birthday party

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Dear Holly: Benefiting from Being the Younger Sister at Your Brother’s Birthday Party

6 years, 6 months.

Dear Holly,

I never gave it any thought, that you automatically would be getting to participate in your brother’s 12th birthday party, where most of the kids invited were in 6th grade; as compared to you, being in 1st grade.

You had so much fun being able to jump around on the bounce house and go down the slides. And I noticed how some of Jack’s friends made an effort to include you. That meant a lot to me.

And I know you definitely appreciated your brother giving you the leftover party favors, which included a variety of little figurines of puppies.

You have been playing with them nonstop since his party on Saturday!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: I’m the Parent Who Takes You to the Birthday Parties

11 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack,

In our household, there are certain responsibilities that Mommy and I have assigned to ourselves:

She handles the budget, the scheduling, the travel plans, and the school details.

I handle cleaning the bathrooms, taking out the garbage, vacuuming the floors, half of the grocery shopping, killing the bugs, doing my own laundry, most of my own meals, and… taking you and your sister to kids’ birthday parties.

Last Saturday, you and your sister had a 10 AM Chuck E. Cheese party 20 miles north of us that lasted 3 hours, to be followed by another 3 hour party at your friend’s house about 10 miles south of us.

And the thing is, all 3 of us had fun all day.

Even me. For some reason, I enjoy shuttling you and your sister to your friends’ birthday parties.

Whereas if I was running around town having to do shopping and other errands, I would be exhausted and angry.

But for some reason, I enjoy being involved taking you to these parties.

I suppose it’s a way I feel like I bond with you; while in some way, reliving my own childhood; 30 years later.

 

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: Your 6th Birthday Party!

6 years old.

Dear Holly,

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that you had the most exciting 6th birthday party that you could possibly imagine!

I even heard one of your friends proclaim, “This is the best day of my life!”

And I must say, you were not one bit skeptical or fearful about being launched up in the air on the bungee… or as you explain it: “When I got to fly!”

It makes me so happy to be there with you having so much fun.

I always want the best for you- especially when it comes to getting to experience excitement and adventure with your friends and family!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: You’re Planning Your 6th Birthday Party, Which is Still 3 Months Away

5 years, 9 months.

Dear Holly,

For the past few weekends now, you have begun planning out your upcoming 6th birthday party.

And by upcoming, I mean… 3 months from now.

You started a list of all the activities you want to plan for all you and your friends to enjoy.

My personal favorite is “Twizzlers”.

That’s just it’s own event.

You all get to eat Twizzlers.

Because when you’re 5 going on 6… Yeah, that’s an event all in itself.

But specifically, here are the  birthday activities you’ve got on your list, so far- in what I’m assuming in chronological order:

  1. Gifts
  2. Cake
  3. Ice Cream
  4. Pizza
  5. Popcorn
  6. M&M’s
  7. Goldfish
  8. Apples
  9. Twizzlers
  10. Toys

Gifts first, of course. Pizza after ice cream? Sure, why not!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: The BB Gun Range at My 40th Birthday Party

10 years, 4 months.

Dear Jack,

This past weekend we hosted my 40th birthday party in Alabama at Nonna and Papa’s house. Amazingly, your friend Landon and his family drove there too; though they live in the neighborhood next to ours in Tennessee!

I know it was a lot of fun to be able to hang out with one of your best friends… in a different state, 3 hours away!

Papa and I set up a “BB Gun Range” for you and your friends to shoot aluminum cans at in the woods behind the house.

You guys thought it was hilarious when Landon shot a BB and it got stuck right there in the middle of an acorn.

And having an April birthday, I was so grateful it only rained that morning, and stopped an hour before the party began.

Otherwise, we couldn’t have opened the BB gun range!

Love,

Daddy