Because we live in stepfordville, North Carolina - otherwise known as the land of the perfect birthday parties - every kid here has a killer birthday party starting at age zero. Tea party parties, gymnastics parties, ceramics parties, jungle gym parties, bounce house parties, pirate-themed parties, magicians, musicians, ponies - you name it, we do it here. And of course, in true spoil-your-kid-rotten-because-you-never-had-anything-when-you-were-a-kid style - Charles had to have a killer party too. So we chose bowling. Charles loves to bowl (alot) and it gave us the chance to match the party with the perfect birthday present - what else but his own bowling ball.So the short story is, these kids had a blast. More importantly, Charles had a blast. I could tell that he felt like a big kid, doing his own thing and for once, I actually let him. I didn't save "Charles, behave" or "Charles, stop being wacky." I just let him do his thing. Which was hard and most of all strange.
Strange to see him in this grown-up sort of environment. Here he was, turning 7, "hanging out" with his friends. It was nothing like the playdate style parties of years past where kids are forced together by their parents and encouraged to share, play games and not make trouble while Moms make small talk and busy themselves with the process of putting out plates, cutting cake and organizing the present opening. This was a bona fide PARTY and it really had nothing to do with me! The girls teamed up against the boys. Kids were high fiving each other when they did well and they even let me get a fantastic group picture (which I can't show here lest I have to ask every parent for permission to publish their kids photo on the web but if we're related and you want to see it - email me and I'll send it to you!). The bowling alley also had all the kids sign an old bowling pin that Charles now has in his room.
It was bittersweet to see my little man turning into a real young man, but very kool. I was the kool parent - who planned a kool party. Yeah me!
