Maybe I Should Start Planning a Bit SOONER...

Well, another birthday season has slipped up on me! Rayna will turn seven years old this Wednesday. Do I have any birthday shopping done or even STARTED? No! Do I even have any clue what I might get her? No! Did I have any birthday plans in place before 7am this morning? Again, resoundingly No!

I became such a lame parent after I turned 42 and found myself managing three rambunctious kids instead of just one. I've never quite gotten my footing since then. I know...lame. What's worse, I hate to admit, is that this will be the first BIRTHDAY PARTY (excluding family gatherings) that Rayna has ever had (and Doug, age 10 has only had ONE)...compare that to Little Miss Darcy who had HUGE birthday blow-outs with lots of kids invited at age three (12 kids) and again at age five (35 kids) and had overnighters with one friend for ages two, four, six, and seven....Doug had to wait until he was ten just to have TWO friends come celebrate HIS birthday with him...and now, little Rayna has had to wait until age seven just to have THREE friends invited to celebrate her birthday with her. I just had more energy when Darcy was young...

But, what I lack in organization and umph, I more than compensate for in GUILT. Yes...GUILT...the great motivator! So, it was, that this morning we threw together birthday plans....to Kansas City on Sunday to make stops at those two sets of grandparents and then, Friday (a week from today) Rayna will have a sleep-over to which she is inviting three friends (Mary from across the street, her bosom buddy Lizzie from church, and Crystal her friend from the Chinese restaurant).

I just met Crystal for the first time last night. We were eating at China Pearl when Rayna excitedly announced, "There's my FRIEND!!!" I looked up to see a little Malaysian girl walking in the restaurant and going behind the counter. I asked Rayna, "What is your friend's name?" She replied, "I don't know!" We continued eating. A mouthful later, Rayna went on to tell me, "Everyone always thinks she is my SISTER! Everyone at school is always asking me, 'Is Crystal your little sister?'" At which point, I pointed out that Rayna DID know her name. It was so funny...Rayna looked a bit startled and then said, "Hey, that's right! Her name IS Crystal!!!" Funny how she didn't think she knew her name, yet, moment's later was quoting her friends using the little girl's name! A few moments later, Crystal's mom came over to our table and struck up a conversation with us, remarking herself how much Rayna looked like her own daughter. While the rest of us ate, Rayna ran up to tell Crystal "Hi!" and the next thing I knew, Rayna had disappeared behind the counter, too...and then somewhere beyond into the back of the restaurant. Rayna hadn't eaten much from the buffet, but we never saw her again at our table. She wasn't left to starve, though, because Crystal had a large supply of decorated cupcakes that she and Rayna plowed into.

Chatting with Crystal's mom, we discovered that we live just a few blocks apart. When we were finished eating, we invited Crystal to come home with us to play with Rayna for an hour and a half. The girls were both delighted! They had a blast playing here and then we brought Crystal back to the restaurant in time for Rayna to start getting ready for bed. They are a rowdy pair. Rayna tends to gravitate to very energetic, high spirited friends. Birds of a feather, I guess!

The over-nighter next Friday should be interesting (or at least quite tiring!)! My advice to everyone else out there, is HAVE YOUR KIDS WHILE YOU ARE STILL IN YOUR TWENTIES!!! By your late forties you are liable to be as lame as I am!