I call FOUL!
Friday, January 23, 2009
And many more, 'til you're 104...
I am so sick of birthdays. Not my own birthday (obviously), but the birthdays of other people. Kids mostly. When I was little and my birthday rolled around, I usually got to pick what kind of cake I wanted mama to make and there would be some gifts, the singing of happy birthday to me and the blowing out of candles, but that was about it. We may have called that a party, but there was no one there that wasn’t normally sitting at the dinner table. Birthdays were a big deal, but only in a small way. When Pateriko was little I felt pressured by the other mothers of the world to invite teeming masses of people to the house and have the birthday cake match the napkins, but it just never really felt right to me. It seemed over the top to ask people to come over and lavish my child with gifts, just because he’s been living here a whole year since the last time I asked you to bring him offerings. This went on for years and when Litkia was born, I was so fed up with it that I think she’s probably been robbed of today’s proper birthday etiquette. I think I made almost all of her cakes myself instead of hiring that lady down the road to build and decorate one for me (as if her boxed cake mix didn’t come from Wal-Mart just like mine). I just want to know who had the big idea to start all that mess in the first place. It just wasn’t like that when I was little. However, now that I’m thinking about it, I’m kinda starting to wonder if it WAS happening long ago and I just somehow didn’t get to participate. If so…
I call FOUL!
I call FOUL!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
Sorry to tell you, but it WAS happening. And since I was the preacher's kid, I had to invite EVERYONE...even if I didn't like them too much. Of course, I did get TONS of presents.
But I was the preacher's kid too! Where were my tons of presents?
I'm really unhappy about this and think I need to call my mama.
Well, you have to take into consideration the fact that you are older than me. Maybe big ole birthday parties didn't become popular until AFTER your childhood years.
Also, I'll send you a present.
I had the best birthday parties EVAH! My sisters planned them. I don't remember lots of presents - but I do remember guests having to follow colored string through the whole house - all over - to find their prize. I also remember Beej putting a blanket over my boyfriend's head and demanding he take off whatever he didn't absolutely need. He dang near got nekkid under there until she told him the blanket on top of him was the only thing he didn't really need. Yup - my sisters ROCKED.
My boss was freaking out the other day because his wife had spent like 800 on the gift bags to give the little girls that came to thier little girls party.
Oh he was pissed!!
Had to buy the girl a gift and give all her little friends a gift bag. What the heck is that?
I think it depends on the kid, somewhat. I have one shy one that doesn't like big gatherings and doesn't like have a bunch of people around that she doesn't know. I have another one who is exactly the opposite. We tried to make a big deal out of them all but we made our own cakes and decorated them ourselves.
My kids suffer with cakes baked by me, except for Wolfgang because his birthday is in July and I absolutely refuse to turn the oven on in July. Lucky him.
My wife and I have this same debate and I always take the "quieter" side of birthday celebrations. I lose.
It is guilt for me, but I never had the big parties growing up either...
Oh, girl, I agree.
Our house is just too small to host a party.
So, this year, I told my daughter she could choose one good friend, and we would go out for a fancy lunch and a movie.
I didn't even have to bake anything!
Post a Comment