My daughter’s 5th birthday is fast approaching (September 2nd!). I kid you not when I tell you she has been talking about it since January. She has concocted in her mind a party of epic proportions: A “Fairy Princess Rock Star Party,” to be exact. You might be wondering what a Fairy Princess Rock Star Party entails. Oh, let me tell you, because I’ve been hearing all about it for months. There will be a huge fairy princess castle bouncy house. I am (apparently?) baking a sparkly rainbow unicorn cake. All those in attendance will don fairy wings and glimmering crowns. And my very favorite part: There will be a stage (daddy will build it – duh) where the birthday girl will sing her favorite Taylor Swift songs. Her admiring audience will swoon at the sight of her pink and purple jewel-encrusted microphone.
It would be an understatement to say that my daughter has a healthy imagination. It would also be an understatement to simply state that NO, a Fairy Princess Rock Star birthday party is probably not happening.
I LOVE doing things for my kids. Seeing them having fun and seeing them happy brings me more joy than I could have ever thought possible. Fun birthday parties are no exception. I just really don’t think that birthdays need to be over-the-top to be special!
I have fond memories of my own childhood birthday parties. They typically consisted of some good friends invited to the house to play for a few hours. We’d do cake, ice cream, and presents, and just PLAY. And I loved my birthday parties! They were always fun, and I always felt special.
My family typically celebrates birthday parties for my kids at home or at a playground. We have simple snacks, and no one complains about the fact that the veggie tray wasn’t meticulously arranged to look like a butterfly or an owl. There is boxed cake or cupcake mix with store-bought frosting, and it is always delicious. There might be a simple craft or activity. It probably didn’t come from Pinterest. The kids play outside and enjoy the fresh air.
We laugh, and smile, and our hearts are full.
Five years old feels like a milestone to me. I absolutely want to celebrate that. But I don’t think we need to drop hundreds or invite Taylor Swift to make special memories. Maybe there will be a bouncy house this year. We’ve never done one before. But hey, there’s a first for everything! Don’t tell my daughter, but it probably won’t be a fairy princess castle. And who knows? With my husband’s music equipment and some YouTube music videos, we might even let that rock star thing pan out.
I love that my daughter is so excited for the party itself. But I know that more than anything, it’s the people and the ritual of it all that will make it a special day. You know what I’m talking about. Giggling with good friends. Hugs and kisses from grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. Singing happy birthday. Blowing out candles. THAT is what makes a birthday special. When it’s all said and done, it’s a day she’ll spend with a whole lot of people who love her. I doubt that the sparkly rainbow unicorn cake she DIDN’T get will even cross her mind.