My son’s third birthday was memorable. We celebrated at our local Chinese restaurant on a Tuesday night with his grandparents and Buzz Lightyear.
Watch Below: Kylie Jenner Is Criticised For Stormi’s Extravagant Christmas Gift
Just moments into his “party”, my little man had knocked his dad’s beer into my lap in an effort to grab a prawn cracker, so I spent the next ten minutes drying my crotch under the bathroom hand-dryer while the family tucked into Asahi-flavoured dumplings.
He still bears scars on his fingers from unknowingly gripping the blisteringly hot metal sparkler the chef had kindly stuck in his birthday cake (a half-melted scoop of green tea ice-cream).
His resourceful grandmother created a makeshift icepack from said frozen dessert, and the tears disappeared by the time the fortune cookies appeared.
It was a far cry from the lavish affair Melbourne mum Amy Movsisian threw for her daughter Melina’s seventh birthday, which made headlines around the country this week.
The carnival-themed party was a celebration of Kardashian proportions; it took two months to plan and cost about $20,000. There were candy and ice cream carts, a $700 cake as well as a jumping castle, professional ballet performance and “Melina” spelled out in industrial-sized LED lights.
A film and camera crew was also on hand, of course, to capture all the fun and sugar-induced meltdowns from the thirty or so miniature guests and their respective parents.
The event planner shared her efforts on social media, and for every impressed parent there was a barrage of online criticism over the fact it cost more than a modest wedding.
I still shudder when I think back to planning my own nuptials.
I’d never wanted a big, white wedding so choosing portable toilet blocks and deciding on cake fillings led to a few panic attacks and a vow to never do it again.
The night was incredible, but I’ll never get divorced; the thought of organising a second wedding gives me nausea.
While Amy’s efforts inadvertently plunged a spotlight on the rest of us whose party planning extends to a sushi platter and packet cake at the local park, I take my hat off to her.
She clearly loves what she does, and if her daughter and her year two classmates reap the rewards of this passion, then why not?
Yes, she may have set the bar so high that Melina will expect nothing less than an all-inclusive trip to Disneyland with her 10 BFFs for her 8th birthday.
But for every overzealous mother who blows their children’s future private school fees on Frozen 2 merchandise and 270gsm embossed invitations, there are ten or more lucky kids who get to enjoy it.
Celebrities have also offered up a wealth of kid’s party inspiration, particularly the Kardashians. This weekend billionaire-ess Kylie Jenner hosted “Stormi World”, a theme-park inspired birthday bash for her two-year-old daughter complete with terrifying inflatable replicas of the toddler’s head and carnival rides.
While the sight of people walking around wearing bobbleheads in one’s own image must be slightly disturbing, the rest of the guests seemed to enjoy the Stormi merch, Disney themed playgrounds and taco stations the 22-year-old makeup mogul had organised for her first born.
Two girlfriends of mine have preschool children with birthdays around the same time. One loves party planning, the other loathes it. “I just tell Max it’s actually his birthday party too,” the latter told me at the former’s most recent kiddie shindig.
“He’s not old enough to know yet, and he gets close enough to the cake to blow out a candle or two.”
Since becoming a mum, I’ve realised that in a young child’s eyes, a successful party requires two things – sugar and an activity to burn it off.
The day after my son’s very modest third ‘birthday bash’, he begged to go back to Chinese with Buzz and do it all over again. He’d had a ball; blistered fingers and all.
But Amy, if there are any spare tickets to Disneyland next year, we’d be more than happy to tag along and celebrate Melina’s big “8”.
I’ll bring along a few extra candles for my little guy.
My son’s third birthday was memorable. We celebrated at our local Chinese restaurant on a Tuesday night with his grandparents and Buzz Lightyear.
Watch Below: Kylie Jenner Is Criticised For Stormi’s Extravagant Christmas Gift
My son’s third birthday was memorable. We celebrated at our local Chinese restaurant on a Tuesday night with his grandparents and Buzz Lightyear.
Watch Below: Kylie Jenner Is Criticised For Stormi’s Extravagant Christmas Gift
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