Let Them Eat Cake
by Kym on January 29, 2008
If I think much more about yesterday, I’ll cry.
Again.
So I’m going to focus on Saturday for awhile. Saturday? Was about as lovely as a Saturday can be. It was spent preparing for Becca’s very low key birthday shindig. Now, in order for you to properly appreciate the wonderfulness that was me on this day, you need to be acquainted with what is my normal attitude during the approach of such an event.
i.e. blind panic.
Not this time though. I didn’t race around ignoring the kids trying to get my house perfectly clean so as to trick people into thinking it’s that way all the time. I did the basics…tidied up, cleaned the toilets, and decided that having vacuumed the night before was good enough. I finished the cake first thing in the morning so it wouldn’t weigh on my mind all day. I cuddled and played with the girls a bit. I took Emma out shopping with me and we meandered around town as if we had hours and hours to spare.
No anxiety. No stress. No intense desire to awe and impress our guests.
And you know why? I only invited two families, Angela and her two boys, and Jen and Adam and their four sweethearts. I wanted to invite the families of my friends Trine, Erin, Claire, Georgia, Veronika, Angela and Heather, not to mention various people from church who are like an extended family. But I knew what that would mean.
i.e. blind panic.
And so, I didn’t. I may have hurt some feelings and I’m sad about that, but strangely, I’m not swimming in guilt like I usually do. Because we had so much fun Saturday. There were few enough kids that it didn’t get overwhelming, and the relative ages of the kids was perfect. I think there were only one or two brief scraps during the whole course of the three hour party.
It was actually quite relaxing. And fun even.
Come Spring/Summer, there’ll be plenty of opportunities to have large crowds over. We’re going to have a crazy number of picnics and bbq’s, not to mention the new house’s layout allows us to have games nights, etc…without fear of waking the girls up.
The new house? Is going to be a party house. As for the old house, well, not so much. Still, keeping the party small kept the stress small. And I’m so, so glad that my miserable weekend started on such a lovely note.
And the cake was very yummy as well.
33 comments
Firstity!
Glad the party turned out so well. I feel bad when I don’t have huge parties for fear of hurting someone, but I work better that way as well. Let the kids hang out and have fun and be done with it.
She’s beautiful!
And I’m so very impresed by the cake!
by Dedee on January 29, 2008 at 9:51 pm. #
The girls looked darling – what cute matching dresses!
And the cake? Fabulous! That flower practice definitely paid off.
by JustRandi on January 29, 2008 at 9:58 pm. #
i tried to comment yesterday but blogger wouldn’t let me… but I am so sorry for your awful happenings… but I am glad Saturday was a good day. The cake looks wonderful!!!!
I understand the guilt/ vs. stress. K’s birthday is in march and we can’t entertain many people INSIDE out house and can’t count on good weather then for an OUTSIDE party so I feel compelled to limit K’s number of guests.
by CamiKaos on January 29, 2008 at 10:27 pm. #
YAY for a fun party! The less I stress about parties the better they turn out. The cake looks great!
by Amber on January 29, 2008 at 10:47 pm. #
So pretty, that cake, Kim! Now you can stop panicking! Well, then again…you DO have a 2 year old!
by Jenna on January 29, 2008 at 11:22 pm. #
I am so glad you decided to keep it low key… isn’t it so much nicer that way?! You’re right… plenty of time for big group get togethers when the weather will allow for some outside time and the new house will allow for game night! Can I come?
Love the cake! You did a fantastic job!!!
by Melissa on January 29, 2008 at 11:44 pm. #
happy birthday, becca!! that is so cool that you slimmed down the party to avoid stress. i did that this year, too. nice birthday cake!! and i’m super jealous of your future party house. that will totally be me someday too!
by aubrey on January 30, 2008 at 12:04 am. #
Such a cute cake!
by Summer on January 30, 2008 at 12:18 am. #
I love that picture of Emma and Becca together! And I love the cake; it really looks fabulous.
Good idea on the small party. It sounds like it was lovely!
And great job on not over-stressing it. I did something similar yesterday, ’cause we had company over, and usually that involved lots of vacuuming and decluttering and bathroom scrubbing besides making a more-elaborate dinner than usual. Then I realized that the missionaries are just hungry twenty-year-old boys and aren’t likely to care about all that (well, maybe the food part, so I did cook a better-than-average-but-not-over-the-top dinner). Some things are not worth the stress!
I was thinking about you last night as I went to bed. And praying for you, too. *hugs* still from me, for the hard times you’ve had this weekend.
by Beth on January 30, 2008 at 12:36 am. #
I am not an entertainer. I am too much of a slob. I would consider one family coming over to be a great achievement on my part.
Your cake looks lovely. My boys tend to only eat the frosting. Sometimes its tempting to just frost some styrofoam and let them lick the frosting off.
by Heffalump on January 30, 2008 at 12:43 am. #
I don’t know when the pressure for big parties for way little kids became vogue. I think you are so wise, sticking to a few family friends.
Glad it was grand.
by Lisa Milton on January 30, 2008 at 1:16 am. #
I’m so glad that things turned out well. She looks so happy and I can’t believe she’s already 2. Where does the time go?
By the way, the cake is just adorable. What a good mommy you are.
by Tonya on January 30, 2008 at 1:27 am. #
Less is definitely more when it means we retain our sanity. I just read your previous post and I’m so sorry the rest of the weekend wasn’t as nice as Saturday was–the cake is gorgeous. Hang in there.
by Josi on January 30, 2008 at 1:43 am. #
What a beautiful cake! Happy birthday to Becca, she has a great name. ;)
Hey, when you have those game nights, I wanna come! Of course we live thousands of miles away…
by Rebecca on January 30, 2008 at 1:58 am. #
I think you did right in not inviting too many people. I love that you were able to be low key and stress-free for the day. Oh, and your cake? Beautiful!!!
by Deanne on January 30, 2008 at 1:59 am. #
That cake looks fantastic! Yay for less stress. :)
by Hillary on January 30, 2008 at 3:26 am. #
The butterfly turned out great! And sorry you got your period. :( That really stinks.
by The MomBabe on January 30, 2008 at 3:35 am. #
Hooray for a great day on Saturday . . . can’t believe how Becca’s growing up so quickly . . . and Emma too . . . July can’t come quick enough . . . lol :)
by Kate on January 30, 2008 at 3:36 am. #
Good God, your Sunday Stank. Glad it’s over. Also, the birthday party sounds lovely. LOW KEY is THE key. I have completely figured out how to enjoy parties nowadays and, as you said, it’s important to just not freak on the cleaning or the preparations. Food just needs to be edible, not 5 star hotel worthy. Floor would be preferrable to have no crunchy stuff on it, but it’ll be messy within 30 minutes of the party’s starting, so even that’s negotiable…
by Tracey on January 30, 2008 at 4:19 am. #
Lookit me, last to the party!
The cake looked fabulous!! Loverly!!! Well done! (and not chocolate, so good!)
Keep thinking about Saturday :D
by Thalia's Child on January 30, 2008 at 5:14 am. #
That is the most adorable cake I have ever seen! Perfect match for an adorable girl.
by mindyluwho on January 30, 2008 at 7:32 am. #
The cake is so puuuurrty!! Wow!
by Elaine on January 30, 2008 at 1:22 pm. #
if my blogreader doesn’t start telling me when you publish stuff, i’m going to kick its butt.
anyway. love the cake. love the flowers on the cake!!!
and i am in awe of anyone who can throw parties. my answer to birthday parties is a variation on the chuck-e-cheese theme. ugh.
by holly on January 30, 2008 at 1:53 pm. #
Cute cake! I love it! I used to throw huge parties for my kids with everyone and the family dog invited. I would do nothing but stress out before they came, stress out while everyone was there, and then bitch and moan after everyone left because of the mess created. I’ve since low-keyed it all and it’s so much more fun!
PS. What does your hair look like? Curious…
Love ya!
by Abra on January 30, 2008 at 3:02 pm. #
That cake is AWESOME.
by Keetha on January 30, 2008 at 3:35 pm. #
Good for you, doing what’s best for your sanity and peace of mind. :)
The cake looks beautiful, and most importantly, it looks like you have a happy girl there. :)
Way to go, Momma!
by Magirk on January 30, 2008 at 5:08 pm. #
Gorgeous cake, lady! Not to mention gorgeous girls.
I’m glad Saturday went well. I’m proud of you for consciously keeping the stress level low.
by Luisa Perkins on January 30, 2008 at 7:33 pm. #
I did just the same for Miss M’s party and it was sooo much more
chilled and fun.
Happy Birthday little Becca. I bet your mummy’s cake was yummy. x
by Jo Beaufoix on January 30, 2008 at 8:22 pm. #
What a fabulous sounding day! It sounds perfect and looks perfect. That is one of the happiest looking little ladies I’ve ever seen. Your cake is awesome. My baby’s baptism is on saturday and I need to make a cake ~sigh~ I am a terrible cake baker.
by Julie Wright on January 30, 2008 at 8:26 pm. #
Beautiful pictures and the cake is adorable.
by Kristi on January 30, 2008 at 9:05 pm. #
a child’s birthday party needn’t be a Don King production…it sounds lovely! The cake is very impressive, my dear! A cute movie about birthday parties (ok, bar mitzvahs: Keeping up with the Steins. It’s pretty clean)
by KJ on January 31, 2008 at 3:12 pm. #
Par-TAY time!! Hope you saved a piece of cake for me – looks delicious!!
by david mcmahon on January 31, 2008 at 9:00 pm. #
You actually want to throw parties? For grown ups?
What on earth for?
:)
by Dapoppins on February 1, 2008 at 7:09 am. #