She's An American Girl!

Threw a party for my youngest daughter's 6th birthday today. Lots of charming little ladies in their party finery, accompanied by their American Girl dolls. I basically recreated the American Girl Cafe in my dining room. From the black and white striped curtains to the box of Table Talker cards, it was all very pink and girly; with a candy bar, a doll tutu craft, tiny little cups, plates, forks and polymer clay doll goodies, a doll hair salon and a doll house bounce house. The girls 'ordered' their lunch from the American Girl Cafe menu, and my Middle School daughter and her friend donned black aprons and served the girls everything from the Warm Welcome cinnamon rolls, flower, heart and star shaped fruit kebabs and tea sandwiches, chocolate flower pots and a four layer, pink ombré cake decorated to look like a gift box.

I never had parties like this when I was a kid, and I thoroughly enjoyed creating this one. At the risk of sounding like an old lady who walked five miles to school in the snow: we were lucky to get a sheet cake and some Neapolitan ice cream. (Not that I'm knocking Neapolitan ice cream --- I still love that pink, brown and cream combo to this day!) it's just that kids get all the cool stuff nowadays. My mom sometimes Scotch taped up a Pin the Tail on the Donkey to the wall, or if she was feeling particularly frisky, she might organize a Toss the Clothespins in the Bucket game.

My neighbor down the street threw a fantastic Wizard of Oz themed party last week, decorated with blue gingham tablecloths and colorful buckets of rainbow swirl lollipops. The tiered cake was topped with a tiny pair of glittery ruby slippers!

Sometimes I wonder if we are 'spoiling' them, but I threw amazing and creative parties for my older daughter all through elementary school and she seems to be turning out okay. This year she informed me that in lieu of a party, she and her friends are going to participate in The Walk to End Genocide, which takes place on her birthday weekend. So I guess I will continue to indulge them (ahem, myself) and be grateful that I can. I hope I'm creating happy childhood memories for them along the way. After all, as Fisher says, These Are the Lovely Years. I'm enjoying them for as long as I can.