Posts by Rebecca Simmons

posted on December 12, 2013 by Rebecca Simmons

Winter birthday party full of crafts and fun

My middle girl turned seven Saturday. With cold temperatures, winter birthday parties can be tricky. Backyard parties allow the most guests for home parties. But in the cold, kids want to stick the inside more. This year, my girl recalled the hot chocolate and Frosty the Snowman movie party she had when was four. We played pin the nose on Frosty, scooped “snowballs” aka cotton balls and did fun little four-year old things. She asked for a party at home like that again, “but with bigger kid things because my friends don’t like those kinds of things anymore.” Of course, she is SEVEN now. But it was so sweet that she remembered that party so fondly, recognizes that she is growing up, and that she still likes the same kinds of things. And more than anything, she cherishes having a winter birthday.

And these days, I’ll embrace any kind of little girl sweetness. Because I know, come eight, it might different. Still sweet. But much bigger. Here’s what we did for seven.

A little note: I LOVE parent drop off parties now. It’s so nice to spend time with just the kids, and have the focus all on the children. I really had fun with the girls at this one!

We turned the basement into the craft area. There we made beeswax candles (with kids from Hearthsong), clay snowmen and ornaments using polymer clay by Sculpey (available at big craft stores) and decorated snowflakes (from Hearthsong) with glitter. These are crafts my girls have loved and mastered through the holiday years at home. They naturally became teachers for their friends. Which really helped me while facilitating crafts with 10 girls at one time.

After the basement, they ran up to decorate the gingerbread houses.

I love, love, love these candles filling our home and lighting out dinner table during the winter months. These are the “demonstration candles” my girls made before the party and placed them on the candle table. Next to them is a tin of assorted small Christmas cookie cutters they used to cut out designs for the candles.

The clay pieces get baked at 275 degrees for 15 minutes. I think they turned out SO cute. They used cookie cutters for the patterns, flatting the clay out mostly by hand. Some found the need for rolling pins. In which I was thrilled that I (a hoarder of all things small and Montessori like) had seven child size rolling pins. Crazy! I know.

The first girl to make a glitter snowflake asked about the mess, “We just do it right here? What about all the glitter?” I loved responding don’t worry – that’s what the basement is for. It was a free pass to use lots of glitter! Our basement will forever be covered in glitter. But really, that is no different than it ever has been before. Because girls LOVE glitter. And I can’t deny a girl of that. In all, they were very mindful Montessori (because most all the guests were school friends) crafters.

The birthday girl was a little worried about how I was going make the basement suitable for a party. It’s our crash all, craft all, place of great fun – but very practical, always full of laundry, and not fancy like a party. Twinkle lights and a real Christmas tree, cut down by the birthday girl, were the answer.

That all lasted about 45 minutes. Then they ran upstairs eager to decorate gingerbread houses.

I pre made the houses using graham crackers and frosting. A note if you do this – get the good the crackers. I tried the Kroger brand first, only to find out they were half the size, and half broken. I used tubes of Betty Crocker frosting to make the houses, about one tube per two houses. It wasn’t cheep, but it stuck like glue in comparison to the second batch I made (after the party) using a tub of frosting that just doesn’t harden enough to prevent the awful collapse that is followed by frustration and tears. So either make your own gingerbread house frosting (which I have done but was trying to take short cuts for making this many) or get the tubes. For the children to decorate them, they each had their own Betty Crocker bag of frosting with the built in cookie decorating tip – which is different than the hard to squeeze tubes which use the decorator tips you buy separately.

This was the prep…..

Here is the set up with the candy for decorating. Each girl got a small holder for her decorations, and then of course went back for more.

There is natural about this candy. I can not lie. Lots of cheery food coloring that we embrace this time of year for something like this. For ideas for a heather version, check out the real gingerbread houses we made two years ago using all candy from the health food store. This time, we were going for the birthday affect.

And the during…

It was a cold day outside, bordering freezing temperatures. While driving to the birth center on the day my middle girl was born, it snowed. She was supposed to be have been born on Thanksgiving but she was 10 days late and became a Christmastime snow baby. It only seemed to right to make snow at her party!

I bought five jars of fake snow. It started out a controlled science experiment. And turned into the most perfect moment with the birthday girl throwing snow in the air. They ice skated on it, and had a blast. Coincidentally, Dean Martin’s Let It Snow came on the player while it was all happening. It was a perfect birthday moment for mom. And when I really appreciated my husband who took whole heartily took on his task as Mr. Wizzard for this project.

The only rule was the snow had to stay on the concrete, so it could be swept up later. Because I read on the Amazon reviews that it’s a nightmare to get out of the grass.

For our first party ever, I bought a piñata. Because I was worried what I would do to keep 10 girls entertained inside for three hours. My plan that fake snow and a piñata would get them outside worked. And I learned a valuable mom lesson. When you deprive your children of piñata for this many years, such a simple thing, they are REALLY excited. As my girls stuffed it full of candy – an amount of candy they have never before seen in this house – my oldest said in sheer amazement, “Mom I can not believe you bought this much candy!” Yes, sometimes I can surprise them. This face was worth the cost of the candy and the sugared up kids. We told them to eat two pieces and take the rest home. Sorry parents.

And the girl’s dad who lives here was pretty darn excited to get out his Georgia Tech baseball bat for the occasion!

It was COLD. Hot chocolate and popcorn was welcome. Part of the party fun is the preparations. For me and the girls. I love seeing them all get involved to wish a sister happy birthday.

All that was left was cake, presents and watching Frosty the Snowman – which was a special request to relive the four-year-old party. Melt.My.Heart!!!

Happy seventh birthday my snow baby!

posted on November 28, 2013 by Rebecca Simmons

A Montessori Thanksgiving

These days, I’m feeling especially thankful for my three perfectly created, healthy, smart children. While I wish they could be surrounded every moment by loving family members, I do believe sending them off – out the door – to school everyday makes me love them even more.

There is not a single day I take for granted what a wonderful school they attend and I often remind them how lucky they are as well.

My favorite part of Thanksgiving this year was the excitement my girls had in inviting us to their classrooms for the annual parent dessert (with my elementary girls) and the parent breakfast (with my pre-k girl).

In a Montessori classroom the teachers work to create a community where the space is totally owned by the children. It took a few years for me to fully “get” this concept and not feel left out when other moms talked about volunteering in the class and being room moms. But now I get it. And I truly understand why there is little place for parents inside a Montessori classroom. Because there really isn’t a need. These kids can do it all themselves.

They are so proud of the space and their jobs within it. And they were so proud to invite us into their very own space, and share their work with us.

Both classes sent home invitations to the events, the week before. They were personalized by the children and individually hand delivered to me, at pick up time with much excitement. My two youngest are in new classrooms this year and were the most excited. My oldest girl is an old pro at this by now.

The elementary children get assigned to committees the week before. Some bake, some clean, some decorate and some greet the guests. I had a decorator and a greeter. The children served their parents, offering coffee, drinks, and sharing child size treats.

This was the work of the decorations committee.

This was my greeter.

It was raining on Tuesday with temperatures teetering at 32 degrees, or she would have been standing outside welcoming in the guests. On this day, we were all backdoor guests coming in from the cold. But this girl was took her job SO seriously. She stayed at her post until the room was filled with parents and a teacher told her to go enjoy some treats. She was filled with joy. And her work was important to her.

There was a boy who shared the job with her. He dressed for the occasion, wearing a bow tie and black vest over a purple button down shirt. He was quite dapper. It was obvious this job was important to him as well. I don’t know his family well enough to post his photo here. So you’ll have to just believe me. It was very sweet.

After we shared dessert together, the students performed an a cappella song they learned in music class.

For the breakfast in my youngest girl’s classroom, parents and children prepared the child size finger foods which were shared as a group snack time together. And the students performed a darling song about making pumpkin stew.

However, the true focus was on them sharing their lessons, and the pure specialness of inviting parents in their learning environment. My girl was beaming with excitement and has asked several times “if we can have parent breakfast everyday?”

I thought this was a great way to do a weaving lesson at this age. We’ll be doing this one at home! After they are done weaving, they roll up the ribbons and place them back in the votive holders.

This girl loves to cut! I’m sure she made several of these leaves that adorned the classroom windows.

And do you remember this Thankful banner I posted about last year…. It was hanging in the classroom again for this year’s breakfast. A sweet tradition indeed.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Whether you celebrate traditionally or creatively different, I hope it is full of peace and thanks.

posted on November 25, 2013 by Rebecca Simmons

A food re-org gives a fresh start for the new season

Like a good cleanse, cleaning out the fridge and pantry is good for the soul. I was in a food rut and I wanted to get ready for a new season of cooking. And with all the holiday cooking and baking on the horizon, now is a great time for a food re-org.

For me these urges just come on out of the blue and the only thing to do is jump right in.

If you need some kitchen inspiration I highly recommend cleaning out the old, organizing the good and scrubbing out all the gunk.

On this early fall day, I took apart every nook and cranny of the fridge. We’ve only had it for one year and I was amazed how much dirt from potatoes, carrot greens and mysterious crumbs were found in the crevices when all the shelves were disassembled.

So before you head to the grocery store for Thanksgiving cooking, jump in and clean out that fridge. It’s a good thing.

posted on November 22, 2013 by Rebecca Simmons

Simple Moments

It would be nice to post a snapshot once a week on a regular basis, of just a simple day, doing simple things. I tried to do that every Friday for a while. But it turns out being on a schedule to do something routine like that doesn’t fall into my simple catagory. Instead I snap photos and put them in my mental file of days I love, full of peace, of kids just being kids naturally, with no schedules or agendas. As I get deeper into mom days with children getting older and schedules getting fuller, I cherish the quiet days. And when I need to remind myself of those moments, I glance through my photos, pull them from my metal file, and be thankful for making time to be simple. Because it’s not always, well, so simple.

I know too soon the days of finding little oily fingerprints on the countertop will be extinct.

And the moments will pass when there are so many bellies to feed that hot muffins disappear straight from the oven. I love this shot of the one missing muffin! And I remind myself, that these days will pass too – when just getting all the markers and pencil supplies organized feels like an achievement worth noting. Yes they are simple moments. But not really. Because nothing is really simple. And that’s what makes are lives so full.

posted on November 21, 2013 by Rebecca Simmons

Scooping up the pumpkins and moving on

This is really late, but it doesn’t seem right to skip over Halloween here, and the leaves, and the costumes. There is some rituals to fall that should not be over looked. It’s a passing of time, that brings a much welcomed gust of cooler temperatures. But I’m just not a fan of all the Halloween hoopla. I like fall, the leaves changing, and bringing out out the pumpkins. But Halloween comes at a time when I’m just catching my breath from fall birthdays, and taking a break before we get to Christmas and ANOTHER birthday.

I could do without Thanksgiving too. I’ve been a vegetarian for 15 years. Tofurky is really gross and I don’t get jazzed by casseroles, no mater how much cheese is them. Right now I am ready to move on to winter, crafting, baking, gifting and snowflakes. But before we do that, I have to finish catching up on fall.

Visiting a pumpkin patch is a favorite tradition I like, just as much as our new one of picking apples.

Little feisty one insisted on finding a pumpkin she could hold by her self – “with one hand.” This was it. She smashed a few in the process, dropping them. Opps. Sorry about that!

Then came my oldest girl’s insistence that we carve the pumpkins two weeks before Halloween. I always end up doing all the work because no one else will stick their hands in the guts. This year I made them help – no wimpy girls allowed! I warned this was too early to cut open the pumpkins. But she insisted we go ahead.
And by Halloween….I said, ” I told you so.” As we had one dismal looking rotted princess pumpkin Halloween night and two others that could barley hold a candle. They litterally had to be scooped up with a shovel after Halloween. It was a natural lesson. She won’t do that again.

This was the first year since baby days that I did not make costumes. My middle girl has begged for years for a certain Southern Belle costume. My husband finally caved and said yes. So in came the year of online costumes (the youngest’s dress was a hand-me-down at least).

In years past I would have taken 100 pictures of the girls going door-to-door. This year, this was the only one I got before they split, running with friends and me just toddling along with the munchkin. I hate that. I want the days back when the littles all toddle together, red wagon in tow, and no one strays afar. I suppose times are a changing. And sometimes that makes me sad.

My favorite part of this season is this Ginkgo tree in my yard. The leaves turn such a bright yellow that when I’m standing in my kitchen and the sun is shinning, the tree resembles the brightest sunset you can imagine, just within my reach, beaming into my home. But the leaves come and go fast. They turn and all fall within two or three days. And the beauty is gone.

Now the tree is empty. And I’m ready for frost, chill, hot cocoa and bundling up by the fire.

There is an early winter birthday right around the corning. And winter fun party at home is in the works. So stay tuned for that…as we bid adieu to fall.

posted on November 18, 2013 by Rebecca Simmons

Apple picking and canning….catching up on fall

There has been so much going on here lately, so much that I’m going to keep close to my own heart for a while longer before I explain. But I do want to do a little catching up some photos and good times that I have thought about sharing.

It is nice to focus on the fun in this space, the bright days, the days where things go the way we want them to go. Does it always work that way? Absolutely not. But some days it’s nice to focus on the precious life around us, the peace we find in our days, and the things we do that ground us and help us find balance.

Last month on fall break we went apple picking for the first time. I have to admit, no one was too thrilled about the idea at first. Driving two and half hours to visit a farm, pick apples, eat apples (of course) and then drive home is a hard sell for kids. The drive, through the mountians to Hendersonville, NC (just outside Asheville) is always beautiful. But still…. the girls went along with it because they realized it was important to me. They loaded up in good spirits and off we drove. And a new family tradition was born.

The one who was the most reluctant, was the last to leave the orchards with me. She insisted we trek it back (again) by ourselves to the last row of Granny Smith apples to find just the perfect apples to can apple butter for holiday teacher gifts. Then together we shared the weight of the 20 pound basket as we hauled it up the hill, through the drizzling rain, to find her sisters happily playing together in a large chicken play house thing – waiting patiently to head for fresh doughnuts next. And apple pie of course, caramel apples….were all part of the deal.

Then came the canning – all 41 jars. We did applesauce using crockpots and this yummy cranberry apple butter recipe, that is a copy cat version from Flying Biscuit restaurant in Atlanta. We used to walk there almost daily, in our stomping grounds before life with kids and our little town we live in now. So Saturday morning biscuits made by husband just got better! And it’s just in time, as we get down to our last few jars of strawberry jam from spring.

These little (and big) helpers around here, so independent and willing to help – are the very thing I’m so thankful for on these fall days. They make a mom’s heart smile.

posted on October 29, 2013 by Rebecca Simmons

The last lemonade stand of the season

My girls love having lemonade stands. The key to their success is having them during our Wednesday CSA deliveries, where our home serves as a drop point for members. Bless all those members and neighbors who continue to find the charm in these lemonade stands! Without them it wouldn’t be the same.

This lemonade stand was instigated by my oldest girl. She was going to a story telling festival with school and heard about the awesome candy store they would get to visit. She planned the lemonade stand to raise money so she could have her own candy money. Which really meant, she would get to take with her how ever much money she made.

I had no idea it would end up being $15 – from lemonade and muffins! But due to her entrepreneurial spirt and her sweet offerings to bring back her assistants plenty of candy – how could I say no?

AND – did you notice the red envelopes in the second photo? Each customer got a hand written thank you note. Swoon. Love a lemonade stand!

The lemonade stand was a success. And then off she went to the candy store with her $15! That poor mother who drove home those six kids, on the two hour-drive after a total 12-hour day supervising them, while they gorged themselves with all the candy they could buy for themselves and their friends. The sweet mom that drove my girl and her two best buds, has three sons. I hear she got a dose of the non-stop talking world with three girls! I’m sure the sugar was only an added bonus.

And I have to add….

Now being nine-years-old, with fashion designer style, our kids Patagonia day pack didn’t meet her standards. Frustrated that we didn’t have something cooler, she decorated this backpack that she took to the story telling festival which came home stuffed with candy. But you know what – I think she deserved it. Sometimes a natural mom’s got give a kid a break.

The talk is…next up is an Apple Cider stand. The ideas these kids come with to make their own money!

posted on October 28, 2013 by Rebecca Simmons

Fashion designer in the house, who knows her style

I’m seeing those tendencies of the younger days coming to fruition, as she comes into her own. It it so wonderful to watch, this growing up thing. When she was younger I would find her “decorations” hanging all over the house. She would put outfits together on a pink wired decorative dress figure, so proud of her creations that consisted of dresses, scarves and mis-matched pieces.

For her birthday this year she asked for gift cards, so she could go shopping. Really? We are going there already I thought?

She received a few gift cards. I was surprised that during her first shopping opportunity at the local stores downtown, she spent her money Christmas shopping for her sisters (she’s a planner unlike me). Paying with her own Visa card and signing her name was thrilling for her! Oh the freedoms of age nine.

Then for round two, at a big box store, she got serious. She chose a pair of black patten leather high heal shoes and a bright pink fedora.

“Mom, fedora’s are SO in right now,” she told me. That was news to me. Maybe she read it that huge fashion magazine a mom friend of mine passed her way. She covets that magazine, leaving it on her sewing table to find inspiration.

I held my tong and reminded myself when I alternated between wearing a bright pink and bright yellow beret to the fourth grade daily. Along with florescent overalls and mismatched high top Converse shoes. Yes I was an 80’s child. It was SUCH a fun time to grow up. I suppose her discovery of Vogue is the equivalent of the invention of MTV and us watching endless videos before there were VJs or commercials on MTV.

She is going to be her own kid. And I’m bracing myself for that. And all this growing up business!

She has been very into fashion designing, keeping a notebook of her designs. On the Saturday before her real birthday – going into a week with two birthday parties in three days and my youngest turing four the following Monday – she told me she wanted to start sewing her designs. I told her that would something fun to work on together. With me thinking, we’ll have to put that on the back burning right now.

But Monday after school, after ballet lessons and after dinner she said, “Mom we need to sew three dresses. I signed up to be a fashion designer for open mic night on Friday.” Really!

Open mic night was at the school picnic, the day after one birthday party and the day before my youngest girl’s party at home. And she was NOT taking no for answer. She had her models lined up, and her sketches ready.

This mamas head was spinning!

“Well how are you going to do that?” I asked her. “You’ve never sewn a dress before.”

Her response was so simple and honest.

“But you have and you make it look so easy. You just do it,” she said.

I tried to explain. Yes I have sewn a few dresses, but simple dresses from a pattern and it takes many hours of sewing, and nights working into the wee morning hours. Which I didn’t have the energy to pull off during this busy week. Nor was I willing to do all work for her.

It is flattering really – although not realistic – that he my kids just think I can do anything with the snap of a sewing machine. Pants are too big? They hand them over and they get taken in before school while they wait to put them back on.

But to help her sew three different dresses, going from her sketches to three girls actually being able to wear them in a fashion show at school – I didn’t know where to start! But I knew I had to help her. I didn’t want to squash this strong desire she had to do something so important to her.

There had to be a compromise.

I explained, much to her disappointment, that it was was simply not possible for me to teach her how to sew three dresses in two days after school. It was Monday night, and Thursday night was her birthday party. But maybe we could alter some old dresses, making them look new but not having to sew three WHOLE new dresses.

We went to the attic and found three dresses that she found suitable to reuse and alter, using the important elements from her sketches. Which were ruffles and appliqués.

I showed her how make an outline of the dress on large brown paper, making allowances for seams and gathers for pleats. All winging it, hoping it worked. I oversaw her cutting the fabric, working the iron, and helped sew through the tricky angles and ruffles. We ironed heat’n’bond on fabric, she cut out appliqués and ironed them on one dress in three places – matching a ruffle added to the bottom of one dress that strategically covered up a stain on the dress. Recycling at it’s best!

She loved every second of the process and had an incredible attitude towards mistakes, lessons, and missteps in the process.

At one point she said, “I love sewing.”

Me in my, I’m having fun with a nine-year-old voice said, “Me too. I love getting an idea, cutting up some fabric and making something. It’s so amazing.”

Her response was, “I know. It makes me feel like I can do anything. But my favorite things is hanging out and doing it with you.”

MELT MY HEART.

In two afternoons and one evening after the younger girls were in bed – we finished three dresses for the fashion show. We really pulled it off. All her ideas, with my help.

At the fashion show my once SUPER shy kid walked in front of the crowd, grabbed the microphone and started talking about her fashion designs, the particular dresses her models where wearing and what season they represented.

It was getting dark, so photos were tough.

The fashion designer and her models.

As some one who started sewing later in life, with no formal training, I always thought it would have been cool to be one of those kids sewing her own clothes – Pretty in Pink style.

This Saturday my daughter starts private fashion designing and sewing classes at a local artists house. And I’m going along too, so I can learn, and know more how to help her at home. So in a way, maybe I’ll get to be one of those kids, with my kid.

Doing it together is SO much fun.

posted on October 24, 2013 by Rebecca Simmons

Celebrating four, and a backyard party full of fall fun

Her due date was on my oldest child’s birthday. Her birthday wish was not to share her birthday with her baby sister. I understood. I think willed that baby to be a week late. Because you know, us women have those powers sometimes. And officially one week past my oldest girls’ birthday, we celebrate my youngest girls’ birthday. The five year age span offers no opportunity for shared parties. But that’s ok. Celebrating a four year old was so sweet and refreshing this year, as I savor every bit of little girl from this baby of the family.

After a big kid roller skating party, my youngest gave me a chance to host the perfect backyard party with classic birthday games, mama sewn skirts, little kid friends from school and best buds from the neighborhood. She’s never had a big birthday party. The last three years, it’s been a small gathering at home (which I posted about those here, and here) with one or two friends. It’s really good that way. Not overwhelming at little ages. For her first birthday, is was a simple homemade cheese cake and a large bucket of mini pumpkins to throw all over the floor. But this year she wanted to invite school friends. And I thought it was time I thew this girl a proper celebration. Just for her. This third child of mine.

This meant two birthday parties with in the same three days! But it was so worth it! I loved every sweet moment watching her at her party, filled with joy and glee to share it with her her little buddies. And the fact that it was just for her – fitting her personality and not just reusing things from sisters old parties. Which will always be a challenge given it’s so easy to leave up the same party festivities from one party to the next, a few days later. But I didn’t want to do that this time.

The girl was very specific about what she wanted. Her requests were: to have her bounce house (a gift from last year), decorate cupcakes, play games and invite her friends from school.

For games we bobbed for apples, tossed a ball into buckets, did bean bag toss and played pin the nose on the pumpkin.

The prize table had fall themed stamps, stickers, tattoos, pencils, note pads, bouncy balls and lolly pops. It also served as the kids making their own treat bags to take home. The older girls loved helping out with leading the games, giving prizes and setting up the area for the party. We even had a neighborhood sixth grader and her friend come over and offer to help with the party. They decorated, hung banners and blew up gallons – simply placeing them at kid level, precicely matching their perception of life. I love this. I love the age spans with the girls and that older children find comfort and fun in a four year old birthday party happening in our backyard. It warms my heart.

My little munchkin went to a party recently at a cup cake bakery where they decorated cupcakes. She wanted to do the same. We had plain cupcakes with several different colored sugars and sprinkles to choose from for the kids to decorate them. That was fun!

The zip line in the backyard was a hit with ALL the kids.

Opening presents with friends was a thrilling first for her. It was so sweet how big sis sat by, reading all her cards to her and helping with with tough ribbons to get undone. Again, this makes me so LOVE the five year age difference in them. Even if it means two parties in three days!

It also makes me appriciate this four-year-old age where girls still want boys at the party. Such a relief! And when you go to take a group photo you get something funny, that is sure to be memorable.

This was our classic, home made invitation with fabric that matched her birthday skirt. As well as the table cloth I sewed for the gift table. BECAUSE I just love doing stuff like this, and I know one day this little girl will get too big for it. So I live up when I can!

I removed my address and phone number, for the sake of privacy, to post here.

On the real day of her birthday, she had her first Walk Around the Sun at school. It’s a traditional in the Montessori classroom where students walk around a lit candle representing the sun, while holding a globe representing the earth, for the number of years they have been on earth. While doing so the teacher shares photos and stories of the child’s life. We have a tradition with our girls of creating a book for the 3-6 years that spans their life since birth. For her birthday, this year I made her first book for her.

And she went on her way to school, the day she turned FOUR!

That evening we celebrated at home, with something new and special just to be used for her birthdays, making it something different coming right after her sister’s. And with a special surprise cake for the girl who doesn’t drink the hot chocolate but only wants to eat the marshmallows.

After cake and presents at home, I tucked my birthday girl into bed and told her about the night she was born. Telling her all the beautiful details about her birth and the moment we met. It’s a birthday tradition here and it continues every year, with every child. And as the years go by, they love it more and more. And so do I.

Happy Birthday big four year old!

posted on October 21, 2013 by Rebecca Simmons

Turning nine, and the girls only skate party

If you’ve been around these parts long, you know I like to throw parties. Even when I try not to go all out for a kid party, I usually do. It’s just fun for me. And I love doing it for my girls. Homemade parties are my favorite. For eight it was a backyard movie night. For seven it was an American Girl Doll party. Before that there were tea parties, dress up parties, a Madeline theme party, and a two-year-old front porch party with crafts.

But now she is nine. And we are moving on to a new era. Where everything needs to be cool, fashionable, with fun music, and lots of friends. She has learned it’s easier to mix her different groups of friends in a large setting versus and intimate one, where she fears certain groups won’t mesh with others. Girls can be SO complicated when it comes to this. So the past two years we’ve gone big, with over 20 girls at a party.

This year it was a Girls Only Skate Night Party. And it was a blast! It was not a homemade party with cute mama made table clothes and hand sewn gift bags. But it was just want my girl wanted.

My youngest girls’ birthday is only seven days apart. Therefore, this year I hosted two birthday parties in three days and decided to cut myself some natural mom slack. It worked out nicely, because my oldest thought it was a special treat to actually shop for party decor.

For the first time we had disposable table clothes, grocery store cupcakes (specially ordered with no food coloring) and party favors ordered from Oriental Trading Company. I was in total survival mode to make it through the busy week with a calm that left time to enjoy the important moments. It was a week I had to make compromises to make it all fit – and where the important things to my daughter took precedence.

At age nine, that meant:

*Patiently standing by while she insisted on making her own three leveled birthday cake, on the day of her birthday. And decorated it – using WAY too much food coloring and an unforeseen amount of sprinkles and sugar. And then me not telling her what I really thought about it.

*Carefully creating her board of photos to share with her class during her Walk around the Sun, with a coinciding script typed out to avoid anything embarrassing. No more stories about her being born in a bathtub.

*Getting a new pair of roller skates with bright pink wheels, that she opened on her real birthday. Thanks grandma and grand dad.

*Taking time to create the perfect playlist for the party, which we downloaded new music for and put on a Ipod for the DJ to play at the skate rink. She banned me from playing Celebrate, Madonna or Michael Jackson. Booooo.

*Shopping for the right cake plates and dance party looking decor, with balloons (something we rarely have at parities). Goodbye enviorment.

*Planning the right outfit to glow under the disco lights. Thankfully we had one.

*Having plenty of glow in the dark paraphernalia to pass out to friends at the party. Which was really fun for me to skate around handing out glow necklaces.

*Picking up two best friends from school and having them along for the day of the party. And me thankful for her sweet school friends she has known since age 2.

Yes this nine business is a new era. But I think I’m going to like it!

She still appreciates the homemade touches of mom. But for her party, she wanted it her style. And I respected that.

The parents had fun skating too. Even though it was to One Direction instead of Celebrate. I had a friend take the photos. And I was having so much fun I didn’t take any photos myself, of the decor, the tables, the fun set up of glow in the dark necklaces, bracelets, glow glasses or the cup cakes – nothing. I was totally having fun in the moment, watching my sweet nine-year old, and reliving my own skate night days with my mom friends.

When the DJ called everyone over to the tables for cupcakes I had to race the girls over there and frantically serve them while I was on my skates. I was like a roller skating waitress and the kids got a kick out it. The girls barely wanted to stop skating to eat a cup cake. I couldn’t find the candle, and by the time I realized it, the girls had gobbled down the cup cakes and we missed the chance to sing Happy Birthday. We did a quick impromptu version and everyone was happily back to skating. It was a fast two hours, that moved at the speed of nine-year-olds having a great time. Actually, it was a whirlwind. It was not one of my slow-style homemade party where all the guests are greeted, thanked for coming and properly shown their way to the door in the end. But it was her party – and she thought it was perfect.

To make sure all these novice skaters had a good time, it was key that we rented out the whole skate rink for the party. It was, in comparison to some birthday facilities, a very good deal. We brought in all our own food. And it included up to 100 skaters, so siblings and parents were all welcome to join in. If you are looking for a large place to hold a lot of kids, I highly recommend a roller skating party. I’d also advise renting the entire rink out because it means you control the music. And well let’s face it – the roller skating crowd today is not the same as it was when were kids having Girl Scout lock-ins at our rink in the heart of suburbia. It’s best to have the place to yourself.

All the girls had fun, and one friend told her it was her best party she had ever had. I had a mom tell me it was one of the most fun kid parties she had been to in a long time. And even the girls who had never been on skates quickly got the hang of it.