315 New Messages and Other Atrocities

Hello, dearest readers! I am ecstatic to report that we have survived the sixth annual celebration of JBB's entrance into life on this earth. Thank you for your kind words of encouragement. One of these days when Bravo films The Real Housewives of Blogger, I'll get to hang out with The Preppy Princess, Privilege and Three for Tippy and I will be able to thank them in person for such fabulous words of wisdom. Until then, cyberhugs with have to do.

Since Mommy and Daddy Lipstick have already returned home to the quiet respite of The Empty Nest, I am sending them cyber thanks as well. Friday afternoon they swooped into town and helped me clean, polish, plan, organize, and lest I forget, entertain my children. Saturday morning the back driveway looked a little something like this.
Clear as mud, isn't it? Well, there are a lot of great venue places in town to host a child's birthday party. In fact, JBB's party last year was at a gymnastics center. All of these places are convenient, safe, and loads of fun. The only problem is that by the time a child has reached the ripe old age of SIX (like my dear sweet JBB), he has hosted/attended numerous parties at all of these venues.

SO...I thought, what would be interesting, different, unique for our family? Hmmmmm....that idea became "The Building Party."

Here was our premise: All of JBB's friends and their siblings were invited to build a treasure box. Mr. Lipstick pre-made the bottom, middle and the top and he also pre-painted them. Each child could select any color combo, and then Mr. Lipstick would do the final assembly. The children would then affix stickers to the box to decorate (princess, pirate, cars, stars...). While we had cake and ice cream, Mr. Lipstick would add a layer of lacquer to seal the stickers.

Mr. Lipstick opened with a song (although half of them wanted to keep playing on our giant rock pile which is incidentally full of fossils)...then he assembled the boxes that the children customized (thankfully more fun than the rock pile)...(at which time the lack of sleep was starting to take its toll on dear Mr. Lipstick). Never fear, time for the cake...(notice how trying to balance a cake and a too-large-for-a-cake-decoration-but-we-did-it-anyway-Power-Ranger seems to bring out the double chins in me?). Thankfully a good time was had by all(notice the camera in one pocket and a big box of matches in the other...klassy, huh?). As for my idea of curling up Saturday afternoon with my laptop and catching up on reading all your blogs...well, that merely confirmed my suspicion that I usually exist in some type of dream world of my own creation. Mr. Lipstick, Pretty Girl and I passed out. JBB played happily, quietly, and most contentedly in his room with his newly acquired treasures while we recuperated.

My goodness, did we ever need our strength. This week has been JBB's first week of full days of kindergarten. There has been real work, actual learning, homework of sorts, and LOTS of things to remember. I have sent notes and emails to the teacher every day this week. I am convinced she thinks I am certifiable. I think I handled pharmacokinetics better than this. I have been so stressed that I have been wringing my hands and massaging my forehead like an executive at Lehman Brothers before the fall. I am even in the midst of an acne attack. I should be quarantined.
Tonight, however, has been a major victory. I am awake and I am typing sentences. Tomorrow I may run a marathon. You just never know.

(Finally, for all you True Blood fans. Sorry y'all...you know how I get all obsessed with stuff. Isn't Evan Rachel Wood the worst actress in history? I have seen better performances on the stages of high school cafetoriums. Your thoughts?)