Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Happy Cake!!

Last month was MIB's 2nd birthday and let me tell you I am glad there are 365 days that separate birthdays...real.talk.*


I had originally planned on having MIB's birthday party the Saturday after her actual birthday but ended up postponing it for a week because our cousin was getting married that weekend.  Also, I didn't have all of her gifts and party supplies together for the party.  As I was getting ready for the party, I checked out the weather report and it was going to be entirely too hot and humid to have it outside (also I had several children who are asthmatic attending the party).

Eventually, I had her party on the 19th and I am still trying to recover.  I decided to have her party in the front yard and needed to get everything set up early in the morning.  I had already reserved tables, chairs, and a canopy for the party two weeks before and they came to set everything up at 8:30 that morning.  Then I had to pick up some family members who didn't have transportation and were handicapped to bring them over to the house.  And thank goodness I did because I really needed their help.

My aunt and four cousins (one adult and three children) blew up balloons, put up the tables and chairs, and decorated the canopy's legs and tables.  While they were doing that, I was running back and forth between Walgreen's, CVS, and the grocery store getting last minute items for the party.  In between that, we had a few guests arrive and they helped with the decorating as well while I got the grill going to barbecue the hot dogs and  brats. 

Eventually 12pm rolled around and I had to pick up the cake: a full Princess and the Frog (PATF)sheet cake.  The cake barely fit in the car, but I got it in there.  I turned on the A/C on full blast and pointed towards the cake to keep it cool in the noon sun while I drove to pick up the chicken wings.  Finally, I got home, got MIB in the tub, got her dressed and had to run out AGAIN to pick up ribbon for the balloons I filled with helium. 

After that last run, I was finally able to get in the shower myself because I was sweaty and starting to get slightly funky.  While I was in the shower, one of my guests was beating on my door to use the bathroom and I calmly but loudly directed him to wait or to go to the back of the house because I was going to get my shower in (yeah I can be slightly hood sometimes).

Finally, I got out the shower, dressed, and outside with the rest of the guests.  I greeted everyone, helped take out the rest of the food, plates, and utensils, and helped serve the food.  Thankfully, only a fraction of the kids I initially invited (30) actually showed up.  Even though I wanted her to see and meet all of her cousins, I was glad that it was a more intimate affair because it gave her a chance to really be one on one with many of them instead of seeing a blur of chocolate faces buzz by her. 

Then it was happy cake time!  I brought out this huge yellow sheet cake that looked like a sweep swamp with a plastic Tiana from PATF sitting on top of a three inch tall, two inches in diameter mound of straight frosting.  Me, her Nani, and her godmother helped serve cake and ice cream to the kids (and one of the kids ended up getting three plates because he dropped two of them) and then I was FINALLY able to sit down and eat something myself. So I thought because I had to get up and clean her up and change her clothes because of the cake dropper. 

Then it was time to open presents.  I really love my friends and family because they bought her things that she NEEDED (which is what I always ask for).  She got some Aveeno bath products (because everything else breaks her out), a LeapFrog computer that helps her with the alphabet, an Elmo "laptop", another Elmo sing along book, some triangle crayons (easier for her smaller hands to hold), six or seven outfits (short sets with coordinating flip flops {thanks Titi...you have created a diva LOL} and several dresses), hair ribbons, and money. 

Finally at about 6pm the party was finally over, folks were leaving, and the family that I picked up and a few friends helped me and Nani clean up the yard.  All of the plates, broken balloons, streamers, ribbons, utensils, and cups were thrown in the garbage.  My younger cousin and her mom folded the tables and the chairs and stacked them on the patio until they were picked up the next day.  Once that was done, I went to the grocery store and picked myself up some hard lemonade, stuck it in the freezer, dropped off the last group of people, and came back home to finally eat.  MIB was in the bed with Nani sleeping and me and a few friends and family sat outside ate some more food, drank Bahama Mamas and hard lemonades, and inhaled some happy cake. 

MIB had a great time at her party and a month later she is STILL talking about happy cake and happy day.  That was the most difficult, involved, busy, and insane event that I had ever been involved with.  But it was worth it to see the smile on her face when we sang happy birthday to her and the way her eyes lit up when she got her happy cake.

*Image courtesy of TreasuredBirthdays.com

2 comments:

  1. That sounds so nice. The hard work was worth it! I hate throwing parties for kids.... UGH!!!

    -Coco

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  2. Sha'ahn...giiiiiiiiiirl lol...I thought I was putting together an event for a dignitary or something LMAO..

    But it really was worth it. I just hate that I was having camcorder issues. But I have some pictures (I misplaced my digital camera, I was having all sorts of issues) and I have that. But I'm planning NEXT YEARS PARTY RIGHT NOW because I refuse to be stressed out like i was this year. But if need be, I'll do it again.

    KMN

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