Matt's Initiative... should I praise him or puke?
Let me tell me, yesterday was very tiring. I've been doing kiddie parties for my boys for some time now. But yesterday's party was something else. The baby in the our family, Matt (turning 8 yrs next week), had merrily issued birthday invite notes to his friends in school and then after that, told me about it. We did discuss possible dates but he had pre-empted me.

During dinner at my in-laws one evening:
Me: Hey Matt, your birthday's coming up in a few weeks.
M: I know. My friends are coming for my party.
Me: Yeah, who would you like to invite?
M: (rattles off a string of names I can't really remember...)
Me: OK, sure...we'll have to get some invite cards and put all the stuff down.
M: I know, I already did that.
Me: You did? What do you mean?
M: I already gave them to my friends.
Me: Gave what?
M: The invitation cards.
Me: But I haven't got them yet.
M: It's OK, I made them myself.
Me: Oh no....what did you put on it?
(my mind was racing, of course......when? who? where? why didn't you ask me first??????)

After extracting the details from Matt during dinner, we discover that the venue was at my in-laws' nice big garden BUT they won't be around because they're travelling that weekend. It's a little awkward but they were very gracious about the whole thing, though disappointed they won't be around to enjoy it.

So I had a few days to get 'ready' but still no idea who exactly he invited. I had to keep asking him to get his friends to RSVP. What if 30 kids showed up? What if none showed up? I did receive a few calls from his friends and their mothers.......enquiring very carefully if there was a party etc. They weren't very sure by looking at the invite cards. Matt had taken some A4 white paper, cut it up and hand-written it...........embellishing them with his artwork of balloons, cakes etc. Apparently, one of the curious statements he had written was 'Parents are allowed to stay'.

Everything turned out alright. I had an exhausting time controlling a bunch of 8 yr olds wielding a bat desperately trying to bat that pinata. I thought they were going to bat each other or that I would be seeing stars instead. I was dead tired yesterday........more dead than tired, and am still wondering if I should praise him for his initative. The joy of being a parent.