Parties

I have new hobby. It's planning out the next ten years of parties for my kids.

Lily's 2nd birthday was a surprising success. As I was expecting disaster, anything better would have been successful, I suppose, but really, I think it was wonderful! I had a good time, anyway.

Not only that, after I missed out on having a really whizz bang first birthday for her, like I had wanted, I was thrilled to go a little OTT.

And since then I have been enormously excited about Archer's party. It's going to be Very Hungry Caterpillar themed, and we have everything, from candles to balloons to outfits. I've got the menu worked out and the activities decided on and short of buying the food and his gifts, which we will do in the enormous and competitive up coming toy sales at Target and Big W, everything is done or organised. My main splash out has been sourcing lollipops that exactly match the one from the book as party favours. So really, any more thinking or planning on this party is superfluous.

So, instead, armed with Pinterest, I have been planning their next parties. And the one after that. And the one after that.

I've mentioned previously that next year we are going smaller for Lily. The reason for this is two fold, Lily got a bigger than planned 2nd birthday, and I think Archer deserves the same, and I also think there is much to be appreciated in a small, but highly detailed, afternoon party as opposed to a larger scale party, that is really for Mummy and Daddy as well.

It didn't take me long to come up with a theme that would suit four little girls. Pretty in Pink Princess High Tea. Pink and white food, drinks and decorations will be the order of the day, with an extra special splash of colour from some large tissue paper pom poms. I'm very, very excited.

Archer's second and third birthday will follow the same pattern as Lily's, with a delightfully over the top 2nd birthday and a small scale third birthday.

And you better believe themes, food, activities and decorations are all thought of and sourced.

Archie will be having an "Under the Sea" theme next year, complete with fish pinata, fish and chips for lunch and bucket and spade favours.

And his third birthday? A dinosaur dig, complete with bones buried in the sand pit, dino shaped pasta (thank you Coles!) and lava for lunch and magnificent t-rex shaped balloons. Perfect for four little boys (and one big sister), I think!

For both their fourth birthdays we will be skipping the party and purchasing new bedroom furniture and linen and giving them their big kid room. And for their fifth birthdays, their last at preschool, we are going to do a whole class affair at an indoor play center.

And for their sixth birthdays? This one will be the all out one, the last one we spend huge dollars on before the milestone birthdays start happening. Lily is going to have a fairy theme, with activities including wand and wing making. I also hope to rope some unsuspecting teenager into painting faces.

And Archer's will be pirates, including a large scale treasure hunt where the booty contains the loot bags.

Maybe there will even be jumping castles. Maybe.

After that? Well, presuming they don't want a say, I've mused on Lego themes, soccer themes and Star Wars themes. The soccer one is my pet. I imagine the first hour will be devoted to a soccer clinic and mini game, run by my husband and then a sausage sizzle, with ball shaped cake and water bottle favours stuffed with whistles and other soccer related items and sweets.

I'm also desperately hoping at 10+ Lily will be interested in a 1950s themed roller skating party. I envision 20 little girls in pastel poodle skirts having the time of their lives. The reality will probably be 20 little girls in skinny jeans taking turns at sobbing their little hearts out every time they go arse over.

Hey, I can dream.