Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Lazy Mom's Guide to Planning a Birthday Party

WEEK OR TWO BEFORE PARTY:

1. Choose a theme: "Oh look! Wal-mart has 'Cars' plates and a dinosaur pinata. I bet Adam will love a dinosaur themed Cars party."
2. Pick a date: "No lessons or games on Monday afternoon...okay next Monday it is."

3. Pick your guests: "If he only invites people from last year's preschool group I won't have to look up anybody's number."

4. Give out invitations (week before, if convenient): "Everyone should be at the Primary activity, I'll just hunt people down there."

5 HOURS BEFORE PARTY

5. Clean your house: "Never mind the play room, bathroom, or the bedrooms. I've been meaning to clean out this cupboard for weeks."


4 HOURS BEFORE PARTY:

Fish out crumpled invitations from purse and frantically call the four guests who didn't happen to be at the Primary activity as expected: "I'm really sorry. No, it's not personal. I know everyone around you got invitations, but really I meant to invite your child too. I just didn't happen to see you that one day, you know how it is."

2 HOURS BEFORE PARTY:

6. Plan your menu: "I have chocolate cake mix, but no eggs. I have hot dogs, but no buns. And I have pretzels. Hmmm...okay I guess we're having eggless chocolate cupcakes, bunless hot dogs, and pretzels."

1-1/2 HOURS BEFORE PARTY:

7. Prepare your food: "I sure hope that eggs are an optional ingredient. Oh well, it has lots of sugar and oil...good enough for me; good enough for a crowd of six year olds."

1 HOUR BEFORE PARTY:

8. Decide your activities: "Oh look at this awesome party planning website! It's full of all these fun, creative ideas. Too bad I don't have the materials to do them. Haha...it says here you're supposed to give yourself at least 4 weeks of planning time."

Cue the hysterical, maniacal laughter (everything's funnier under pressure you know). "Four weeks! Hahaha! Try an hour and four minutes!"

45 MINUTES BEFORE PARTY:

9. Run to nearest dollar store for balloons and some materials for those super fun activities: "Oh crap! When did this dollar store close down?"

40 MINUTES BEFORE PARTY:

10. Run to nearest CVS for balloons and some materials for those super fun activities: "What is wrong with your hands? Puh-lease let me tie the ribbons on those balloons myself. Don't you know I have eight six-year-olds coming to my house in half an hour?"

20 MINUTES BEFORE PARTY:

11. Make final preparations for party (an extremely loud voice is helpful at this stage): "Spence, vacuum quick! Emma, straighten the play room now! Adam, stuff the pinata! Cami, set the table! Ellie, please stop dumping out the barbies!"

PARTY BEGINNING:

12. Take deep breath and calmly welcome guests to your awesome party.



14 comments:

dad and mom said...

Thanks for the laughs. You pulled it off and I bet everyone had a great time.

Andie said...

That's my kind of party! I stopped planning parties four weeks in advance about three kids ago!

I'm sure Adam and all his guests (even the last minute ones) had a great time!!!

Steve-Rosanna said...

Hey Andrea! It seems that great minds think alike.

We enjoy reading about your beautiful family-tried to leave a post once, but always forget our google sign-in since we are old and forgetful.

Tell everyone hello back in Minni!

Steve-Rosanna

Denise said...

I think there is a business opporunity somewhere in this post.

Sounds like fun.

Deon said...

You crack me up!! Such sweet skills - I am sure no one was there was "onto" ya.

Charlene said...

you are so funny! I am sure he had an awesome time too. 6 years olds are so easy to please!

The Giles said...

Now that's my kind of party!

Deanne said...

Sounds like you have it down pat. Can I hire you for Sophie's 5th birthday in January?

Andie said...

Hey Steve and Rosanna!

I love catching up with you guys a little bit thru Lara and Kristina's blogs! Maybe you guys should start a blog! :-)

It's been so long but you guys have been such a big part of who I am today...I'm sure I will never be able to adequately describe what that means to me! Love you guys!!!!

Here's a random piece of information from Minnesota: It snowed on Sunday! I bet you guys miss that...;-)

K said...

You are so funny. I appreciated your story! No doubt everyone still had a great time!

Kim said...

I knew we were friends!! Sounds very familiar!! But birthday season is over in our house till February!

C and Co. said...

Do you think we will ever be able to enjoy the ride in the passenger car on this train that keeps leaving with us barely hanging on to the caboose?? Sounds just like me!! Thanks for sharing!

alexandra said...

Seriously funny. That deserves a LOL!!!! Just think how far you've come. Four kids ago, they would have found you crumpled up in a corner muttering "eggs and buns, eggs and buns. . ."

Pete said...

Sounds like the opposite of lazy to me -- I am tired just reading it.

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