HDYDI: Little Man Party, Day 2
I wish I could tell you that I got tons done today. Um, no. This morning I took Luke to school, ran a few party/house errands and finished up a few client projects. Oh, and I did I mention I have THREE back to school nights this week and a “honey I’ll be home late every night this week” husband?
See, you get real party planning this week. I always think I’ll have tons of time aaand then I don’t.
I have the printables and most of them are actually printed. So, hooray for that thing checked off the list! Tomorrow, I’ll tackle the DIY tissue paper garland and fancying up those mugs with some mustaches using a glass marker, some patience and a warm oven. Pray I don’t burn down the house.
One final thing about all this party business that I feel I must share.
Sometimes I’ll get comments or see an article posted on some blog about how *some* moms go way overboard on the birthday party thing. You know what I have to say about that? Don’t rain on somebody’s parade.
Maybe you have a girlfriend who whips up a batch of French-pressed coffee every morning and then homeschools her six kids. And does it well.
Or, maybe you know a mom whose house is not only immaculate but beautifully designed. And she has three dogs.
Perhaps, there’s a friend you have who makes seriously cute and healthy lunches in coordinating Bento boxes everyday. And she’s a fitness instructor.
My point? We all have our gifts. I suck at math and can’t put a spreadsheet together to save my life. I talk too much and don’t pray enough. I sometimes wear the same outfit three days in a row hoping no one will notice. I just learned to put on makeup. But you know what? I can plan parties. I love doing it. After Luke was born, I took it to a whole other level because on my darkest day I feared I would never get to celebrate his birthday. I simply willed him to live. So yeah, I dig the party scene. But I don’t do it for Pinterest, I do it for my kids.
I’m betting you have a mad skill, too. Rock it like you own it girl. And never apologize for using your God-given gifts to show people you love them.
{drops microphone}
::slow claps::
go get it! 🙂
You got some great gifts momma! Thanks for sharing! I’ve stolen many an idea from you 🙂
Well said Kathryn! This brought tears to my eyes. A mother who is using her talents and putting her heart and soul into creating a special party for her child is not going overboard! (Now once I watched a show about a mother who spent more for her daughter’s 5th birthday party than most people would spend on a wedding; I might say that’s going overboard!) I think that a lot of moms feel pressured by Pinterest and mommy blogs to measure up to other moms in all areas when, as you say, we each have our unique gifts. No one is going to be great at anything, and comparisons aren’t helpful. To celebrate my son’s first day of kindergarten, we went to a park and grilled hot dogs for dinner. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it was a thrill for my son, and that’s what counts. If another mom wants to host an elaborate back to school party for the neighborhood kids, that’s great too. There are all kinds of ways to make things special for our kids, and feeling inadequate or, conversely, criticizing moms who do things more elaborately is counterproductive.
Thank you! Doing special things with love isn’t going overboard, and I needed to hear that. Parties aren’t MY strength or my happy place, but that’s ok, too. Well said, and a message I needed to hear today.
Amen Sister!
I so agree with this post! I have never understood why women feel less about themselves when someone they know is great at something. It’s all about charism, girls!!
Yes!
You go girl! Well said. Why wouldn’t we all want to go nuts celebrating life!!! Every year for my children’s birthday’s I decorate their bedrooms with balloons, streamers and birthday banners after they are asleep becuase from the instant they wake, I want them to know this is their speacial day and it’s something worth celebrating…all day!
You said this perfectly, Kathryn! I’ve always enjoyed seeing to all of the special little details when throwing birthday parties for my kids, well before Pinterest. But reading some negative opinions lately made me worry that some people think I’m trying to one-up them by throwing a cute party! So I agree with you…let’s all just us our gifts and refrain from bashing others who happen to have different gifts. Good luck getting ready for Luke’s party…I’m in the midst of 1st birthday party preparations myself for the next week and a half (with a break on Saturday for a trip to CS, of course)… 🙂
You must stop making me cry! :-). Not sure why, but this post really hit home for me. I am not super creative or crafty, and I can only get on Pinterest once in a while because it makes me feel so inadequate sometimes. But I always remind myself that no matter what, our home is full of love–and lots of it! That will matter more to my boys than any craft project that I did or didn’t do. That’s not my gift, but I have plenty of others!
I am so glad you posted this. I love, love to plan parties and see what I can do for my kids. I enjoy it more than they do; yes, I know my youngest doesn’t care; yes, I know it’s only for a few hours; yes, I know I could put that money in a college fund… blah blah blah I’ve heard it all and you said it perfectly, please don’t rain on my parade. oh, and I also have mad spreadsheet skills!! Your party looks awesome!
Okay. I’m not sure how I have missed your blog all these years, but I am lovin’ it! As a fellow ever livin’ ever lovin’ Aggie, Catholic, Panhandle farm girl, and lover of things “mom,” I was thrilled to come across this. I am SO excited to start reading all of your “pearls of wisdom.”