Sometimes you make the right decision

The husb. used to have a thing for ludicrously coloured soft drink.  All his favourites looked like they were waste water from either a nuclear reactor or a dehydrated cat.  After we had the first girl I suggested he give it up before she got to 8 months because I sure as heck didn't want to know what happens when you give babies luminous green colouring.  He agreed with sad reluctance and reverted to lemon cordial.

When our oldest girl was 2ish she asked why she couldn't have cordial.  Some rapid dissembling later, "Not til you are five" we said, thinking that was eons away.  Then in a twinkling she was five and we wished we had chosen 42 like we did with alcohol.  So then we had to use the arbitrary parental power to make up a new rule - one glass on Saturday and one on Sunday only.  Ha ha, take that small sugar-lover.

In contrast, with birthday parties we got it right.  One party per monster each every two years -  take it or leave it.  As a parent of two this means I have to organise one a year but that is only 1/2 the pain of two a year.

Other parents seem quite shocked about this.  They do one rain or shine every year and twice in leap years, it seems.  "Meh", I say.  I only had about 2 parties when I was a kid.  I don't remember being overly scarred by it.  I bet most of the other mothers were the same.  Why the heck do the little buggers need one every year now?  Why, why, I ask you?

In any case the deed is done for the year.  Eggs were dropped off spoons, celebrity heads were guessed (with some pretty broad clues) and the grass was soft enough for three-legged crashes.  It is interesting how some children are utterly focussed at winning party games and others are ho-hum-ish.

This is nothing like the cake I made.  Imagine how bloody loopy some kids would get after a bit.  You would want to put them in the boot to take them home. 

One four year old girl polished off a whole slice of brie, which was probably a good thing as she only weighs about 13 kg (possibly 14 now).   One of the 7 year olds kept coming back for giant hand fulls the BBQ chips til they were gone (good thing I didn't get Cheezels or it would have been me).

Another 4 year old was constantly outsmarting his father to return to the plate of lollies.  He would be back every 90 seconds, his father would say "No more", the boy would circle away, move carefully out of his father's eye-line and be back for another.  Sneaky and effective - I predict a big future for that boy as long as he is not done for insider trading.

I was a bit surprised at our girls.  We only buy chips once or twice a year and rarely have lollies.  After an initial nibble of the rarities, the girls seemed to return to their usual food - the fruit took a hard hit.

All in all it went well and I have made a big decision - in 15 months time, when the little monster turns 7, I am letting the husband organise the lot.  He had better start practising cake-making.