The Graduation Party Circuit

Well...  Click on the video before reading...  because I said so.

It started tonight.  The first high school graduation party of "the season".  The first money card of many to come deposited into a purple box with a boys picture on it.  <sigh>

Tomorrow - we will host the only party we are aware of for June 2 - for our Wack.  As it is now... Zach's is the only party that is a "single" party.  Meaning - all of the other kids paired up and/or are having group parties.  With #7, we only knew of 2 kids that had a party together.  When it came to ole Blue Eyes - a lot of girls were doing it in 3's and 4's.  But this year - this whole group thing is all the rage.  And that's fine.  I have no issues with that.

Okay - I have an issue.  My only "issue" with it is this:  Last year, we went to group party.  (5 kids).  So with 5 kids comes 5 kids siblings, aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents, cousins etc.  Less parking and more people standing around awkwardly seeking out someone they know to talk to.  

Sure that can happen at a party where one kid is the focus.  Absolutely.  But last year, at this party... the great aunt of the girl we attended for (because we don't know girls mostly, being an all boy family... except for me, obviously) was sitting in a chair as her niece, nephew-in-law and the siblings restocked food and offered more beverages and said "hello's", "thank you's", and "good-byes".  It was cool out and because we are close with the family, we sat to talk with her, a blanket over her lap... - for nearly most of the time we were there.  There is nothing wrong with that and we were very happy to do that.  She is a wonderful lady with stories to tell.  But there may well have been 5 or 7 or more extended family members at that very same party that were feeling the same way because there were SO many people.  And perhaps, no one like The Dad and I that took the time to "involve" them into the festivities.  I can't say for sure.

I think it's hard enough planning for my one kid, every two years... working full time, trying to run a house, do FAFSA's, pay bills, do laundry, get the taxes in, pay college deposits, and just live life in general - that the thought of trying to coordinate rectangle tables or rounds and chairs, table covers and what other families want or imagined leading up to their child graduating... just doesn't seem like a headache I wanted to ever have.  So we didn't.

But it all comes together.  Tonights party was for three boys and it went off without a hitch. Well, if there were "hitches", no one saw them.  So there's that.

Ohhhh wait.  I have one other issue for the whole group thing.  "Of course you do." you say.  Well... lets say I get an invitation from Suzie.  And Suzie is having a party with Kami and Meg.  I don't receive an invitation from Kami or Meg. So I take a card or gift for Suzie only.  I'm not made of $$$ that I can take kids I may not know cards, let alone, cards with money in them.  So it's always awkward walking in with just a card.  Or maybe 2 if there's 4 or 5 kids.

I just don't like it.  So my rule is... you send an announcement, you get a card.  You don't... you don't.  

Well anyhow.  Was a great party tonight.  Ours is tomorrow (come on by!  David's Pizza will be cooking in our driveway!) and hopefully the weather holds.  You can never count on good weather for long in Spokane until July hits.  It's supposed to rain late tonight but clear up by party time.  I can live with that.  

I still have my calendar on May and I usually forget to change it for a few months... but tonight as I write this, I'm anxious to turn the page and see all of the possibilities that may line those dates in the years to come from the adventures of Zach... #7 and Blue Eyes.  

The Grad Party circuit has officially started.  Congratulations to all of them, and to us, for getting them all there.


I had the perfect song for this post, but Playlist has revamped their site AND deleted the option for people like me to add it to our own sites.  They get a HUGE HUGE thumbs down from me and countless others tonight.  Sad times...