I have really fond memories of my childhood birthday parties. I’m a lucky girl because every year, my parents organised a really cool event to mark my new age, either hiring a hall and an entertainer with lots of music and balloons to bat around the place, magician’s at our house, arranging for myself and a group of friends to go out for dinner or in true 80s style holding party games at home with a full on birthday tea afterwards. It was great! I have really vivid memories of my tenth birthday party. I have no idea why but my favourite present that year came from my auntie and uncle and it was a plastic, pink case. Kind of like a child-sized suitcase with a while plastic handle. It had a little sliding lock which made me feel very grown up (tragic I know) but I loved this case! I remember leaving my party, held at the local sports centre hall, grasping onto my new case. I guess when you’re little your imagination creates your ideal of reality and I was so excited about being able to make up new pretend play scenarios involving my new possession.
And cakes! My mum is famous for the amazing cakes she has made me and my cousins. Castles, fairies, tennis courts, dolls, hedgehogs, she has made them all. She made this for Elsa’s third birthday…
And I attempted to match her skills by making this…
It was a one off though, I handed the reins straight back to mum after this.
Elsa had a birthday party today. It wasn’t really a party as she didn’t want anything that formal. Originally she wanted a sleepover but I said that because Jude is at home this weekend there’s no way we can inflict four nine year old girls on the poor boy at night time. It can be hair raising enough with him at night and combined with Emmeline’s regular night waking, I just couldn’t even begin to agree to a sleep over. She was disappointed at first but I asked her what her favourite thing to do is at the moment and she instantly perked up. Immediately she asked if we could go bowling and play on the arcade games. “Yes!” I answered, that sounds great fun.
So today, her three closest friends from school came over and entertained themselves for an hour or so chatting about whatever it is nine year olds chat about…Emmeline was enthralled by all these big girls in our house and thankfully they accommodated the little munchkin, allowing her to play their games and even agreeing to paint her finger nails when they were doing their own. After ordering take away pizza, I took Elsa and her three friends (Granny looked after Emmeline and Jude) out for some bowling and arcade game playing. It was so much fun! Elsa adores Mario kart racing so she played on that machine a couple of times, they had a game of air hockey doubles and then went around the 2p slot machines. Finally, I had a few pounds left so they were able to go in pairs to ride this really cool rollercoaster game. It was so wonderful to watch them interact, I can’t believe how grown up they are at that age.
Jude has never had a birthday party. He was going to have one this year but with all the upheaval of that awful last school he attended, it just never happened. Prior to that it just hasn’t been something to consider within Jude’s realm of experience. He would have hated it. I think he’d like it now, as long as it isn’t too long and he feels that he’s free to wander off if needs be.
I don’t mean we’ve never celebrated his birthday. Every year we take him to one of his favourite restaurants and Granny and Grandad come over for tea and cake but that’s about it. He doesn’t like the fuss.
As long as blueberries are involved, Jude’s happy
Jude went to a birthday party a year and a half ago and had an amazing time! There was an enclosed bouncy castle/disco thing so no loud music in the hall itself for those children unable to cope with it. Here is Jude crawling out of the bouncy disco! He looks so young.
His birthday is in March and I really want to do something for him. The tragic thing is, he only has a couple of people he classes as friends at school and one of them is just a housemate. I’d like to hold a little party for him at home but have no idea who to invite. I have three months to sort something out so need to get my thinking cap on…
Do you have lovely memories of childhood parties? I’d love to hear about them.
