Mia started collecting Squishmallows when she was six. By the time her eighth birthday rolled around this February, she had forty-three of them. I know the exact number because she made me count them with her the week before her party — she wanted to figure out how many she could “invite.” That’s how I…
Amy texted me in February with three words: “Baby Shark. Help.” Her daughter Lily was turning 2 in late March. Ten toddlers. Living room plus the backyard if the weather held. Amy had already watched the Baby Shark YouTube video approximately 400 times since Lily discovered it in November, and she was not sure whether…
Mateo had decided. There was no negotiating, no pivot, no “what about dinosaurs?” His mom Ana texted me in January: “Karen. He wants Toy Story. He’s been watching it every day since November. I need help.” I’ve been teaching second grade for fourteen years. In that time I have watched Toy Story phase in, phase…
Elliot had been asking for a Roblox birthday party since October. Thats five months of “Dad, can we do a Roblox party?” with increasing specificity — by January he had a list. Printed. With prices hed looked up on Alexa. Im Alex. I overthink childrens parties. My son Elliot just turned 9, and when he…
Allison sent me a screenshot at 11pm on a Tuesday. It was a luau party kit from Party City — $52.99, a plastic tablecloth with palm trees, some streamers, a bag of paper leis, and three cardboard flamingos. The caption said “is this cute.” I stared at it for a moment. I’ve been doing this…
Theo has watched the Cocomelon intro song approximately four thousand times. I’m not exaggerating. He’s two years old, and the second that watermelon logo appears on screen, his whole body starts moving. Arms pumping. Head nodding. Completely committed. So when my friend Rachel texted me in January asking for help with her daughter Isla’s second…
My neighbor Kate texted me in February. “Alex. Tyler’s turning 8. I know you’re the one who does the crazy parties. Can you help?” I’d helped enough parents in this cul-de-sac by now that this was basically a standing request. I said yes before I even asked what the theme was. Spider-Man. Of course it…
Norah has been humming “How Far I’ll Go” since November. Not all of it. Just the first eight words, on a loop, for four months. By the time her sixth birthday rolled around in March, my wife and I both knew exactly what the theme was going to be — we didn’t even need to…
Ana texted me in January. “Karen, Luna wants an Encanto party in March. I have no idea what I’m doing.” Ana’s daughter Sofia was in my second-grade class three years ago. I’d watched Luna grow up through holiday cards and the occasional pickup-line conversation. Luna was turning six. She knew every word to every song….
Nora came home in January with a very specific request. Not “Taylor Swift party.” An Eras Tour party. Different. She handed me a handwritten list organized by album, with color codes. She is nine. I’ve been selling party supplies on Etsy for four years. I’ve thrown parties for Owen (now six) since he could clap….
