Good old fashioned birthday party!

I am all for the good old fashioned birthday party.  Do you know the kind?  

Where you hang up streamers and balloons that you've blown up with your own air.  Cupcakes for everyone and games to play.  Little fun favors to take home and a great time for all.

We had one today for my four year old.  I think that 90% of the fun today was preparing for the party.  My kids got to hang the streamers, blow up balloons, put out the plates.  We played PIN THE TAIL ON THE DONKEY, and had a TREASURE HUNT.  

We opened birthday presents and blew out candles on the cupcakes.  They played on the 

slip n slide outside and jumped on the trampoline.

There didn't need to be a rented bouncy house with catered meal for all families involved.  There didn't need to be expensive presents or clowns performing after a magic show.  I have read articles recently that parents are spending THOUSANDS on their children's birthday parties---getting bigger and better every year.  Amazing.............could that really be true?  Check out the linked article.  It really IS true.

It makes me remember a story I heard last year.  There was a family.  They saved their money to have a SUPER memorable family vacation to a famous theme park.  They spent a few weeks traveling to see many major land marks on the way there.  They spared no expense so that their children could have a "once in a lifetime" experience.  At the end of the summer the father was sitting out with his son on the porch, reflecting on their summer.

"What was your favorite part of this summer, son?"  Of course, the father expected the son to reminisce all of the amazing things that they had done.

But his son said,

"My favorite part of the summer was that night that we laid out under the stars and talked."

It really is the SIMPLE things that our children crave and love.  

It made my day today when my four year old said before he closed his eyes to go to sleep,

"Thanks for the super awesome birthday party mom!"

You are welcome.......