Friday, June 25, 2010

Hindsight Is 20/20

Our original plan for Scarlett's birthday? Throw some money at an establishment like Monkey Joe's, invite some kids, and let them run wild. But my older sister, knowing how we suffer from too-much-month-at-the-end-of-the-money syndrome, helpfully suggested that we have the party at her pool.

Done! Now all we had to worry about was the cake. My plan? A cupcake cake, from our local grocer's bakery. My sister was all skeptical. "I can make cupcakes," she offered.

"Lemme just see what they have," I said. I flipped through the look book. We had wanted something with Yo Gabba Gabba, since that seems to be Scarlett's favorite show. Of course, they had no YGG. It seemed my options were either something Scarlett actually liked, but with a crappy toy (like a Dora cake with just a plastic Dora figurine) or an awesome toy of something that Scarlett didn't care much about (like a Hello Kitty cake with a bubble-blowing figurine[!!!!]) Hmm. So I asked a baker the price of a cupcake cake with 24 cupcakes. The verdict? I called my sister. "You can do the cupcakes."

The day of the party came. We arrived at my sister's place, gifts and kids in tow, to help set up. My sister was not happy with the cupcakes, which, it turned out, she had ordered from some other bakery. Ordered? Bakery? I thought she was making them herself. I said nothing.

"Look at them," she said, her contempt undisguised. "The frosting is two inches thick. The circles are all the same size. And they're the wrong color!" Apparently, my sister had requested that the cupcakes be decorated to match the drinking cups she had bought, which had a pattern of differently-sized, overlapping circles. The cupcakes did not match. It was like our own mini-Cake Wrecks moment.

Then it was time for the party. Scarlett kept posing in the mirror in her new bathing suit, flipping her hair and talking about how "stylish" she looked. Snort. She had some new arm floaties and she was beyond excited about how well she was "swimming" with her floaties and tube ring.

The other moms marveled at how Sosie was being so calm and smiley sitting in her car seat. "What do you do to make her so calm?" they asked me.

"I think God knows I'm terrible with children, so He gave me some easy ones," I said. They laughed. I wasn't joking. Oh, well.

The kids swam and splashed. We had pizza. Then it was time for presents. Scarlett is the best. Present-opener. Ever. She squealed in delight over everything, even the clothes. We're thinking of employing her to open all of our presents at Christmas so that the appropriate amount of gratefulness is displayed.

When most of the party guests had gone home and it was time to clean up, there was more lamenting from my sister. "I forgot all about the goodie bags! And the ice cream!" All of my sister's plans had slowly gone awry.

Later, Mom called. She had just spoken to my sister, and she was all giggly about how things had gone wrong. "Your sister is too funny," Mom said. "She wants to do everything herself so that it will turn out the way she wants it. She is just like me!" Really, Mom? You are just noticing this now? She has only been like this since I've been old enough to form coherent memories of her.

Then, after that? I received this text from my sister: "Maybe it would have been easier to give Monkey Joe's $100." There's always next year.

10 comments:

  1. I think it was perfect. Scarlett had a great time. All of the other kids enjoyed themselves. Amanda did a great job, and so did you. Plus...we ended up with the ice cream, so now Scarlett and I can continue our ice cream time together. Fantastic! Monkey joes was my idea, and I was totally pleased with being wrong. My only change would have been the yo Gabba Gabba cake because I like the show just like Scarlett does.

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  2. I believe it would have cost you closer to $250 or $300 at Monkey Joes. Nobody but you and your sister (well until now anyway) even know that anything was missing.

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  3. LOL Sounds like everyone had a great time at the party! Kids don't notice things that you forget...except goody bags - which are in fact just lollies for the parents ;-)

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  4. I agree with Michael, it was PERFECT! And next time, HELLO!!! I can decorate the cake! You know I love to do it and they tend to be ok, but you would or someone would have to keep Carson busy..hmmm perhaps bakery is better(hahaha) but I could do Yo Gabba Gabba. But I still love to do them! And I liked the cupcakes they fit the party decorations really well! Also the things that were missing didn't matter to the kids, no one ever noticed. That happens at every birthday party, I always for get the goody bags at least. And YAY! for Michael and the ice cream, over all sounds like a good deal for everyone. And yeah Monkey Joe's costs around atleast $200. I thought it was great and You and your sis did a wonderful job! Scarlett was SO happy! And in the end, that's what matters most.

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  5. @Michael - I thought it was great, and of course my sister did a great job, even if she forgot some stuff that nobody noticed. I'm sick and this is what happens when I feel pressured to get something posted. Blurgh.

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  6. @Anon - Yes, I'm sure it's more expensive. I know the kids didn't care. I only mentioned my sister's dismay because I so rarely see things not work out for her. She is like an alien she's so capable and perfect. Seeing her all forgetful and mad about cupcakes? It made me feel closer to her. :)

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  7. @Bindy - Fark, I should have grabbed me a goody bag. I could use a lolly. Where are you when I need you to think of these things? Oh, right. In Australia. Sigh.

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  8. @Heather - That's all we wanted was for Scarlett to be happy. She was sooo excited about her birthday this year. The cake? You do enough stuff for us already.

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  9. If Heather can make a Brobee cake from Yo Gabba Gabba...then perfect. My birthday is July 7th. I love Yo Gabba Gabba, and Brobee is the coolest.

    Scarlett has only had one birthday party cooler than this one, and it was the year we did the "un-Birthday" party for me and Scarlett together. Our birthdays are exactly two weeks apart, so we did a joint un-Birthday right in the middle. It as such a perfect ideas that Megan came up with....I think we will do it again when Scarlett is a little older and can remember how cool it is.

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  10. @Michael - OMG your dream come true! A Brobee cake! Yes, the UnBirthday theme was way cool. It's why my Cheshire Cat is still up on the wall (at least that's what I tell other people.)

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