Three-part birthday celebration

Three-part birthday celebration

Ivan turned three two weeks ago. The birthday party played out in three parts, with a potential fourth installment as Andy's parents couldn't make the party.

Part 1
We had to postpone the party because of this year's record breaking snowstorms and the fact that there would've been absolutely nowhere for people to park. So instead of holding the party on its designated date, we had a dinner celebration with my parents. Just dinner and cake. None of which Ivan wanted to eat. The cake was really a fruit tart not a real cake with chocolate he expected.

However, we put candles on the tart. He excited when we lit candles and he blew them out.

"My fire," he calls them.

Then he threw a minor tempter tantrum because the cake wasn't to his liking.

Part 2: Daycare

We planned on celebrating his birthday on the actual date at daycare. But that was the snowstorm week and daycare was closed for the entire week. So we celebrated the following week. Andy, Allen and I arrived at 3:30, after their nap, with cupcakes, which I had made from scratch. Ivan was very excited when he saw us.

After some running around, Ms. Rosa sat the kids at a table, we put a cupcake in front of Ivan and he blew out his three candles. He was beaming with joy. He seemed genuinely tickled that all that attention was for him.

All kids got a cupcake. Ivan ate the chocolate of his and then wanted another one. After some 10-15 minutes of eating their cupcake and munching on their snacks, most kids moved on to play, leaving their semi-eaten cupcakes behind. Ivan, however, was still working on his frosting. He and another pudgy, stocky boy were very focused on eating the cakes. It's really disturbing how much he likes sweets, especially compared to other kids. My rotten teeth nightmares are now slowly getting replaced with fat kid nightmares.

Part 3: Birthday party
We held the postponed party yesterday.

Ivan had spent the night before at my parents house and Saturday morning, which let us clean the house on Friday and prepare for the party. It was also a ploy to get him to take a good nap in the car on the way over here. My mom had prepped him for the party and dressed him nicely. When he arrived around 2 p.m. he was so excited that this was going to be "my party with presents." After playing with the balloons and asking us "which one you want mama," he proceeded to set the table. He put out a fork and spoon and a plate for us (us and my parents). It was adorable to watch him do that. I guess he learned that in daycare, as we had never practiced setting the table with him, although he does see me set the table regularly for dinner.

Ten three year-olds and their parents arrived ready to celebrate. Fearing that sugar-high three year-olds would wreck our living space, Andy suggested we get some entertainment. We looked at hiring a balloon artist (Andy's original idea) or Mickey Mouse. The balloon person got back to me first, so he was our entertainment of choice. This proved to be an excellent decision (way to go, Andy). The Zoony Balloons guy was great. The kids were enthralled and mesmerized. He blew up several individual balloon creations for all kids. His performance provided a focal point for the party and definitely cut down on mayhem. The kids still opened a toy box and pulled out toys, and proceeded to chase each other around the house, but it would've been much worse without the balloons.

Eventually, after the cake, they started chasing each other with balloons around the house. Every once in a while, a balloon would poop. Really loudly. It didn't seem to scare any of the kids.

Mariposa, however, was petrified. At first, she really enjoyed the company and all the excitement, but eventually it must have become too overwhelming for her. She actually voluntarily retreated to her bed on the top of the stairs, which is something she never wants to do. Then we let her outside into the yard. My dad barely managed to lure her back in with lots of cheese. The balloons scared her, especially once they started pooping. Even today, she's been avoiding the left-over balloon creations we have scattered around the house.

When the cake time came, all kids sat around the table, with Ivan at his position on the bench. He was beaming. Andy brought out the cake--a vanilla cake with chocolate icing and a Mickey and Mini toy in the center. Everyone sang happy birthday and Ivan blew out the candles. His eyes were sparkling with joy. Then he grabbed the Mickey toy, which I think he thought was cake not a plastic toy--to lick off the icing. Soon, his entire face and shirt were brown and blue with frosting, which he was methodically and thoroughly licking off. Eventually, we gave him an actual piece of cake.

It was endearing to see Ivan so aware and excited that this celebration was for him. I didn't realize that a three year-old would care so much. I'm glad we held the party, considering that initially we briefly considered not holding it but just inviting the family.

I was very surprised that Ivan nicely played with all the kids, although some of them he hadn't seen in a long time. I feared that he wouldn't have a good time, that he wouldn't let kids touch his toys (but would yell, "that mine") or that he would throw a temper tantrum and want to be in the living room with everyone. None of that happened. He had a blast, and so did we.

This was also a coming out party for Allen, as no one had seen him before. He spent the entire party in my mom's arms. He slept a bit, but was mostly alert and interested in what was going on. He didn't cry at all.

All in all, the party was a big success.

(Except Mariposa probably didn't think so.)