In
New York, seemingly unlike the rest of the more-logical leaning country, there
are a couple different theories on baby’s first birthday parties.
One
theory is: Why bother? It’s not like little miss
what’s-her-name is going to remember any of this anyway, so what’s the point?
This,
it must be admitted, is a valid argument.
Another
theory is: It’s monumental! It’s epic! It’s baby’s first birthday party! Go all out!
Spend some money! Invite
everyone you’ve ever met! Rent a
private room in a private restaurant!
You know what?! It’s baby’s
first birthday! Don’t rent out the
restaurant’s private room! Rent
out the entire restaurant! Spend
some money! Spend more money! No expense spared! It will be worth it! Think of the memories! In the end, little miss what’s-her-name
will thank you for it!
In
planning their baby’s upcoming first birthday party, the Recent Paterfamilias
and his wife were hoping to strike a balance somewhere between these two extremes.
Looking
through the receipts for little miss what’s-her-name’s birthday that’s
happening this upcoming Sunday, I’m not sure we succeeded.
(It
should be noted here at the beginning that our guest list of family members
living within the tri-state area consists of the enormous amount of seventeen
people.)
We
ordered the last of the food today.
Due to certain guest eating restrictions (which are not important), we
were forced to buy food from a couple of different places: from the first place, it was $70; from
the other, just under $400. And this
does not count for the birthday cupcakes, procured from a third location, which
ran just over $130 (apparently, the price of red velvets drive up the cost
exponentially). Party favors for
the other babies and children present…well, as it turns out, I’ve lost those
particular receipts, so let’s move on.
Six Mylar balloons were $130 plus a $20 delivery fee, although we chose
not to use that distributor and found someone else much more reasonable
($115.35). As has been mentioned
previously in these, the Notes of a Recent Paterfamilias, we also bought a
collapsible table and folding stools for guests’ comfort on the day (items
which can certainly be used in the future, so the purchase of these items
should actually be seen as an investment). And there were plates and cups (of course), smaller desert
plates and disposable coffee cups (of course), a tablecloth and tablecloth
holder-in-place clamps (of course), amongst other refreshments, bags of ice, a
collapsible cooler, and a party dress for little miss what’s-her-name
($54.99).
It
is beginning to seem that the wife and I might be inching away from doing less
than nothing into the realm of renting out a private room in a private
restaurant for a birthday party for a baby who won’t even remember any of
it.
But
I will remember it. And that
is what’s important. And that is why the money (ie. the investment) was spent. And that
is why it’s worth it to spend the money and go all out and throw our fancy
little shindig for little miss what’s-her-name.
So
we’ll see how it goes on Sunday.
(And,
oh crap! I just remembered: I
still haven’t gotten her a birthday present.)
grt
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