Birthday madness

Posted in Alicia's columns, Birthday stuff
by Alicia Castelli

Our daughter turned three on Sunday.  She’s finally old enough to “get” what all the fuss is about.  She’s also the only granddaughter on my side of the family.  Spoiled much?  You betcha! 

I’ve really enjoyed watching her developing personality these past few months.  She can be quite the girly girl with her friend, Sarah.  They painted each other’s nails the other day, slipped on dress up shoes and danced around her friend’s family room.  Then she’ll turn around and kick a boy two years older than her for taking “her” sand at the playground.  (She’s got two older brothers – go figure.)  She can do the ‘hands-on-hips’ indignation with attitude to spare when she doesn’t get her way.  She can be the most cuddly, loveable little girl ever conceived and throw a tantrum to end all tantrums two seconds later.  She is certainly never boring!

I was really excited about her birthday because this is the first year that she’s had definite opinions.  Dora the Explorer was the theme of choice and baby dolls and Barbies and all things Dora were on her list of most wanted presents.  We bought her first “big girl” bicycle and hid it well.  We planned a backyard potluck cookout to cut costs.  The invites went out and the countdown began.

“Happy Birthday!!!!” we greeted her Sunday morning.  She smiled but didn’t say much.  Her Sunday School class sang to her while she buried her head shyly in my neck.  She didn’t really get excited about the party until people started arriving and she realized all the presents were for her.

Almost everyone invited came which meant there were 13 children under the age of nine and 12 adults crammed into our small backyard.  Well, 11 adults really because my dad spent much of the party in our living room watching the Brown’s game.  Can’t say I blame him.  The noise, even outside, was deafening!

Keira tolerated being in the spotlight while she opened her presents and dutifully, albeit somewhat uncertainly, posed for pictures on her new, big-girl bike with training wheels.  She had spent the afternoon playing like a maniac, eating WAY too much sugar, posing for pictures and opening lots of presents and generally having a marvelous time.  While people spread out with their slices of birthday cake toward the end of the party, my husband quietly questioned my daughter about her big day.

“Did you like your party and your presents?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said.  “When is everybody going home?”