If only she's been born in the summer, this would be so much easier. But I can't plan a backyard birthday party for a girl born in November. Not in Chicago, anyway. So I've spent some time over the past couple of weeks racking my brain, trying to decide how to celebrate Z's third birthday. I considered My Gym. Too expensive. Wonder Works? Don't much care for the place. Then there's the Brown Cow, our favorite ice cream parlor and site of my baby shower three years earlier. I seriously entertained that idea, but became worried that with all of the attending parents, the ice cream costs might get out of control.
More importantly, I believe in simple birthday parties. Birthday parties at home. So, in an attempt to marry my beliefs and save my sanity, I've decided to throw a breakfast birthday party. I figure kids are at their best in the morning (particularly kids like Z who have dropped their afternoon naps), breakfast foods are easy to make and popular with children and I can get everyone out of my house before noon! So we'll invite her friends to come in the jammies, top their own pancakes, make Froot Loop necklaces and decorate pillowcases to take home. They can even pile onto the floor in the living room and watch a cartoon.
Sounds like a plan, right? Well here's where things get complicated. You see, we already have a pretty full house inviting seven of Z's long-time buddies, none of whom attend her preschool. We're starting to hear about her school friends, and I've met a few of their parents, but if we invite some of her preschool classmates, where do I draw the line? Can I just pick one or two? Should I leave them out altogether? She's named about 10 kids she likes, but I don't know how close friends she is with any of them. After all, she's been in school for less than a month!
Oh, and did I mention our house size? It's small.
Cross-posted to the Chicago Moms Blog
