The Queen's Rambles

I think I have Erik’s birthday party figured out. I’m not a party planner. At all. I’m frugal and parties and frugality don’t mix–at least not the kind of parties kids/parents expect.

We have the karate place for free and I don’t have to do any entertainment, so I’m feeling like I don’t have to be so frugal. We can invite as many kids as we want without extra payment to the place.

I will be a good hostess. I will have pizza even though the party is in middle of the afternoon. I will have soda even though I always forget that people drink soda (I only drink water). I won’t cheap out on the goody bags even though I personally hate a bunch of cheap plastic flotsam. The kids are old enough that they enjoy the thrill of getting a bag o’crap.

My mantra. I won’t cheap out.

There’s just one little glitch in my plan, but I think I have it figured out. Erik would love love love love to invite all his neighborhood friends. I counted and there are 25 kids that I should invite if I were to do such a thing.

This isn’t so much about being cheap, as about having a party that’s fun for a Erik’s friends and that doesn’t drive me crazy. There are age gaps, personality conflicts, irresponsible parents. . . it just wouldn’t work out. I finally convinced Erik that he’s going to have two parties. Whoo-hoo! Two!

I’ll buy a few dozen cupcakes and maybe a pinata and take it all out to the little park on his birthday. That counts as a party, right?

I thought we were in the clear, but tonight one of the moms wanted my e-mail address so she could invite us to her kid’s Chuck E. Cheese party this weekend. Thing is? I can’t stand this kid. He’s a total brat and really mean to Erik. If he wasn’t in the picture I would probably try to figure out a way to invite the other kids (though that is way too many kids, but I would hope most of them wouldn’t show up). Last year Erik worshiped the ground the kid walks on and insisted on inviting him. All he cared about was the “return gift” aka goody bag and was really pissed that the goody bag was just a bag full of pinata candy.

We won’t be going to his birthday party. We have other things going on that day and I just don’t wanna. I’ve heard that Chuck E. Cheese is horrible and everyone gets sick when they go there. I’m sure Erik will learn of its existence eventually, but it doesn’t have to be this weekend.

So what do you think? Good plan? Age appropriate friends from various places at the official party and a big neighborhood cupcake party? Erik really, really wants to invite his best little neighborhood friend, but she’s from the drug house and there are at least four kids in the house that run wild. I’m afraid we just can’t do it. She is such a sweet little girl. I want to ask them if I can have her, but I guess that’s not exactly appropriate.

In other news, Erik is still excited about school but he’s less excited about his teacher. She says the students are all soldiers and she’s the sergeant. I guess they play this all day and Erik hates it. He told me “I’m going to tell her I don’t like that game and tell her and tell her and tell her and then I’m going to kick her.”

Oh yes, there was a conversation about how it is ok to use your words and tell the teacher things, but you never, ever kick your teacher or any body else. I tried to explain that it was just a game and it was supposed to be fun, but he was having none of that. He was going to tell her, gosh darn it!

He is also assigned “homework.” He’s supposed to be cutting things and coloring things at home, practicing proper form. I remember loving to color when I was a kid, but it’s such a joyless exercise for him. She wants them to practice since holding the crayon properly and staying inside the lines prepares them for real writing, but it is like pulling teeth. He does it, but we have to make deals and take turns and . . . just. . . blah. The worst? He chooses a single color and colors the whole picture with that single crayon. No wonder there’s no joy! He refuses to change things up, though, so what can you do?

I’m just glad he’s not crying when we arrive. Today was a madhouse. It’s the second week and I guess the shine of going to school has worn off for a lot of the kids. There was much crying, whining, and screaming in the hall this morning. I was very happy I wasn’t a teacher and could run out the door as fast as possible.