Trares
The circus comes to the Trares household this weekend.
I’m not talking about elephants, lion tamers and trapeze artists. No, this circus is comprised of a dozen screaming kids, fueled by cupcakes and pizza, bouncing, running and playing their way through the day.
And I couldn’t be more excited.
Anthony is celebrating his eighth birthday today. Every year on (or around) his special day, we throw a little party to recognize it.
When he was a baby, it was about getting family together. On Anthony’s first birthday, relatives came from all over — grandparents, aunts, uncles, great-aunts and great-uncles, cousins and more. The mini-family reunion got a chance to catch up with one another, while also watching a toddler smear cake all over his face. Good times.
But as Anthony has gotten older, his birthday parties have transitioned from family affairs to gatherings of his friends. This year will be the largest group we’ve had yet, a mix of his longtime best buddy, new classmates from the past year at school and kids from the neighborhood.
It’s added a level of planning that hadn’t really been there before — particularly because Anthony wanted to host the party at our house. Having a few family members milling around the backyard is one thing, entertaining a handful of little boys is another.
So this morning, our backyard turns into a Pokemon-filled wonderland. We’ll have a bounce house for the kids to burn off their energy. When it gets too hot, we have a few appropriately themed games, such as Pin the Tail on the Pikachu and Pokeball-punching prize game.
There will be coolers filled with pop, water and Gatorade. Stacks of pizza are expected to arrive just after the guests do.
My wife and I have been working on all of the decorations, food and prizes for the kids for weeks now. As opposed to throwing up some Elmo banners or construction-themed pennants when Anthony was a baby, this has taken some advance planning, from booking the bounce house to making sure we have enough gifts for all of the kids.
As we have gotten closer to the big day, though, everyone’s excitement is mounting. For Anthony, it’s a chance to share some time with his friends, some of which he hasn’t seen since school let out in May.
For my wife and I, the party is just another marker as our little boy grows up. It’s hard to believe we’ll have an 8-year-old, even as it’s been so much fun seeing him develop his own personality, his own interests, his own talents. He’s becoming his own person, even if he still defers to his parents on most things.
So wish us luck. Fingers crossed, by the end of this day, you’ll have three very tired-but-very happy people — the mark of a great party.
Ryan Trares is a senior reporter and columnist for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
