If it does not exist

I love a good party. I love the gathering of people. I love the fun food. I LOVE the cake. And I love the memories of the fun day. But what I do not love? I do not love the disruption of schedule. I'm a schedule girl. As much as I am a spontaneous and can pack up and go anywhere (obviously!), I still love to know what comes next. And I am especially schedule oriented when it comes to children. Now, I don't think that you should have a child so rigid that you can never deviate from that schedule. But children need boundaries and expectations and a schedule plays into that.

WELL, a lovely couple in the community decided that for their son's 1st birthday, they would have a party incorporating the children here at Cradle of Love. The arrangements were made and I was brought into the tail end of all the planning. The party did not start or stop in the allotted time we had planned. It took longer to decorate, longer for the mass of people to arrive, and longer for the food to get going. I was stressing a little as Moma Musa and I discussed the right decisions we had to make for our children to get them fed, and changed and to their naps at the appropriate time. Eventhough we got the littlest babies settled, the older ones ate a little later, played a little longer, and skipped their naps this afternoon (well, the ones who didn't just fall asleep on the mat outside!). And as much as I worried about this, I had to just let it go. Because you know what? Children have birthdays. We celebrate. We make it special. And we deviate from the schedule. Its what childhood memories are made of. Its life's right of passage.

And I realized something today. These children don't get traditional birthday parties. They don't have deviations from the schedule. They don't get the luxury of sweets at grandma's house and the gathering of many people in celebration. And I realized that we MUST allow the party to continue--as long as it needed to today-- because if it did not exist, than these children would never have these wonderful memories. And these are important memories that you and I take for granted! So party, we did. And I don't regret any of it.

My hope is that one day these children will look back on days like today and relive a happy memory. My favorite party was when I was 10 and my best friend's parents had a cookout and we swam in the pool, and at 17 where i had a surprise cake after choir rehearsal, and 18 at Jeremy's house with all my friends, and the day I left the firm and we had a big luncheon. What was your favorite party? Aren't you glad someone took the time to throw you one?

Note to self #5 - Schedules are good. Making fun memories are better.

Here are a few more pictures from the party. The children had so much fun!