It's My (his) Party, and I'll Cry if I Want To

Almost immediately after the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve, it hit me: my son will be turning ONE YEAR OLD in about a month...a month and three days to be exact.

First of all, what happened to the year 2008?? Where did it go? Is it forever lost like my ability to fit in my high school jeans? This last year truly did fly by...I have no idea how, but it seems I gave birth to an 11 month old. Looking at pictures of Wyatt when he was teeny tiny makes me feel like it was a million years ago and yesterday all at the same time. Ahhhhh, insert motherly sigh here.

Secondly, how do I go about throwing a birthday party for a one year old?? I wouldn't even know where to begin. A low key gathering of some family and good friends here at the house, you say? Sure, sounds good and would be the most appealing to me and my desire to not make my life any crazier (not to mention *eh hem* on the verge of finding out if we got the biggest gig of TasteBuds' life)- but once half my family and friends showed, this roomy-enough-for-three condo would feel like a sardine can faster than you can say "claustrophobia". Add to that the fact that we live in L.A. and backyards are hard to come by, I knew I would have to be outsourcing on this one. I racked my brain...park? Hmmmm, maybe, but in February the weather would be questionable and the thought of having to figure out what to do with about 20 soaking wet guests that just drove an hour to watch my son eat cake gave me the hives. Renting a playroom? It seemed a little much for a one year old. Maybe in a couple years when I want nothing to do with planning for a 3 year old's party except show up and watch the kids (and my husband) go nuts in the ball pit....

We were trying to figure out what we would do when we were hit with another dilemma...what about Mike's family in Fresno? They all wanted to see Wyatt turn the big uno also! Grandma Debbie would have no part in not being able to celebrate her grandson's 1st Birthday! After all, birthdays are what she does best. Mike and his brother and sister were the kids you always hated because their birthday parties were HUGE and themed and fun and sooooo put your party at Shakey's to shame. So that was it. We had solved it. We were going out Paris Hilton style and having two parties! It's kind of a case of City Mouse and Country Mouse - a BIG, HUGE, cowboy inspired shin dig in the country and a smaller, more lazy (on my behalf) get together at the L.A. Zoo with all of Wyatt's buddies, young and old. Phew!

So, that's it! I'm relieved. The big party in K-Town takes some of the heat off my catering/event planning brain that says every party must be detailed and fabulous right down to the gingham covered bales of hay for the guests to sit on, and the L.A. party makes my little heart happy to think of Wy and all his little buddies getting to breathe in the smell of elephant poop and popcorn. This kid is officially hooked up on the party end...P-Diddy, eat your heart out.