The latest birthday party invitation appeared in Lucy’s mailbox at school a few days after , and it is just about all she has talked about ever since. The card has Spiderman on the outside and on the inside are details about a Saturday gathering in early December for her 3- and 4-year-old friends at the Ultimate Playzone in the Yorkridge Center North plaza.
In the next few weeks, we’ll be passing out some invitations of our own for Lucy’s party in January at a place in Timonium called Kiddie Crusoe, something similar to the Ultimate Playzone. Basically these are fun places in giant converted warehouse spaces where kids can run around on indoor play equipment like moon bounces and jungle gyms, and where all the party details are taken care of from the pre-printed invitations to the cake and clean-up so mom and dad have minimal work to do. Talk about a win-win situation.
It seems that turning four warrants a birthday party for pals in a way that the previous three birthdays have not, judging by the rate at which these invitations are coming into our mailbox. And happily so: Every morning, the first thing Lucy has asked me since receiving her invitation is whether today is the day of her friend’s birthday party.
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As a parent, I think these parties are great. They break up the usual weekend monotony of chores and errands, offering the parents a chance to stand around and chat with each other – something we really don’t get much chance to do as we breeze past each other at drop-off and pick-up at daycare - while giving the kids two hours to burn off some energy. And with all the details covered as part of the party package, there’s little for me to do other than watch my daughter have a good time. The party maybe for her, but seeing her have big fun with her friends is a gift for me, too.
