Spongebob Monkey Luau

The Divine Miss Lillian Grace turns the big 4 tomorrow. She asked for a Spongebob Monkey Luau for her birthday. (Yeah, it beats me too.)

This is the invitation:

"So, when you ask your three-year-old about to be four-year-old small child what she wants her birthday party theme to be and she says, "Ummm....hmmmm...I want a Spongebob Monkey Luau, Mommy!" your immediate response is naturally to smile and say, "Oh, sure, Baby Girl, no problem. Mommy will get right on that, Honey." What? No? (This is why I get all of the Perfect Mommy Points. Watch and learn, Grasshopper.)"

Then I go on with the information about the party. Cute, eh?

Only we've got a little problem. It's supposed to rain in a most serious way on Saturday, and that's going to put a damper on the luau (which are traditionally OUTSIDE). We are supposed to play on the Banzai (a back yard waterslide thingy) and grill crabby patties (I told you I'm totally winning that contest this year). So, now the dilemma is whether or not to rent big jumping house things and use the gym at church as a back up plan or roll the dice on the weather holding out for the water slide, because the water slide thing IS the entire entertainment plan. (Sigh)

I can't change the theme or program at this point. See, the Spongebob folks aren't making the luau-themed plates and napkins anymore, so I had to actually bid and win them on ebay, not to mention the sparkly hanging palm trees I purchased and tropical monkeys and birds on straws and leis, we're a little stuck with the theme at this point. It's definitely a Spongebob Monkey Luau.

(My husband says I need therapy.)

Then he sent me to www.BirthdaysWithoutPressure.org which is like some rehab/therapy for children's birthday party junkies. The folks who made the site have some valid points.

When did it become mandatory that the birthday child give out goodie bags to guests? I'm buying lunch, cake, ice cream, a water slide and/or some jumping house things, and you want a bag with some candy and junky toys in it too? Who do you think you are? ;-) So, I'm taking up that part of the advice, and it's no goodie bags for you. Have another piece of cake.

I think we need to set a price ceiling on gifts too. Seriously, $5.00 is enough to please any four-year-old kid alive. McDonald's gift certificates. Sidewalk chalk. Crayons. Hairbows. It already looks like Toys R Us exploded in our playroom and she's got hand-me-downs from TWINS. What I should have put on the invitation was "Bring a gift, and I'll make you take a toy home with you from the basement. Try me."

Hey, I just had a GREAT idea. We're having goody bags afterall. Do they sell Spongebob goodie bags at Pet Smart to put puppies in? Well, there's always next-day- air on ebay...