Sometimes a creative mind is as much of a curse as it is a blessing. I don't mean I've chopped off my ear or that I've starting lolling around in the gutter, drunk, cursing the vagarities of life. This is what I mean. I had my son's 7th birthday party all planned. I'd already rented a video game trailer for his party. I didn't think anything could beat two hours of gaming, linked with up to 16 of his friends and family, without me nagging that he was going to rot his brain.
He'd added that he wanted to be Captain America. Since that had been his halloween costume I was all," Sure, and we'll have the boys dress up too." At seven, he wants an all boy party because girls, except me and his sister, are only good to be chased by at recess. No big deal, party planned.
Until last week, as he sat at the table crunching his cereal and he asked, "Mom, what kind of missions are we going to have at my party?"
"Missions?" I asked.
"yeah," he began to play with his always present action figure at the table. "Captain America always fights Red Skull."
"I, I, um, I don't know."
Then the grand plan began to form. First I envisioned villians in the woods to fight on the way to the video game trailer that would park in the cul-de-sac because it is a semi. Then, I decided we needed a hero room and have spent days hanging superhero pictures, streamers, and a secret entrance to the room. The villians will burst into the hero room and try to take the cake. Then they will run away defeated. Or so the boys think.
But wait, before that, they can come in on an obstacle course through the garage, manned by a giant blow up spider they have to run underneath. So I spent the next few days clearing out the garage and beginning to construct this entrance which includes jumping rocks across a faux lake, climbing, crawling, and shooting bad guys with nerf guns. But wait, maybe I can have his teacher (he is in 1st grade so loves his teacher) come and she will be kidnapped and have to be saved. So I asked her and she is a maybe. The presents being snatched are the back-up.
He has requested I be Nick Fury. I guess my sexy Wonder Woman days are over (she is my go to superhero costume because I loved her as a little girl) and mannish I will become. So for today, I will don my father's old colonial uniform in the closet and procure an eye patch at Party City. Jeff, (my husband) will smear red make-up on his face and hair. He balked at the bald cap I tried to put on him last night. And we will welcome a whole passel of superheros. Now, if I can only get the house clean. Oh well, by tomorrow it will all be over. Guess how much writing has been done? If you said, none, you would be correct.
You are one awesome mom to go to so much trouble for your son. He will always remember that!
ReplyDeleteOMG! I would have killed for such an awesome birthday party! of course, if I'd ever realized what I'd wanted, I'm sure my parents would have gone the distance.
ReplyDeleteYou rock (and he only wants Nick Fury to complete the Marvel set. Wonder Woman is DC, and therefore not part of the Avengers set, so don't be offended).
That is totally cool! I would love to have a party like that. I mean, as a kid, yes. Heh. Okay, I'd still like to have a party with superheroes and villains. You are an awesome mom. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteI'd be real interested to hear how that goes over. The most energy I could ever come up with for a birthday was something like, "You want to go see a movie?"
ReplyDeleteThank goodness my kid was always so easy to please. Good job.
We did a Star Wars thing like that for my middle child several years ago. All kinds of Jedi trials and then a fight with Darth Maul at the end. One Darth Maul against about a dozen 5-6 year olds. Lots of fun.
ReplyDeleteI'm with your son, my Honey (and , secretly, me) would love a birthday party like that :-)
ReplyDeleteOh well, his 7th birthday only comes once.
ReplyDeleteIt has taken me until now (almost a week) to recover but he did have a great time. Except when he fell on the driveway. The bruises and scrapes still have not healed. I do have pictures I plan to share as soon as I can figure out that process.
ReplyDeleteThanks Alex, not sure about awesome but I do have my moments. The irony is he probably won't remember it.
Rena, I have to admit had it been another theme I might not have gotten so into it. Hmmm, is there a way to convince my husband to do it for me?
Christine, thanks. I still enjoy dressing up. I guess that is why I do theatre.
Rusty, I think you are the smarter of the two. I'm sure you've heard the phrase "Begin as you mean to go on." I probably should have thought of that when I did my daughter's first big party.
Andrew, great dad thing to do. My husband battled them all as Red Skull and seemed to enjoy himself.
Sarah, I know. Where is the rule that says when you become an adult big birthday parties aren't cool anymore?
Nancy-that's true but God willing there are lots of years after that one that I'll have to contend with.