Thank you all for your sweet birthday wished for Elijah and Helena. They turned seven on Saturday. I can still remember with much clarity the stormy night they were born. As I think of it, we have these monsoons every year around their birthday.
What to do to celebrate? Mama had her own ideas but of course it was their birthday. I wanted to celebrate them and make sure they felt celebrated and special. In this day in age it seems like the last birthday party has to out-do the previous one. At every birthday, I try to find a happy medium-a birthday celebration the kids want and enjoy but nothing that will blow our budget and cause a lot of undue stress. We all know when mama is stressed, everybody is stressed.
There were requests for bouncy house parties, Chuck E. Cheese, Bounce U., etc. All of these had been experienced at parties they had attended. They all involved a whole lotta cash and mayhem.
I told the children that we weren't going to have a big, big party like we did last year. I said I thought they might prefer being the bosses for the day. They could decide what to have for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as the activities for the day. And of course, we couldn't forget the birthday cake. Well lo and behold, they had an incredible day. Helena actually told me unprompted that it was her best birthday ever, "so much better than Bounce U. mom!" Elijah, a man of few words, looked happy and content all day. What a relief. Everyone wants their children to have great birthdays. I was so glad they had that.
I made sure to buy them both a bouquet of roses and I put a single rose at their places at the table. I found out from Greg later that Helena was wondering if they would get flowers again this year. It's interesting how traditions take hold even after they only occurred once before. There was also card making, present wrapping and decorating.
Here's what they did: lunch at Dairy Queen, ice cream cake baking and construction, playing inside (because of course it rained for the first half of the day), a carousel ride and play in the park, a visit to the planetarium and grits and dad's homemade bread for dinner (true story - their choice). Elijah had "white" grits and Helena had cheese grits.
On Sunday, my parents came by to see the children and to give the birthday couple their gifts. All in all I think everything turned out the way it was meant to be-we had two very happy seven year-olds. I still can't believe they are seven!!
Have a great Tuesday everyone!
