海角大神

We are just about a week out from my son鈥檚 first birthday. I鈥檝e polled friends to find out their opinions on how a first birthday should look.聽

When celebrating a first birthday, would you choose to have: A) A huge blowout bash (rent a moonwalk, bring in the clowns, hire a caterer), B) A simple soiree (send out invites to a dozen or so friends, provide food and drinks), or C) A candle, a cake, and a picture.

The majority have chosen B. Some make the point that this is a birthday he will never remember other than the pictures. Others say that this is a celebration more for the sake of the parents (to which I can鈥檛 help but respond with 鈥淵ay! We made it to one and he hasn鈥檛 been eaten by wolves. Hooray!鈥�).

There will be no crafts, no invitations and no themes for this first birthday. I have chosen option C. I don鈥檛 want to seem like a birthday grump, I am quite the opposite. If anything, I set expectations for birthday celebrations too high, which is why I want to pace myself when it comes to my own kid鈥檚 birthday. With reality shows like 鈥淥utrageous Kid Parties鈥� on聽, I don鈥檛 want to get anyone鈥檚 hopes, or blood pressure, too high right out of the gate.

I look at it this way. My son has never had a cake baked for him. He鈥檚 never had a candle lit in his honor and stuck in a cake. And he鈥檚 never had his picture taken of him as he smears cake all over himself after it has been set on fire. We are already introducing quite a few mind-blowing antics into this whole birthday thing as is.

Let me address the biggest areas of intimidation for me when it comes to children鈥檚 birthday parties.

Crafts

There is a file box in our office filling up with mementos from my son鈥檚 first year. This is for a baby book, which has already been purchased, and which remains unfilled. We hope to complete it before he leaves for college. Plus, I already聽crocheted his Halloween costume, so I鈥檝e cashed all my chips for the year in that department.

I searched the internet for 鈥渇irst birthday ideas鈥� and Pinterest is at the top of the results, rife with examples of bubblegum-sweet party crafts and posed picture ideas. Each pinned image is beautiful and stirring, and perhaps would be good fodder for a slide show that I can have running on loop in the background during my son鈥檚 birthday.

We may create a handwritten sign that reads 鈥淥ne!鈥� to be used for a picture, but it will most likely be taped to his back like a 鈥渒ick me鈥� sign as he toddles away. Taking month-by-month pictures with a sign showing his age had to be abandoned as soon as he started to walk. When handed a sign, he looks at me as if to say, 鈥淒o I eat this or rip it up? Neither? Okay, I鈥檒l do both.鈥�

Themes

I found an image on Pinterest for a sports-themed birthday party, complete with fake grass on trays of baseball and basketball cake pops, goodie bags that look like popcorn bags from the ballpark and little pennants with varsity font wishing junior a happy birthday.

Here鈥檚 a theme for us: trying to wear socks. Maybe if we create a theme around an activity involving an apparel item that is ignored or removed 90% of the time we can improve the usage rate, right?

Forget sports, pirates, or rainforest friends, let鈥檚 go with celebrating trying to keep socks on my son鈥檚 feet. That鈥檚 something he needs more of every day.

Invites

We shipped out birth announcements four months after our son was born. I鈥檓 already starting to think ahead to the holidays. If we throw another mailing 鈥� electronic or otherwise 鈥� into the mix, our friends and family will be lucky to receive a Christmas card from us by Valentine鈥檚 Day.

Here is what you will see on my son鈥檚 first birthday: a cake, a candle, a camera, a kid, and two loving parents. We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone together. It is the first of many, and we want to make sure we enjoy it along with all the other little celebrations that make most days a reason for a party. We don鈥檛 want to knock his socks off just yet.

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