Left Out
I’m having a really ridiculous but majorly stressful problem re: inviting people to Baby Evan’s birthday party. On the one hand I don’t want to exclude anyone and end up causing hurt feelings because OMG A, B & C got invited but D totally didn’t. But on the other hand, really, who wants to waste a whole Saturday afternoon squished into my living room watching my child not eat cake and playing pin the nose on the clown? It’s my own kid’s birthday and even I think that sounds like the third circle of hell. I don’t want anyone to feel like they have to come if they don’t want to.
My problem lies in the fact that in the past six months my circle of local mama friends has exploded from exactly one (Hi Amanda!) to 15 or 20. More if you include all the kids whose name and age I can list (the true sign of mama friendship). Do I invited everyone I see on a weekly basis? Do I invite just the half-dozen people whose husbands I’ve met once or twice? Do I even invite the husbands? God, they’re going to be SO BORED. There’s not enough beer in Connecticut to make a first birthday party fun for most grown ups. What’s the level of friendship required to put someone through that? I don’t think anyone likes me that much.
And, oh nooooo, what if everyone I invite brings gifts? The last thing my spoiled kid needs is 40 toys. I really should have put one of those cute little no gifts rhymes on my invitations – like “the gift of your presence is present enough” – although considering I didn’t even remember to put Baby Evan’s NAME on the invitations maybe it won’t even matter. Maybe no one will show up. It will just be my parents and my in-laws staring at two hundred dollars worth of plastic plates and cups and candy. Of course, then I’ll be the one who feels snubbed and left out and I’ll never be able to show my face at Stroller Strides or knitting group again. I will have ruined my life over a stupid birthday party.
So listen, people of the internet and also real life friends who might stalk read my blog: I’d like to invite you. I will invite you. I did invite you. There’s probably a card in my diaper bag right now with your name on it. If you have any desire at all to be here to help celebrate Baby Evan’s first trip around the sun, let me know. I promise it will be as much fun as a first birthday party can possibly be.
I totally can relate to you on this post. Seeing my daughters first bday is in exactly 18 days I only sent out invites to my immediate family.. She’s only going to be 1 and well she won’t remember it and from what everyone else tells me it’s more for the family memory than hers. Don’t stress about it, make it as big or small as you’d like and if people get mad, well then I don’t think they are good friends, they should understand. I’m sure at every other birthday Baby Evan has you’ll have the same problem. I’d invite those who are close to you and you think should be apart of his big day.. just my 2 cents.
First the invitations are uber cute! Second can I tell you how happy we will be living elsewhere next year thus eliminating the inviting EVERYONE issue. A special trip to the zoo with pizza and cake? Oh yes my darling! A whole day of Madison with none of the fuss!
My Stroller Strides group does monthly birthday playgroups- maybe that can be the SS party so you don’t feel bad about them. I invite the people that my daughter likes playing with the most, it is her party. Maybe invite knitting group to the SS party?