Hogwart's School of Lame Parties

Ryan's 7th birthday is one week from today. At his request we are having a Harry Potter party. At home--also his request. I am completely stressed out by this party. This is not something of which I am proud, but I hate the home birthday parties. I really do. It's only 2 hours of my life, but I dread every minute of it. I am doing the party for him. As an expression of my undying love for him, because I get no personal fulfillment from planning a small child's party. My friend Meghan loves to plan parties and I have enlisted her for ideas. I now have a long list of activities and am more stressed than ever. And if it rains next Saturday I think I will have to just sit in the corner and cry. Or drink.

So, I have purchased wands and glasses for all of the kids. And (per Meghan's idea) I bought a bunch of cheap black t-shirts in a mens size large. I am going to cut them up the middle to make robes for the kids. Now they'll all look adorable, but what am I going to do with them for 2 hours? I have less than one week to plan some kind of Quiddich game, figure out how to make drinkable potions, and keep ten 7-year olds from ruining my carpet.

One mom has already told me that she will not allow her son to attend the party because of the Harry Potter theme. So that felt good, knowing that I'm planning a satanic party for small children and all. This is a mom who I like and respect, but I didn't realize she was one of those I-Don't-Like-Harry Potter-Even-Though-I-Haven't-Read-It-And-Don't-Fully-Understand-It kind of moms. I was raised in a home where we didn't "do" witches of any kind and I secretly harbor a teeny bit of guilt for loving Harry Potter, but seriously, JK Rowling is not teaching our children how to turn all of their friends into toads. The good is good and the bad is bad. CS Lewis and JRR Tolkein did the exact same thing and I don't see churches picketing against them...so that is a bit of added stress to an already anxiety fill event.

Mike and I completely caved and have decided to get Ryan a Gameboy Advance for his birthday. He wants it so badly. He pretty much knows that is what we are giving him and he has already prepared for the event by bequeathing his old duct-taped Gameboy color to Eric. Ryan can't stop talking about it. It is going to be a long six days.

On the knitting front: I have posted Cinderella on Etsy and the response has been quite underwhelming so far. I've started Henry's R2D2 hat and I've begun those horrid neopolitan socks again. I'm in between fun projects, which is not a place I like to be.

I truly did put off cleaning my bathrooms this week and boy can you tell! I finally cleaned 2 of them this morning. Unfortunately, they were the 2 that had been most recently cleaned. I have got to clean those upstairs bathrooms! Maybe I can get Ryan to use his Harry Potter wand to zap them clean for me.