Doing My Part to Prop up the Economy

I will admit it: I have gone completely overboard for Charles’ 3rd birthday.  Watch while I try to rationalize it:

 

If we’d just done a small party at the house, I would have ended up cooking and cleaning for any number of people who came.  I would spend money on the food, and LOTS of time on the cooking and cleaning.

 

It’s cold outside (really cold) and so an outdoor party for a November birthday just isn’t in the cards.  For Jamie’s birthdays, we’ll go to the park or something every time.

 

The kids at Charles’ preschool love the opportunity for a party, and the piñata was a great way to use up all the rest of our Halloween candy.

 

Jungle Playland will be fun for everyone, and Charles will burn off all the cake he eats playing all afternoon.

 

Do you want to know the real reason, though?  I love birthdays, and I think a big deal should be made out of everyone’s birthday.  It’s amazing to make it through another year!  For me and Tony and for Charles.  I love making him happy and I love celebrating his life and another year of joy and fun.  Will he remember this birthday?  Maybe.  Will I?  You bet. 

 

For all I am extremely frugal, and for all the planning I do for the future, saving and allotting and working, I also try to live my life thinking, if I were to die tomorrow, did I do the best that I could while I was here?  And we have the means to throw a pizza party at a fun location for Charles and ten of his friends, so we’re going to do so.  And his cake will have a dinosaur driving a car, just like he wants.  And he won’t even care, at this age, that our “present” to him is a weekend revolving around him having fun and celebrating his life, and not a tangible item.

 

And maybe, someday in the future, I will tone down birthday celebrations.  After all, when my boys are teenagers, they probably won’t want a party like I like to throw.  That would be uncool.

 

So, for now, let’s have piñatas and brownies, cake and pizza!