On raising a party planner

Cate asked if she could have a Frozen-themed party for the second birthday in a row. I told her to let it go and then tossed out some other party themes based on her current obsessions. Praise God the Boxcar Children – and the 150 books about these kids – won out.

I’m not exaggerating about there being 150 books in the series.

And my girl can tell you exactly which ones she’s read.

She pretty much planned her party and I went along with her details. I suggested a few things she embraced, but it was all rooted in her idea. Party favors were Boxcar Children books, 10 color pens, mini notebooks, and fuzzy bookmarks that were meant to be colored. My cake-decorating friend Courtney re-created an edible boxcar. The girls made their own boxcars – because, hello, why wouldn’t there be decorative paper and glue at a party with 15 girls?

Oh and there milk boxes as the party drink. Here’s how that happened …

Me: Hey, Cate, what kind of drinks do you want me to get for your party? I could get root beer or Fanta.

Cate: This is going to sound weird, but the Boxcar Children drank a lot of milk. You could get those boxes of milk, the different flavors.

Um, whatever. I barely like milk at appropriate times – like the mornings or with a very chocolatey piece of cake. I can’t even think about drinking it when I’m sweating. But 24 boxes of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry milk were drank up before the day was done.

We broke out a parachute and jump rope my mom brought – Grandmom for the party win, really. {Side note: These girls had some jump rope talents I didn’t know existed!} Those items weren’t boxcar-related, but, well, this was the first time in almost all Cate’s birthday party days that Mother Nature didn’t pour water from the cloud. Seriously, we were so glad to see the sunshine – even if it meant 89 degrees in the single digits of May.

I’m apparently raising a party planner. She’s into the details, the order of event, the invitations, the list of who has RSVPed they’re coming, and, of course, the socializing. I hope she’s into writing thank you notes when she’s recovered from strep throat.

And, really, I couldn’t be happier about raising a party planner. I like to have something else in common with my girl – the one I know God planned for me, the one who quickly taught me sharing DNA isn’t the most important quality in making a family, the one who has a kind heart.
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I'm joining Jennifer Dukes Lee for #TellHisStory because celebrations are some of my very favorite stories to tell. And I'm linking with Mary Carver's Works for Me Wednesday because raising a party planner AND having a book-themed party work for me!

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