Another thing...

What is it with doing birthday parties for small children? I just don't get it. Why do parents feel the need to do these fancy parties for their small children? Whatever happened to a small family celebration and leaving it at that? I don't see why every birthday needs to involve a whole big thing with party favors, activities, games, etc, etc, etc. One of the questions asked tonight was suggestions for party favors for a one year old's birthday, where the other guests would be 12-18 month olds. Why go through the hassle? It just seems so unnecessary to me, and I have a hard time seeing how it is beneficial to the child.

I recently joined a playgroup through my mom's club, although I am thinking of dropping out of it. In the next month, there are four birthdays, and each one of them is having a party and inviting the playgroup. For two of them people have arranged joint gifts from the playgroup so now we all owe $12 a pop. I'm not sure if we're on our own for the other two, or if that just has yet to be arranged. This is going to get expensive... and while I guess I have the money to spend on this, this is just not how I want to be spending it. Besides, I'm not sure about the precedent this is setting for Emma... At this point I'm not planning on going to most of the parties (one is actually during playgroup tomorrow so that seems low-key enough I guess) but it is enough to make me think about dropping the group. That and the fact that almost all of the other moms are sending their three year olds off to preschool this fall... I just don't think this group is for me.