Rethinking Birthdays

Emily's birthday was just this past Monday. Right before her birthday we had about 3 weeks of colds going through the family and the craziness of Christmas. Her birthday party has yet to be planned because of all that. Hubby and I did however continue the tradition of taking the day off and making the day all about the birthday child. Being 3, Em's birthday family day was simple. We stayed home and she stayed in her pjs all day. She got lots of extra snuggles. We played games, watched a movie and played with new toys. I baked her birthday cake and she helped decorate it. And she got to pick all the meals for the day. We had blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and animal crackers was lunch. And pizza was dinner...her original request of cake for dinner was turned down. She was such a happy birthday girl telling us and singing "I'm the birthday girl!" "It's my birthday" and "I'm three!!" all day long. It got me thinking about how days like that are really want the kids want. While big parties are fun, I'm beginning to think that maybe we can change up birthdays a little. The kids all really love our family day tradition so that will definitely stay the same. When it comes to their parties, they tend to just end up becoming a playdate with friends with cake and gifts added to the end.So, we're going to experiment with splitting it up. We're going to try birthday playdates with friends. It'll just be a get together kinda thing with friends at a park or similar place. It won't be a party per say. Gifts will be discouraged and there won't be cake. It'll just be time for the birthday child to have with friends. Then we'll take their birthday family day and expand it a little. That evening (or one soon around then) we'll invite the extended family (grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins) over for dinner and cake. Grandparents especially like to spoil their grandkids so no gifts probably won't go over very well for this party. ;) Plus, birthday kiddo does deserve a little something new. Now I guess it's time to plan Em's belated birthday dinner party.

Emily's birthday cake: I love the sprinkle pile she made. :)

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