my birthday party at McDonalds, as in the whole of the Kindergarten class, not just the one I happened to be in. My parents figured most of the ones in my actual class would come, and maybe a few of the others. Nope. They all came. Every. Single. One.
My mother is a maniac about RSVPing now.
I'm waiting for some rsvps myself, Cindy (for I's birthday party). I'm hoping that most of the invitees won't come. Is that bad of me?
Empress, moving is hell, whether it's cross-country or crosstown
stress stress stress
- I'm in the middle of a group project at school
- I have to put in 20 hours of volunteer work between now and June 1 for another class I'm in
- GF's dad is about to start some clinical trial (he'll have to be hospitalized for it)
- I have to prepare for and present at a conference at the end of next week
- I have to make sure I have enough appropriate clothing to present at the conference (I'm co-presenting for two days) and find time to shop if I don't
- Mother's Day is 5/12
And it's no fair that in the midst of all this is my birthday (5/7). No fair! No fair!
No, it is not wrong at all, Burrell. He is very little. Are you having a friends party, a family party, or a combination?
I invited Chris's whole class (which is 19 children, including him), plus six friends from the other class, plus three kids from church. Our other two will be there, as will the little girl across the street (because her big brothers are in Chris's grade).
So far, 21 are attending (including my own three), five are not, and we're waiting to hear from five.
Usually, we'd just invite the boys from his class, and then whatever boys he's good friends with in the other class. However, there are only six girls in his class, and two of the girls are his good friends, so I'd be leaving out only four, which felt mean.
Two of the kids in the other class have twins in Chris's class. How do you invite one twin and not the other? That also felt mean. I'd have stopped there, but almost all the boys he was in kindergarten with are in the other first grade and a couple of his closest friends are in the other class. The three boys from church (who aren't from his school) are his good friends, too.
We're making a Superman movie, and have told everyone to wear a costume. It's either going to be a disaster or a blast. We're hoping for a blast. We're using a room at our church for it, because I am not having that many kids in my house.
So, I'm home, and enjoying my last day off before going back into work tomorrow. I miss me some buffistas. Also, I miss sunshine, although it is kind of nice to wear long sleeves and be cool. And my cats are certainly happy to have me home, the complete opposite of aloof.
I had the bestest time with Java Cat, who was a wonderful hostess and so very generous. We got to spend a day at a private beach house at Stinson Beach, and see my old school and home from junior high. We had a great brunch with Katie Bee (sorry for the assorted injuries, illnesses and other issues that kept some away), and a wonderful afternoon walking around San Rafael, shopping, chatting, and just having an altogether great time. It was also a lot of fun preparing for the brunch, mainlining The Daily Show (since I don't normally get it) and discovering Six Feet Under, which was even better than I had heard.
It was fantabulous to see Katie Bee and JZ and OMG Matilda's pictures don't do her anywhere close to justice she is so adorable, with such a sweet demeanor and equanamity. At one point she fussed because the highchair at the restaurant was defective and she was sliding out (
very,
good and important fuss), and once the situation was resolved, she just stopped. No continuing cries to say that she was scared and annoyed and we should watch better. Just, oh, that's taken care of, now what's interesting to see around here. And JZ is so great with her, so full of love and wonder at this fantastic being. It was truly wonderful to spend time with them, so much so that I'm having to reuse positive adjectives!
Alas, pictures are lacking at this point. I was able to take pictures from my old school and of JZ and Matilda, but then my camera said "system error" and shut down altogether. I think the pictures are safe, but the camera was passed on from my dad, so I don't have anything to read the memory or any manuals. I may do some searching online, or may just go to the local camera shop to see what they say. My dad said he got a new camera because he misplaced this one, but I'm thinking this one may have been misplaced, about 1.5 years ago if the pictures still in memory are any indication, for a reason.
I had a good trip home, finished my mom's new book,
Brother Asaiah,
and
The Prisoner of Trebekistan,
both of which were even better than expected, and was thoroughly spoiled by sitting in first class (I lavished miles on myself for my birthday).
Aimee, I have found that, in moving, it seems a substantial portion of my brain gets packed, too.
I don't even have to move. Just going on a trip does it for me. So really, Aimee, you're doing amazingly well. I mean, you haven't left Em behind. Yet.
The Disneyland pics are wonderful. Em, as always, is adorable. This time, however, seeing the pics, I got to thinking. It must be very strange for the folks playing the characters. Just think of how many homes they are in, around the world, in places of honor with treasured pictures of adored children. It never seemed quite as strange with the more traditional characters: Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck. But it seems that they have more and more characters with costumes, but they're own faces showing.
Finally, on the off chance that anyone has actually read this far, insent Gloomcookie.
Oh dear Cindy, you're taking on far more party than I am. We just invited a bunch of kids from daycare, which always means inviting the sibs too, at least at this age. I resisted the nudge to invite his whole class because he only goes to class MWF and that means there's a bunch of kids in his class that he never actually sees, or sees only one day a week. I only invited the FT and MWF kids, plus a few from the other toddler class. And even that was like 16 kids or something absurd (if you count all the kids in the family). So far we're at 4 Nos and 5 yeses.
Burrell, I think that's totally fair. I wish you both wonderful parties without any drama and minimal crying.
Poor Aimee!
Yay for a good LibKitty trip!
Um...there was more, but the wine ate my brain. Or maybe it was my million hours in class today. Something at my brain, but I'm giving it sustenance with mac and cheese and corn. Later there will be ice cream. It's lowfat!
Oh dear Cindy, you're taking on far more party than I am. We just invited a bunch of kids from daycare, which always means inviting the sibs too, at least at this age. I resisted the nudge to invite his whole class because he only goes to class MWF and that means there's a bunch of kids in his class that he never actually sees, or sees only one day a week. I only invited the FT and MWF kids, plus a few from the other toddler class. And even that was like 16 kids or something absurd (if you count all the kids in the family). So far we're at 4 Nos and 5 yeses.
That makes perfect sense, Burrell. You're good to have a friends party with little ones like that. We only did family parties (aunts, uncles, cousins) until they were in kindergarten, and then they had to choose between a friends party or a family party. We have the grandparents over for cake on or around their birthday, but no extended stuff.
I don't normally have more than a dozen or so kids, but Chris has been feeling the separation from his old friends from kindergarten, all year. They barely re-mixed the kids when assigning them to first grade classes. Subsequently, he and one other little boy from his kindergarten class are in first grade with eleven other boys who were all together in kindergarten.
I won't do anything this big again, ever.
