Planning Gabriel’s birthday party

This is my friend Abbey. We go to church together. Carmen and her daughter Maddie are 3 months apart and were baptized on the same day (Christmas Eve, 2000). And we figured out on that day that her mom was my 2nd and 3rd grade teacher! And the coincidences don’t stop there--she and Frank (also Hispanic) went to A&M, and she taught/teaches English and used to advise yearbook. Gabriel & her son Landon are 6 months apart, and we had babies due the same week in 2004—she had Owen, but I miscarried. Anyway, just a little background.




In May, I asked Abbey (who has 3 May birthdays in her immediate family—two of her kids and her own) if she wanted to host a party/ pool thing together. She already had something planned for Owen (who turned 3), but nothing planned yet for Maddie (Carmen’s friend who was turning 7). So, we decided to pursue a combined Gabriel/ Maddie birthday.

Anyway Abbey called around and ended up reserving Splash in Bedford. But by the time (a few days later) when I went to pay, they had given our date away. This was mid-May, a week before finals and a crazy time at work for me. I was very upset, mostly because Abbey was counting on this, otherwise we could’ve done something else for Gabriel. (We talked about doing go-carts: he would have been thrilled with that, too. For that matter, after Owen’s party at Mr. Don’s Whistle Stop, he said, “Can I have one of my birthdays there, too?”)

Long, long story short, I was able to get a friend from work reserve a water park in Hurst for us (because you have to be a resident to reserve it). But the only date in the foreseeable future we could get was Father’s Day. We discussed it and decided that was okay; we might lose a few guests because of Father’s day, but in the summer, you lose a few to vacation or conflicts no matter what you do.

We did not try to coordinate themes or guest lists-- girls turning 7 and boys turning 5 have their own ideas, you know--but we liked the idea of a city pool/ park because we could invite as many people as we liked, whereas most kids’ party places charge a similar amount for 8 or 10 children. Anyway it was nice to know that we’d know or recognize many of each other’s guests from church, families, and previous parties.

A week before the party, there was a scrapbooking “crop” at church and Abbey suggested I come so we could talk/ coordinate. But I don’t scrapbook. I want to, I just don’t. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. I’ve BOUGHT things to scrapbook. I have plenty of content to fill scrapbooks. And I’d love to learn the techniques I see used all over for purposes other than scrapbooks, because honestly, I’d rather blog than scrapbook. I’m much more comfortable with a computer. I’m not NEAT enough to make a scrapbook. I could’ve never been a yearbook person had I started it earlier. The precision required would have proved too difficult for me. Anyway I went to the crop (why do I feel so uncomfortable with that word?) to talk to Abbey and get her ideas on the favors I was working on. Abbey said she hadn’t started on favors or anything for the party. We were all shocked!

Abbey is the consummate party planner, so I thought maybe I could learn from her or soak up some of her creativity. She used to do Once Upon a Family and led the Live Laugh Love club I was in a couple of years ago. At her kids’ parties, she always has great themes, entertainment, decorations, cakes, favors, etc. And one neat things she does every time is make a little themed book for the guests to sign; it has pictures of the birthday child and serves as a souvenir of that year’s party. I can only imagine being that prepared . . .

So I offered to watch the kids at a park near a wholesale party supply while she shopped. (I think I wrote about Rebecca’s before—kids aren’t allowed in there. They make them stay in the lobby!) Nesha met us at the park and the kids had a good time playing together (though it got HOT, fast). I didn't get to take many pictures because it was hard to keep up with all of the kids--they scatter so easily! And once they found out where the water fountain was, we couldn't stray far from it. . .