The Evolution of Birthday Parties

I remember the first birthday party the girls were invited to…M&C’s first birthday, when the girls were about 21 months old.

For Hubby and me, it was all hands on deck.

We played with the girls while we were there, and then got them set up for pizza and veggies – the first meal they ever ate picnic-style, sitting on the floor.

Birthday parties were a family affair until the girls were three.  I took them to K&S’s birthday party by myself, and I remember being SO proud of that “mommy milestone”.

Over the past year, I’ve mostly allowed Hubby to bow out of the birthday party activities, but I’ve still been really involved during the course of the party…doing crafts, fixing plates, and keeping my eyes steadily trained on playtime.

Yesterday I experienced my first party where I was purely a bystander. 

We were invited to J’s fifth birthday party yesterday, at a tae kwon do studio.  I had no idea what to expect…I didn’t know if there would be a tae kwon do component, or if they were just renting that as a party space.

As it turns out, the party was all about tae kwon do!  It started with the TKD master (I guess you call him???) introducing himself, and he began to lead the party.  He had all the kids go to the bathroom and wash their hands [we just wet-wiped…hee-hee], and then he passed out pizza on plates.  I sat with the girls and orchestrated the sharing of a bottle of water…but it wasn’t too taxing.  (HA!)

Then all the kids went into the TKD room for almost two hours (save for a cake-and-presents break) of physical activities.

I watched from the waiting room area, but the girls were fully engaged by themselves.  I got to drink a bottle of water – by myself – and eat an entire piece of cake.  And I talked with some of the other parents, in mostly complete sentences.

I have to say, it felt pretty weird!

But it gave me time to step back and think about the evolution of birthday parties over the past three years…and how much my BABIES are growing up!  I have to think about that in small doses...otherwise it feels like a karate chop to the midsection.