Sunday, July 15, 2007

Birthdays That Last A Week, Bikes For 2 Year-Olds, Gymboree Party, and Contributing To Harry Potter’s College Fund


One of the benefits of my daughter being an only child (for now) is that her birthday has turned into a week long celebration. Every morning it's the same greeting "It's MY birthday!" To strangers she announces, "My Birthday!". I still don't think she really knows what that means.
On her actual birthday my wife made birthday cupcakes, had a small party with her weekday friends, and our sitter. And later we took her to one of those places with nothing but bounce-houses. We also gave her a gift - a bike. She’s been asking for one for about a month now because the bigger kids around the neighborhood have them.

Skip The Tricycle And Go For the Well-Design Bike!
The wife and I have had some disagreements about the type of bike we were going to buy her -- she wanted to get her one of those normal tricycles with like Princesses or Dora on it. I on the other hand wanted to get a balance bike, LikeABike, that trains toddlers how to ride a real bike (skip the tricycle phase.) And because of the minimalist design I wanted customize this bike myself with stickers I create. Oh, and did I mention the bike looks cool too?
I did end up buying the LikeABike knock-off at Target (only $50 compared with $270 for the “original” Sorry, LikeABike - the difference is $220… that’s a big deal.)
While putting the bike together, my daughter was jumping all over the place like an excited monkey. That’s until I put it on the ground and put her on it only to find out she’s about 2 inches too short to hold it up (I guess that’ll go in the closet for a few more months…)

A Birthday Party At Gymboree (Without Elvis)
This time last year, I sold my kidney for cash on the black market, recruited 8 extremely creative friends and together we put on a huge 1 year-old party for my daughter that made the ones from Cookie Magazine look like a get-together BBQ with leftovers (I’m never doing that again…) This year, we invited about 90 less people and did a simple, low-key party at Gymboree (Play & Music). It was great! 14 kids under 5 and their parents had a ball playing on the equipment, making music, dancing, singing, face-painting (boys called them “tattoos”), and running around under the parachute – perfect for kids this age.
The only drawback was the entire event was only 2 hours long so we didn’t have time to open presents (we had a no-gift party last year) other than that, success!

Harry Potter Rocked The Casbah
Ever since the job started summer hours on Fridays (out by 1), I feel like a normal person again. The wife and I actually get to see movies once more since our daughter was born. This week it was Harry Potter – which by the way, was great. I know the movie leaves out a lot of the book, but if they made that movie this thing would have been 8 hours long. For what it is, they did an excellent job, especially the effects at the end and professor Umbridge’s office (plates on the walls – nice touch!) The only weird part is seeing how big the kids have grown. Ron is looking more like a 50 year-old alcoholic while the others look like normal teenagers.

18 comments:

Whit said...

mile that birthday!

I'm thinking about seeing Potter at imax 3-D, that might be cool.

Whit said...

milk, not mile

painted maypole said...

Kid birthdays last for weeks around here, too.

Regarding HP - did you think that Grawp looked like GW Bush? It made me laugh so hard, and I have to know if I'm the only one!

Arwen said...

I agree, Grawp looks like Bush (an accident? I don't think so). I am glad Daniel Radcliff is legal now because he has become quite the looker. It makes me wonder how they are going to do the last few movies with him looking so mature. Ron is looking pretty tired. And the kitten plates were awesome. I still like the last movie more but this one moved quickly and the special effects were great. I can't wait until Saturday morning.

Dad Stuff said...

That is a cool bike. Just put weights on you daughter's ankles and hang them over the end of the bed at night. She'll 'grow' two inches by morning.

Jenifer said...

Very cool party! But the question is since the new bike is a little to big are you going to go buy the Dora tricycle now??? (That's what we have...)

Oh and a MOVIE?? In a THEATER??..... I forgot what that's like. The last movie I saw in the theater was Castaway. Really.

Jay said...

Wow, sounds like the kind of party I'd like to be invited to! All we had at my party was tequila shots.

Radioactive Tori said...

My birthday usually lasts a month, so a week doesn't sound too excessive to me! Sounds like a great time.

chanchow said...

neato bike. too bad they didn't have those when i was growing up. is your daughter sad that she can't ride it?

beta mum said...

What IS Gymboree?
In England it's an expensive children's clothes shop.
It appears to do more than sell clothes across the pond...

James Grayson said...

Cool bike! Our boy just turned 4 and got his new Spidey bike. We also did a party at a place called Pump it Up. No more house parties here!

Octopus Grigori said...

I like the bike. It looks like in addition to being fun to ride, it could be used to give back massages.

mamatulip said...

That is the coolest looking bike I've ever seen.

Happy Belated to your sweetie. :)

dennis said...

likeabike- nice idea.

I prefer the nintendo with the: likeayard
likeapark
likeanoutdoorday

Jenster said...

What a bike!!

Sounds like a nice birthday party. Enjoy these while you can. My daughter wants to go to NYC for her next birthday (13). I'd much rather take her to Gymboree.

Creative-Type Dad said...

painted maypole & Arwen -- I didn't notice. I think he looked more like The Beaver's older brother.

radioactive girl -- I want a birthday month...next year

Octopus Grigori -- I'm liking that idea. It's about the same size of those things.

beta mum -- you need to start one out there. You'll make millions...!

wayabetty said...

What?! No dressing up as the Colonel and no mention of the "bucket" either? You disappoint me Tony!

Sounds like a fun party otherwise. You lucky dog for having "summer hours". Can't wait to read the latest HP. As for going to the movies...we can't find anyone to babysit the 4 kids yet. I think all my family members have disappeared after birth.

Cherlyn said...

Glad I am not the only one who did a double take at Ron. I could not put my finger on it - now I realize he just looks... old.

Hope she grows into the bike really soon!