Planning for Party – the mini series: Episode 5 – A New Day

Thanks for tuning in, this “mini-series” will be the daily play-by-play, panicked countdown of a mom on a mission to pull off an original and memorable birthday for my soon-to-be three year old. I’ll take you through the last week of planning, because of course, that’s the fevered crunch time. And naturally when everything goes awry…

Tuesday: T minus 4 and counting

Much better mood this morning. I have a plan.

I skipped a morning meeting so that I could catch up a bit on the crayon roll fiasco. It was filled with hairballs and cussing, but I managed to finish sewing all the pocket pieces – all the while envisioning my plan B’s, of which purchasing a new sewing machine was a serious consideration because taking this one in to be serviced would take entirely too long.  The current strategy was to sew all the backsides to the rolls this evening.

So now there is a glimmer of hope.

While I would have preferred to barrel through to the next stage, the morning meeting was all I could afford to bail out of. This afternoon was filled, and after my last meeting I calculated exactly 25 minutes to get to the strip center, get dog food and what I hoped to be the last of the supplies for the centerpieces.

While I was timing myself in Michael’s I solved the nagging question of what topper to put on the cake. Princess loved the rainbow cake we made the teachers, but every birthday cake has to have writing or SOMETHING on the top – not just candy polka dots. I was jonesing for something crayony to perch on the top of what I hoped to be a well-crafted monstrosity.

I found the answer perusing the aisle in a candy mold of Happy Birthday letters. I figured I could fill the decorative outline of the word part in crayon colors with the cool candy pens. Add in these cool colored candles that magically make the same color flame on top and I might actually have a theme I could work with without sliding down the easy path of Disney Princesses and Buzz Lightyear candles which at this point, let’s face it, would just be odd and out of place.

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See? Problem solved.

After dropping everything exactly six times in one aisle – (I kid you not. The Styrofoam balls were surprisingly slippery.) I checked out and dashed to day care in the nick of pick-up time.

I don’t know if you noticed, but I am now sliding backwards in terms of productivity. Instead of outsourcing my list of things to do – I just increased it. But that’s what I do. I keep reminding myself that NO ONE except for me has the same expectations and will not notice if any one of these things does not get accomplished.

I had big plans for this evening. As soon as Princess Cupcake was tucked in, I would wrap up some work and then set to sewing. But you know that saying about the best laid plans? Everything got delayed when PC asked me to please hold her hand while she fell asleep.

Now, I don’t know about you and your kids, but sometimes I just sit in her room and watch her sleep. The angelic face just about brings me to tears, thinking of how blessed I am to have this wonderful child. When she asked me to hold her hand, part of me said, “If you start this, it’s a bad habit that will consume lots of time each evening and you’ll have a helluva time getting her to stop.” The other part of me was warm and tingly all the way to my toes that she wanted Mommy to hold hands. Of course I did it. She’s only going to be this little once, and with the birthday looming, it couldn’t be more at the front of my mind. And I loved every second of watching her drift off to sleep grasping my fingers.

About 9:45 I was able to slip back behind the evil one and start sewing the backsides on. The hubs was happily playing with my new iPad that arrived this afternoon amidst all the meeting scramble. Princess Cupcake and the hubs have logged more time on it than I have – and neither knew it was even coming. And you know what a nerd I am. That was torture in and of itself. Sigh. Next week….

The good news is that my machine and I have come to an understanding — I believe. It appears to prefer the long open road of a straight seam and granted me a relatively un-frustrating hour and a half. I managed to get all the girl’s rolls to the next stage with only a couple minor detours.

It didn’t hurt my mood any that I fell into a rhythm of sew a roll, sip my wine, sew a roll, sip my wine… repeat until the stack of pink was complete.

BTW, I am still way behind on my list of “want to get done’s,” but at least I feel like the crayon rolls are (nearly) under control. I should be able to finish them tomorrow and turn my attention to centerpieces, apparel, stuffing bags, making cake and cupcakes, making candy toppers and dare I say, pretzel crayons? And yes, I am working tomorrow and Thursday. Friday – is my own little meltdown reserved for me and me alone. I am just praying it won’t be an all-nighter.