The Party Circuit

Aidan's first foray into the birthday party circuit was at the age of four. He had just turned four and while he had attended parties for children of my and Chris's friends, this was his very first invite solely for him and secured by him. It was quite an occasion.

The party was at the home of his buddy Seth. (not Uncle Seth, but Seth of the Whoville, preschool set.) When we arrived the rest of the party goers were jumping with glee in a giant bounce house. The boys called to Aidan, but Aidan shook his head and clutched my legs in fear. He basically spent the first half of the party hanging on to my legs or my arms, scared to death at the whole thing. We watched all the other kiddies bounce and play, make crafts or swing, but Aidan was resolute in his determination to stay attached to me.

He started to warm up about half way into the party. He may have even let go of me for a brief exploratory moment or two, right up until he had to go to the bathroom. And that's how we spent the second half of the party. In the bathroom.

While all the other kiddies ate birthday sheet pizza and sang "happy birthday", I stayed with Aidan who was working out one hell of a poopie. He literally SCREAMED during most of the bathroom experience. ("Oh this is a hard pooopie! Oh Momma, this poopie HURTS. It's a horrible poopie!" - all yelled at the top of his lungs no matter how many times I pleaded with him to lower his voice an octave or two.) I prayed the other parents couldn't hear us over the celebratory din, but sure enough when we finally emerged into daylight, I caught the smirks and grins on the other parents faces. We were a playground story in the making, I am sure.

Today, Brennan had his first birthday party for a friend from school. Brennan is also four. And while he has attended parties for the children of our friends, this was his very first party outing that was all about him. He reveled in it from the minute he opened up the invitation. He pranced with glee when he said goodbye to his brothers this afternoon and explained to them with a slight air of superiority that he was off to a party. For his friend. His party. And he would eat cake. With his friend. At his friend's party. (I am not exaggerating. It went on like this for days.)

We got to the party. Brennan ran into the party without a backward glance to me. He barely said goodbye. And when I said goodbye to him, he gave me a half wave and barely noticed. He stayed at the whole party, without me or Chris, for an hour and a half. I am still a little shell shocked at how easy the whole thing was to do - for me and for Brennan.