Sixth birthday edition

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There are no words to express my surprise that we made it to age 6.

I have two thoughts for you, in honor of the many things my incredible child has taught me. Ready?

Plan activities for birthday parties that assume you will only get useful participation and energy for 7 minutes. That means a two-hour party needs *at least* fifteen planned activities. This time I achieved that planning goal, and we had a fabulous party and only one leftover activity. (I got lazy after decorate your own cupcakes and let him open presents. I know some parents say no way to opening in front of other kids, but I say “that’s seven minutes right there.”

And?

Kiss your kids every day that they’re here. A wonderful six-year-old friend was just diagnosed with leukemia and I don’t even want to think about things like that. So I’ll work on my patience and work on playing even more with my kids than I already do, and I’ll kiss them every single day they’re alive.

How’s that for a little party-planning and mortality blog post? At least you know you’re in the right place.

Naptime Writing, where our motto is “making things the opposite of easy for at least six years.”

8 thoughts on “Sixth birthday edition”

  2. Ah yes Nap. Kiss your kids every day. Thanks for the reminder and perspective.

    As for those birthday parties, I am the ultimate in lazy and farm them out to companies that specialize in that sort of thing. You know, Rhe Jungle, laser tag, go kart racing, etc… I am not creative enough to think of 5 activities much less 15.

    • Cathy, I have several books of “Unplugged Play” and “Toddler Activities” and the like, so I just have Spouse select a bunch of games and projects he thinks are awesome and we do those. We alternate a sit down thing with a running thing, then a sit down thing then a running thing.

  3. Happy 6th to Peanut and family! I’m starting to plan a 6th birthday party around here and am totally intimidated by the thought of having to be the leader of said 7-minute activities. Ack. I was kind of hoping that face-painting and soccer would do the trick. In the meantime, we have 2 weeks to make some friends to invite…
    I dig (and subscribe to) your motto!

    • Hey, Macondo!
      Want our script? While they straggled in, balloon volleyball in the living room. Then clothespin drop as they stood on the couch. Then move outside to paint their own cardboard guitars. Then fishy-fishy http://www.funology.com/games/detail.cfm?go=1091. Then blindfolded drawing games. Then eat. Then inside to pin the candles on the cupcake. Then a backyard egghunt. Then decorate your own cupcake. Then soccer. Then presents. Then more balloon volleyball inside waiting for parents. We could have used the three-legged race or the balloon on a spoon race, but we were fine with what we had.
      Happy Almost Sixth to your son!

  4. Sending birthday wishes. Happy, happy birthday! (To mom and Peanut!) And now, rushing off to kiss kids. Over and over and over and over.

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