As my life evolved, pets, jobs and babies led to a depressing decrease in my spontanaeity. Sometime around the day after my engagement I became a planner. Hard core in that if I planned something and it didn't go my way, I would become a little crazy. I don't think I was a Bridezilla, though I guess my bridesmaids are the one to ask about that. I do recall a very silent New Year's Eve dinner with my fiancé. After I listed the 35 things that I had set up for the wedding, he asked one question. What crosswalk were he and his groomsmen going to reenact the Beatles' Abbey Road album cover for pictures? I had not worked it out yet but had told him that I thought there was a crosswalk at one of the places that we were getting photographs. He said something along the line of "well then I guess you haven't done that much after all.". I would expect that some of you ladies reading this can appreciate the blinding rage that I felt that moment. Anyway, I liked planning, because I generally liked the reward for good planning. "Best wedding next to my own." That made me feel like it was all worthwhile. And it made me want to plan more. I have a 19 page wedding spreadsheet which takes you from comparative pricing all the way through spa appointments and photo ordering. I offered my services up to friends who don't love planning events, but unfortunately most of my finds like to plan their own wedding...selfish :-)
This week I planned my oldest son's 8th birthday party. I took off the day of his birthday and the day after so I could get the house ready for the weekend. I planned out nearly every second of the next 3 days. The day of his birthday worked out mostly as planned. Take him to school along with school allowed "healthy" muffins. If chocolate chips and chocolate glaze are healthy, then so be it. I then did the grocery shopping in a virtually empty grocery store - ahhh paradise. I finished his family birthday cake and then started in on finishing my boy's video montage of his life in pictures. New software to me, so that threw my cleaning plan out the door as it sucked every second of the day until it was time to pick him up. My PLAN on getting him was for him to go to a rare Thursday karate class. But alas, my boy announced he did not want to go...he wanted to go to the park. You know what? The plan was out the window. I picked up his brother and we went to the park. The fact that Mommy, who is opposed to temperatures below 75, was taking them to their favorite park instead of Daddy had them in awe! It should have! It was 56 degrees in February, and that must have altered my brainwaves, because I was up for it. And I found when I got up and played around with them, I was warmer. We ended up discovering trails that I didn't even know existed. We had a BALL! A spontaneously unplanned ball!
Next change of plan was a restaurant change for dinner, but I recovered quickly and enjoyed it. At home he was elated by his presents and thought his cake was cool even if he didn't taste it because he was too full from dinner.
The next day was supposed to be 100% cleaning and set up for the party. But I went off plan pretty early. First, in response to my 4 year old's reaction to the 8 year old's video montage the night before(near tears, why aren't there pictures of meeeeeee?), I had a new montage to make. It only took 2 hours now that I "got" the software. And then? TJMaxx. Why? Because I had two gift cards and I wanted to!! And after that straight home, right? NO!!! Sushi for 1 please. Yummm. After that I was left with two hours of panic cleaning and set up before retrieving the boys, going to Wal-Mart for more folding chairs, and then to karate. After we got back, I spent the next FIVE hours sorting through every toy in the house and trying to both organize and purge all at the same time (without being caught doing the toy purging part). By bedtime I was exhausted, but it looked as good as it was going to.
The next morning I was Momzilla. "DO NOT PLAY WITH ANY MORE TOYS UNTIL YOUR PARTY IS OVER!!!!! NOW PUT THOSE ALL AWAY. DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I CLEANED THIS ROOM!!!!!!". "NO, YOUR JEANS, NOT SWEATPANTS. YOU ARE NOT WEARING SWEATS TO YOUR PARTY!!" Yeah, I was not pleasant. By the time I picked up the cake a realized that they did it wrong, I was crying in my car and trying to figure out how to make it up to him while wondering if our Scheduled Mad Scientist was still going to be able to set off a rocket in our backyard with 50mph gusts of wind. Should I buy a piñata to make up for that if they can't?? Was the Scientist even coming? WHY HADN'T THEY CALLED TO CHECK IN?? I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO ENTERTAIN TWELVE 4 - 11 YEAR OLDS!! I HAD NOT PLANNED FOR THAT!!! The party started at noon and my plan was to feed them immediately. I planned for people being there a little late, so no worries there. I had NOT planned for my son to take 4 of his friends outside to play and start a good old February baseball game when he had guests still arriving and when I planned to feed them! But maybe the best part of the day came when I went outside to call them in for lunch. I watched my Husband pitching to the five boys and I heard them laughing and smiling and running. Who cares what I planned. THIS was what it was about. They came in, they ate and sang and watched the science show while driving the scientist a bit crazy. They laughed and yelled and my son launched a rocket in almost sideways wind. Their Parents got to watch too since he party ran about 40 minutes over plan. I couldn't have planned a better day.
In the end, I hope I look back at these 3 days and remember my lesson. Having a roadmap is important, but life just isn't as fun without the unplanned side trips. I have to go now, because my plan is to lay around and do nothing. The children are not on board with this plan yet, but I think I might override them. Final lesson learned? There is absolutely no reason to wear heels all day for an 8 year old's party, especially when it is in your own house. Ouch.
