PARTY TIME
Yesterday I attended my four-year-old nephew’s birthday party. I’m still recovering, and anyone that has kids, or has attended such an event, knows exactly what I’m talking about.
There is the heat, the noise, the high quantities of sugar, the screaming, yelling...and I'm just talking about the adults (just kidding).
Now, to paint the appropriate picture, my sister can throw a mean party. I mean, she leaves no detail unattended to and turns out a party that can rival the Royal Wedding in stature, precision and execution. We are all in awe at her ability to plan and carry out such an event without batting an eyelash. This is the kind of girl that if there is a way to color coordinate the decorations to the sky, grass and cake, she'll figure out how to do it.
I suppose I’m especially in awe because when it comes to the King’s first birthday, which is right around the corner, I’ll be impressed if I can round up some balloons and a cupcake, let alone a full range of interesting activities, a man that whips up frozen margueritas and tacos, two sports activity leaders that clearly had a case of red bull each before they arrived at the party, and an arts and crafts table with drawing, face painting and someone to sort out your stock portfolio. Four year olds are so advanced these days. :-)
But of course, the thing I love most about kid’s birthday parties is watching the parents interact as they try to survive several hours of wild youngsters hopped up on too much sugar and stimulation. There are the parents that take a seat with a cool drink in their hand, let their kid off their proverbial leash and pretty much don’t get up till the kid has cake in its hair, chlorine pruned skin and that glazed look in their eye that says they’ve hit maximum overload. Then of course there are the parents that look like they’re having more fun than their kids are. They are in the pool, getting their face painted with a rocket across their cheek, eating their body weight in birthday cake, and pretty much reliving their birthday party youth.
As for the King, he made his entrance yesterday after his nap and proceeded to toddle around naked - the child's backside is huge topic of discussion as it resembles two large peaches under a blanket (simply divine), steal food off people’s plates (he does this with a charming smile and hence gets away with it), pee on my sister’s foot – she loved that - and then tried to climb in the plastic tub of Corona bottles. You know, not far off from what some adults do at parties. The kid truly knows how to get his party on.