the planning begins

i am a mother to a little girl who will be turning 7 in 21 days.

i am a mother who has given into her daughter's request for a birthday party with friends.

i am a mother who will be throwing a birthday tea party for 8 little girls in 19 days.

i am a mother with a shitload of work to do!!!

apparently, so does reese. she's been keeping her own list of items to get for her party and one of them is "party manners." i had to laugh at that one, reese seems to take after daddy in the manners department.

the part i'm nervous about is having all the moms hanging out during the party. i am NOT good at small talk and even worse at keeping the house clean enough for adult guests (my list at walmart includes ant traps, is that telling enough?).

it should be fun, i just have to stay focused and not let the calendar get away from me. i also need to figure out what the birthday girl will be receiving from us this year. on her birthday list she included: a nerf gun, an ariel head (for hairstyling practice), a pug (!!!), and american girl doll, with 'esesorees' (ahem, accessories), paint and easel, barbies, a webkinz and a computer. there will have to be some brainstorming going on. i would love to get her a trampoline for the backyard but our backyard is so small and hilly that i imagine she'd bounce over the fence and into the woods beyond. we'll have to save that for some other birthday.

for the now, it's time to get some coffee and head to the grocery store. seems un-american to spend memorial day buying food but at least i'm buying SOMETHING and *that* is american. hey, maybe we'll add an american flag to our shopping list. thanks for reminding me, blogger! we have the holder on the porch but no flagpole or flag. seems like a navy family should display a flag every day, not just patriotic holidays. we'll have to get on that!